Macquarie vs Belconnen

Belconnen is the younger of the two, with a median age of 30 against 37 in Macquarie. In Macquarie, most 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. Macquarie is closer to the city centre: 9.1 km, against 13.2 km. On these figures, Belconnen tends to suit 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

Macquarie

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more separate houses rather than flats (62% vs 0%)
  • has more schools rated above their peers (2 vs 0)
  • is already more of a family suburb (46% 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 38%)

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

Commuting to the city

Macquarie

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (85/100 vs 26/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (15 min vs 25 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (9.1 km vs 13.2 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Macquarie

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (85/100 vs 26/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (18% vs 9%)
  • carries lower crime risk (75/100 vs 90/100)
  • But Belconnen has more GPs (9 vs 3)

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

Where they sit

Macquarie 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.

Macquarie 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.

Macquarie Belconnen
Walkability 85 / 26
Macquarie — Walkability: 85/100 Belconnen — Walkability: 26/100
Safety 25 / 10
Macquarie — Safety: 25/100 Belconnen — Safety: 10/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Macquarie — Low fire risk: 100/100 Belconnen — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 100 / 24
Macquarie — Low flood risk: 100/100 Belconnen — Low flood risk: 24/100

Demographics

Belconnen has more residents (8,502 vs 3,104); Macquarie skews older (37 vs 30).

Macquarie Belconnen
Population 3,104 8,502
+174% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +15.0% —
Median age 37 30
Median household income $101,244/yr
+9% vs other
 $92,352/yr
Median weekly rent $400/wk $430/wk
+8% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Macquarie Belconnen
0-4 4.8% / 4.5%
Macquarie — 0-4: 4.8% Belconnen — 0-4: 4.5%
5-14 11.6% / 4.2%
Macquarie — 5-14: 11.6% Belconnen — 5-14: 4.2%
15-19 4.3% / 2.7%
Macquarie — 15-19: 4.3% Belconnen — 15-19: 2.7%
20-24 7.8% / 15.6%
Macquarie — 20-24: 7.8% Belconnen — 20-24: 15.6%
25-34 17.4% / 37.8%
Macquarie — 25-34: 17.4% Belconnen — 25-34: 37.8%
35-44 15.2% / 14.2%
Macquarie — 35-44: 15.2% Belconnen — 35-44: 14.2%
45-54 11.4% / 7.0%
Macquarie — 45-54: 11.4% Belconnen — 45-54: 7.0%
55-64 10.0% / 4.8%
Macquarie — 55-64: 10.0% Belconnen — 55-64: 4.8%
65-74 8.9% / 3.8%
Macquarie — 65-74: 8.9% Belconnen — 65-74: 3.8%
75-84 7.2% / 3.2%
Macquarie — 75-84: 7.2% Belconnen — 75-84: 3.2%
85+ 1.9% / 2.2%
Macquarie — 85+: 1.9% Belconnen — 85+: 2.2%

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

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Macquarie 44.5% lone person
Macquarie — Lone Person: 44.5% Macquarie — Couple Families: 32.1% Macquarie — One Parent Families: 14.3% Macquarie — Group Household: 7.5% Macquarie — Other Families: 1.6%
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.

Macquarie 38.0% renting
Macquarie — Owned Outright: 32.7% Macquarie — Mortgage: 29.3% Macquarie — Renting: 38.0%
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.

Macquarie Belconnen
Bachelor Degree 20.9% / 27.5%
Macquarie — Bachelor Degree: 20.9% Belconnen — Bachelor Degree: 27.5%
Postgraduate Degree 13.5% / 18.7%
Macquarie — Postgraduate Degree: 13.5% Belconnen — Postgraduate Degree: 18.7%
Certificate III & IV 8.5% / 6.3%
Macquarie — Certificate III & IV: 8.5% Belconnen — Certificate III & IV: 6.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.0% / 7.6%
Macquarie — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.0% Belconnen — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 4.4% / 3.5%
Macquarie — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.4% 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.

Macquarie Belconnen
China 2.4% / 11.1%
Macquarie — China: 2.4% Belconnen — China: 11.1%
India 2.6% / 6.2%
Macquarie — India: 2.6% Belconnen — India: 6.2%
Nepal 1.0% / 5.7%
Macquarie — Nepal: 1.0% Belconnen — Nepal: 5.7%
England 3.5% / 2.0%
Macquarie — England: 3.5% Belconnen — England: 2.0%
Philippines 1.1% / 2.4%
Macquarie — Philippines: 1.1% Belconnen — Philippines: 2.4%
Vietnam 1.7% / 1.4%
Macquarie — Vietnam: 1.7% Belconnen — Vietnam: 1.4%

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

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Macquarie 24.0% flats / apartments
Macquarie — Flats / Apartments: 24.0% Macquarie — Houses: 61.6% Macquarie — Townhouses: 14.4%
Belconnen 74.8% flats / apartments
Belconnen — Flats / Apartments: 74.8% Belconnen — Houses: 0.5% Belconnen — Townhouses: 24.7%
Flats / Apartments Houses Townhouses

Property market

Macquarie Belconnen
Median house price $1,000,000 —
Median unit price $585,000 —
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 22 days
from 28 sales
 —

Development activity

Macquarie 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.

Macquarie Belconnen
Houses 4.1%
$730/wk on $922K
 —
Units 7.8%
$550/wk on $365K
 —

Ranking within ACT

Macquarie Belconnen
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 11% of ACT Higher than 8% of ACT
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 91% of ACT Higher than 17% of ACT
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 44% of ACT Higher than 17% of ACT
NBN connectivity Higher than 51% of ACT Higher than 66% of ACT
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 37% of ACT —
Rental yield (units) Higher than 95% of ACT —

Liveability

Macquarie is more walkable (85 vs 26); Macquarie scores higher overall (65 vs 24).

Macquarie Belconnen
Grade A D
Score 65/100 24/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 —

Risk profile

Belconnen carries more flood risk (76 vs 0); Belconnen carries more crime risk (90 vs 75).

Macquarie Belconnen
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
75/100
 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 2
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Macquarie Belconnen
Inside the suburb 2 1
Rated above peers 2 0
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 3
UC - Canberra, Bruce, 2.7 km
 2
UC - Canberra, Bruce, 6.4 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.5% 7.6%

Schools in Macquarie

  • Canberra High School Government · Secondary above peers
  • Macquarie Primary School Government · Primary above peers

Schools in Belconnen

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

Amenities in the suburb

Macquarie Belconnen
Supermarkets 2 18
Cafes & restaurants 9 87
Parks & reserves 1 12
Childcare 4 8
GPs 3 9
Pharmacies 2 5
Police stations 0 4
Banks & Bank@Post 2 9
Fuel stations 1 3
EV chargers 1 0
Beaches 0 6
Waterways 0 1

Mobility

Belconnen sits further from the CBD (13.2 km vs 9.1 km).

Macquarie Belconnen
Walkability score 85/100 26/100
Distance to Canberra 9.1 km 13.2 km
+45% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 15 min 25 min
Public transport score 78/100
Bus
 79/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 58.5
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.

Macquarie Belconnen
Car (driver) 67.4% / 52.8%
Macquarie — Car (driver): 67.4% Belconnen — Car (driver): 52.8%
Bus 7.7% / 18.2%
Macquarie — Bus: 7.7% Belconnen — Bus: 18.2%
Worked from Home 11.7% / 9.7%
Macquarie — Worked from Home: 11.7% Belconnen — Worked from Home: 9.7%
Walked Only 3.2% / 11.9%
Macquarie — Walked Only: 3.2% Belconnen — Walked Only: 11.9%
Car (passenger) 6.9% / 5.8%
Macquarie — Car (passenger): 6.9% Belconnen — Car (passenger): 5.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (67.4%).

Setting

Macquarie Belconnen
Elevation 616 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 613 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Macquarie Belconnen
Connectivity score 56/100 69/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fibre to the building
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 20%
1,603 premises
 20%
5,370 premises

Climate

Macquarie 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)

Macquarie 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

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Macquarie

Inner Professionals

Belconnen

Apartments Middle-Ring Multicultural Professionals Townhouses

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Macquarie

Macquarie vs Belconnen Macquarie vs Bruce Macquarie vs Page Macquarie vs Cook Macquarie vs Weetangera Macquarie 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 Macquarie 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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