Parkes vs Reid
Parkes is the younger of the two, with a median age of 32 against 40 in Reid. In Reid, about half of households rent and most households are people living alone. Units cost more in Parkes: a median of $798,000, against $499,000 in Reid, though rent is higher in Reid. Reid is closer to the city centre: 2.6 km, against 5.2 km. On these figures, Reid 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
Parkes
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has more parks and reserves (20 vs 1)
Weighs schools, parks, and childcare.
First-home buyers
Reid
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper units ($499,000 vs $798,500)
Weighs unit prices.
Renters
Parkes
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($0/wk vs $430/wk)
Weighs rent.
Commuting to the city
Reid
ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here
- is more walkable (90/100 vs 44/100)
- sits closer to the CBD (2.6 km vs 5.2 km)
- has a shorter drive in (8 min vs 13 min)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Reid
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is more walkable (90/100 vs 44/100)
Weighs GPs and walkability.
Investors
Reid
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- returns a higher gross yield on units (6.8% vs 4.7%)
Weighs unit yield.
Where they sit
Parkes and Reid 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
Reid has more residents (1,544 vs 0); Reid rents higher ($430/wk vs $0/wk).
| Parkes | Reid | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | — | 1,544 (not reported on the other side) |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | — | -5.6% |
| Median age | 32 | 40 |
| Median household income | — | $118,144/yr |
| Median weekly rent | — | $430/wk (not reported on the other side) |
Property market
| Parkes | Reid | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | — | $1,715,000 |
| Median unit price | $798,500 | $499,000 |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | — | 22 days from 15 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.
9 vs 17 sales
14 vs 20 sales
5 vs 5 sales
Development activity
| Parkes | Reid | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 3,750 across Unincorporated ACT same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -48% same for both | |
Gross rental yield
| Parkes | Reid | |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | — same for both | |
| Units | 4.7% $812/wk on $899K | 6.8% $645/wk on $492K |
Ranking within ACT
| Parkes | Reid | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | — | Higher than 37% of ACT |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 27% of ACT | Higher than 99% of ACT |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 77% of ACT | Higher than 61% of ACT |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 81% of ACT | Higher than 49% of ACT |
| Rental yield (units) | Higher than 15% of ACT | Higher than 80% of ACT |
Liveability
Reid is more walkable (90 vs 44).
| Parkes | Reid | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — | A+ |
| Score | — | 85/100 |
| Socio-economic band | — | very advantaged area decile 10/10 |
Risk profile
Parkes carries more flood risk (84 vs 0).
| Parkes | Reid | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Crime | — | High 85/100 |
| Flood | High 84/100 | None 0/100 |
| 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 | 4 within 5 km |
Schools
| Parkes | Reid | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 0 same for both | |
| 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, 1.1 km | 3 UNSW Canberra, 2.7 km |
Amenities in the suburb
| Parkes | Reid | |
|---|---|---|
| Cafes & restaurants | 19 | 0 |
| Parks & reserves | 20 | 1 |
| Childcare | 1 | 2 |
| Waterways | 4 | 0 |
Mobility
Parkes sits further from the CBD (5.2 km vs 2.6 km).
| Parkes | Reid | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 44/100 | 90/100 |
| Distance to Canberra | 5.2 km +50% vs other | 2.6 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 13 min | 8 min |
| Public transport score | 79/100 Bus | 78/100 Bus |
| Peak arrivals per hour | 128.5 7-9am + 5-7pm | 51.8 7-9am + 5-7pm |
| Median peak wait | 0 min scheduled, not actual | 1 min scheduled, not actual |
| Electric vehicle share | 4.2% postcode 2600 | 3.7% postcode 2612 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 29 postcode 2600 | 10 postcode 2612 |
Setting
| Parkes | Reid | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 563 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 567 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Parkes | Reid | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 94/100 | 55/100 |
| Most common technology | Fibre to the premises | Fibre to the node |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 84% 101 premises | 18% 1,045 premises |
Climate
| Parkes | Reid | |
|---|---|---|
| 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)
| Parkes | Reid | |
|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 | 5.4 µg/m³ same for both | |
| PM10 | 14.1 µg/m³ same for both | |
| NO₂ | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Parkes | Reid | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $3,105/yr same for both | |
| Council | Unincorporated ACT same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Parkes | Reid | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Canberra same for both | |
| Member | Alicia Payne same for both | |
| Party | Australian Labor Party same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Parkes | Reid | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | Not offered same for both | |
| Property price cap | — same for both | |
| Eligibility | None same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Parkes
Other comparisons with Reid
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.