Forrest
ACT 2603 · Unincorporated ACT
1,827 (2021) → 1,947 est. (2025) · Moderate Growth
Based on transport, liveability & education. Safety is scored separately below.
Forrest is a moderate growth suburb in Unincorporated ACT, ACT 2603, about 4km from Canberra CBD. Recent property sales in Forrest are too limited to report a reliable median price. The suburb has 1 school, a transport score of 49/100, and is about 105km inland. Forrest has an overall score of 71/100, based on transport, liveability and education, plus a separate residential safety score of 84/100.
Demographics
Age distribution
Top countries of birth: England (3.01%), India (2.08%), China (1.64%), New Zealand (1.59%), USA (1.26%)
Top languages: Mandarin (2.46%), Italian (2.46%), Greek (2.08%), French (1.31%), Hindi (1.09%)
Source: ABS Census 2021
Residential Safety
Small population (under 3,000) — crime rates may be volatile due to low sample size.
Commercial & services hub. This suburb is a major employment and services centre, drawing a significant daily influx of workers and visitors from surrounding areas. Crime figures are recorded by incident location and include offences involving commuters and visitors, not just residents, so the per-resident crime rates below may overstate the risk for people who live here.
Recorded residential incidents (latest year), with rate per 100,000 residents:
Residential incidents over time
Sum of the five residential categories above — not all recorded crime.
Area crime context
Totals include incidents involving commuters and 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 1114 (above the national average of 1000).
In suburb
- Forrest Primary SchoolPrimary · GovernmentICSEA 1126
Nearby (within 10km)
- Canberra Girls Grammar SchoolSecondary · Independent · 0.9kmICSEA 1172
- Telopea Park SchoolCombined · Government · 1kmICSEA 1156
- Canberra Girls Grammar School - Junior SchoolPrimary · Independent · 1.4km
- Canberra Grammar SchoolSecondary · Independent · 1.4kmICSEA 1183
- Canberra Grammar School - Primary SchoolPrimary · Independent · 1.7km
- St Edmund's College CanberraCombined · Independent · 1.9kmICSEA 1079
- St Clare's CollegeSecondary · Catholic · 2.2kmICSEA 1085
- Yarralumla Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · 2.3kmICSEA 1141
- St Bede's Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · 2.4kmICSEA 1113
- Red Hill Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · 2.6kmICSEA 1134
- Narrabundah Early Childhood SchoolPrimary · Government · 2.7kmICSEA 991
- Alfred Deakin High SchoolSecondary · Government · 2.8kmICSEA 1126
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
Moderate GrowthSource: ABS ERP & NSW DPHI
Nearby suburbs in Unincorporated ACT
Compare Forrest with another suburb
Compare two suburbs
Frequently asked questions about Forrest
Is Forrest safe?
Forrest has a residential safety score of 84/100, 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 1,916 per 100,000 across all categories.
How far is Forrest from Canberra CBD?
Forrest is about 4.1 km from Canberra CBD, an estimated 24 minutes by public transport.
What schools are in Forrest?
Forrest has 1 school, with an average ICSEA of 1126 (the national average is 1000). Schools are listed factually, not ranked.
What is public transport like in Forrest?
Forrest has a transport score of 49/100 and 8 bus stops.