Cook vs Belconnen

Belconnen is the younger of the two, with a median age of 30 against 42 in Cook. In Cook, the large majority of households own their home and most homes are detached houses. In Belconnen, most households rent, most homes are flats or apartments, and most households are people living alone. Cook is closer to the city centre: 9.2 km, against 13.2 km. On these figures, Cook tends to suit older residents, while Belconnen suits renters, young adults, and people living alone.

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

Cook

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more separate houses rather than flats (60% vs 0%)
  • carries lower crime risk (28/100 vs 90/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (51% vs 25%)
  • But Belconnen has more parks and reserves (12 vs 1)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Belconnen

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (66% vs 24%)

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

Commuting to the city

Cook

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (78/100 vs 26/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (15 min vs 25 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (9.2 km vs 13.2 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Cook

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (28/100 vs 90/100)
  • is more walkable (78/100 vs 26/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (20% vs 9%)
  • But Belconnen has more GPs (9 vs 0)

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

Where they sit

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

Cook Belconnen
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.

Cook Belconnen
Walkability 78 / 26
Cook — Walkability: 78/100 Belconnen — Walkability: 26/100
Safety 72 / 10
Cook — Safety: 72/100 Belconnen — Safety: 10/100
Low fire risk 55 / 100
Cook — Low fire risk: 55/100 Belconnen — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 100 / 24
Cook — Low flood risk: 100/100 Belconnen — Low flood risk: 24/100

Demographics

Belconnen has more residents (8,502 vs 2,965); Cook skews older (42 vs 30).

Cook Belconnen
Population 2,965 8,502
+187% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +5.7% —
Median age 42 30
Median household income $117,988/yr
+22% vs other
 $92,352/yr
Median weekly rent $440/wk
+2% vs other
 $430/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Cook Belconnen
0-4 5.6% / 4.5%
Cook — 0-4: 5.6% Belconnen — 0-4: 4.5%
5-14 11.7% / 4.2%
Cook — 5-14: 11.7% Belconnen — 5-14: 4.2%
15-19 4.6% / 2.7%
Cook — 15-19: 4.6% Belconnen — 15-19: 2.7%
20-24 4.3% / 15.6%
Cook — 20-24: 4.3% Belconnen — 20-24: 15.6%
25-34 12.6% / 37.8%
Cook — 25-34: 12.6% Belconnen — 25-34: 37.8%
35-44 14.9% / 14.2%
Cook — 35-44: 14.9% Belconnen — 35-44: 14.2%
45-54 15.0% / 7.0%
Cook — 45-54: 15.0% Belconnen — 45-54: 7.0%
55-64 11.0% / 4.8%
Cook — 55-64: 11.0% Belconnen — 55-64: 4.8%
65-74 9.9% / 3.8%
Cook — 65-74: 9.9% Belconnen — 65-74: 3.8%
75-84 7.6% / 3.2%
Cook — 75-84: 7.6% Belconnen — 75-84: 3.2%
85+ 2.5% / 2.2%
Cook — 85+: 2.5% Belconnen — 85+: 2.2%

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

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Cook 42.9% lone person
Cook — Lone Person: 42.9% Cook — Couple Families: 37.0% Cook — One Parent Families: 13.7% Cook — Group Household: 4.9% Cook — Other Families: 1.5%
Belconnen 58.2% lone person
Belconnen — Lone Person: 58.2% Belconnen — Couple Families: 15.8% Belconnen — One Parent Families: 9.1% Belconnen — Group Household: 14.4% Belconnen — Other Families: 2.5%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Cook 24.1% renting
Cook — Owned Outright: 41.0% Cook — Mortgage: 34.9% Cook — Renting: 24.1%
Belconnen 66.2% renting
Belconnen — Owned Outright: 11.8% Belconnen — Mortgage: 22.0% Belconnen — Renting: 66.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Cook Belconnen
Bachelor Degree 24.3% / 27.5%
Cook — Bachelor Degree: 24.3% Belconnen — Bachelor Degree: 27.5%
Postgraduate Degree 17.3% / 18.7%
Cook — Postgraduate Degree: 17.3% Belconnen — Postgraduate Degree: 18.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.5% / 7.6%
Cook — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.5% Belconnen — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.6%
Certificate III & IV 6.1% / 6.3%
Cook — Certificate III & IV: 6.1% Belconnen — Certificate III & IV: 6.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 5.3% / 3.5%
Cook — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 5.3% Belconnen — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (27.5%).

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.

Cook Belconnen
China 1.4% / 11.1%
Cook — China: 1.4% Belconnen — China: 11.1%
India 1.5% / 6.2%
Cook — India: 1.5% Belconnen — India: 6.2%
England 4.5% / 2.0%
Cook — England: 4.5% Belconnen — England: 2.0%
Nepal — / 5.7%
Cook — Nepal: not among its largest Belconnen — Nepal: 5.7%
Philippines 0.6% / 2.4%
Cook — Philippines: 0.6% Belconnen — Philippines: 2.4%
New Zealand 1.1% / —
Cook — New Zealand: 1.1% Belconnen — New Zealand: not among its largest
Germany 0.9% / —
Cook — Germany: 0.9% Belconnen — Germany: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (11.1%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Cook 3.5% flats / apartments
Cook — Flats / Apartments: 3.5% Cook — Townhouses: 36.2% Cook — Houses: 60.3%
Belconnen 74.8% flats / apartments
Belconnen — Flats / Apartments: 74.8% Belconnen — Townhouses: 24.7% Belconnen — Houses: 0.5%
Flats / Apartments Townhouses Houses

Property market

Cook Belconnen
Median house price $1,100,000 —
Median unit price $815,000 —
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 22 days
from 28 sales
 —

Development activity

Cook Belconnen
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.

Cook Belconnen
Houses 3.8%
$620/wk on $847K
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within ACT

Cook Belconnen
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 36% of ACT Higher than 8% of ACT
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 80% of ACT Higher than 17% of ACT
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 48% of ACT Higher than 17% of ACT
NBN connectivity Higher than 51% of ACT Higher than 66% of ACT
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 24% of ACT —

Liveability

Cook scores higher overall (73 vs 24); Cook is more walkable (78 vs 26).

Cook Belconnen
Grade A D
Score 73/100 24/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
 —

Risk profile

Belconnen carries more flood risk (76 vs 0); Cook carries more bushfire risk (45 vs 0).

Cook Belconnen
Bushfire Moderate
45/100
 None
0/100
Crime Low
28/100
 High
90/100
Flood None
0/100
 High
76/100
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
 2
within 5 km

Schools

Cook Belconnen
Inside the suburb 0 1
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, 2.8 km
 2
UC - Canberra, Bruce, 6.4 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.3% 7.6%

Schools in Cook

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

Schools in Belconnen

  • University of Canberra Senior Secondary College Lake Ginninderra Government · Secondary

Amenities in the suburb

Cook Belconnen
Supermarkets 1 18
Cafes & restaurants 1 87
Parks & reserves 1 12
Childcare 0 8
GPs 0 9
Pharmacies 0 5
Police stations 0 4
Banks & Bank@Post 0 9
Fuel stations 0 3
Beaches 0 6
Waterways 0 1

Mobility

Belconnen sits further from the CBD (13.2 km vs 9.2 km).

Cook Belconnen
Walkability score 78/100 26/100
Distance to Canberra 9.2 km 13.2 km
+43% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 15 min 25 min
Public transport score 75/100
Bus
 79/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 27.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 455.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 3.3%
postcode 2614
 2.1%
postcode 2615
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 41
postcode 2614
 40
postcode 2615

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.

Cook Belconnen
Car (driver) 60.3% / 52.8%
Cook — Car (driver): 60.3% Belconnen — Car (driver): 52.8%
Bus 8.4% / 18.2%
Cook — Bus: 8.4% Belconnen — Bus: 18.2%
Worked from Home 15.7% / 9.7%
Cook — Worked from Home: 15.7% Belconnen — Worked from Home: 9.7%
Walked Only 2.1% / 11.9%
Cook — Walked Only: 2.1% Belconnen — Walked Only: 11.9%
Car (passenger) 5.3% / 5.8%
Cook — Car (passenger): 5.3% Belconnen — Car (passenger): 5.8%
Bicycle 8.2% / 1.2%
Cook — Bicycle: 8.2% Belconnen — Bicycle: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (60.3%).

Setting

Cook Belconnen
Elevation 622 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 613 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Cook Belconnen
Connectivity score 55/100 69/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fibre to the building
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 15%
1,458 premises
 20%
5,370 premises

Climate

Cook Belconnen
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)

Cook Belconnen
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

Cook Belconnen
Average residential rate $3,105/yr
same for both
Council Unincorporated ACT
same for both

Federal electorate

Cook Belconnen
Division Canberra Fenner
Member Alicia Payne Andrew Leigh
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Cook Belconnen
Grant amount Not offered
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility None
same for both

Tags

Cook

Inner Professionals Townhouses

Belconnen

Apartments Middle-Ring Multicultural Professionals Townhouses

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Cook

Cook vs Macquarie Cook vs Weetangera Cook vs Aranda

Other comparisons with Belconnen

Belconnen vs Dunlop Belconnen vs Macgregor Belconnen vs Nicholls Belconnen vs Holt Belconnen vs Evatt Belconnen vs Crace
Full data on Cook Full data on Belconnen
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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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