Family-friendly ranking · ACT

The for families suburbs in Australian Capital Territory.

Suburbs ranked by average school ICSEA score and family-household percentage. Filtered to Australian Capital Territory suburbs only.

About this ranking

Family-friendly suburbs balance four things: schools you'd actually send your kids to, parks and bike paths that get used, walkable neighbourhood retail, and a price point that doesn't lock you out of upgrading rooms when the family grows. We rank by the strongest measurable proxy (school ICSEA) and weight by the share of households that are families with dependents.

Australian Capital Territory property market in 2026

Canberra is unique among Australian capitals, driven by public service employment, the highest-income demographic of any capital city, and the unusual leasehold land tenure system. After a soft 2024-2025 weighed by interest rates and federal hiring slowdowns, 2026 sees the market firm again. The ACT median house price sits around $980K, and rental yields are typically lower than other capitals because owner-occupier demand dominates.

Buyer tip, ACT

ACT's Home Buyer Concession Scheme (HBCS) offers a full stamp duty waiver for eligible first home buyers and downsizers regardless of property price, uniquely generous compared to threshold-based schemes elsewhere.

Watch out, ACT

Land tenure in the ACT is leasehold, not freehold. The Crown Lease structure has practical implications for renovations and long-term ownership that are different to mainland states. Read the lease conditions before assuming standard freehold rules apply.

Methodology

Suburbs are scored on average ICSEA across primary and secondary schools (sourced from ACARA), filtered to suburbs where families with dependents make up at least 40% of households (ABS Census 2021). Population-weighted to avoid outliers from very small localities.

Best for

First home buyers planning to start a family in the next 5 years; existing families upsizing into a longer-term home; relocating families researching new areas.

By stateAll Australia NSW VIC QLD WA SA TAS NT ACT

Showing top 50 suburbs in Australian Capital Territory

#	Suburb	State	Avg ICSEA	Family HH %	Profile
1	Bruce 2617	ACT	1,203	59%	View profile →
2	Hackett 2602	ACT	1,164	71%	View profile →
3	Hughes 2605	ACT	1,157	72%	View profile →
4	Barton 2600	ACT	1,153	48%	View profile →
5	Curtin 2605	ACT	1,146	74%	View profile →
6	Red Hill 2603	ACT	1,146	78%	View profile →
7	Ainslie 2602	ACT	1,145	63%	View profile →
8	Forrest 2603	ACT	1,145	67%	View profile →
9	Yarralumla 2600	ACT	1,142	71%	View profile →
10	Turner 2612	ACT	1,141	47%	View profile →
11	Lyneham 2602	ACT	1,140	53%	View profile →
12	Aranda 2614	ACT	1,138	79%	View profile →
13	Braddon 2612	ACT	1,134	41%	View profile →
14	Campbell 2612	ACT	1,134	64%	View profile →
15	Holder 2611	ACT	1,130	72%	View profile →
16	Watson 2602	ACT	1,128	66%	View profile →
17	Dickson 2602	ACT	1,122	53%	View profile →
18	Deakin 2600	ACT	1,118	68%	View profile →
19	Pearce 2607	ACT	1,117	68%	View profile →
20	Weetangera 2614	ACT	1,117	81%	View profile →
21	Lyons 2606	ACT	1,116	61%	View profile →
22	Gungahlin 2912	ACT	1,113	68%	View profile →
23	Mawson 2607	ACT	1,113	67%	View profile →
24	Denman Prospect 2611	ACT	1,107	78%	View profile →
25	Chapman 2611	ACT	1,106	82%	View profile →
26	Weston 2611	ACT	1,105	71%	View profile →
27	Garran 2605	ACT	1,103	74%	View profile →
28	Coombs 2611	ACT	1,099	74%	View profile →
29	Moncrieff 2914	ACT	1,099	86%	View profile →
30	Franklin 2913	ACT	1,098	72%	View profile →
31	Farrer 2607	ACT	1,098	73%	View profile →
32	Waramanga 2611	ACT	1,097	69%	View profile →
33	Throsby 2914	ACT	1,096	89%	View profile →
34	Hawker 2614	ACT	1,089	70%	View profile →
35	Duffy 2611	ACT	1,088	77%	View profile →
36	Scullin 2614	ACT	1,088	69%	View profile →
37	Phillip 2606	ACT	1,087	50%	View profile →
38	Page 2614	ACT	1,085	58%	View profile →
39	Macquarie 2614	ACT	1,085	61%	View profile →
40	Griffith 2603	ACT	1,084	59%	View profile →
41	Amaroo 2914	ACT	1,083	81%	View profile →
42	Kaleen 2617	ACT	1,081	76%	View profile →
43	Harrison 2914	ACT	1,080	75%	View profile →
44	Torrens 2607	ACT	1,079	74%	View profile →
45	Palmerston 2913	ACT	1,077	75%	View profile →
46	Fadden 2904	ACT	1,076	86%	View profile →
47	Nicholls 2913	ACT	1,075	84%	View profile →
48	Giralang 2617	ACT	1,070	78%	View profile →
49	Evatt 2617	ACT	1,068	79%	View profile →
50	Belconnen 2617	ACT	1,066	51%	View profile →

#1Bruce

ACT 2617

Avg ICSEA

1,203

Family HH %

59%

View profile →

#2Hackett

ACT 2602

Avg ICSEA

1,164

Family HH %

71%

View profile →

#3Hughes

ACT 2605

Avg ICSEA

1,157

Family HH %

72%

View profile →

#4Barton

ACT 2600

Avg ICSEA

1,153

Family HH %

48%

View profile →

#5Curtin

ACT 2605

Avg ICSEA

1,146

Family HH %

74%

View profile →

#6Red Hill

ACT 2603

Avg ICSEA

1,146

Family HH %

78%

View profile →

#7Ainslie

ACT 2602

Avg ICSEA

1,145

Family HH %

63%

View profile →

#8Forrest

ACT 2603

Avg ICSEA

1,145

Family HH %

67%

View profile →

#9Yarralumla

ACT 2600

Avg ICSEA

1,142

Family HH %

71%

View profile →

#10Turner

ACT 2612

Avg ICSEA

1,141

Family HH %

47%

View profile →

#11Lyneham

ACT 2602

Avg ICSEA

1,140

Family HH %

53%

View profile →

#12Aranda

ACT 2614

Avg ICSEA

1,138

Family HH %

79%

View profile →

#13Braddon

ACT 2612

Avg ICSEA

1,134

Family HH %

41%

View profile →

#14Campbell

ACT 2612

Avg ICSEA

1,134

Family HH %

64%

View profile →

#15Holder

ACT 2611

Avg ICSEA

1,130

Family HH %

72%

View profile →

#16Watson

ACT 2602

Avg ICSEA

1,128

Family HH %

66%

View profile →

#17Dickson

ACT 2602

Avg ICSEA

1,122

Family HH %

53%

View profile →

#18Deakin

ACT 2600

Avg ICSEA

1,118

Family HH %

68%

View profile →

#19Pearce

ACT 2607

Avg ICSEA

1,117

Family HH %

68%

View profile →

#20Weetangera

ACT 2614

Avg ICSEA

1,117

Family HH %

81%

View profile →

#21Lyons

ACT 2606

Avg ICSEA

1,116

Family HH %

61%

View profile →

#22Gungahlin

ACT 2912

Avg ICSEA

1,113

Family HH %

68%

View profile →

#23Mawson

ACT 2607

Avg ICSEA

1,113

Family HH %

67%

View profile →

#24Denman Prospect

ACT 2611

Avg ICSEA

1,107

Family HH %

78%

View profile →

#25Chapman

ACT 2611

Avg ICSEA

1,106

Family HH %

82%

View profile →

#26Weston

ACT 2611

Avg ICSEA

1,105

Family HH %

71%

View profile →

#27Garran

ACT 2605

Avg ICSEA

1,103

Family HH %

74%

View profile →

#28Coombs

ACT 2611

Avg ICSEA

1,099

Family HH %

74%

View profile →

#29Moncrieff

ACT 2914

Avg ICSEA

1,099

Family HH %

86%

View profile →

#30Franklin

ACT 2913

Avg ICSEA

1,098

Family HH %

72%

View profile →

#31Farrer

ACT 2607

Avg ICSEA

1,098

Family HH %

73%

View profile →

#32Waramanga

ACT 2611

Avg ICSEA

1,097

Family HH %

69%

View profile →

#33Throsby

ACT 2914

Avg ICSEA

1,096

Family HH %

89%

View profile →

#34Hawker

ACT 2614

Avg ICSEA

1,089

Family HH %

70%

View profile →

#35Duffy

ACT 2611

Avg ICSEA

1,088

Family HH %

77%

View profile →

#36Scullin

ACT 2614

Avg ICSEA

1,088

Family HH %

69%

View profile →

#37Phillip

ACT 2606

Avg ICSEA

1,087

Family HH %

50%

View profile →

#38Page

ACT 2614

Avg ICSEA

1,085

Family HH %

58%

View profile →

#39Macquarie

ACT 2614

Avg ICSEA

1,085

Family HH %

61%

View profile →

#40Griffith

ACT 2603

Avg ICSEA

1,084

Family HH %

59%

View profile →

#41Amaroo

ACT 2914

Avg ICSEA

1,083

Family HH %

81%

View profile →

#42Kaleen

ACT 2617

Avg ICSEA

1,081

Family HH %

76%

View profile →

#43Harrison

ACT 2914

Avg ICSEA

1,080

Family HH %

75%

View profile →

#44Torrens

ACT 2607

Avg ICSEA

1,079

Family HH %

74%

View profile →

#45Palmerston

ACT 2913

Avg ICSEA

1,077

Family HH %

75%

View profile →

#46Fadden

ACT 2904

Avg ICSEA

1,076

Family HH %

86%

View profile →

#47Nicholls

ACT 2913

Avg ICSEA

1,075

Family HH %

84%

View profile →

#48Giralang

ACT 2617

Avg ICSEA

1,070

Family HH %

78%

View profile →

#49Evatt

ACT 2617

Avg ICSEA

1,068

Family HH %

79%

View profile →

#50Belconnen

ACT 2617

Avg ICSEA

1,066

Family HH %

51%

View profile →

Common questions

About this ranking.

What is ICSEA and why does it matter?

ICSEA (Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage) is ACARA's measure of the educational backgrounds of students at a school, used as a proxy for school resourcing and outcomes. Higher ICSEA generally correlates with stronger NAPLAN performance and higher senior-year retention. We use it because it's published consistently across all Australian schools, but it's not a direct quality measure, so always verify with site visits and NAPLAN data.

Why don't you rank by NAPLAN scores directly?

NAPLAN scores are published by My School (ACARA) but reproducing them in rankings is restricted. ICSEA is the next-best public proxy and correlates strongly with NAPLAN outcomes for like-for-like school cohorts.

How do school catchments affect this ranking?

We rank suburbs by the average ICSEA of schools located in or directly serving the suburb. Catchment boundaries cut through suburbs, so two houses on the same street can fall into different catchments. Always verify the in-catchment school for the specific address before making an offer.

Other rankings

Highest Growth Suburbs Most Affordable Suburbs Most Walkable Suburbs Lowest Flood Risk Suburbs Best Rental Yield Suburbs

Shortlisted a suburb? Buy it well.

The complete buying guide: what you can actually spend, the 2026 schemes for your state, how the selling side plays you, and a 12-week plan from pre-approval to keys. Free PDF, in your inbox in 60 seconds.

Get the free buying guide