Urban Centre · Area profile
Googong
7 km²
Daily life in Googong revolves around young families and high-earning professionals. This is a remarkably young community where the typical resident is just 31, and nearly a third of the population are children under 15. The area has seen a dramatic shift since 2011, evolving into an affluent hub with a highly qualified workforce and a strong presence of public administration staff. It is a place of large, modern homes and high incomes, situated in the Queanbeyan-Palerang region of New South Wales.
Explore Googong by topic
The community is far younger than the national figure, with children under 15 making up 30.2% of the population. Conversely, seniors aged 65 and over are rare, accounting for only 3.6% of residents.
People born overseas make up 19.4% of the population, a figure that has risen significantly since 2011. While many residents claim Australian or English ancestry, there is a growing presence of people born in India and the Philippines.
Language diversity is high for the area, with 18.1% of people using a language other than English at home. This has risen sharply since 2011, with Punjabi and Hindi being the most common non-English languages.
About half of the population identify as Christian, while 35.8% report no religion. The number of people with no religious affiliation has risen by 23 points since 2011.
The workforce is highly qualified, with 35.6% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. This is well above the national figure, and 76.8% of residents have completed Year 12.
Incomes are very high here; the typical household earns $3,363 a week, which is far above the national figure of $1,746. Over half of all households earn $3,000 or more weekly.
Residents are generally healthy, with only 22.3% reporting a long-term health condition. This is well below the national average, and only 2.5% of people need help with daily activities.
Caregiving is a major part of local life, with 45.9% of people providing unpaid child care. There is also a notably high proportion of former Defence Force members at 13.7%.
Most homes are family-focused, with 75.1% being couples with children. Because of this, households are larger than usual, averaging 3.1 people per home.
The area is dominated by large detached houses, with 94.5% of homes having three or more bedrooms. Mortgage payments are high, with a typical monthly payment of $2,600.
Cars are essential for almost everyone, as only 0.2% of homes have no motor vehicle. Most people drive to work, though 10.5% now work from home.
Googong is a highly mobile community, with 77.3% of people having moved house in the last five years. This is far above the national figure of 40.7%.
The job market is very strong, with an unemployment rate of only 1.6%. Many residents work in public administration and safety, and 72.6% are employed full-time.
The area is somewhat walkable, and nearly everyone lives within a 15-minute walk of a park. However, it is far below the state average for proximity to public transport.