Scullin
With 3,069 residents on 1.43 square kilometres, Scullin combines established detached housing with a highly educated workforce. University attendance reaches 49.3%, or 19.2 percentage points above the national comparison, while the median age of 35 is 5 years below the national figure. Separate houses account for 79.9% of dwellings, giving Scullin a more detached profile than the apartment-oriented Belconnen town centre. Weekly household income is $2,025, placing the suburb at the 75.8th percentile. Compared with faster-changing districts, its 0.29% annual growth rate points to a settled market where demand is supported more by employment and overseas migration than by rapid redevelopment.
Local council: Unincorporated ACT
Population
3,069
Median Age
35.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,025/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
5
Scullin suits buyers seeking established, family-sized housing rather than a high-rise or apartment setting. Separate houses make up 79.9% of dwellings, while 3-bedroom homes account for 52.5% and 4-bedroom-plus homes 28.2%. The listed mortgage cost is $1,950 per month, compared with weekly rent of $390, and mortgage-to-income is 22.2%, with no mortgage stress flag. Ownership is split between 27.1% outright owners and 39.7% mortgage holders, so the suburb has a substantial established-owner base. Compared with apartment-oriented choices around Belconnen town centre, Scullin provides more land-based housing, but buyers should check current sales by renovation level, block size and bedroom count because no confirmed suburb median is available.
For Buyers
Scullin suits buyers seeking established, family-sized housing rather than a high-rise or apartment setting. Separate houses make up 79.9% of dwellings, while 3-bedroom homes account for 52.5% and 4-bedroom-plus homes 28.2%. The listed mortgage cost is $1,950 per month, compared with weekly rent of $390, and mortgage-to-income is 22.2%, with no mortgage stress flag. Ownership is split between 27.1% outright owners and 39.7% mortgage holders, so the suburb has a substantial established-owner base. Compared with apartment-oriented choices around Belconnen town centre, Scullin provides more land-based housing, but buyers should check current sales by renovation level, block size and bedroom count because no confirmed suburb median is available.
For Investors
Scullin provides a detached-house rental market with moderate tenant depth rather than a high-density investment profile. Renting accounts for 32.5% of occupied dwellings, lower than the 39.7% mortgage cohort, and weekly rent is $390. A 7.0% vacancy rate is an important allowance for investors because longer leasing periods can reduce gross returns even where the housing stock is attractive. Seven development applications were recorded over 12 months, including a dwelling demolition and rebuild, alterations and additions, and outdoor works, pointing to incremental rather than concentrated change. Rent growth of 23.8% is materially higher than the 0.29% annual population trend, while overseas migration is the primary growth driver. Compared with a tightly supplied inner-market strategy, Scullin requires careful vacancy and maintenance assumptions.
Development Activity
Total DAs
41
Last 12 Months
5
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
0.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Scullin
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Southern Cross Early Childhood School P-2
Demographics
Scullin has a median age of 35, which is 5 years below the national comparison, and university participation is 49.3%, 19.2 percentage points above the national rate. Overseas-born residents represent 27.1%, or 5.5 points above the national comparison. Average household size is 2.6, only 0.1 above the national figure, reflecting a mix of couples, families and smaller households. English ancestry counts 999 people, followed by Scottish at 355 and Irish at 353. No religion is recorded for 1,452 residents versus 1,065 identifying with Christianity, while Mandarin, Nepali and Urdu are among the leading non-English languages. Compared with more transient areas, the 76.5% stayed rate and 23.5% turnover rate suggest strong residential continuity, which supports established social networks while overseas migration adds gradual change.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
79.9%
Houses
14.1%
Townhouse
5.9%
Apartment
Tenure
Scullin's housing is predominantly detached and family-sized, with 79.9% separate houses, 14.1% semi-detached dwellings and 5.9% apartments. Three-bedroom homes account for 52.5% of stock and 4-bedroom-plus homes for 28.2%, creating more family capacity than a typical apartment-focused precinct. Tenure is divided between 27.1% outright ownership, 39.7% mortgage ownership and 32.5% renting. Compared with outright owners, mortgage holders form the larger group, which indicates continued exposure to borrowing costs. The mortgage-to-income measure is 22.2% and rent-to-income is 19.3%, with neither flagged as housing stress. There is no confirmed median house price to quote, so purchasers should compare recent sales for similarly sized homes, as renovation quality and land size can materially alter value.
Mortgage / mo
$1,950
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$390
Census 2021
HH Size
2.6
Personal Income / wk
$1,041
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
7.0%
Unoccupied
87
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.3%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.2%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
46.2%
Couples with children
34.1%
Couples, no children
16.7%
Single parent
812
Total families
Economy & Employment
Scullin's employment base is strongly connected to Canberra's public and professional economy. Public Administration is the largest industry at 29.8%, or 338 workers, higher than Education at 14.3% and Healthcare at 13.4%. The occupation mix is led by Professionals at 456 people and Managers at 233, followed by Clerical and Administrative workers at 210. Unemployment is 4.3%, participation is 66.1% and full-time employment accounts for 62.0%, supporting household purchasing capacity. Weekly household income is $2,025 at the 75.8th percentile. Scullin ranks in the 8th IEO decile, compared with the 5th IER decile, while IRSD and IRSAD both sit in decile 7. This gap indicates stronger education and occupation standing than economic-resources ranking alone would suggest.
Unemployment
4.3%
Labour Force
1,604
Unemployed
69
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
62.0%
Part-time
31.6%
Participation
66.1%
Employed
1,535
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
49.3%
Postgraduate
16.8%
Born Overseas
27.1%
Dwellings
1,147
Transport to Work
Scullin has a compact 1.43 square kilometre footprint and density of 2,152.2 people per square kilometre, but daily travel remains car-oriented. Car drivers account for 72.1% of commuting, compared with 5.9% using public transport and 2.8% walking or cycling; 12.1% work from home. Compared with active and public transport, private-car travel is therefore the practical default for many residents. One local Government early childhood school provides P-2 access, and families should check enrolment zones against the exact address because boundaries can cross suburb lines. An IRSAD decile of 7 and volunteering rate of 19.6% support a generally secure social setting. For safety decisions, check current ACT Police incident maps and inspect the street at different times, since no suburb-level crime rate is stated.
Drive
72.1%
Public Transport
5.9%
Walk / Cycle
2.8%
Work from Home
12.1%
Growth Outlook
Scullin is an established, slow-growth suburb, with the forecast trend running at 0.29% annually and overseas migration identified as the primary driver. Population change across the wider area is 9.1% over 10 years, while the shift trajectory is Mixed. Compared with the 23.8% rent growth measure, the modest annual population trend suggests rental pressure can move faster than resident growth. Affordability is labelled Improving, moving from 40.5 in 2011 to 37.5 in 2021, while real income growth reached 8.8%. Gentrification signals remain limited: the shift profile records a score of 26 and an Early signs stage, but the current gentrification rating is 0, Not gentrifying. Detached housing, established streets and a low annual growth rate favour gradual renovation and turnover rather than rapid redevelopment.
Population trend: Unincorporated ACT council area
Scullin sits in the Unincorporated ACT council area. These are the council area's residents, not Scullin's.
Residents 2025
484,630
Growth, 5 yr average
+1.7%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+1.3%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Scullin compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Scullin a good suburb to live in?
Scullin can suit households wanting established detached housing, Canberra employment access and a relatively educated population. It has 79.9% separate houses, a median age of 35 and an IRSAD decile of 7. Car dependence is high at 72.1%, so transport preferences should be considered.
What is the median house price in Scullin?
There is no confirmed median house price to quote for Scullin. Buyers should compare current ACT sales for similar blocks and homes, particularly because 52.5% of dwellings have 3 bedrooms and 28.2% have 4 or more bedrooms. Renovation quality, land size and parking can create substantial price differences.
What schools are in Scullin?
Southern Cross Early Childhood School P-2 is the local Government early childhood option listed for Scullin. Families should confirm the exact enrolment zone and current intake arrangements before signing a contract, as school boundaries can change and may not align perfectly with suburb boundaries.
Is Scullin safe?
A suburb-level crime rate is not stated, so no definitive safety rating should be assumed. Scullin has 3,069 residents and an IRSAD decile of 7, but those figures do not replace address-level checks. Review current ACT Police incident maps and inspect the street during both daytime and evening.
Is Scullin good for property investment?
Scullin may suit investors seeking detached-house exposure, with weekly rent of $390 and 32.5% of dwellings rented. However, the vacancy rate is 7.0%, so leasing assumptions should be conservative. Annual growth is forecast at 0.29%, while overseas migration is the main driver and rent growth is recorded at 23.8%.
How is Scullin's population changing?
Scullin is changing gradually rather than rapidly. The annual growth trend is 0.29%, and population change across the wider area is 9.1% over 10 years. Overseas migration is the primary driver, while the trajectory is Mixed. A 76.5% stayed rate also indicates substantial residential continuity.
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).
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