Statistical Area 2 (SA2) · Area profile
Charnwood
2 km²
Daily life in Charnwood revolves around a family-friendly atmosphere where most residents live in detached houses with large yards. This is a young community, with a typical resident aged 35 and a high number of children under 15. While it is a quiet residential pocket of the ACT, it is very walkable, with every home within a short stroll of a park or school. The neighbourhood is generally stable, with few people moving in or out over recent years.
Families are well catered for: 16 schools serve Charnwood.
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The area is notably young, with children under 15 making up 21.2% of the population, which is much higher than in most similar areas. While the typical age is 35, the number of seniors has risen by 4.3 points since 2011 to reach 12.7%.
Most residents were born in Australia, though 21.6% were born overseas, a figure that has risen slightly since 2011. English and Australian are the most common ancestries, followed by Irish and Scottish.
About 17.8% of people use a language other than English at home, which is higher than in most similar areas. English remains the dominant language for 77.7% of the community.
A large shift has occurred since 2011, with the proportion of people reporting no religion rising by 18 points to 45.2%. This is well above the national figure of 38.9%.
While 61.6% of residents finished Year 12, the proportion of adults with a bachelor degree or higher is 21.5%, which is far below the ACT average of 42.9%.
Typical weekly household income is $1,818, which is about the same as the national figure. However, this is well below the ACT typical income of $2,373.
Health challenges are more common here than in most areas, with 33.9% of people living with a long-term health condition. Mental health conditions are particularly prevalent at 13.1%, which is well above the national average.
Caregiving is a big part of local life, as 31.3% of people provide unpaid childcare, a figure well above the national average. Around 14.0% of residents also spend their time volunteering.
The First Nations community is a small but distinct group, with a few residents who speak a First Nations language, which is higher than in most similar areas. Unemployment among this group is remarkably low at 0.0%.
One-parent families are very common here, making up 22.9% of households, which is far above the ACT average. People living alone also make up a higher than usual share at 27.5%.
The suburb is dominated by separate houses, with 87.5% of homes being detached. Most homes are large, with 87.6% having three or more bedrooms, far exceeding the national figure.
Most people rely on cars, with 69.0% driving to work. Only 3.0% use public transport for their commute, despite the area having a high number of transport stops per 1,000 people.
The community is very stable; only 32.7% of residents moved in the last five years, which is far below the ACT average of 46.1%.
Full-time employment is high at 64.8%, which is well above the national average. Many residents work in public administration and safety, followed by healthcare and construction.
The area has a moderate overall advantage score of 5, sitting around the middle for similar areas. Population growth has been very slow recently at 1.2%, well below the ACT average.
The local climate is typical for the region, with average annual rainfall of 855mm. Minimum temperatures are among the lowest for similar areas, averaging 6.9 degrees.
Charnwood is very walkable, with a score of 7.5. Every single home is within a 10-minute walk of public transport and a 15-minute walk of a school or park.