Moving to City ACT 2601
What the official numbers say about living in City — before you pack a box.
At a glance
Housing: buy or rent
Renting? The census median is $550 a week, against a median household income of $2,232 a week.
About 37% of homes are owner-occupied and 62% rented, and the most common dwelling type is the apartment.
Who you'll be living with
City grew 71% between the 2011 and 2021 censuses (2,823 → 4,835 people).
Around 45% of households are families, averaging 1.7 people per home.
Largest overseas birthplaces: China, India, England; most spoken languages besides English: Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean.
On the ABS advantage scale (SEIFA), City sits in the country’s more advantaged bracket (decile 10 of 10).
The commute
The most common way to work is by car (35% of workers), while 14% work from home.
Nearest train station: Canberra, 4.6 km south-east.
Nearest light rail stop: Alinga Street, 400 m north.
Nearest bus interchange: City Bus Station, 300 m north.
Nearest airport: Canberra Airport, 6.4 km south-east.
Daily life
Mapped locally so far: 26 schools · 223 cafes & restaurants · 8 supermarkets · 45 parks — see them all on the City profile.
What's actually nearby
Schools: Australian Academy of Science 650 m · Ainslie School 1.3 km · Campbell High School 1.7 km · Canberra Grammar School 1.7 km · Merici College 1.7 km · Turner School 1.9 km · Black Mountain School 2.4 km · O'Connor Cooperative School 2.4 km
Groceries: Aldi 500 m · Coles 500 m · Daily Market 600 m · Daily Market Groceries 950 m · Braddon Supermarket 1.9 km · IGA 2 km · IGA 2.4 km · IGA 2.6 km
Parks and reserves: City Hill 100 m · Veteran's Park 500 m · Latin American Plaza 550 m · Glebe Park 600 m · John Avery Gardens 650 m · Marsh Garden 900 m · Commonwealth Park 900 m · Henry Rolland Park 1.1 km
What you'll see in the garden
Birds recorded around City, most often seen first: Australian Magpie · Magpie-lark · Superb Fairy-wren · Pied Currawong · Crimson Rosella · Red Wattlebird.
How the neighbours compare
The suburbs nearest to City, side by side.
| Suburb | People | Median house | Advantage | Canopy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City here | 4,835 | — | 10/10 | 5% |
| Reid | 1,544 | — | 10/10 | 17% |
| Braddon | 6,383 | — | 10/10 | 12% |
| Turner | 4,470 | — | 10/10 | 14% |
| Parkes | — | — | — | 11% |
| Campbell | 6,564 | — | 10/10 | 17% |
| O'connor | 5,917 | — | 10/10 | 25% |
Before you move — quick checklist
- Your council will be Unincorporated ACT — bins, rates, pets and permits live there.
- You'll vote in the federal electorate of Canberra — update your enrolment address.
- The postcode is 2601 — handy for utility sign-ups and quotes.
- Check street-level details on the full City profile (map, streets, amenities, wildlife).
In short
Renters pay a median $550 a week, and about 62% of homes here are rented.
The population grew 71% between the 2011 and 2021 censuses, from 2,823 people to 4,835. Local government is Unincorporated ACT council, and the federal seat is Canberra.
Weighing up alternatives?
Side-by-side: City vs Braddon · City vs Turner.
Nearby guides: Reid · Braddon · Turner · Parkes · Campbell · O'connor.
Keep an eye on City
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