Barton vs Parkes
Parkes is the younger of the two, with a median age of 32 against 39 in Barton. In Barton, about half of households rent, the large majority of homes are flats or apartments, and most households are people living alone. Units cost more in Parkes: a median of $798,000, against $678,000 in Barton, though rent is higher in Barton. Parkes is closer to the city centre: 5.2 km, against 6.6 km. On these figures, Barton tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget.
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
They split
one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here
- Barton has more childcare (5 vs 1)
- Parkes has more parks and reserves (20 vs 7)
Weighs schools, parks, and childcare.
First-home buyers
Barton
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper units ($677,500 vs $798,500)
Weighs unit prices.
Renters
Parkes
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($0/wk vs $525/wk)
Weighs rent.
Commuting to the city
Barton
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is more walkable (70/100 vs 44/100)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Barton
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is more walkable (70/100 vs 44/100)
Weighs GPs and walkability.
Investors
Barton
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- returns a higher gross yield on units (6.0% vs 4.7%)
Weighs unit yield.
Where they sit
Barton and Parkes 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
Barton has more residents (1,946 vs 0); Barton rents higher ($525/wk vs $0/wk).
| Barton | Parkes | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,946 (not reported on the other side) | — |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +35.2% | — |
| Median age | 39 | 32 |
| Median household income | $128,024/yr | — |
| Median weekly rent | $525/wk (not reported on the other side) | — |
Property market
| Barton | Parkes | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $981,052 | — |
| Median unit price | $677,500 | $798,500 |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
Unit price by bedroom count
Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.
32 vs 9 sales
41 vs 14 sales
10 vs 5 sales
Development activity
| Barton | Parkes | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 3,750 across Unincorporated ACT same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -48% same for both | |
Gross rental yield
| Barton | Parkes | |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | — same for both | |
| Units | 6.0% $695/wk on $602K | 4.7% $812/wk on $899K |
Ranking within ACT
| Barton | Parkes | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 59% of ACT | — |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 64% of ACT | Higher than 27% of ACT |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 78% of ACT | Higher than 77% of ACT |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 69% of ACT | Higher than 81% of ACT |
| Rental yield (units) | Higher than 44% of ACT | Higher than 15% of ACT |
Liveability
Barton is more walkable (70 vs 44).
| Barton | Parkes | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | A | — |
| Score | 68/100 | — |
| Socio-economic band | very advantaged area decile 10/10 | — |
Risk profile
| Barton | Parkes | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Crime | Moderate 58/100 | — |
| Flood | High 86/100 | High 84/100 |
| Coastal erosion | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Aircraft noise | Not mapped no mapped data here same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 6 within 5 km same for both | |
Schools
| Barton | Parkes | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 1 | 0 |
| 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 UNSW Canberra, 0.0 km | 3 UNSW Canberra, 1.1 km |
Schools in Barton
- Telopea Park School Government · Combined
Schools in Parkes
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Amenities in the suburb
| Barton | Parkes | |
|---|---|---|
| Cafes & restaurants | 14 | 19 |
| Parks & reserves | 7 | 20 |
| Childcare | 5 | 1 |
| GPs | 1 | 0 |
| Pharmacies | 1 | 0 |
| Hospitals | 1 | 0 |
| Police stations | 2 | 0 |
| EV chargers | 1 | 0 |
| Waterways | 1 | 4 |
Mobility
| Barton | Parkes | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 70/100 | 44/100 |
| Distance to Canberra | 6.6 km +21% vs other | 5.2 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 13 min same for both | |
| Public transport score | 78/100 Bus | 79/100 Bus |
| Peak arrivals per hour | 74.0 7-9am + 5-7pm | 128.5 7-9am + 5-7pm |
| Median peak wait | 1 min scheduled, not actual | 0 min scheduled, not actual |
| Electric vehicle share | 4.2% postcode 2600 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 29 postcode 2600 same for both | |
Setting
| Barton | Parkes | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 559 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 563 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Barton | Parkes | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 72/100 | 94/100 |
| Most common technology | Fibre to the building | Fibre to the premises |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 22% 1,616 premises | 84% 101 premises |
Climate
| Barton | Parkes | |
|---|---|---|
| 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)
| Barton | Parkes | |
|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 | 5.4 µg/m³ same for both | |
| PM10 | 14.1 µg/m³ same for both | |
| NO₂ | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Barton | Parkes | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $3,105/yr same for both | |
| Council | Unincorporated ACT same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Barton | Parkes | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Canberra same for both | |
| Member | Alicia Payne same for both | |
| Party | Australian Labor Party same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Barton | Parkes | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | Not offered same for both | |
| Property price cap | — same for both | |
| Eligibility | None same for both | |
Tags
Barton
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Barton
Other comparisons with Parkes
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.