Dickson
ACT 2602 · Unincorporated ACT
3,292 (2021) → 4,188 est. (2025) · High Growth
Based on transport, liveability & education. Safety is scored separately below.
Dickson is a high growth suburb in Unincorporated ACT, ACT 2602, about 3km from Canberra CBD. Recent property sales in Dickson are too limited to report a reliable median price. The suburb has 3 schools, a transport score of 55/100, and is about 107km inland. Dickson has an overall score of 76/100, based on transport, liveability and education, plus a separate residential safety score of 26/100.
Demographics
Age distribution
Top countries of birth: China (5.8%), England (2.64%), Vietnam (1.31%), India (1.25%), USA (1.22%)
Top languages: Mandarin (6.56%), Vietnamese (2.04%), Cantonese (1.49%), Nepali (1.06%), Spanish (0.94%)
Source: ABS Census 2021
Residential Safety
Visitor / tourist hub. This suburb attracts significant visitor and tourist traffic. Crime figures are recorded by incident location and include offences involving visitors, not just residents, so the per-resident rates below may overstate the risk for people living here.
Recorded residential incidents (latest year), with rate per 100,000 residents:
Includes street and public-place assaults — supplementary context, not part of the safety score.
Residential incidents over time
Sum of the five residential categories above — not all recorded crime.
Area crime context
These totals are recorded by incident location and include offences involving the suburb's many visitors, not just residents.
An independent score — crime data quality varies by state, so safety is shown separately and is not part of the overall score.
Source: ACT Policing (suburb-level) · Updated 2024
Schools
Outstanding school access
Top 20% nationally — strong, high-ICSEA schools nearby with genuine choice. An excellent suburb for families prioritising education.
Average ICSEA of schools within 10km 1131 (above the national average of 1000).
In suburb
- Emmaus Christian SchoolCombined · IndependentICSEA 1138
- Daramalan CollegeSecondary · IndependentICSEA 1118
- Dickson CollegeSecondary · GovernmentICSEA 1106
Nearby (within 10km)
- North Ainslie Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · 0.5kmICSEA 1140
- Lyneham High SchoolSecondary · Government · 1kmICSEA 1141
- Brindabella Christian CollegeCombined · Independent · 1.3kmICSEA 1146
- Lyneham Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · 1.5kmICSEA 1134
- Rosary Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · 1.5kmICSEA 1123
- Merici CollegeSecondary · Catholic · 1.6kmICSEA 1124
- St Joseph's Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · 1.6kmICSEA 1130
- Blue Gum Community SchoolCombined · Independent · 1.9kmICSEA 1109
- Majura Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · 2kmICSEA 1126
- Turner SchoolPrimary · Government · 2kmICSEA 1150
- O'Connor Cooperative SchoolPrimary · Government · 2.2kmICSEA 1149
- Ainslie SchoolPrimary · Government · 2.3kmICSEA 1134
Source: ACARA 2023
Transport
Source: TfNSW GTFS
Liveability
Amenities within 2–3km
Counted within a short distance of the suburb centre (so nearby facilities count), with the in-boundary count shown beneath.
Source: Bureau of Meteorology · OpenStreetMap
Fitness
Fitness paradise
Top 20% nationally — gyms, leisure centres, pools and sports fields all close by. Easy to stay active without travelling far.
Facilities within 3km of the suburb centre. The Fitness Score is a national percentile of these counts per resident.
Source: OpenStreetMap
Outdoors
Outdoor paradise
Top 20% nationally — abundant parks and green space, plus trails, bike paths and places to enjoy the outdoors.
Within 3km of the suburb centre. The Outdoor Score is a national percentile led by parks and green space.
Source: OpenStreetMap
Culture
Cultural hotspot
Top 20% nationally — theatres, museums, galleries, libraries and landmarks all within reach. A genuinely vibrant cultural scene.
Within 3km of the suburb centre. The Culture Score is a national percentile weighting theatres, museums, galleries, libraries and arts centres most heavily.
Source: OpenStreetMap
Entertainment Scene
Entertainment paradise
A seriously impressive licensed venue scene — top 20% nationally for density of pubs, bars, clubs and dining.
Government liquor register data is not yet available for ACT. Venue counts are estimated from OpenStreetMap within 2km of the suburb centre.
View nearby venues on the Entertainment Map →
Source: OpenStreetMap
Childcare
Outstanding childcare access
Top 20% nationally for childcare service density and quality — an excellent suburb for families with young children.
View childcare centres on the map →
Source: ACECQA National Quality Framework Register
Population & Growth
High GrowthSource: ABS ERP & NSW DPHI
Nearby suburbs in Unincorporated ACT
Compare Dickson with another suburb
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Frequently asked questions about Dickson
Is Dickson safe?
Dickson has a residential safety score of 26/100, based on residential crime (break-ins, theft from dwellings, vehicle theft, domestic assault and robbery) per resident relative to the NSW median. Its total recorded incident rate is 19,198 per 100,000 across all categories.
How far is Dickson from Canberra CBD?
Dickson is about 3.3 km from Canberra CBD, an estimated 22 minutes by public transport.
What schools are in Dickson?
Dickson has 3 schools, with an average ICSEA of 1121 (the national average is 1000). Schools are listed factually, not ranked.
What is public transport like in Dickson?
Dickson has a transport score of 55/100 and 14 bus stops.