Newcomers choose a 'laid-back' life in Canberra as census shows population growth for ACT

Ms Villahermosa moved to Canberra from Dubai with her husband in January this year, as the couple sought a change of pace.

Their move builds on a census trend in which 51,102 people moved to the territory since the 2016 census.

That figure is 21,000 more than previously estimated, bringing the total population to 454,000.

"We've compared it with other states. Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are good cities [but] we just thought that a big city would not be really suitable for us now," Ms Villahermosa said.

"We just wanted to have a quiet, peaceful and laid-back life, and I think [Canberra is] just where we want to be exactly at the moment."

About 28.7 per cent of Canberra's population were born overseas at the time of the census, conducted in August 2021.

The ACT's median age has also risen from 23 in the 1971 census, to 35 in the last survey. The national median is a few years older at 38.

For 38-year-old Filipino born Ms Villahermosa, moving to Canberra was the right decision.

"Coming from overseas and then moving to Canberra ... it's a life-changing decision, but all I can say is that my husband and I, we did not regret doing it," she said.

"We did not regret making the move and stepping out of our comfort zone because really we're just very happy to be here."

For Ms Villahermosa and her husband, life in Canberra is leaps and bounds away from a "very busy life in Dubai", their home of 12 years.

The couple is soaking up a "very chill, laid-back" lifestyle that includes spending time at home, walks around the lake and visiting Filipino restaurants.

"We're newly married, so we just want to build a new family and just make it calm, live a quiet life as compared to our very busy life in Dubai."

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Ms Villahermosa, who is Christian, is among about 38.1 per cent of the ACT population, while the percentage of people with no religion had grown from 36.8 per cent in 2016 to 44.2 per cent in 2021.

She also speaks Cebuano and basic Arabic, while the census showed that most people use English at home in Canberra, at 71.3 per cent, followed by Mandarin, Nepali, Vietnamese and Punjabi.

The number of people living in households in the territory is shrinking, now averaging 2.5, while most people - 69.5 per cent - live in a family home.

Ms Villahermosa and her partner rent their home, alongside 30.7 per cent of Canberrans, while 26.6 per cent owned their home outright and 40.2 per cent had a mortgage.

The census also showed a jump in the median cost of rent per week by $65 in the ACT.

"It's a little expensive compared to what we normally pay in Dubai," Ms Villahermosa said.

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