Nicholls
Household income here sits in the 97.9th percentile nationally at $3,134 a week, yet the median house price is only $675,000, a pairing that explains why mortgage-to-income runs at just 16.9% despite the affluence. The suburb is overwhelmingly detached, with 89.6% separate houses and 70.1% of dwellings carrying four or more bedrooms, built for the family households that average 2.9 people, about 0.4 above the national figure. It scores decile 10 on three of four SEIFA indexes, the top advantage tier. The median age of 44 is 4 years above national, and the population has slipped 3.9% over the decade to 6,680 as the resident base ages.
Population
6,680
Median Age
44.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$3,134/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
4
Median House
$675K
Estimated from rent (2025)
At a $675,000 median, Nicholls is cheap relative to the incomes living in it, where households earn $3,134 a week in the 97.9th percentile nationally. That gap is why monthly repayments of $2,300 produce a mortgage-to-income ratio of only 16.9%, well below the 30% stress threshold, so buyers here carry far less debt burden than a premium price tag would suggest. The stock is firmly family-oriented: 89.6% are separate houses, semi-detached make up the remaining 10.4%, and four-plus bedroom homes dominate at 70.1% against just 2.8% two-bedroom. Owners are well established, with 41.5% owning outright and 43.7% on a mortgage, leaving only 14.8% renting. The trade-off is supply, because a population shrinking 0.38% a year and only 4 development applications in 12 months means existing houses rarely turn over, with 84.6% of residents staying put.
For Buyers
At a $675,000 median, Nicholls is cheap relative to the incomes living in it, where households earn $3,134 a week in the 97.9th percentile nationally. That gap is why monthly repayments of $2,300 produce a mortgage-to-income ratio of only 16.9%, well below the 30% stress threshold, so buyers here carry far less debt burden than a premium price tag would suggest. The stock is firmly family-oriented: 89.6% are separate houses, semi-detached make up the remaining 10.4%, and four-plus bedroom homes dominate at 70.1% against just 2.8% two-bedroom. Owners are well established, with 41.5% owning outright and 43.7% on a mortgage, leaving only 14.8% renting. The trade-off is supply, because a population shrinking 0.38% a year and only 4 development applications in 12 months means existing houses rarely turn over, with 84.6% of residents staying put.
For Investors
The renter pool is thin at 14.8%, well below typical Canberra suburbs, so Nicholls is a weak fit for yield-driven investors. Weekly rent of $502 against the $675,000 median implies a gross yield near 3.9%, and the 4.0% vacancy rate sits at the soft end, signalling limited tenant competition. Rent has grown 22.4% over the period, the one bright spot, but demand drivers are negative: net internal migration removes 110 residents a year while overseas migration adds only 50, leaving the population in annual decline. Development is almost nonexistent at 4 applications in 12 months, so there is no new supply pressure but also no growth catalyst. With population forecast to fall from 6,507 in 2025 toward 6,439 by 2031, the case rests on slow capital growth and rent escalation rather than tenant demand or turnover.
Development Activity
Total DAs
43
Last 12 Months
4
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-42.9%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Nicholls iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St John Paul II College
7-12 · 880 students
Holy Spirit Primary School
K-6 · 733 students
Gold Creek School
K-10 · 1261 students
Demographics
The median age of 44 runs 4.0 years above the national figure, and the trajectory is firmly aging, with the senior share up 8.3 points and the young share down 6.1 points over the decade. University qualifications reach 52.5%, which is 22.4 points above national, consistent with a professional, public-service workforce. Overseas-born residents are 29.8%, 8.2 points above national, and ancestry leans Anglo-Celtic, led by English (2,169), Irish (770) and Scottish (605), with Chinese (584) the largest non-European group. Mandarin (158 speakers) and Cantonese (65) head the non-English languages. Average household size of 2.9 sits 0.4 above national, reflecting the family base where couples with children (2,344) outnumber couples without (1,497, or 25.1% of families).
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
89.6%
Houses
10.4%
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure skews heavily toward ownership: 41.5% own outright and 43.7% carry a mortgage, leaving renters at just 14.8%, far below most markets. That 85% ownership base, combined with 84.6% of residents staying put, points to long-settled family households rather than churn. The stock is 89.6% separate houses and 10.4% semi-detached, with no apartment supply recorded, and four-plus bedroom homes make up 70.1% against 26.9% three-bedroom. The $675,000 median is modest for the 97.9th-percentile incomes living here, which keeps both stress measures low: mortgage-to-income at 16.9% and rent-to-income at 16.0% both sit well under the 30% threshold. The constraint is volume, because a detached-only, owner-dominated suburb with a shrinking population rarely lists, and only 4 development applications were lodged in 12 months.
Mortgage / mo
$2,300
Rent / wk
$502
HH Size
2.9
Personal Income / wk
$1,251
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.0%
Unoccupied
94
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
16.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
16.9%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
25.1%
Couples, no children
5,959
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce is anchored by the public sector: Public Administration leads at 34.6% (923 workers), more than double the next industry, with Professional/Tech at 14.3%, Education at 12.0% and Healthcare at 10.0%. By occupation, Professionals (1,111) and Managers (718) dominate, which aligns with the decile 9 IEO score for education and occupation. Unemployment is low at 3.5% and the full-time employment rate is 68.9%, though participation reads 65.9% because the aging profile leaves 1,589 residents out of the labour force. The SEIFA picture is uniformly strong, with IRSAD, IRSD and IER all at decile 10 and IEO at decile 9, placing Nicholls in the top advantage tier nationally. Real income growth was essentially flat at 0.1% over the decade, a sign that high incomes here are stable rather than rising.
Unemployment
1.8%
Labour Force
3,854
Unemployed
70
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
68.9%
Part-time
27.6%
Participation
65.9%
Employed
3,523
Occupations
Top Industries
University
52.5%
Postgraduate
18.9%
Born Overseas
29.8%
Dwellings
2,270
Transport to Work
Nicholls is built around the car: 89.8% drive to work while only 1.0% use public transport and 1.6% walk or cycle, well above the national reliance on cars and consistent with a low-density outer-Canberra setting at 996.8 residents per km2 across 6.7 km2. No schools are recorded inside the boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring Gungahlin suburbs, though the population is highly educated at 52.5% university qualified, 22.4 points above national. The suburb scores decile 10 on IRSAD and IRSD, the top advantage tier, meaning very few residents face disadvantage, and only 3.8% (249 people) need daily assistance despite the older median age of 44. Volunteering runs at 19.5%, and low housing stress, with rent-to-income at 16.0%, leaves households financially comfortable.
Drive
89.8%
Public Transport
1.0%
Walk / Cycle
1.6%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
-0.38%/yr
(-25 people/yr)
EstablishedNicholls is contracting, not growing: the population fell 3.9% over the decade and is forecast to decline 0.38% a year, or about 25 people annually. Historical counts show the slide already underway, from 6,625 in 2023 to 6,507 in 2025, and the medium forecast continues it toward 6,439 by 2031. The cause is migration: net internal migration removes 110 residents a year, far outweighing the 50 added by overseas migration. The suburb is classified as not gentrifying with a gentrification score of 0, and the shift is demographic rather than economic, as the senior share rose 8.3 points while the working-age share fell 2.9 points. Affordability stayed stable at 40.1% in 2021 versus 40.4% in 2011, so the decline reflects an established suburb aging in place rather than any affordability or investment pressure.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+50
Net Internal / yr
-110
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Net internal outflow -110/yr
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Nicholls compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nicholls a good suburb to live in?
Nicholls scores decile 10 on three of four SEIFA indexes, the top advantage tier nationally, with household income in the 97.9th percentile at $3,134 a week. University qualifications reach 52.5%, 22.4 points above national, and housing stress is low, with mortgage-to-income at just 16.9%.
What is the median house price in Nicholls?
The median house price is about $675,000, modest given household incomes in the 97.9th percentile. Weekly rent averages $502 and monthly mortgage repayments run around $2,300, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 16.9%, well below the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Nicholls?
No schools are recorded inside the Nicholls boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring Gungahlin suburbs. The local population is highly educated, with university qualifications at 52.5%, which is 22.4 points above the national figure.
Is Nicholls safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Nicholls in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 10 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, the highest tier, and only 3.8% of its 6,680 residents need daily assistance, both consistent with a low-disadvantage area.
Is Nicholls good for property investment?
Rent of $502 a week against a $675,000 median gives a gross yield near 3.9%, with a 4.0% vacancy rate and a thin 14.8% renter pool. Net internal migration removes 110 residents a year, so the population is declining and returns depend on capital growth more than tenant demand.
How is Nicholls's population changing?
The population is shrinking, down 3.9% over 10 years to 6,680 and forecast to fall 0.38% a year toward 6,439 by 2031. The profile is aging, with the senior share up 8.3 points and the young share down 6.1 points, driven by net internal outflow of 110 residents annually.
What is the housing like in Nicholls?
Nicholls is overwhelmingly detached, with 89.6% separate houses and 70.1% of dwellings carrying four or more bedrooms. Ownership is high, with 41.5% owning outright and 43.7% on a mortgage, leaving just 14.8% renting, a profile of established family households.
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.
Explore Nicholls on the Map
View parcels, zoning overlays, DA applications, schools and more.
Open Interactive Map