Braddon
A median age of 30, fully 10 years below the national figure, tells you most of Braddon's story: this is a young, rental city quarter where 61.3% of residents rent and 80.9% of dwellings are apartments. Household income still reaches the 87.1st percentile nationally because the workforce skews professional, with 70.3% holding a university qualification, 40.2 points above national. The suburb scores decile 10 on IRSAD, IEO and IRSD, the top advantage tier, yet sits at decile 2 on the economic resources index, an anomaly driven by the renter-heavy base. Population has grown 40.1% over the decade, among the fastest in Canberra.
Population
6,383
Median Age
30.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,259/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
10
A buyer is almost always purchasing an apartment, and the stock leans small: 39.9% are one-bedroom or studio and 42.1% are two-bedroom, leaving just 3.8% with four or more bedrooms. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,803, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 18.4%, well below the 30% stress threshold, so servicing a loan is comfortable for the 87.1st-percentile income base. Only 11.4% of residents own outright against 27.3% with a mortgage, a low ownership tier that reflects how recently most of this housing was built and bought.
For Buyers
A buyer is almost always purchasing an apartment, and the stock leans small: 39.9% are one-bedroom or studio and 42.1% are two-bedroom, leaving just 3.8% with four or more bedrooms. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,803, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 18.4%, well below the 30% stress threshold, so servicing a loan is comfortable for the 87.1st-percentile income base. Only 11.4% of residents own outright against 27.3% with a mortgage, a low ownership tier that reflects how recently most of this housing was built and bought.
For Investors
Rent has grown 20.7% over the decade, and net overseas migration of 142 residents a year plus net internal inflow of 89 keeps demand rising. The caution sign is a 13.2% vacancy rate, high enough to signal apartment oversupply, consistent with the 80.9% apartment share. Development is modest at 10 applications in 12 months, though several are multi-storey mixed-use proposals that will add stock. With population forecast to climb 2.6% a year, the case rests on tenant demand and rent escalation more than scarcity.
Development Activity
Total DAs
55
Last 12 Months
10
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-41.2%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Braddon iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Merici College
7-12 · 992 students
Ainslie School
K-6 · 351 students
Demographics
The median age of 30 runs 10 years below the national figure, and the household profile matches: average household size is 1.8, which is 0.7 below national, pointing to singles and young couples rather than families. Couples without children make up 65.4% of families. Overseas-born residents reach 35.3%, 13.7 points above national, and ancestry leads with English (2,031), Irish (866) and Chinese (795). The top non-English languages are Mandarin (227 speakers), Cantonese (49) and Korean (36). University qualifications at 70.3% sit 40.2 points above national, among the highest anywhere, because the suburb draws government and professional workers into compact inner-city apartments next to the city centre.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
4.9%
Houses
14.2%
Townhouse
80.9%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is dominated by renters at 61.3%, with 27.3% carrying a mortgage and only 11.4% owning outright, a structure that explains the suburb's economic-resources anomaly. The dwelling stock is 80.9% apartments and 14.2% semi-detached, leaving separate houses at just 4.9%, so density runs to 4,534 residents per square km across a 1.41 km2 footprint. Bedroom counts are small, with 39.9% one-bedroom or studio and 42.1% two-bedroom. Affordability improved markedly, from 42.2% of income in 2011 to 32.7% in 2021, and both housing stress flags read clear: mortgage-to-income is 18.4% and rent-to-income 21.9%, both below the 30% threshold despite the inner-city location.
Mortgage / mo
$1,803
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$495
Census 2021
HH Size
1.8
Personal Income / wk
$1,512
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
13.2%
Unoccupied
513
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.9%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.4%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
65.4%
Couples, no children
3,112
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce is anchored by government: Public Admin employs 45.1% of working residents (1,802 people), far higher than any other sector, with Professional/Tech second at 17.3% (691) and Education at 9.1% (365). By occupation, Professionals (2,136) and Managers (971) dominate, aligning with the decile 10 IEO score for education and occupation. Unemployment is low at 3.4% and the full-time employment rate is high at 78.8%, with participation at 77.5%. Real incomes grew 26.5% over the decade. The clear anomaly is the IER economic-resources score at decile 2 against decile 10 on the other three SEIFA indexes, because the 61.3% renter base holds little property wealth even though earnings are strong.
Unemployment
2.7%
Labour Force
5,901
Unemployed
162
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
78.8%
Part-time
17.8%
Participation
77.5%
Employed
4,528
Occupations
Top Industries
University
70.3%
Postgraduate
27.7%
Born Overseas
35.3%
Dwellings
3,371
Transport to Work
Active transport is unusually strong: 37.9% of residents walk or cycle to work, far above the national reliance on cars, while only 48.6% drive and 8.6% take public transport, a pattern that fits the dense 4,534 per km2 setting beside Canberra's city centre. The suburb scores decile 10 on IRSAD and decile 10 on IRSD for relative disadvantage, the top tier nationally, so very few residents face deprivation, and only 2.1% (129 people) need daily assistance. Volunteering runs at 22.0%. No schools are recorded inside the 1.41 km2 boundary, so the small share of families relies on schools in neighbouring suburbs, a practical trade-off for a quarter built around apartments and young professionals.
Drive
48.6%
Public Transport
8.6%
Walk / Cycle
37.9%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+2.6%/yr
(+195 people/yr)
EstablishedBraddon is expanding fast for an inner-city pocket: population grew 40.1% over the decade and is forecast to rise 2.6% a year, adding about 195 residents annually. The medium projection lifts the population from 7,488 in 2025 to 8,621 by 2031. Growth is migration-led, with net overseas inflow of 142 a year as the primary driver and net internal migration adding another 89. The gentrification stage reads active at a score of 45, supported by a 56% population rise since 2011 and an accelerating renter-to-owner shift. The working-age share rose 6.1 points over the decade while the senior share barely moved at 0.7 points, reinforcing the young, professional trajectory rather than an aging one.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+142
Net Internal / yr
+89
Gentrification Signal
Active
Population +56% since 2011, Net internal migration +89/yr, Accelerating: 18% → 32%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Braddon compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Braddon a good suburb to live in?
Braddon scores decile 10 on IRSAD, IEO and IRSD, the top advantage tier nationally, with household income in the 87.1st percentile. University qualifications reach 70.3%, 40.2 points above national, and 37.9% of residents walk or cycle to work. The main trade-off is a 13.2% apartment vacancy rate.
What is the median house price in Braddon?
Weekly rent averages $495 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,803, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 18.4%, below the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Braddon?
No schools are recorded inside the 1.41 km2 Braddon boundary in this dataset, so the small share of families relies on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The resident base is highly educated, with university qualifications at 70.3%, which is 40.2 points above the national figure.
Is Braddon safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Braddon in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 10 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, the highest tier, and only 2.1% of its 6,383 residents need daily assistance, both consistent with a low-disadvantage area.
Is Braddon good for property investment?
Net overseas migration of 142 a year supports demand, but a 13.2% vacancy rate signals apartment oversupply to watch.
How is Braddon's population changing?
Population grew 40.1% over the decade and is forecast to rise 2.6% a year, adding about 195 residents annually, lifting the count from 7,488 in 2025 to 8,621 by 2031. Growth is migration-led, with net overseas inflow of 142 a year as the primary driver.
What languages are spoken in Braddon?
About 35.3% of residents were born overseas, 13.7 points above the national figure. English is the dominant language, with Mandarin (227 speakers), Cantonese (49), Korean (36) and Hindi (35) the most common non-English languages, reflecting a young and international resident mix.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), state Valuer-General (house prices), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), ACARA (school ICSEA), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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