ACT · Unincorporated ACT Council
Symonston, 2609
Current weather
9.1°CMainly clear
76% humidity · 21.5 km/h wind · 12.2° / 6.5° today · 14.1 mm rain
Updated
Desirability score
- Heritage
- Affordable
- Shops
- Metro
- Established
Suburb profile
In Unincorporated ACT, Symonston is a settled smaller community with a familiar suburban feel and good links to the wider city. Its inner position means surrounding suburbs are never far away, whether for a meal out or a change of scene. A mature community gives the area a calm, settled social fabric, with multiple generations sharing the same neighbourhood.
Local shops and services cover the basics well, with more choice a short trip into neighbouring suburbs. Housing remains accessible compared with many parts of the state.
A trickle of new development is refreshing selected pockets without changing the overall feel.
On the desirability index, the suburb sits below average overall, mainly because growth momentum and community and employment lag similar metro suburbs, despite relative strength in transport and access. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
Population
- Population
- 655
- Median age
- 55
- Median household income / week
- $841
- Dwelling vacancy
- 1.5%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 4 of 264
- Median monthly mortgage
- $599
- Employment rate
- 31.7%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 61 / 21 / 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)
- 35
- Against the person
- 5
- Against property
- 7
- Rate per 1,000 residents
- 53.4
- Person-crime prevalence
- About 1 in 131 residents
- State safety percentile
- 90.2th (lower crime is better)
- Increase (daily rate)
- +52.2%
Most common offence types
- Assault - Fv3
- Assault - Non-Fv1
- Other Offences23
- Property Damage5
- Theft (Excluding Motor Vehicles)2
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
Planning & development
Development applications from ACT planning register (lodged 2020–2026).
20 planning-related records
2025· 1 proposal
November 2025
- SUBCSYMONSTON · JERRABOMBERRACompleted
2024· 2 proposals
August 2024
- SUBCSYMONSTON · JERRABOMBERRACompleted
February 2024
- SUBCSYMONSTON · JERRABOMBERRACompleted
2023· 4 proposals
December 2023
- SUBCSYMONSTON · JERRABOMBERRACompleted
September 2023
- SUBCSYMONSTON · JERRABOMBERRACompleted
August 2023
- SUBCSYMONSTON · JERRABOMBERRACompleted
February 2023
- SUBCSYMONSTON · JERRABOMBERRACompleted
2022· 2 proposals
November 2022
- SUBCSYMONSTON · JERRABOMBERRACompleted
May 2022
- SUBCSYMONSTON · JERRABOMBERRACompleted
2021· 6 proposals
October 2021
- SUBCSYMONSTON · JERRABOMBERRACompleted
September 2021
- SUBCSYMONSTON · JERRABOMBERRACompleted
July 2021
- SUBCSYMONSTON · JERRABOMBERRACompleted
May 2021
- SUBCSYMONSTON · JERRABOMBERRACompleted
March 2021
- SUBCSYMONSTON · JERRABOMBERRACompleted
February 2021
- SUBCSYMONSTON · JERRABOMBERRACompleted
2020· 5 proposals
August 2020
- SUBCSYMONSTON · JERRABOMBERRACompleted
July 2020
- SUBCSYMONSTON · JERRABOMBERRACompleted
June 2020
- SUBCSYMONSTON · JERRABOMBERRACompleted
May 2020
- SUBCSYMONSTON · JERRABOMBERRACompleted
March 2020
- SUBCSYMONSTON · JERRABOMBERRACompleted
Contributes to desirability score · Future Growth (7%)
Development and planning activity
Data sources & freshness
- Active & completed development applications — ACT Planning · Period: 2020–2026 · Updated on site
Amenities
33 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
- Bbq
- Bench (8)
- Jerrabomberra Avenue AGSOBus stop
- Jerrabomberra Avenue opposite AGSOBus stop
- Longstay Caravan Park in Grounds (School Services Only)Bus stop
- Narrabundah Lane opposite Sundown MotelBus stop
- Narrabundah Lane opposite Therapeutic Goods AdminBus stop
- Narrabundah Lane Sundown Motel ResortBus stop
- Narrabundah Lane Therapeutic Goods AdministrationBus stop
- Blackstone cafeCafe
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
- Dhulwa mental health unityes
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)
- 1/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 1/10
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
Heritage
80 state heritage places
- Aboriginal Places in the District of JerrabomberraJA43 - Registered Places or Objects
- Aboriginal Places in the District of JerrabomberraJA63 - Registered Places or Objects
- Aboriginal Places in the District of JerrabomberraCallum Brae PAD3 - Registered Places or Objects
- Aboriginal Places in the District of JerrabomberraJA13 - Registered Places or Objects
- Aboriginal Places in the District of JerrabomberraJA10 (IF3)3 - Registered Places or Objects
- Aboriginal Places in the District of JerrabomberraJA73 - Registered Places or Objects
- Aboriginal Places in the District of JerrabomberraJA33 - Registered Places or Objects
- Aboriginal Places in the District of JerrabomberraCallum Brae PAD3 - Registered Places or Objects
- Aboriginal Places in the District of JerrabomberraJA23 - Registered Places or Objects
- Aboriginal Places in the District of JerrabomberraJA9 (IF2)3 - Registered Places or Objects
Data sources & freshness
- State heritage register — State heritage authority · Period: current · Updated on site
Childcare
1 childcare service from OpenStreetMap
- Kids Club SymonstonSir Harold Raggatt Drivekindergarten
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)
- 4
- Parks (OSM)
- 0
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
- 18.1/100 — Below average
- National rank
- 6662nd in Australia
- State rank
- 108th in ACT
- Peer rank
- #9 among Metro Canberra · Mature suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #107 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
- Kids Club SymonstonchildcareSir Harold Raggatt Drivekindergarten
- Aboriginal Places in the District of JerrabomberraheritageJA43 - Registered Places or Objects
- Aboriginal Places in the District of JerrabomberraheritageJA63 - Registered Places or Objects
- Aboriginal Places in the District of JerrabomberraheritageCallum Brae PAD3 - Registered Places or Objects
- Aboriginal Places in the District of JerrabomberraheritageJA13 - Registered Places or Objects
- Aboriginal Places in the District of JerrabomberraheritageJA10 (IF3)3 - Registered Places or Objects
- Aboriginal Places in the District of JerrabomberraheritageJA73 - Registered Places or Objects
- Aboriginal Places in the District of JerrabomberraheritageJA33 - Registered Places or Objects
- Aboriginal Places in the District of JerrabomberraheritageCallum Brae PAD3 - Registered Places or Objects
- Aboriginal Places in the District of JerrabomberraheritageJA23 - Registered Places or Objects
Data sources & freshness
- Childcare services — OpenStreetMap · Updated on site
- State heritage register — State heritage authority · Updated on site
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.