Wamboin

Development Activity

Demographics

The median age of 46 sits 6.0 years above the national figure, and the trajectory is aging, with the senior share rising 3.4 points while the young share fell 2.2 points over the decade. Overseas-born residents at 14.8% are 6.8 points below the national rate, reflecting a predominantly Australian-born community. Ancestry is overwhelmingly Anglo-Celtic, led by English (827), Irish (263) and Scottish (225). University qualifications reach 47.7%, which is 17.6 percentage points above the national average. This education advantage reflects the public sector and professional occupational profile rather than a highly diverse migrant intake. Average household size of 3.0 is 0.5 above national, consistent with large family homes housing couples with children, who make up 616 of 1,563 families.

All 100% of Wamboin's dwellings are separate houses, with zero apartments or semi-detached properties recorded. This uniformity is rare even among acreage suburbs. The bedroom profile is top-heavy: 73.1% have four or more bedrooms and 21.5% have three, with only 5.4% at two bedrooms. Tenure splits clearly in favour of ownership: 42.9% own outright and 51.1% carry a mortgage, compared to just 6.0% renting. Median house prices moved from $1,662,500 in 2024 to $1,550,000 in 2025, a 6.8% fall. The mortgage-to-income ratio of 17.3% and rent-to-income of 15.0% both fall well below stress thresholds, indicating that high incomes comfortably service the housing costs despite the premium price level.

Community Profile

Economy & Employment

Public Admin dominates at 30.5% of workers (237 residents), reflecting Wamboin's role as an acreage satellite of the Canberra public service. Professional/Tech follows at 14.3% (111), Healthcare at 10.6% (82), Construction at 9.9% (77) and Education at 8.5% (66). By occupation, Professionals number 304 and Managers 228, together comprising the majority of employed residents. Full-time employment runs at 71.9% of those in work, and the unemployment rate is 3.1%, low relative to national benchmarks. Household income at the 99th percentile nationally reflects this concentrated high-income occupational base rather than a broad local economy. SEIFA IRSD sits at decile 3, below what household income alone would suggest, partly because the suburb's low density and rural infrastructure depress access-to-services scores.

Transport to Work

Car dependence is extreme at 93.9% of commuters driving, with just 2.0% walking or cycling, reflecting the 86.53 km2 rural footprint and the absence of public transport infrastructure. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary, so families rely on schools in neighbouring areas. Crime data is not available, but as an indirect indicator the IRSD decile of 3 suggests moderate relative disadvantage compared to national benchmarks, partly driven by service accessibility rather than socioeconomic hardship. Volunteering is high at 27.8%, well above national averages, consistent with a stable, community-invested population where 84.4% of residents have lived in the same area for five or more years. Mortgage and rent stress are both absent, with mortgage-to-income at 17.3% and rent-to-income at 15.0%.

Population Forecast

Annual population growth is 0.49% (roughly 88 persons per year), slow compared to the ACT-corridor average. The 10-year population change was 2.8%, classifying the suburb as established and slow-growing. Medium forecasts project the broader SA2 population rising from 17,853 in 2025 to 18,417 by 2031. Net overseas migration of 67 residents annually is the primary growth driver, while internal migration runs at negative 36 per year, meaning the suburb is a modest net exporter of residents to other parts of Australia. The gentrification score is zero and the stage reads not gentrifying, consistent with a suburb that already sits at the high end of the income distribution with no trajectory of rapid turnover or displacement. The aging trajectory is the most significant structural shift underway.

National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs

How Wamboin compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs

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