Acton vs O'connor
Acton is the younger of the two, with a median age of 19 against 35 in O'Connor. In O'Connor, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. Acton is closer to the city centre: 3.6 km, against 4.6 km. On these figures, Acton 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
O'Connor
ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here
- has more schools inside the suburb (3 vs 0)
- has more parks and reserves (9 vs 5)
- carries lower crime risk (54/100 vs 86/100)
Weighs schools, crime, parks, and childcare.
Renters
Acton
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($9/wk vs $451/wk)
Weighs rent.
Commuting to the city
O'Connor
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is more walkable (80/100 vs 39/100)
Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
O'Connor
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- is more walkable (80/100 vs 39/100)
- carries lower crime risk (54/100 vs 86/100)
Weighs GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Acton
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (36.5% vs 8.0%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Acton and O'connor drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.
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.
Demographics
O'Connor rents higher ($451/wk vs $9/wk); O'Connor has more residents (5,917 vs 2,848).
| Acton | O'connor | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 2,848 | 5,917 +108% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +36.5% | +8.0% |
| Median age | 19 | 35 |
| Median household income | — | $130,936/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $9/wk | $451/wk +4911% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (50.9%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.1%).
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.2%).
Property market
| Acton | O'connor | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | — | $1,510,000 |
| Median unit price | — | $570,000 |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | — | 29 days from 49 sales |
Development activity
| Acton | O'connor | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 3,750 across Unincorporated ACT same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -48% same for both | |
Gross rental yield
| Acton | O'connor | |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | — | 3.6% $820/wk on $1.18M |
| Units | — | 6.0% $540/wk on $470K |
Ranking within ACT
| Acton | O'connor | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | — | Higher than 62% of ACT |
| Schools | — | Higher than 32% of ACT |
| Walkability | Higher than 26% of ACT | Higher than 84% of ACT |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 98% of ACT | Higher than 86% of ACT |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 82% of ACT | Higher than 50% of ACT |
| Rental yield (houses) | — | Higher than 20% of ACT |
| Rental yield (units) | — | Higher than 41% of ACT |
Liveability
O'Connor scores higher overall (55 vs 22); O'Connor is more walkable (80 vs 39).
| Acton | O'connor | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | D | B |
| Score | 22/100 | 55/100 |
| Socio-economic band | — | very advantaged area decile 10/10 |
Risk profile
Acton carries more flood risk (92 vs 35); Acton carries more crime risk (86 vs 54).
| Acton | O'connor | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Moderate 51/100 | Moderate 56/100 |
| Crime | High 86/100 | Moderate 54/100 |
| Flood | High 92/100 | Low 35/100 |
| 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 | 5 within 5 km |
Schools
| Acton | O'connor | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 0 | 3 |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 | 1 |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
| Universities within 10 km | 3 Australian National University, 1.8 km | 3 Australian National University, 1.6 km |
| Full-time students aged 15–24 | 69.7% | 7.5% |
Schools in Acton
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Schools in O'connor
- St Joseph's Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers
- O'Connor Cooperative School Government · Primary
- Black Mountain School Government · Secondary · Special school
Amenities in the suburb
| Acton | O'connor | |
|---|---|---|
| Supermarkets | 1 same for both | |
| Cafes & restaurants | 27 | 3 |
| Parks & reserves | 5 | 9 |
| Childcare | 4 | 5 |
| GPs | 0 | 1 |
| Pharmacies | 1 | 0 |
| Banks & Bank@Post | 0 | 1 |
| EV chargers | 1 | 0 |
| Waterways | 6 | 0 |
Mobility
| Acton | O'connor | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 39/100 | 80/100 |
| Distance to Canberra | 3.6 km | 4.6 km +28% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 9 min | 10 min |
| Public transport score | 79/100 Bus | 78/100 Bus |
| Peak arrivals per hour | 66.5 7-9am + 5-7pm | 58.8 7-9am + 5-7pm |
| Median peak wait | 1 min scheduled, not actual same for both | |
| Electric vehicle share | 7.1% postcode 2601 | 4.3% postcode 2602 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 3 postcode 2601 | 30 postcode 2602 |
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (51.4%).
Setting
| Acton | O'connor | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 562 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 585 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Acton | O'connor | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 96/100 | 55/100 |
| Most common technology | Fibre to the premises | Fibre to the node |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 90% 262 premises | 17% 2,700 premises |
Climate
| Acton | O'connor | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | O'connor | |
|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 | 5.4 µg/m³ same for both | |
| PM10 | 14.1 µg/m³ same for both | |
| NO₂ | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Acton | O'connor | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $3,105/yr same for both | |
| Council | Unincorporated ACT same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Acton | O'connor | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Canberra same for both | |
| Member | Alicia Payne same for both | |
| Party | Australian Labor Party same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Acton | O'connor | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | Not offered same for both | |
| Property price cap | — same for both | |
| Eligibility | None same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Acton
Other comparisons with O'connor
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.