Guide to living in Googong, NSW
- Location Guides
The short version
- Googong is in NSW, just south of Queanbeyan, about 16 kilometres from Canberra's CBD. People live in NSW and mostly work and shop in the ACT.
- It was Australia's fastest growing area outside a capital city in 2024-25, up 9.7 per cent in a year according to the ABS. The 2021 Census counted 7,444 people and the plan is for more than 18,000.
- Googong High School opens on Day 1 of Term 1 2027 at 200 Wellsvale Drive, with room for around 700 students.
- Domain puts the median price for a four bedroom house at around $1.11 million.
- Rawson has Ready Built homes in Googong, so you can move in without waiting on approvals or a build.
If Googong is not yet a familiar place, that’s going to change!
A recently developed township located just south of the Australian Capital Territory, Googong is in the process of changing from farmland to a collection of small townships.
Let’s find out all there is to know about Googong, NSW.
Where is Googong? Is Googong in NSW or ACT?
Googong is located just south of Queanbeyan, meaning that it sits just outside the Australian Capital Territory. It’s so close to Canberra that Googong is located only 16 kilometres from Canberra’s Central Business District.
The new suburb of Googong is also only 10 kilometres from Queanbeyan, 20 kilometres from Canberra Airport and, in the eastern direction, less than a 2 hour drive to the beautiful coastal town of Batemans Bay.
It’s definitely Googong NSW, not Googong ACT. However, despite being officially citizens of New South Wales, because this new area is located so close to the ACT border, ‘Googongians’ will look to the Australian capital city for work and broader shopping and leisure experiences.
A brief history of Googong
Googong is named after a large farming property that was built around 1845. The origin of the name is not clear however it is likely to be a Ngunnawal word, possibly meaning ‘a place to relax’. If this is true, what an ideal meaning for the location of a new home!
The transition from farmland to township started when the NSW Government recommended the area for rezoning, a move that was approved in 2009. The first new residents (fondly known locally as ‘Googongians’) moved in during 2014, so the town has had residents for more than a decade now.
How big is Googong? The townships cover around 780 hectares.
Who lives in Googong?
A growing number of people are calling Googong home! The ABS 2021 Census QuickStats for Googong counted 7,444 people living here in 2021, and it's been growing quickly ever since. In fact, according to the ABS Regional Population 2024-25, Googong had the highest growth rate of any area in Australia outside the capital cities in 2024-25, at 9.7 per cent in a single year. The plan is for the population to top 18,000 people. They’ll be spread across houses within each of the five neighbourhoods that combine to make-up Googong as a whole.
New shopping, schooling, leisure and other amenities and infrastructure is well advanced in order to support the development of this thriving township. There’s many good reasons why Googong was awarded the ‘Best Masterplanned Community’ by the Urban Development Institute of Australia.
Googong’s environmental credentials are also award-winning, with the community’s waste and water management earning a 5-star Green Star. Is Googong good for solar panels? The region’s sunny weather makes Googong an ideal place for your own environmental initiatives, including solar panels.
What do houses cost in Googong?
According to Domain, Googong suburb profile, the median price for a four bedroom house is around $1.11 million. If you'd rather not wait on a build, Rawson's Ready Built homes in Googong are ready to move into.
Schools in and near Googong
There are currently two schools right in the heart of Googong township, with a third opening in 2027.
Googong Public Primary School is a future-focused, purpose-built school at 241 Gorman Drive, offering quality education for K-6 students. It’s only been open since 2023 so is one of the newest public schools around!
The Anglican School Googong is located just down the road at 136 Gorman Drive. It’s a K-12 school with the bonus of an on-site Early Learning Centre that’s been operational since 2015.
Googong High School is on the way. According to School Infrastructure NSW, new high school for Googong project update, it will open on Day 1 of Term 1 2027 at 200 Wellsvale Drive, with space for around 700 students on a 5.4 hectare site. Hindmarsh is the builder. Handily for families with children of multiple ages, this high school will be only a few minutes drive from Googong Public School.
There are also childcare services and, for the older end of the education age range, Canberra universities and other tertiary study options are within easy reach.
Leisure, eating and shopping in and near Googong
Even though Canberra is under half-an-hour away, there will soon be no reason to have to leave Googong (if you don’t want to)! For a start, Googong is surrounded by nature, with Googong Dam and surrounding trails for walking, biking, swimming, kayaking and fishing.
Even within the town, there will be plenty of greenspace (echoing the nearby Canberra in its parks-within-the-city design style). There are already playgrounds, including an all-abilities park and dog parks, and more are planned.
Googong North already has a Village Centre, complete with an IGA supermarket, cafes and eateries, a gym, health clinic, beauty services, pharmacy and community centre. There’s even a vet for your Googongian pet.
Two more supermarkets are in the works, along with more shops and places to eat, so the IGA won't be on its own for long.
Plus, there will be community lifestyle options for all ages: a local library, an indoor sports centre, outdoor playing fields and a community garden. Residents are welcomed and given fun opportunities to connect with each other through various festivals and events.
Ready to consider Googong for your home? Check out our Ready Built homes in Googong that are available right now. With Ready Built, there’s no need to wait for approvals or the building process. The high-quality, family-friendly houses are ready for you to choose from, then personalise once you’ve moved in.
Rawson Ready Built means you can make your move to Googong a reality as soon as you’re ready! See our home selections on our Googong page today.
