Griffith
Household incomes place Griffith at the 92.8th percentile nationally, while apartments account for 53.5% of homes and public administration employs 43.4% of workers. The suburb has 5,328 residents, a median age of 38 that is 2 years below the national figure, and a 68.2% university-educated share, 38.1 percentage points above national. Its compact, apartment-led profile differs from the lower-density housing commonly associated with nearby Narrabundah and Forrest, while the 9.9% vacancy rate may give renters more choice.
Population
5,328
Median Age
38.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,542/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
19
Homebuyers face a market where dwelling type matters more than a suburb-wide price guide, because no current median house price is available. Apartments represent 53.5% of stock, compared with 35.7% separate houses and 10.8% semi-detached homes. The most common format is two bedrooms at 41.4%, followed by four or more bedrooms at 23.7%. A monthly mortgage figure of $2,118 sits alongside $462 weekly rent, while mortgage costs equal 19.2% of household income, close to the 18.2% rent-to-income figure. Ownership is split across 25.3% outright and 32.5% mortgaged, so buyers should compare body corporate costs, parking and renovation potential against detached homes in Narrabundah and Forrest.
For Buyers
Homebuyers face a market where dwelling type matters more than a suburb-wide price guide, because no current median house price is available. Apartments represent 53.5% of stock, compared with 35.7% separate houses and 10.8% semi-detached homes. The most common format is two bedrooms at 41.4%, followed by four or more bedrooms at 23.7%. A monthly mortgage figure of $2,118 sits alongside $462 weekly rent, while mortgage costs equal 19.2% of household income, close to the 18.2% rent-to-income figure. Ownership is split across 25.3% outright and 32.5% mortgaged, so buyers should compare body corporate costs, parking and renovation potential against detached homes in Narrabundah and Forrest.
For Investors
Griffith has a substantial tenant base, with 40.9% renting and weekly rent at $462. The 9.9% vacancy rate is high enough to make tenant selection and leasing speed important, compared with a tightly supplied market. Apartment-heavy stock, with 53.5% apartments and 41.4% two-bedroom dwellings, can suit singles, couples and professional tenants, because the suburb's 68.2% university-educated population and 43.4% public administration employment support a skilled workforce. Twenty development applications in 12 months add monitoring risk, while Balanced migration reduces reliance on one demand source. Investors should stress-test vacancy, body corporate charges and resale competition rather than assume rent growth.
Development Activity
Total DAs
83
Last 12 Months
19
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+26.7%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Griffith
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
St Clare's College
St Edmund's College Canberra
Demographics
Griffith is highly educated and relatively established: 68.2% of residents have university qualifications, 38.1 percentage points above the national share, while median age is 38, or 2 years below the national median. The 2.1-person average household is 0.4 below the national figure, consistent with 49.6% of families being couples without children and 37.4% couples with children. English ancestry counts 1,968, Irish 795 and Scottish 603, while no religion is recorded for 2,580 residents versus 1,954 identifying with Christianity. Overseas-born residents comprise 27.7%, 6.1 points above national, and turnover is 35.1%, so the profile is educated but not static.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
35.7%
Houses
10.8%
Townhouse
53.5%
Apartment
Tenure
Griffith's housing mix is apartment-dominant: 53.5% of dwellings are apartments, above the 35.7% separate-house share and the 10.8% semi-detached share. Two-bedroom homes lead at 41.4%, while 15.9% are studios or one-bedroom and 23.7% have four or more bedrooms. Tenure is divided between 40.9% renting, 32.5% with a mortgage and 25.3% owned outright, giving the suburb a more mobile profile than a predominantly owner-occupied district. Weekly rent is $462 and rent-to-income is 18.2%, while the mortgage-to-income figure is 19.2%; both stress flags are false. No median house price is available, making dwelling-level comparisons important.
Mortgage / mo
$2,118
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$462
Census 2021
HH Size
2.1
Personal Income / wk
$1,572
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
9.9%
Unoccupied
256
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.2%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.2%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
37.4%
Couples with children
49.6%
Couples, no children
11.0%
Single parent
1,376
Total families
Economy & Employment
Public administration dominates local employment at 43.4% and 1,174 workers, followed by professional and technical services at 15.2% or 410, healthcare at 10.4% or 280, education at 8.3% or 225, and hospitality at 3.4% or 92. This concentration fits Griffith's skilled workforce: professionals number 1,338 and managers 740, while unemployment is 3.3% and participation is 71.5%. SEIFA places education and occupation in the top decile, with IEO and IRSD both decile 10; IRSAD is also decile 10, but IER is lower at decile 7. That gap suggests strong credentials and access alongside less uniformly elevated economic resources, so the suburb ranks above most areas on advantage without being economically identical across households.
Unemployment
3.3%
Labour Force
3,319
Unemployed
109
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
71.5%
Part-time
23.6%
Participation
71.5%
Employed
3,210
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
68.2%
Postgraduate
27.5%
Born Overseas
27.7%
Dwellings
2,313
Transport to Work
Griffith's compact 2.76 sq km footprint and density of 1,933.3 people per sq km support an inner-Canberra lifestyle, although 58.7% commute by car compared with 6.5% using public transport and 13.1% walking or cycling. Work-from-home accounts for 14.7%, adding flexibility for professional and public-sector workers. Two nearby colleges are non-government and listed as Other, so families should check enrolment zones and travel times for the exact address rather than infer school quality from proximity. Social advantage is strong, with IRSAD in decile 10 and IRSD in decile 10, while IER is lower at decile 7. A suburb crime rate is not available, so current ACT Police information should be checked before comparing Griffith with Kingston or Narrabundah.
Drive
58.7%
Public Transport
6.5%
Walk / Cycle
13.1%
Work from Home
14.7%
Population Forecast
+1.73%/yr
(+101 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is positive but moderated by an aging trajectory. The annual trend is 1.73%, migration is labelled Balanced, and population change across the wider area is 36.7% over 10 years. The forecast shift records senior share up 3.5 percentage points and working share down 1.9 points, so demand may increasingly favour accessible apartments and established services rather than family-only expansion. Gentrification remains at Early signs, with a score of 29, while the shift score is 26; rent growth of 15.5% adds pressure. Compared with a flat or declining district, Griffith has clearer momentum, but ageing means growth should not be read as a guarantee of rapid household expansion.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+91
Net Internal / yr
+50
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +43% since 2011, Accelerating: 14% → 25%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Griffith compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Griffith a good suburb to live in?
Griffith suits buyers and renters who value an apartment-led inner-Canberra setting, strong incomes and access to established services. Its 68.2% university-educated population and 92.8th-percentile household income support local amenity, while 53.5% apartments and a 9.9% vacancy rate mean the experience differs from a detached-house suburb.
What is the median house price in Griffith?
No suburb-wide median house price is available for Griffith. Buyers can still frame costs using the $2,118 monthly mortgage figure, $462 weekly rent, and housing mix of 53.5% apartments versus 35.7% separate houses. Compare the exact dwelling, body corporate fees and recent comparable sales.
What schools are in Griffith?
There are 2 schools listed in Griffith, both non-government colleges classified as Other. Families should check enrolment zones, year levels and travel times for the exact address, because school access can differ across Canberra. The suburb's 2.76 sq km area does not by itself establish catchment eligibility.
Is Griffith safe?
A suburb crime rate and incident total are not available, so Griffith cannot be ranked numerically against nearby areas. Transport patterns show 13.1% walking or cycling and 58.7% driving, but those figures are not safety measures. Check current ACT Police information and inspect the street at different times.
Is Griffith good for property investment?
Griffith can suit an investor seeking a professional tenant base, with 40.9% renting, $462 weekly rent and 68.2% university-educated residents. The 9.9% vacancy rate warrants conservative assumptions, while 20 development applications in 12 months may increase competition. Compare body corporate costs and apartment resale prospects with nearby suburbs.
How is Griffith's population changing?
Griffith has 5,328 residents today, with a median age of 38. The wider area's forecast trend is 1.73% annually, population change is 36.7% over 10 years, and the trajectory is Aging. Migration is Balanced, while senior share has risen 3.5 points, indicating growth alongside a gradually older age profile.
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 education open registers (school locations), 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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