Lorna Wang
Dubbo, NSW+27
Canberra · Central
As one of Canberra's oldest and most prestigious suburbs, Reid is defined by its preserved 1920s Garden City design, heritage-listed homes, and leafy, established streetscapes. It offers a tranquil, distinguished residential atmosphere immediately adjacent to the bustling CBD, blending historical significance with unparalleled convenience. The suburb is tightly-held, fostering a strong sense of community among its residents.
Market snapshot
Price register · May 2026
Median house
$1.45M - $1.95M
Mid-band $1.7Mspread 29%
Browse agencies across Australia to find the perfect team for your property journey.
Create your free profile and connect with motivated buyers actively searching for expert guidance in your area.
Create Your Free ProfileLast reviewed 13 May 2026
Median unit
$450,000 - $600,000
Mid-band $525Kspread 29%
Days on market
~43-101 days
Median listing-to-sold window. Shorter = tighter buyer field.
Auction clearance
Private-treaty market
Share of auctions sold. Brisbane skews private-treaty.
Rental yield
2.1% to 3.1%
Gross yield on house stock. Premium suburbs compress.
5-year house-price growth
-7% to +13%
cumulative since 2021Who buys here
High-income professionals · Public service executives · Academics
5-year trend
Modelled trajectory anchored on aggregated 5-year median figures. Indicative; not month-by-month observed data.
Market analysis
The Reid property market presents a classic blue-chip profile, characterised by high entry prices, long-term stability, and inherent resilience. Recent data indicates a market correction, with the median house price declining by 12.7% over the past year to approximately $1.7 million. This follows a period of supercharged growth during the post-pandemic boom, where values peaked significantly higher. The cooling is largely attributable to broader economic factors, including successive interest rate hikes, which have tempered borrowing capacity and cooled buyer sentiment from the feverish highs of 2022.
Despite the recent downturn, demand for Reid's prized heritage homes remains fundamentally strong. The suburb is one of Canberra's most tightly-held, with a low turnover of properties. This scarcity of available stock provides a strong floor for property values. The buyer pool consists predominantly of high-income professionals, public service executives, and established downsizers who are often less sensitive to interest rate fluctuations and are drawn to the suburb's unrepeatable character and location. These buyers are purchasing for the long term, valuing the lifestyle and prestige that a Reid address affords.
Supply dynamics are twofold. The core of the suburb is the Reid Housing Precinct, where strict heritage controls limit new development and even significant alterations, preserving the area's architectural integrity and ensuring housing supply remains finite. This contrasts with the suburb's western fringe along Cooyong Street and Constitution Avenue, which has seen the development of modern, high-density apartment complexes. These cater to a different demographic, including students, young professionals, and investors, with a median unit price of around $522,500 and strong rental yields of approximately 5.7%. This segmentation allows for different entry points into the suburb but also creates distinct market behaviours between the detached housing and unit markets. The future of Reid's market is intrinsically linked to its heritage status and proximity to the CBD, which will continue to underpin its value proposition through all market cycles.
Reid's market correction offers a rare opening into one of Canberra's most exclusive and tightly-held heritage precincts, where scarcity underpins long-term value.
Why a buyers agent
In a suburb as nuanced as Reid, a buyer's agent provides a critical advantage. Much of the suburb is a designated heritage precinct, meaning renovations and extensions are subject to complex regulations an average buyer would not be aware of. An expert agent possesses deep knowledge of these planning controls, identifying what is and isn't possible with a property before purchase. Furthermore, Reid is notoriously tightly-held, and many of its most desirable homes trade off-market or through private networks. A well-connected agent provides access to these exclusive opportunities. They can also offer granular insights into value variations between streets—distinguishing the premier addresses like Elimatta Street from those with more apartment development. This local expertise is invaluable in navigating a market defined by scarcity, heritage, and discerning sellers.
Live within a piece of Canberra's history in one of the city's oldest and most beautiful Garden City precincts. The heritage-protected streetscapes, with their classic 1920s homes and leafy canopies, offer a timeless and prestigious living environment that cannot be replicated.
Enjoy the best of both worlds with a tranquil residential address that is just a short walk from the Canberra CBD, the retail hub of the Canberra Centre, and the bustling cafes and restaurants of Braddon. Leave the car at home and embrace an effortless urban lifestyle.
Investing in Reid means buying into a market defined by scarcity. With very limited supply of its prized heritage homes and consistently high demand from affluent buyers, the suburb has proven long-term value and resilience through all property cycles.
Despite its inner-city location, Reid is rich with parks and green spaces. It is bordered by Glebe Park and Commonwealth Park, and contains the Reid Tennis Club and Reid Oval, providing ample opportunities for recreation and relaxation.
Compare
| Metric | This suburbReid | NearbyActon | NearbyAinslie | NearbyBraddon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median house | $1.45M - $1.95M | $1.25M - $1.65M | $1.20M - $1.65M | $1.00M - $1.40M |
| Median unit | $450,000 - $600,000 | $400,000 - $550,000 | $925,000 - $1.25M | $475,000 - $650,000 |
| Auction clearance | — | — | — | 22% to 32% |
| Days on market | ~43-101 days | ~27-63 days | ~36-84 days | ~31-71 days |
| Year-on-year growth | -18% to -8% | -4% to +6% | -10% to +0% | -15% to -5% |
| 5-year growth | -7% to +13% | -6% to +14% | +25% to +45% | +7% to +27% |
| Rental yield | 2.1% to 3.1% | 3.7% to 4.7% | 2.5% to 3.5% | 5.4% to 6.4% |
| Postcode | 2612 | 2601 | 2602 | 2612 |
Snapshot date varies by suburb; see individual suburb pages for figures.
The place
Reid is a cornerstone of Canberra's inner north, celebrated for its historical character and exceptional location just 1.5km from the CBD (Civic). Established in the 1920s, its streets are lined with magnificent deciduous trees and classic architecture, including Californian bungalows and other inter-war homes. A significant portion of the suburb is heritage-listed, preserving its unique garden-city appeal.
The suburb is a hub of education and culture. It is home to a campus of the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) and St. John the Baptist Anglican Church, Canberra's oldest church, consecrated in 1845. Families are drawn to the area for its inclusion in sought-after school zones, including Ainslie School, which has an annexe for the historic Reid Preschool.
Recreational opportunities abound, with Glebe Park providing a verdant oasis on the city's edge, alongside Commonwealth Park and the local Reid Park Sports Ground. For shopping and dining, residents are a short stroll from the comprehensive retail offerings of the Canberra Centre and the vibrant restaurant and cafe scene of the neighbouring Braddon precinct.
Transport is exceptionally convenient. Multiple high-frequency bus routes, such as the Rapid 3 and local 55, connect Reid to the City Interchange in under 10 minutes. The Alinga Street light rail station is also within easy walking distance, providing a direct link to Gungahlin and the northern suburbs. This combination of tranquil heritage living and ultimate urban accessibility makes Reid one of the capital's most desirable addresses.
Frequently asked
Keep exploring
The 5-year trajectory is a modelled curve anchored on the documented cumulative growth rate. Editorial review: 13 May 2026. Updated quarterly.
Verified professionals serving Reid