Acton vs Turner

Acton is the younger of the two, with a median age of 19 against 31 in Turner. In Turner, most households rent, most homes are flats or apartments, and about half of households are people living alone. Turner is closer to the city centre: 2.6 km, against 3.6 km.

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 parks and reserves (5 vs 2)

Weighs schools, crime, parks, and childcare.

Renters

Acton

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($9/wk vs $480/wk)

Weighs rent.

Commuting to the city

Turner

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (84/100 vs 39/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Turner

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (84/100 vs 39/100)

Weighs GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Acton

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (36.5% vs 10.5%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Acton and Turner 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 Turner
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 Turner
Walkability 39 / 84
Acton — Walkability: 39/100 Turner — Walkability: 84/100
Safety 14 / 20
Acton — Safety: 14/100 Turner — Safety: 20/100
Low fire risk 49 / 100
Acton — Low fire risk: 49/100 Turner — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 8 / 61
Acton — Low flood risk: 8/100 Turner — Low flood risk: 61/100

Demographics

Turner rents higher ($480/wk vs $9/wk); Turner skews older (31 vs 19).

Acton Turner
Population 2,848 4,470
+57% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +36.5% +10.5%
Median age 19 31
Median household income — $121,160/yr
Median weekly rent $9/wk $480/wk
+5233% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Acton Turner
0-4 0.2% / 2.5%
Acton — 0-4: 0.2% Turner — 0-4: 2.5%
5-14 — / 5.2%
Acton — 5-14: not among its largest Turner — 5-14: 5.2%
15-19 50.9% / 2.7%
Acton — 15-19: 50.9% Turner — 15-19: 2.7%
20-24 37.2% / 16.4%
Acton — 20-24: 37.2% Turner — 20-24: 16.4%
25-34 9.4% / 31.7%
Acton — 25-34: 9.4% Turner — 25-34: 31.7%
35-44 1.8% / 14.5%
Acton — 35-44: 1.8% Turner — 35-44: 14.5%
45-54 0.2% / 9.3%
Acton — 45-54: 0.2% Turner — 45-54: 9.3%
55-64 — / 7.5%
Acton — 55-64: not among its largest Turner — 55-64: 7.5%
65-74 — / 6.1%
Acton — 65-74: not among its largest Turner — 65-74: 6.1%
75-84 — / 2.9%
Acton — 75-84: not among its largest Turner — 75-84: 2.9%
85+ — / 1.0%
Acton — 85+: not among its largest Turner — 85+: 1.0%

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

Qualifications

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

Acton Turner
Bachelor Degree 9.8% / 32.9%
Acton — Bachelor Degree: 9.8% Turner — Bachelor Degree: 32.9%
Postgraduate Degree 6.1% / 22.3%
Acton — Postgraduate Degree: 6.1% Turner — Postgraduate Degree: 22.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 1.1% / 4.7%
Acton — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 1.1% Turner — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.4% / 5.2%
Acton — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.4% Turner — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 5.2%
Certificate III & IV 1.7% / 3.6%
Acton — Certificate III & IV: 1.7% Turner — Certificate III & IV: 3.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (32.9%).

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 Turner
China 5.2% / 5.0%
Acton — China: 5.2% Turner — China: 5.0%
England 4.0% / 2.6%
Acton — England: 4.0% Turner — England: 2.6%
India 3.1% / 3.2%
Acton — India: 3.1% Turner — India: 3.2%
New Zealand 1.0% / 1.6%
Acton — New Zealand: 1.0% Turner — New Zealand: 1.6%
Malaysia 0.9% / 1.3%
Acton — Malaysia: 0.9% Turner — Malaysia: 1.3%
Singapore 1.2% / —
Acton — Singapore: 1.2% Turner — Singapore: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.2%).

Property market

Acton Turner
Median house price — $1,950,000
Median unit price — $629,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) — 30 days
from 12 sales

Development activity

Acton Turner
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 Turner
Houses — 2.8%
$840/wk on $1.54M
Units — 5.1%
$600/wk on $615K

Ranking within ACT

Acton Turner
House price —
same for both
Income — Higher than 44% of ACT
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 26% of ACT Higher than 90% of ACT
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 98% of ACT Higher than 60% of ACT
NBN connectivity Higher than 82% of ACT Higher than 54% of ACT
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 4% of ACT
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 17% of ACT

Liveability

Turner scores higher overall (78 vs 22); Turner is more walkable (84 vs 39).

Acton Turner
Grade D A
Score 22/100 78/100
Socio-economic band — very advantaged area
decile 10/10

Risk profile

Acton carries more bushfire risk (51 vs 0); Acton carries more flood risk (92 vs 39).

Acton Turner
Bushfire Moderate
51/100
 None
0/100
Crime High
86/100
 High
80/100
Flood High
92/100
 Low
39/100
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 Turner
Inside the suburb 0 1
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% 8.7%

Schools in Acton

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Schools in Turner

  • Turner School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Acton Turner
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 27 2
Parks & reserves 5 2
Childcare 4
same for both
Pharmacies 1 0
EV chargers 1
same for both
Waterways 6 0

Mobility

Acton Turner
Walkability score 39/100 84/100
Distance to Canberra 3.6 km
+28% vs other
 2.6 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 9 min 8 min
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
 95/100
Tram · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 66.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 65.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 7.1%
postcode 2601
 3.7%
postcode 2612
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 3
postcode 2601
 10
postcode 2612

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 Turner
Car (driver) 26.1% / 41.0%
Acton — Car (driver): 26.1% Turner — Car (driver): 41.0%
Walked Only 29.9% / 20.6%
Acton — Walked Only: 29.9% Turner — Walked Only: 20.6%
Worked from Home 19.2% / 13.6%
Acton — Worked from Home: 19.2% Turner — Worked from Home: 13.6%
Bicycle 10.6% / 8.9%
Acton — Bicycle: 10.6% Turner — Bicycle: 8.9%
Bus 10.2% / 8.3%
Acton — Bus: 10.2% Turner — Bus: 8.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (41.0%).

Setting

Acton Turner
Elevation 562 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 572 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Acton Turner
Connectivity score 96/100 58/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 90%
262 premises
 24%
2,494 premises

Climate

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

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Acton

Inner Parks River Students

Turner

Apartments Easy Commute Inner Parks Professionals Trams Transport Hub

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Acton

Acton vs O'Connor Acton vs City Acton vs Yarralumla

Other comparisons with Turner

Turner vs Braddon Turner vs O'Connor Turner vs Lyneham Turner vs City Turner vs Dickson
Full data on Acton Full data on Turner
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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