Bruce vs Lawson

In both, about half of households rent. Houses cost more in Bruce: a median of $1.17 million, against $985,000 in Lawson, though rent is higher in Lawson. Bruce is closer to the city centre: 7.3 km, against 10.3 km. On these figures, Bruce tends to suit people living alone, while Lawson suits young adults, share households, and buyers on a tighter budget.

Bruce is a larger, more established suburb with 7520 residents compared to Lawson's 2739, and sits closer to the CBD at 7.3 km versus 10.3 km. Bruce offers better walkability (65 versus 47) and lower crime risk (70 versus 39), though it carries moderate bushfire risk (47) while Lawson has none. Lawson has a higher median household income at $129,584 and significantly lower flood risk, but rental costs are steeper at $548 per week versus $430. For unit investors, Lawson's gross rental yield of 9.2% outpaces Bruce's 6.4%, though Bruce's house market commands higher prices at $1,165,000 median compared to $985,000.

Written by an AI language model from the figures below. Every number in it is checked against those figures before it is published.

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 6 things we measure here

  • Bruce has more childcare (7 vs 0)
  • Lawson carries lower crime risk (39/100 vs 70/100)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Bruce has cheaper units ($417,500 vs $652,500)
  • Lawson has cheaper houses ($985,000 vs $1,165,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Bruce

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($430/wk vs $548/wk)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Bruce

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (12 min vs 17 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (7.3 km vs 10.3 km)
  • is more walkable (65/100 vs 47/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Bruce

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (5 vs 0)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (11% vs 2%)
  • is more walkable (65/100 vs 47/100)
  • But Lawson carries lower crime risk (39/100 vs 70/100)

Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Lawson

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is growing faster (1750.7% vs 7.5%)
  • returns a higher gross yield on units (8.5% vs 6.3%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Bruce Lawson
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.

Bruce Lawson
Walkability 65 / 47
Bruce — Walkability: 65/100 Lawson — Walkability: 47/100
Safety 30 / 61
Bruce — Safety: 30/100 Lawson — Safety: 61/100
Low fire risk 53 / 100
Bruce — Low fire risk: 53/100 Lawson — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 100 / 35
Bruce — Low flood risk: 100/100 Lawson — Low flood risk: 35/100

Demographics

Bruce has more residents (7,520 vs 2,739); Lawson rents higher ($548/wk vs $430/wk).

Bruce Lawson
Population 7,520
+64% vs other
 2,739
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +7.5% +1750.7%
Median age 29 28
Median household income $117,832/yr $129,584/yr
+10% vs other
Median weekly rent $430/wk $548/wk
+27% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Bruce Lawson
0-4 3.9% / 5.8%
Bruce — 0-4: 3.9% Lawson — 0-4: 5.8%
5-14 6.6% / 7.2%
Bruce — 5-14: 6.6% Lawson — 5-14: 7.2%
15-19 7.5% / 3.2%
Bruce — 15-19: 7.5% Lawson — 15-19: 3.2%
20-24 17.8% / 17.7%
Bruce — 20-24: 17.8% Lawson — 20-24: 17.7%
25-34 26.2% / 37.8%
Bruce — 25-34: 26.2% Lawson — 25-34: 37.8%
35-44 12.9% / 16.0%
Bruce — 35-44: 12.9% Lawson — 35-44: 16.0%
45-54 7.6% / 6.4%
Bruce — 45-54: 7.6% Lawson — 45-54: 6.4%
55-64 6.3% / 3.3%
Bruce — 55-64: 6.3% Lawson — 55-64: 3.3%
65-74 5.8% / 1.9%
Bruce — 65-74: 5.8% Lawson — 65-74: 1.9%
75-84 3.5% / 0.4%
Bruce — 75-84: 3.5% Lawson — 75-84: 0.4%
85+ 1.8% / 0.1%
Bruce — 85+: 1.8% Lawson — 85+: 0.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (37.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Bruce 44.1% lone person
Bruce — Lone Person: 44.1% Bruce — Couple Families: 28.6% Bruce — Group Household: 15.2% Bruce — One Parent Families: 9.2% Bruce — Other Families: 2.9%
Lawson 28.7% lone person
Lawson — Lone Person: 28.7% Lawson — Couple Families: 31.5% Lawson — Group Household: 25.6% Lawson — One Parent Families: 9.6% Lawson — Other Families: 4.6%
Lone Person Couple Families Group Household One Parent Families Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Bruce 51.6% renting
Bruce — Owned Outright: 20.1% Bruce — Mortgage: 28.3% Bruce — Renting: 51.6%
Lawson 46.6% renting
Lawson — Owned Outright: 8.0% Lawson — Mortgage: 45.4% Lawson — Renting: 46.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Bruce Lawson
Bachelor Degree 25.5% / 27.7%
Bruce — Bachelor Degree: 25.5% Lawson — Bachelor Degree: 27.7%
Postgraduate Degree 16.7% / 18.1%
Bruce — Postgraduate Degree: 16.7% Lawson — Postgraduate Degree: 18.1%
Certificate III & IV 6.6% / 6.1%
Bruce — Certificate III & IV: 6.6% Lawson — Certificate III & IV: 6.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.5% / 5.9%
Bruce — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.5% Lawson — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.9%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 4.0% / 3.2%
Bruce — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.0% Lawson — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (27.7%).

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.

Bruce Lawson
China 6.2% / 13.8%
Bruce — China: 6.2% Lawson — China: 13.8%
India 4.9% / 8.0%
Bruce — India: 4.9% Lawson — India: 8.0%
Nepal 3.5% / 2.9%
Bruce — Nepal: 3.5% Lawson — Nepal: 2.9%
England 2.1% / 1.5%
Bruce — England: 2.1% Lawson — England: 1.5%
Vietnam 1.6% / 2.0%
Bruce — Vietnam: 1.6% Lawson — Vietnam: 2.0%
Pakistan — / 1.8%
Bruce — Pakistan: not among its largest Lawson — Pakistan: 1.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (13.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Bruce 45.8% townhouses
Bruce — Townhouses: 45.8% Bruce — Flats / Apartments: 33.6% Bruce — Houses: 20.7%
Lawson 62.9% townhouses
Lawson — Townhouses: 62.9% Lawson — Flats / Apartments: 17.5% Lawson — Houses: 19.6%
Townhouses Flats / Apartments Houses

Property market

Bruce Lawson
Median house price $1,165,000 $985,000
Median unit price $417,500 $652,500
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 44 days
from 28 sales
 25 days
from 7 sales

Unit price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Bruce Lawson
1 bed $369K / $380K
Bruce — 1 bed: $369K (83 sales) Lawson — 1 bed: $380K (6 sales)

83 vs 6 sales

2 bed $482K / $565K
Bruce — 2 bed: $482K (47 sales) Lawson — 2 bed: $565K (19 sales)

47 vs 19 sales

3 bed $610K / $720K
Bruce — 3 bed: $610K (27 sales) Lawson — 3 bed: $720K (17 sales)

27 vs 17 sales

Development activity

Bruce Lawson
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.

Bruce Lawson
Houses 5.3%
$780/wk on $760K
 5.4%
$720/wk on $695K
Units 6.3%
$500/wk on $412K
 8.5%
$700/wk on $429K

Ranking within ACT

Bruce Lawson
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 34% of ACT Higher than 61% of ACT
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 55% of ACT Higher than 30% of ACT
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 29% of ACT Higher than 30% of ACT
NBN connectivity Higher than 64% of ACT Higher than 86% of ACT
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 93% of ACT Higher than 96% of ACT
Rental yield (units) Higher than 68% of ACT Higher than 100% of ACT

Liveability

Bruce is more walkable (65 vs 47).

Bruce Lawson
Grade B
same for both
Score 64/100 63/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Lawson carries more flood risk (65 vs 0); Bruce carries more bushfire risk (47 vs 0).

Bruce Lawson
Bushfire Moderate
47/100
 None
0/100
Crime High
70/100
 Low
39/100
Flood None
0/100
 Moderate
65/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 4
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Bruce Lawson
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
UC - Canberra, Bruce, 0.0 km
 2
UC - Canberra, Bruce, 2.3 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 14.6% 8.0%

Schools in Bruce

  • Radford College Independent · Combined

Schools in Lawson

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

Amenities in the suburb

Bruce Lawson
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 7 0
Parks & reserves 3
same for both
Childcare 7 0
GPs 5 0
Pharmacies 1 0
Hospitals 3 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Waterways 0 5

Mobility

Lawson sits further from the CBD (10.3 km vs 7.3 km).

Bruce Lawson
Walkability score 65/100 47/100
Distance to Canberra 7.3 km 10.3 km
+41% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 12 min 17 min
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
 78/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 356.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 47.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 2.7%
postcode 2617
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 29
postcode 2617
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.

Bruce Lawson
Car (driver) 63.4% / 75.7%
Bruce — Car (driver): 63.4% Lawson — Car (driver): 75.7%
Worked from Home 10.4% / 9.2%
Bruce — Worked from Home: 10.4% Lawson — Worked from Home: 9.2%
Bus 12.9% / 6.6%
Bruce — Bus: 12.9% Lawson — Bus: 6.6%
Car (passenger) 5.5% / 5.8%
Bruce — Car (passenger): 5.5% Lawson — Car (passenger): 5.8%
Walked Only 4.9% / 1.3%
Bruce — Walked Only: 4.9% Lawson — Walked Only: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (75.7%).

Setting

Bruce Lawson
Elevation 620 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 588 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Bruce Lawson
Connectivity score 67/100 100/100
Most common technology Fibre to the building Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 24%
3,868 premises
 100%
1,088 premises

Climate

Bruce Lawson
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)

Bruce Lawson
PM2.5 6.6 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 11.0 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.41 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Bruce Lawson
Average residential rate $3,105/yr
same for both
Council Unincorporated ACT
same for both

Federal electorate

Bruce Lawson
Division Canberra
same for both
Member Alicia Payne
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Bruce Lawson
Grant amount Not offered
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility None
same for both

Tags

Bruce

Affordable Apartments Inner Professionals Students Townhouses

Lawson

Inner Multicultural Professionals Quiet River Students Townhouses

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Bruce

Bruce vs Belconnen Bruce vs Kaleen Bruce vs O'Connor Bruce vs Lyneham Bruce vs Macquarie Bruce vs Aranda

Other comparisons with Lawson

Lawson vs Belconnen Lawson vs Kaleen Lawson vs Giralang Lawson vs McKellar
Full data on Bruce Full data on Lawson
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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