Moving to Palmerston ACT 2913
What the official numbers say about living in Palmerston — before you pack a box.
At a glance
Housing: buy or rent
Renting? The census median is $450 a week, against a median household income of $2,316 a week.
About 71% of homes are owner-occupied and 29% rented, and the most common dwelling type is the house.
Who you'll be living with
Palmerston shrank 2% between the 2011 and 2021 censuses (5,679 → 5,579 people).
Around 75% of households are families, averaging 2.6 people per home.
Largest overseas birthplaces: China, India, Vietnam; most spoken languages besides English: Mandarin, Vietnamese, Cantonese.
On the ABS advantage scale (SEIFA), Palmerston sits in the country’s more advantaged bracket (decile 9 of 10).
The commute
The most common way to work is by car (82% of workers), while 12% work from home.
Nearest light rail stop: Gungahlin Place, 1.7 km north-east.
Nearest bus interchange: Gungahlin Bus Station, 1.7 km north-east.
Nearest airport: Canberra Airport, 14 km south-east.
The Canberra CBD is roughly 10 km away in a straight line.
Daily life
Mapped locally so far: 28 schools · 41 cafes & restaurants · 10 supermarkets · 18 parks — see them all on the Palmerston profile.
What's actually nearby
Schools: Palmerston Primary School 300 m · Burgmann Anglican School Valley Campus 800 m · Gungahlin College 1.4 km · Franklin Early Childhood School 2.3 km · Gold Creek and Holy Cross Shared Campus 2.3 km · Gold Creek School Junior Site 2.3 km · Holy Spirit Catholic Primary School 2.4 km · St John Paul II College 2.5 km
Groceries: Palmerston IGA 350 m · Supabarn 1.4 km · Woolworths 1.7 km · Coles 1.7 km · Discount Grocery Gunghalin 1.9 km · Ngunnawal IGA 2.2 km · Nicholls IGA 2.3 km · Star Groceries 2.6 km
Parks and reserves: The Valley Ponds 950 m · Community Hub 1 km · Hilltop Reserve 1.1 km · Gungahlin Place 1.6 km · George Kemp Park 1.6 km · Girrawah Park 1.7 km · Crace Recreation Park 1.9 km · Yurwang Dhaura 2.1 km
What you'll see in the garden
Birds recorded around Palmerston, most often seen first: Australian Magpie · Magpie-lark · Sulphur-crested Cockatoo · Galah · Common Starling · Red Wattlebird.
How the neighbours compare
The suburbs nearest to Palmerston, side by side.
| Suburb | People | Median house | Advantage | Canopy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palmerston here | 5,579 | — | 9/10 | 4% |
| Crace | 4,800 | — | 10/10 | 2% |
| Gungahlin | 8,586 | — | 9/10 | 2% |
| Nicholls | 6,680 | — | 10/10 | 7% |
| Ngunnawal | 10,957 | — | 9/10 | 5% |
| Franklin | 7,484 | — | 10/10 | 1% |
| Amaroo | 6,129 | — | 10/10 | 3% |
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 Fenner — update your enrolment address.
- The postcode is 2913 — handy for utility sign-ups and quotes.
- Check street-level details on the full Palmerston profile (map, streets, amenities, wildlife).
In short
Renters pay a median $450 a week, and about 29% of homes here are rented.
The population fell 2% between the 2011 and 2021 censuses, from 5,679 people to 5,579. It sits about 10 km from the Canberra CBD in a straight line. Local government is Unincorporated ACT council, and the federal seat is Fenner.
Weighing up alternatives?
Side-by-side: Palmerston vs Crace · Palmerston vs Gungahlin.
Nearby guides: Crace · Gungahlin · Nicholls · Ngunnawal · Franklin · Amaroo.
Keep an eye on Palmerston
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