Turner
Turner’s most striking feature is its inner-Canberra density: 4,470 residents occupy 1.54 sq km, or 2,907.1 people per sq km. The median age is 31, nine years below the national figure, while 74.7% hold a university qualification, 44.6 percentage points above national level. Renting accounts for 54.9% of occupied dwellings and apartments 73.5%, giving Turner a younger, compact profile compared with the lower-density character of nearby O'Connor. Household income sits at the 88.7th percentile, but 11.4% vacancy points to a mobile market. Turner sits beside Braddon and O'Connor in Canberra's inner north, with 30.5% walking or cycling to work and 42.4% driving.
Population
4,470
Median Age
31.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,330/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
12
Turner suits buyers prioritising apartments, inner-north access and smaller household commitments rather than a conventional detached-house market. Apartments represent 73.5% of dwellings, versus 12.6% separate houses and 13.9% semi-detached homes, so choice is concentrated in smaller formats: 31.4% of homes have 0 or 1 bedroom and 38.8% have 2 bedrooms. The $1,901 monthly mortgage measure equals 18.8% of household income, while $480 weekly rent equals 20.6%, making the rent burden slightly higher than the mortgage measure. Because 54.9% rent, buyers should assess body-corporate costs, building maintenance and resale depth carefully. Turner differs from nearby O'Connor through its much stronger apartment orientation.
For Buyers
Turner suits buyers prioritising apartments, inner-north access and smaller household commitments rather than a conventional detached-house market. Apartments represent 73.5% of dwellings, versus 12.6% separate houses and 13.9% semi-detached homes, so choice is concentrated in smaller formats: 31.4% of homes have 0 or 1 bedroom and 38.8% have 2 bedrooms. The $1,901 monthly mortgage measure equals 18.8% of household income, while $480 weekly rent equals 20.6%, making the rent burden slightly higher than the mortgage measure. Because 54.9% rent, buyers should assess body-corporate costs, building maintenance and resale depth carefully. Turner differs from nearby O'Connor through its much stronger apartment orientation.
For Investors
Turner’s investment profile is renter-led, with vacancy at 11.4%: 54.9% of households rent, compared with 26.5% paying a mortgage and 17.4% owning outright. Weekly rent is $480 and recorded rent growth is 11.6%, which may support stronger gross income but also warrants close monitoring of tenant turnover and building competition. The 1.96% annual forecast trend is driven primarily by overseas migration, supporting a continuing pool of apartment-oriented residents. Development activity reached 12 applications in the last 12 months, including proposals for a 9-storey building and a 4-storey apartment building. Since apartments make up 73.5% of dwellings, investors should compare strata fees, vacancy by building and leasing demand rather than rely on a single suburb-wide yield.
Development Activity
Total DAs
50
Last 12 Months
12
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+33.3%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Turner
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Turner School
Demographics
Turner is younger and more university-educated than Australia overall: median age is 31, or 9 years below national, and 74.7% hold a university qualification, 44.6 percentage points above national. Overseas-born residents account for 32.7%, 11.1 points above the national share. The largest reported ancestries are English 1,443, Other 746, Irish 631, Scottish 566 and Chinese 448; Mandarin is the most common listed non-English language at 115. Households average 2.0 people, 0.5 below national, and 63.3% of families are couples without children. No religion is reported by 2,678 people, compared with 1,116 for Christianity. This professional, international and small-household mix helps explain Turner’s apartment profile, contrasting with nearby O'Connor's lower-density form.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
12.6%
Houses
13.9%
Townhouse
73.5%
Apartment
Tenure
Turner is overwhelmingly apartment-based: 73.5% of dwellings are apartments, higher than the 12.6% separate-house share and 13.9% semi-detached share. Bedroom stock is correspondingly compact, with 31.4% of dwellings having 0 or 1 bedroom, 38.8% having 2, 21.6% having 3 and 8.2% having 4 or more. Tenure is renter-heavy at 54.9%, compared with 26.5% mortgaged and 17.4% owned outright. Weekly rent is $480, equal to 20.6% of household income, while the mortgage measure is $1,901 monthly and 18.8% of income. The 11.4% vacancy rate may reflect a mobile inner-city market. Turner contrasts with nearby O'Connor through its denser, smaller-format housing, so buyers should compare buildings rather than assume one suburb-wide price.
Mortgage / mo
$1,901
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$480
Census 2021
HH Size
2.0
Personal Income / wk
$1,448
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
11.4%
Unoccupied
275
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.6%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.8%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
24.7%
Couples with children
63.3%
Couples, no children
9.3%
Single parent
1,010
Total families
Economy & Employment
Turner’s economy is anchored by public administration, which accounts for 42.6% of industry employment and 1,066 workers, followed by professional and technical services at 17.2% and 430, education at 10.5% and 262, healthcare at 7.4% and 186, and hospitality at 3.8% and 95. The occupational mix is similarly high-skilled, led by 1,372 professionals and 576 managers, with 440 in clerical and administrative roles. Labour force participation is 76.5%, unemployment is 3.7% and full-time employment is 70.9%, supporting household income at the 88.7th percentile. Turner’s IEO, IRSD and IRSAD measures all sit in decile 10, above most areas, while IER is decile 3. That gap is consistent with strong education and occupation outcomes alongside a 54.9% renter share and 2.0-person households.
Unemployment
3.7%
Labour Force
3,154
Unemployed
118
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
70.9%
Part-time
24.6%
Participation
76.5%
Employed
3,036
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
74.7%
Postgraduate
30.2%
Born Overseas
32.7%
Dwellings
2,128
Transport to Work
Turner works best for residents who value short inner-north trips and apartment convenience. Walking or cycling accounts for 30.5% of commuting, above the 9.0% public-transport share, while 42.4% drive and 14.0% work from home. Turner School is a government primary school in the suburb; families should check enrolment zones and nearby secondary pathways against the exact address. Social conditions are strong on advantage measures, with IRSAD, IRSD and IEO all in decile 10, placing Turner above lower-ranked areas. For safety, check current ACT Police information alongside the exact building and street, as conditions can differ within a 1.54 sq km suburb. Density is 2,907.1 people per sq km, which supports walking access but can mean less private outdoor space than in lower-density O'Connor.
Drive
42.4%
Public Transport
9.0%
Walk / Cycle
30.5%
Work from Home
14.0%
Population Forecast
+1.96%/yr
(+96 people/yr)
EstablishedTurner is an established inner suburb, but its trajectory is not static. The forecast trend is 1.96% annual growth, higher than a flat path, with overseas migration identified as the primary driver. Population change across the wider area is 24.2% over 10 years, while the shift trajectory is labelled Mixed. Gentrification signals are split: the forecast gentrification score is 25 with an Early signs stage, whereas the shift measure records 16 and Not gentrifying. Rent growth of 11.6% and an affordability trend labelled Improving add to the tension, with the affordability measure moving from 36.9 in 2011 to 33.1 in 2021. Development activity reached 12 applications in 12 months, so apartment proposals may gradually reshape an already dense suburb.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+90
Net Internal / yr
-3
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +31% since 2011, Accelerating: 11% → 18%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Turner compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Turner a good suburb to live in?
Turner can suit people seeking an inner-north apartment lifestyle. It combines a median age of 31, 30.5% walking or cycling commutes and a household income percentile of 88.7. The 11.4% vacancy rate and 54.9% renter share also mean the suburb can feel more mobile than a low-density family area.
What is the median house price in Turner?
No median house price is available for Turner. The housing mix is apartment-led, with 73.5% apartments and only 12.6% separate houses, so buyers should compare recent sales by bedroom count, building condition and strata costs rather than use a house figure alone.
What schools are in Turner?
Turner School is a government primary school in the suburb. Families should treat it as 1 local primary option and confirm catchment boundaries, year-level availability and secondary pathways for the exact address before signing a lease or contract.
Is Turner safe?
Safety should be checked using current ACT Police information and the exact street or building. Turner covers 1.54 sq km and has 2,907.1 people per sq km, so apartment access, lighting and evening activity can vary even within a compact area.
Is Turner good for property investment?
Turner may suit investors seeking an apartment and renter market, with 54.9% renting, $480 weekly rent and 11.4% vacancy. The 1.96% annual growth trend is driven by overseas migration, while 12 development applications in 12 months add supply risk. Compare strata costs and building-level leasing performance before buying.
How is Turner's population changing?
Turner has 4,470 residents today. Across the wider area, population change is 24.2% over 10 years, and the annual forecast trend is 1.96%, driven primarily by overseas migration. The trajectory is labelled Mixed, while gentrification is at Early signs with a score of 25, so change is continuing but uneven.
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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