Deakin vs Forrest

In both, most households own their home. In Deakin, most homes are detached houses. In Forrest, about half of homes are flats or apartments and about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Forrest: a median of $4.05 million, against $2 million in Deakin. Forrest is closer to the city centre: 6.9 km, against 8.5 km. On these figures, Deakin tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget.

Deakin and Forrest are both affluent ACT suburbs, but they suit different priorities. Forrest is closer to the CBD at 6.9 km versus Deakin's 8.5 km, and has a significantly higher liveability score of 91 compared to 57, though both are highly walkable. House prices differ sharply—Forrest median is $4,052,500 against Deakin's $2,000,000—but Deakin units are pricier at $955,000 versus $685,000. Deakin carries notably higher bushfire and crime risks, while Forrest has none; Deakin may appeal to those prioritising rental yield on houses at 3.2%, whereas Forrest's unit yield of 4.6% suits investors focused on apartments.

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

Deakin

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools inside the suburb (4 vs 1)
  • has more childcare (6 vs 3)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (68% vs 36%)
  • But Forrest carries lower crime risk (53/100 vs 68/100)

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

First-home buyers

Forrest

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper units ($685,000 vs $955,000)
  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (17% vs 24%)
  • But Deakin has cheaper houses ($2,000,000 vs $4,052,500)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Commuting to the city

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Forrest

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (64% vs 32%)
  • carries lower crime risk (53/100 vs 68/100)
  • But Deakin has more GPs (3 vs 1)

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

Investors

They split

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

  • Deakin returns a higher gross yield on houses (3.2% vs 1.8%)
  • Forrest returns a higher gross yield on units (4.6% vs 2.6%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Deakin Forrest
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.

Deakin Forrest
Walkability 79 / 81
Deakin — Walkability: 79/100 Forrest — Walkability: 81/100
Safety 32 / 47
Deakin — Safety: 32/100 Forrest — Safety: 47/100
Low fire risk 12 / 100
Deakin — Low fire risk: 12/100 Forrest — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 100 / 100
Deakin — Low flood risk: 100/100 Forrest — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Deakin has more residents (3,124 vs 1,827); Forrest skews older (47 vs 45).

Deakin Forrest
Population 3,124
+42% vs other
 1,827
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +8.5% +13.1%
Median age 45 47
Median household income $162,084/yr $174,876/yr
+8% vs other
Median weekly rent $560/wk $570/wk
+2% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Deakin Forrest
0-4 4.3% / 2.4%
Deakin — 0-4: 4.3% Forrest — 0-4: 2.4%
5-14 12.4% / 8.9%
Deakin — 5-14: 12.4% Forrest — 5-14: 8.9%
15-19 7.0% / 5.1%
Deakin — 15-19: 7.0% Forrest — 15-19: 5.1%
20-24 5.2% / 5.2%
Deakin — 20-24: 5.2% Forrest — 20-24: 5.2%
25-34 8.1% / 15.2%
Deakin — 25-34: 8.1% Forrest — 25-34: 15.2%
35-44 12.1% / 10.2%
Deakin — 35-44: 12.1% Forrest — 35-44: 10.2%
45-54 14.2% / 15.4%
Deakin — 45-54: 14.2% Forrest — 45-54: 15.4%
55-64 11.9% / 14.8%
Deakin — 55-64: 11.9% Forrest — 55-64: 14.8%
65-74 11.6% / 13.1%
Deakin — 65-74: 11.6% Forrest — 65-74: 13.1%
75-84 8.3% / 8.2%
Deakin — 75-84: 8.3% Forrest — 75-84: 8.2%
85+ 4.5% / 2.0%
Deakin — 85+: 4.5% Forrest — 85+: 2.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.4%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Deakin 39.6% lone person
Deakin — Lone Person: 39.6% Deakin — Couple Families: 44.4% Deakin — One Parent Families: 10.8% Deakin — Group Household: 4.6% Deakin — Other Families: 0.6%
Forrest 46.4% lone person
Forrest — Lone Person: 46.4% Forrest — Couple Families: 38.0% Forrest — One Parent Families: 8.2% Forrest — Group Household: 6.8% Forrest — Other Families: 0.6%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Deakin 22.1% renting
Deakin — Owned Outright: 47.2% Deakin — Mortgage: 30.7% Deakin — Renting: 22.1%
Forrest 31.3% renting
Forrest — Owned Outright: 38.6% Forrest — Mortgage: 30.0% Forrest — Renting: 31.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Deakin Forrest
Bachelor Degree 25.8% / 27.0%
Deakin — Bachelor Degree: 25.8% Forrest — Bachelor Degree: 27.0%
Postgraduate Degree 17.3% / 21.3%
Deakin — Postgraduate Degree: 17.3% Forrest — Postgraduate Degree: 21.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.9% / 6.7%
Deakin — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.9% Forrest — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 4.3% / 6.0%
Deakin — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.3% Forrest — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 6.0%
Certificate III & IV 3.7% / 3.6%
Deakin — Certificate III & IV: 3.7% Forrest — Certificate III & IV: 3.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (27.0%).

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.

Deakin Forrest
England 5.1% / 3.0%
Deakin — England: 5.1% Forrest — England: 3.0%
India 2.3% / 2.1%
Deakin — India: 2.3% Forrest — India: 2.1%
China 1.4% / 1.6%
Deakin — China: 1.4% Forrest — China: 1.6%
New Zealand 1.1% / 1.6%
Deakin — New Zealand: 1.1% Forrest — New Zealand: 1.6%
Malaysia 1.1% / 1.0%
Deakin — Malaysia: 1.1% Forrest — Malaysia: 1.0%
Sri Lanka — / 1.1%
Deakin — Sri Lanka: not among its largest Forrest — Sri Lanka: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.1%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Deakin 67.9% houses
Deakin — Houses: 67.9% Deakin — Flats / Apartments: 14.1% Deakin — Townhouses: 18.0%
Forrest 36.5% houses
Forrest — Houses: 36.5% Forrest — Flats / Apartments: 46.6% Forrest — Townhouses: 16.9%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Deakin Forrest
Median house price $2,000,000 $4,052,500
Median unit price $955,000 $685,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 34 days
from 30 sales
 120 days
from 8 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.

Deakin Forrest
1 bed $655K / $555K
Deakin — 1 bed: $655K (5 sales) Forrest — 1 bed: $555K (15 sales)

5 vs 15 sales

2 bed $1.1M / $720K
Deakin — 2 bed: $1.1M (10 sales) Forrest — 2 bed: $720K (22 sales)

10 vs 22 sales

Development activity

Deakin Forrest
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.

Deakin Forrest
Houses 3.2%
$1,100/wk on $1.79M
 1.8%
$1,400/wk on $4.04M
Units 2.6%
$570/wk on $1.12M
 4.6%
$680/wk on $765K

Ranking within ACT

Deakin Forrest
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 88% of ACT Higher than 96% of ACT
Schools Higher than 23% of ACT —
Walkability Higher than 82% of ACT Higher than 87% of ACT
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 79% of ACT Higher than 90% of ACT
NBN connectivity Higher than 55% of ACT Higher than 68% of ACT
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 9% of ACT Higher than 1% of ACT
Rental yield (units) Higher than 2% of ACT Higher than 12% of ACT

Liveability

Forrest scores higher overall (91 vs 57).

Deakin Forrest
Grade B A+
Score 57/100 91/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Deakin carries more bushfire risk (88 vs 0); Deakin carries more crime risk (68 vs 53).

Deakin Forrest
Bushfire High
88/100
 None
0/100
Crime Moderate
68/100
 Moderate
53/100
Flood None
0/100
same for both
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
 6
within 5 km

Schools

Deakin Forrest
Inside the suburb 4 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0 1
Universities within 10 km 3
UNSW Canberra, 3.5 km
 3
UNSW Canberra, 1.7 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 3.0% 2.3%

Schools in Deakin

  • Alfred Deakin High School Government · Secondary
  • Canberra Girls Grammar School Independent · Secondary
  • Canberra Girls Grammar School - Junior School Independent · Primary
  • The Woden School Government · Secondary · Special school

Schools in Forrest

  • Forrest Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Deakin Forrest
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 10 3
Parks & reserves 4 2
Childcare 6 3
GPs 3 1
Pharmacies 2 0
Hospitals 2 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Fuel stations 1 0
EV chargers 4 0

Mobility

Deakin Forrest
Walkability score 79/100 81/100
Distance to Canberra 8.5 km
+19% vs other
 6.9 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 15 min 14 min
Public transport score 78/100
Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 104.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 35.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 4.2%
postcode 2600
 4.6%
postcode 2603
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 29
postcode 2600
 25
postcode 2603

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.

Deakin Forrest
Car (driver) 65.0% / 54.3%
Deakin — Car (driver): 65.0% Forrest — Car (driver): 54.3%
Worked from Home 17.1% / 20.3%
Deakin — Worked from Home: 17.1% Forrest — Worked from Home: 20.3%
Walked Only 3.9% / 15.1%
Deakin — Walked Only: 3.9% Forrest — Walked Only: 15.1%
Car (passenger) 7.2% / 3.8%
Deakin — Car (passenger): 7.2% Forrest — Car (passenger): 3.8%
Bus 3.7% / 3.5%
Deakin — Bus: 3.7% Forrest — Bus: 3.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (65.0%).

Setting

Deakin Forrest
Elevation 592 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 588 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Deakin Forrest
Connectivity score 58/100 70/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 11%
2,125 premises
 24%
1,171 premises

Climate

Deakin Forrest
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)

Deakin Forrest
PM2.5 5.4 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 14.1 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Deakin Forrest
Average residential rate $3,105/yr
same for both
Council Unincorporated ACT
same for both

Federal electorate

Deakin Forrest
Division Canberra
same for both
Member Alicia Payne
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Deakin Forrest
Grant amount Not offered
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility None
same for both

Tags

Deakin

Inner Premium Professionals

Forrest

Apartments Inner Parks Premium Professionals

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Deakin

Deakin vs Curtin Deakin vs Hughes Deakin vs Red Hill Deakin vs Yarralumla

Other comparisons with Forrest

Forrest vs Griffith Forrest vs Red Hill Forrest vs Barton
Full data on Deakin Full data on Forrest
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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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