Lawson
With a median age of 28, fully 12 years below the national figure, Lawson in Canberra's north draws a distinctly young and internationally educated population. Household income sits in the 92.2nd percentile nationally, yet 46.6% of residents rent, a higher share than own or hold a mortgage. The suburb scores decile 10 on IRSD, IRSAD and IEO, placing it among the most advantaged communities in Australia. At 53% overseas-born, 31.4 points above the national rate, and with 66.4% university-educated, 36.3 points above national, the resident profile reflects Canberra's university and public service economy more than a typical suburban catchment.
Population
2,739
Median Age
28.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,492/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$678K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The median house price in Lawson is estimated at $678,000, and monthly mortgage repayments average $2,000, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 18.5%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold given household incomes in the 92.2nd percentile nationally. Only 19.7% of dwellings are separate houses, which is low compared to the Australian norm, while semi-detached homes dominate at 63.1% and apartments account for 17.2%. Three-bedroom homes are the most common at 45.0% of stock, followed by 2-bedroom at 27.8% and 4-plus bedroom at 20.3%. With only 8.0% of dwellings owned outright and 45.4% under mortgage, first-home buyers entering a market where semi-detached stock is the primary format and prices remain well below the national capitals average.
For Buyers
The median house price in Lawson is estimated at $678,000, and monthly mortgage repayments average $2,000, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 18.5%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold given household incomes in the 92.2nd percentile nationally. Only 19.7% of dwellings are separate houses, which is low compared to the Australian norm, while semi-detached homes dominate at 63.1% and apartments account for 17.2%. Three-bedroom homes are the most common at 45.0% of stock, followed by 2-bedroom at 27.8% and 4-plus bedroom at 20.3%. With only 8.0% of dwellings owned outright and 45.4% under mortgage, first-home buyers entering a market where semi-detached stock is the primary format and prices remain well below the national capitals average.
For Investors
Lawson presents a tenant-oriented market where 46.6% of residents rent, above the ACT average. Weekly rent averages $548 against a $678,000 median house price, implying a gross yield around 4.2%, stronger than many comparable Canberra suburbs. The vacancy rate is 5.0%, which is elevated and warrants monitoring. Net overseas migration adds 21 residents annually while internal migration produces a net outflow of 14, so demand rests primarily on continued overseas arrivals and the suburb's university catchment role. Population growth of 10.37% annually is among the highest in the data set, driven by a greenfield development pattern. The high turnover rate of 47.7% reflects the transient student-heavy cohort rather than long-term owner-occupier stability, which is a relevant risk for hold strategy.
Demographics
The median age of 28 sits 12 years below the national figure, the clearest signal that Lawson attracts students and early-career professionals rather than settled families. University qualifications reach 66.4%, which is 36.3 points above national, and overseas-born residents make up 53%, a full 31.4 points above national. Chinese ancestry (579 people) is the second largest group after a broad Other category (614), followed by English (502) and Indian (254). Mandarin is the most common non-English language at 206 speakers, followed by Urdu (45), Cantonese (42) and Nepali (42). Hinduism (283 residents) is the second religion after Christianity (634), with Buddhism third at 145. Average household size is 2.6, marginally above the national average by 0.1.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
19.7%
Houses
63.1%
Townhouse
17.2%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure in Lawson skews heavily toward renting, with 46.6% of residents paying rent compared to 45.4% on a mortgage and just 8.0% owning outright. That outright ownership rate is notably low compared to the national figure, reflecting the young, mobile population rather than long-established residents. Semi-detached dwellings dominate at 63.1% of stock, which is the defining characteristic of the suburb's housing form, placing separate houses at only 19.7%. Three-bedroom homes account for 45.0% of all dwellings and are the primary housing product, with 2-bedroom at 27.8%, 4-plus at 20.3% and 0-1 bedroom at 6.9%. The rent-to-income ratio sits at 22.0%, below the 30% stress threshold, because high incomes moderate the affordability burden despite above-average rents of $548 per week.
Mortgage / mo
$2,000
Rent / wk
$548
HH Size
2.6
Personal Income / wk
$1,190
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.0%
Unoccupied
52
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.5%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
40.7%
Couples, no children
1,647
Total families
Economy & Employment
Public administration is the dominant industry at 22.2% of workers (328 people), consistent with Canberra's role as the national capital and well above industry shares found in most metropolitan suburbs nationally. Healthcare and Professional/Tech are close behind at 14.7% and 14.3% respectively, with Education at 11.0% and Hospitality at 7.8%. By occupation, Professionals account for the largest group (658 workers), followed by Managers (244), Clerical/Admin (238) and Community/Personal (233). The unemployment rate is 3.6% with a participation rate of 77.2%, and the full-time employment rate is strong at 69.9%. Lawson scores decile 10 on IEO, reflecting very high education and occupation advantage, and decile 10 on IRSAD, consistent with the concentration of high-income, degree-holding professionals.
Unemployment
1.2%
Labour Force
2,184
Unemployed
27
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
69.9%
Part-time
26.5%
Participation
77.2%
Employed
1,777
Occupations
Top Industries
University
66.4%
Postgraduate
26.2%
Born Overseas
53.0%
Dwellings
987
Transport to Work
Car dependency is high in Lawson, with 84.6% of residents driving to work, compared to 6.1% using public transport and 2.7% walking or cycling. This is typical for Canberra's outer suburbs, where public transport frequency is lower than in older inner-city areas. The suburb scores decile 10 on IRSAD, the top national advantage tier, indicating very low deprivation across multiple dimensions. Only 1.6% of residents (40 people) require daily assistance, reflecting the young population age of 28. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary in this dataset, so families rely on nearby schools in adjacent Canberra suburbs. The volunteering rate is 14.1%, and rent-to-income at 22.0% means renters, who make up 46.6% of residents, are not in financial stress at current income levels.
Drive
84.6%
Public Transport
6.1%
Walk / Cycle
2.7%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+10.37%/yr
(+302 people/yr)
GreenfieldLawson is classified as a greenfield suburb with forecast annual population growth of 10.37%, equivalent to roughly 302 additional persons per year, well above the national average growth rate. The medium forecast sees population reaching 3,761 by 2026, rising to 5,273 by 2031 from a 2025 base of 2,913. Historical data shows modest gains from 2,886 in 2023 to 2,913 in 2025, suggesting the strong forecast growth is tied to ongoing land release and dwelling completion rather than purely organic demand. Overseas migration adds a net 21 residents annually, while internal migration is slightly negative at minus 14, so the growth story depends on new arrivals rather than interstate relocation. No COVID dip was recorded, which is consistent with the suburb's relatively recent establishment.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+21
Net Internal / yr
-14
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Lawson compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lawson a good suburb to live in?
Lawson ranks in decile 10 on IRSAD, IEO and IRSD, the top national advantage tier, with household income in the 92.2nd percentile nationally. The median age of 28 and 66.4% university qualification rate reflect a highly educated, young community. The main trade-offs are high car dependency at 84.6% and a 5.0% vacancy rate that signals some rental oversupply.
What is the median house price in Lawson?
The median house price in Lawson is estimated at $678,000. Weekly rent averages $548, and monthly mortgage repayments are around $2,000. The mortgage-to-income ratio is 18.5%, below the 30% stress threshold, because household incomes sit in the 92.2nd percentile nationally.
What schools are in Lawson?
No schools are recorded inside the Lawson suburb boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in neighbouring ACT suburbs. The local population is highly educated, with 66.4% holding university qualifications, which is 36.3 percentage points above the national figure.
Is Lawson safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Lawson in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 10 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, the highest tier nationally, and only 1.6% of its 2,739 residents require daily assistance, both consistent with a low-disadvantage, low-crime environment.
Is Lawson good for property investment?
Rent of $548 per week against a $678,000 median implies a gross yield around 4.2%, reasonable for Canberra. The 46.6% renter base provides a deep tenant pool, though the 5.0% vacancy rate suggests some oversupply. Annual population growth of 10.37% and ongoing greenfield development support medium-term demand, balanced against high tenant turnover at 47.7%.
How is Lawson's population changing?
Lawson is growing rapidly, with forecast annual growth of 10.37%, or about 302 extra residents per year. Population is projected to reach 5,273 by 2031, up from 2,913 in 2025. Net overseas migration of 21 per year is the primary driver, while internal migration is slightly negative at minus 14 per year.
What languages are spoken in Lawson?
About 53% of Lawson residents were born overseas, which is 31.4 percentage points above the national figure. Mandarin is the most common non-English language at 206 speakers, followed by Urdu (45), Cantonese (42) and Nepali (42), reflecting the suburb's internationally diverse, university-linked population.
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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