Yarralumla vs Acton
Acton is the younger of the two, with a median age of 19 against 50 in Yarralumla. In Yarralumla, the large majority of households own their home, most homes are detached houses, and about half of households are couple families. Acton is closer to the city centre: 3.6 km, against 7.6 km. On these figures, Acton tends to suit young adults.
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
Yarralumla
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- has more parks and reserves (15 vs 5)
- carries lower crime risk (51/100 vs 86/100)
Weighs schools, crime, parks, and childcare.
Renters
Acton
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($9/wk vs $547/wk)
Weighs rent.
Commuting to the city
Acton
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- sits closer to the CBD (3.6 km vs 7.6 km)
- has a shorter drive in (9 min vs 15 min)
- But Yarralumla is more walkable (66/100 vs 39/100)
Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Yarralumla
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- is more walkable (66/100 vs 39/100)
- carries lower crime risk (51/100 vs 86/100)
Weighs GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Acton
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (36.5% vs 8.0%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Yarralumla and Acton 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
Yarralumla rents higher ($547/wk vs $9/wk); Yarralumla skews older (50 vs 19).
| Yarralumla | Acton | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 3,120 +9% vs other | 2,848 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +8.0% | +36.5% |
| Median age | 50 | 19 |
| Median household income | $173,004/yr | — |
| Median weekly rent | $547/wk +98% vs other | $9/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (50.9%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (26.1%).
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.2%).
Property market
| Yarralumla | Acton | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $1,967,500 | — |
| Median unit price | $775,000 | — |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | 54 days from 20 sales | — |
Development activity
| Yarralumla | Acton | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 3,750 across Unincorporated ACT same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -48% same for both | |
Gross rental yield
| Yarralumla | Acton | |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 3.4% $1,250/wk on $1.9M | — |
| Units | — same for both | |
Ranking within ACT
| Yarralumla | Acton | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 94% of ACT | — |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 57% of ACT | Higher than 26% of ACT |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 79% of ACT | Higher than 98% of ACT |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 57% of ACT | Higher than 82% of ACT |
| Rental yield (houses) | Higher than 15% of ACT | — |
Liveability
Yarralumla scores higher overall (57 vs 22); Yarralumla is more walkable (66 vs 39).
| Yarralumla | Acton | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | B | D |
| Score | 57/100 | 22/100 |
| Socio-economic band | very advantaged area decile 10/10 | — |
Risk profile
Acton carries more crime risk (86 vs 51); Acton carries more flood risk (92 vs 66).
| Yarralumla | Acton | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Moderate 62/100 | Moderate 51/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 51/100 | High 86/100 |
| Flood | Moderate 66/100 | High 92/100 |
| 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 same for both | |
Schools
| Yarralumla | Acton | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 1 | 0 |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 1 | 0 |
| Universities within 10 km | 3 Australian National University, 3.7 km | 3 Australian National University, 1.8 km |
| Full-time students aged 15–24 | 2.9% | 69.7% |
Schools in Yarralumla
- Yarralumla Primary School Government · Primary below peers
Schools in Acton
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Amenities in the suburb
| Yarralumla | Acton | |
|---|---|---|
| Supermarkets | 1 same for both | |
| Cafes & restaurants | 6 | 27 |
| Parks & reserves | 15 | 5 |
| Childcare | 6 | 4 |
| Pharmacies | 1 same for both | |
| Police stations | 1 | 0 |
| Banks & Bank@Post | 1 | 0 |
| EV chargers | 0 | 1 |
| Waterways | 3 | 6 |
Mobility
Yarralumla sits further from the CBD (7.6 km vs 3.6 km).
| Yarralumla | Acton | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 66/100 | 39/100 |
| Distance to Canberra | 7.6 km +53% vs other | 3.6 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 15 min | 9 min |
| Public transport score | 79/100 Bus same for both | |
| Peak arrivals per hour | 54.0 7-9am + 5-7pm | 66.5 7-9am + 5-7pm |
| Median peak wait | 1 min scheduled, not actual same for both | |
| Electric vehicle share | 4.2% postcode 2600 | 7.1% postcode 2601 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 29 postcode 2600 | 3 postcode 2601 |
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (64.8%).
Setting
| Yarralumla | Acton | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 564 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 562 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Yarralumla | Acton | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 62/100 | 96/100 |
| Most common technology | Fibre to the node | Fibre to the premises |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 29% 1,668 premises | 90% 262 premises |
Climate
| Yarralumla | Acton | |
|---|---|---|
| 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)
| Yarralumla | Acton | |
|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 | 5.4 µg/m³ same for both | |
| PM10 | 14.1 µg/m³ same for both | |
| NO₂ | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Yarralumla | Acton | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $3,105/yr same for both | |
| Council | Unincorporated ACT same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Yarralumla | Acton | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Canberra same for both | |
| Member | Alicia Payne same for both | |
| Party | Australian Labor Party same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Yarralumla | Acton | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | Not offered same for both | |
| Property price cap | — same for both | |
| Eligibility | None same for both | |
Tags
Yarralumla
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Yarralumla
Other comparisons with Acton
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.