ACT · Unincorporated ACT Council
Spence, 2615
Current weather
10.3°CClear sky
72% humidity · 20 km/h wind · 13.1° / 7.5° today · 13.1 mm rain
Updated
Desirability score
- Premium
- Shops
- Metro
- Established
- Residential
Suburb profile
Spence is a well-connected mid-sized suburb in Unincorporated ACT with everyday amenities close at hand. Connections to the wider metro area are straightforward, with neighbouring communities close at hand. Residents are mostly families and working professionals, with a strong presence of young families throughout.
Everyday errands and local outings are straightforward, with the wider metro area adding variety. Property is in demand, reflecting the appeal of living in a place people actively choose.
The streetscape feels settled and established, with older homes giving the area a familiar, lived-in look.
The desirability score is around average, weighed down by weaker local dining and lifestyle amenities and safety against similar metro suburbs, even with community and employment and housing affordability holding up better.
Population
- Population
- 2,587
- Median age
- 38
- Median household income / week
- $2,358
- Dwelling vacancy
- 4.9%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 48 of 973
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,120
- Employment rate
- 63%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 58 / 70 / 0
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 Census release
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Crime & safety
- Total offences (2025 Q2 Apr-Jun)
- 43
- Against the person
- 3
- Against property
- 28
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 16.6
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 862 residents
- State safety percentile
- 75th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate)
- +186.7%
Most common offence types
- Burglary Dwellings7
- Motor Vehicle Theft4
- Other Offences12
- Property Damage6
- Theft (Excluding Motor Vehicles)11
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Crime rate and year-on-year trend
Data sources & freshness
- ACT crime statistics by suburb (quarterly) — ACT Policing / dataACT · Period: 2025 Q1 Jan-Mar → 2025 Q2 Apr-Jun; 2025 Q2 Apr-Jun · Updated on site · Quarterly XLSX release
Roadworks & transport
2 active roadworks / incidents
- TTM 26024 - ARP Supporting Active Travel Missing links Package 2 TTM 1 - 2Glassey Place both directions: from Clarey Crescent to Kingsford Smith Drive.7 am - 5 pm (daily) Monday to Sunday as required.29 Mar 2026 – 21 Aug 2026
- TTM 26024 - ARP Supporting Active Travel Missing links Package 2 TTM 3 - Date ExtensionClarey Crescent - both directions between Kingsford Smith Drive and Glassey Place.05 Jul 2026 – 24 Jul 2026
Data sources & freshness
- Road incidents & closures — State road authority open-data feeds · Period: current · Updated on site · Hourly refresh where supported
Planning & development
Development applications from ACT planning register.
2026· 1 proposal
May 2026
- SUBCSPENCE · BELCONNENCompleted
2025· 2 proposals
April 2025
- SUBCSPENCE · BELCONNENCompleted
- SUBCSPENCE · BELCONNENCompleted
2024· 5 proposals
December 2024
- SUBCSPENCE · BELCONNENCompleted
September 2024
- SUBCSPENCE · BELCONNENCompleted
May 2024
- SUBCSPENCE · BELCONNENCompleted
January 2024
- SUBCSPENCE · BELCONNENCompleted
- SUBCSPENCE · BELCONNENCompleted
2023· 3 proposals
December 2023
- RESLSPENCE · BELCONNENCompleted
October 2023
- SUBCSPENCE · BELCONNENCompleted
February 2023
- SUBCSPENCE · BELCONNENCompleted
2022· 5 proposals
October 2022
- SUBCSPENCE · BELCONNENCompleted
May 2022
- SUBCSPENCE · BELCONNENCompleted
April 2022
- SUBCSPENCE · BELCONNENCompleted
- SUBCSPENCE · BELCONNENCompleted
January 2022
- SUBCSPENCE · BELCONNENCompleted
2021· 5 proposals
December 2021
- SUBCSPENCE · BELCONNENCompleted
- SUBCSPENCE · BELCONNENCompleted
- SUBCSPENCE · BELCONNENCompleted
March 2021
- SUBCSPENCE · BELCONNENCompleted
February 2021
- SUBCSPENCE · BELCONNENCompleted
2020· 6 proposals
December 2020
- SUBCSPENCE · BELCONNENCompleted
September 2020
- SUBCSPENCE · BELCONNENCompleted
May 2020
- SUBCSPENCE · BELCONNENCompleted
April 2020
- SUBCSPENCE · BELCONNENCompleted
February 2020
- SUBCSPENCE · BELCONNENCompleted
- SUBCSPENCE · BELCONNENCompleted
Contributes to desirability score · Future Growth (7%)
Development and planning activity
Data sources & freshness
- Active & completed development applications — ACT Planning · Period: 2026 · Updated on site
Amenities
44 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
- Spence Family BakeryBakery
- Bench (8)
- Alpen Street after Baddeley CrescentBus stop
- Alpen Street after Kingsford Smith DriveBus stop
- Alpen Street before Clifford CrescentBus stop
- Baddeley Crescent after 2nd Crofts CrescentBus stop
- Baddeley Crescent after 2nd Hancock StreetBus stop
- Baddeley Crescent after Blumental PlaceBus stop
- Baddeley Crescent after Broadby CloseBus stop
- Baddeley Crescent after Colborne PlaceBus stop
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe).
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Health access
- Hospitals & GP clinics
- 1
- Emergency department
- Not in suburb
- Spence Pharmacypharmacy
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)
Hospitals and GP clinics
Data sources & freshness
- Hospitals & clinics — OpenStreetMap + state health datasets · Period: current · Updated on site
Socio-economic (SEIFA)
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 9/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 8/10
SEIFA indexes from ABS 2021. Decile 10 = most advantaged / least disadvantaged in Australia.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 SEIFA release
Childcare
2 childcare services from OpenStreetMap
- Spence Children's CottageDalgleish Closechildcare
- kindergartenkindergarten
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
Childcare centre count
Data sources & freshness
- Childcare services — OpenStreetMap · Period: current · Updated on site
Hazards
- Bushfire planning zone
- No overlay at centroid
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via ACT Bushfire Prone Area (SBMP) mapping.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Bushfire hazard overlays
Data sources & freshness
- Hazard planning overlays — State government hazard layers · Period: current · Updated on site
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 3
- Parks (OSM)
- 2
OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (10%)
Parks and green cover (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap green cover features — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Desirability Index
- Desirability score
- 46.2/100 — Average
- National rank
- 2244th in Australia
- State rank
- 87th in ACT
- Peer rank
- #79 among Metro Canberra · Established suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #86 among Metro Canberra suburbs
- Data confidence
- 73%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics
Recent changes
- SUBCplanningSPENCE · BELCONNENLodged 08 May 2026 · Completed
- TTM 26024 - ARP Supporting Active Travel Missing links Package 2 TTM 1 - 2roadworksGlassey Place both directions: from Clarey Crescent to Kingsford Smith Drive.7 am - 5 pm (daily) Monday to Sunday as required.29 Mar 2026 – 21 Aug 2026
- TTM 26024 - ARP Supporting Active Travel Missing links Package 2 TTM 3 - Date ExtensionroadworksClarey Crescent - both directions between Kingsford Smith Drive and Glassey Place.05 Jul 2026 – 24 Jul 2026
- Spence Children's CottagechildcareDalgleish Closechildcare
- kindergartenchildcarekindergarten
- Spence Pharmacyhealthpharmacy
- RESLplanningSPENCE · BELCONNENLodged 11 Dec 2023 · Completed
- SUBCplanningSPENCE · BELCONNENLodged 03 Apr 2025 · Completed
- SUBCplanningSPENCE · BELCONNENLodged 01 Apr 2025 · Completed
- SUBCplanningSPENCE · BELCONNENLodged 19 Dec 2024 · Completed
Data sources & freshness
- Childcare services — OpenStreetMap · Updated on site
- Hospitals & clinics — OpenStreetMap + state health datasets · Updated on site
- Active & completed development applications — ACT Planning · Updated on site
- Road incidents & closures — State road authority open-data feeds · Updated on site · Hourly refresh where supported
More in Unincorporated ACT Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile elsewhere in Australian Capital Territory or interstate.