Acton vs City

Acton is the younger of the two, with a median age of 19 against 27 in City. In City, most households rent, the large majority of homes are flats or apartments, and most households are people living alone. City is the city centre itself; Acton is 3.6 km out. On these figures, City tends to suit young adults.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

Acton

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more childcare (4 vs 1)

Weighs schools, crime, parks, and childcare.

Renters

Acton

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($9/wk vs $550/wk)

Weighs rent.

Commuting to the city

City

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (0.5 km vs 3.6 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (2 min vs 9 min)
  • is more walkable (88/100 vs 39/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

City

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (4 vs 0)
  • is more walkable (88/100 vs 39/100)

Weighs GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Acton

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (36.5% vs 13.1%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Acton and City drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Acton City
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Acton City
Walkability 39 / 88
Acton — Walkability: 39/100 City — Walkability: 88/100
Safety 14 / 5
Acton — Safety: 14/100 City — Safety: 5/100
Low fire risk 49 / 100
Acton — Low fire risk: 49/100 City — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 8 / 100
Acton — Low flood risk: 8/100 City — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

City rents higher ($550/wk vs $9/wk); City has more residents (4,835 vs 2,848).

Acton City
Population 2,848 4,835
+70% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +36.5% +13.1%
Median age 19 27
Median household income — $116,064/yr
Median weekly rent $9/wk $550/wk
+6011% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Acton City
0-4 0.2% / 1.4%
Acton — 0-4: 0.2% City — 0-4: 1.4%
5-14 — / 1.6%
Acton — 5-14: not among its largest City — 5-14: 1.6%
15-19 50.9% / 12.7%
Acton — 15-19: 50.9% City — 15-19: 12.7%
20-24 37.2% / 24.7%
Acton — 20-24: 37.2% City — 20-24: 24.7%
25-34 9.4% / 30.0%
Acton — 25-34: 9.4% City — 25-34: 30.0%
35-44 1.8% / 10.9%
Acton — 35-44: 1.8% City — 35-44: 10.9%
45-54 0.2% / 7.3%
Acton — 45-54: 0.2% City — 45-54: 7.3%
55-64 — / 5.7%
Acton — 55-64: not among its largest City — 55-64: 5.7%
65-74 — / 3.8%
Acton — 65-74: not among its largest City — 65-74: 3.8%
75-84 — / 1.5%
Acton — 75-84: not among its largest City — 75-84: 1.5%
85+ — / 0.5%
Acton — 85+: not among its largest City — 85+: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (50.9%).

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Acton City
Bachelor Degree 9.8% / 26.6%
Acton — Bachelor Degree: 9.8% City — Bachelor Degree: 26.6%
Postgraduate Degree 6.1% / 19.1%
Acton — Postgraduate Degree: 6.1% City — Postgraduate Degree: 19.1%
Certificate III & IV 1.7% / 3.9%
Acton — Certificate III & IV: 1.7% City — Certificate III & IV: 3.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 1.1% / 4.4%
Acton — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 1.1% City — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.4% / 3.3%
Acton — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.4% City — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (26.6%).

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

Acton City
China 5.2% / 16.2%
Acton — China: 5.2% City — China: 16.2%
India 3.1% / 3.5%
Acton — India: 3.1% City — India: 3.5%
England 4.0% / 2.3%
Acton — England: 4.0% City — England: 2.3%
Malaysia 0.9% / 1.7%
Acton — Malaysia: 0.9% City — Malaysia: 1.7%
New Zealand 1.0% / 1.4%
Acton — New Zealand: 1.0% City — New Zealand: 1.4%
Singapore 1.2% / 0.9%
Acton — Singapore: 1.2% City — Singapore: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.2%).

Property market

Acton City
Median house price — $520,000
Median unit price — $570,000
Median land price —
same for both

Development activity

Acton City
New dwellings approved 3,750
across Unincorporated ACT
same for both
Approvals change year on year -48%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Acton City
Houses —
same for both
Units — 5.7%
$650/wk on $589K

Ranking within ACT

Acton City
House price —
same for both
Income — Higher than 29% of ACT
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 26% of ACT Higher than 97% of ACT
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 98% of ACT Higher than 99% of ACT
NBN connectivity Higher than 82% of ACT Higher than 78% of ACT
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 34% of ACT

Liveability

City scores higher overall (91 vs 22); City is more walkable (88 vs 39).

Acton City
Grade D A+
Score 22/100 91/100
Socio-economic band — very advantaged area
decile 10/10

Risk profile

Acton carries more flood risk (92 vs 0); Acton carries more bushfire risk (51 vs 0).

Acton City
Bushfire Moderate
51/100
 None
0/100
Crime High
86/100
 High
95/100
Flood High
92/100
 None
0/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 3
within 5 km
 4
within 5 km

Schools

Acton City
Inside the suburb 0
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 3
Australian National University, 1.8 km
 3
Australian National University, 2.4 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 69.7% 24.5%

Amenities in the suburb

Acton City
Supermarkets 1 3
Cafes & restaurants 27 131
Parks & reserves 5
same for both
Childcare 4 1
GPs 0 4
Pharmacies 1 3
Police stations 0 2
Banks & Bank@Post 0 12
EV chargers 1 4
Waterways 6 0

Mobility

Acton sits further from the CBD (3.6 km vs 0.5 km).

Acton City
Walkability score 39/100 88/100
Distance to Canberra 3.6 km
+86% vs other
 0.5 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 9 min 2 min
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
 93/100
Tram · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 66.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 449.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 7.1%
postcode 2601
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 3
postcode 2601
same for both

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Acton City
Walked Only 29.9% / 34.4%
Acton — Walked Only: 29.9% City — Walked Only: 34.4%
Car (driver) 26.1% / 31.6%
Acton — Car (driver): 26.1% City — Car (driver): 31.6%
Worked from Home 19.2% / 14.2%
Acton — Worked from Home: 19.2% City — Worked from Home: 14.2%
Bus 10.2% / 12.4%
Acton — Bus: 10.2% City — Bus: 12.4%
Bicycle 10.6% / 3.1%
Acton — Bicycle: 10.6% City — Bicycle: 3.1%
Car (passenger) 2.4% / 3.2%
Acton — Car (passenger): 2.4% City — Car (passenger): 3.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (34.4%).

Setting

Acton City
Elevation 562 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 571 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Acton City
Connectivity score 96/100 80/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fibre to the building
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 90%
262 premises
 46%
4,885 premises

Climate

Acton City
Annual rainfall 622 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 28.5°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 0.8°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Acton City
PM2.5 5.4 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 14.1 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Acton City
Average residential rate $3,105/yr
same for both
Council Unincorporated ACT
same for both

Federal electorate

Acton City
Division Canberra
same for both
Member Alicia Payne
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Acton City
Grant amount Not offered
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility None
same for both

Tags

Acton

Inner Parks River Students

City

Apartments Easy Commute Inner Multicultural Parks Professionals Students Trams Transport Hub Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Acton

Acton vs O'Connor Acton vs Turner Acton vs Yarralumla

Other comparisons with City

City vs Braddon City vs Turner City vs Reid
Full data on Acton Full data on City
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

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