Duffy (ACT 2611) in Focus 2026: Is It a Good Investment? R-Score 78/100, 3.3% Yield & Best Streets

Market Classification: Accelerating Momentum Turnaround · R-Score: 78/100 (National Rank #3,410 of 15,286) · Street Average: 63/100 across 47 streets.

Lagging 12-month median price tables often miss the inflection point when a suburb transitions from quiet accumulation into active expansion. Over the past year, Duffy’s R-Score has climbed by +50 points to 78/100 as days on market (98 days) and rental vacancy (1.9%) tightened ahead of the broader ACT market.

“I would treat the 100-rated streets as a useful starting point, not a shortcut. With rents down 19.8% and the typical 80% LVR property showing negative $558 weekly cashflow, street quality may help resale appeal, but it does not fix the holding-cost arithmetic.”

Looking for the live, monthly-updated numbers? The Duffy (ACT) suburb profile tracks the current median house price, rent, vacancy and R-Score, and the Duffy street-by-street scores rank every street. This article is our investment analysis of what those numbers mean.

Below is our full October 2026 quantitative and street-level breakdown for Duffy (ACT 2611), combining 36 months of settled price and rental history from our Aurora research warehouse, council-level supply and employment data for Unincorporated ACT (ACT), and block-by-block ABS 2021 Census SA1 tenure and yield rankings across 1,499 residential addresses.

1. Duffy (ACT) 3-Year Market Trajectory & 27-Indicator R-Score (October 2026)

Over the past 12 months, Duffy’s median house price moved -6.4% (from $1,100,000 to $1,030,000), bringing its 3-year cumulative price movement to -9.8% (from $1,142,000 three years ago). On the rental side, median weekly asking rents moved -19.8% over the past year to $650/wk (-4% over 36 months), equating to a 3.3% gross rental yield. Compared with 12 months ago—when Duffy carried an R-Score of 28/100—its current composite R-Score of 78/100 represents a +50-point shift in underlying market pressure.

Indicator / R-Score Pillar	Duffy (ACT) Current	12-Month / 36-Month Context
Composite Suburb R-Score	78 / 100	Ranked #3,410 of 15,286 suburbs (was 28/100 12m ago)
Median House Price	$1,030,000	12m change: -6.4% · 36m change: -9.8%
Median Weekly Rent & Gross Yield	$650/wk (3.3%)	12m rent change: -19.8% · 36m rent change: -4%
Rental Vacancy & Days on Market	1.9% vacancy	Median selling time: 98 days on market (1.5% vacancy is the tight-market line)
Pillar 1: Buyer Demand	36 / 100	Measures days-on-market compression, vendor discounting & sales velocity
Pillar 2: Supply & Ownership	39 / 100	Measures stock on market, building approvals vs stock & owner-occupier share
Pillar 3: Price Momentum	34 / 100	Measures short/medium-term price velocity vs Unincorporated ACT & ACT
Pillar 4: Yield Pressure	51 / 100	Measures gross rental yield, rent trajectory & vacancy compression

2. The “Two-Speed Suburb” Test: Best & Worst Streets in Duffy (ACT)

Why do two 4-bedroom houses in Duffy achieve completely different bank valuations and tenant quality? Because suburb medians blend every pocket together. When we map all 1,499 addresses across 47 streets in Duffy through G-NAF to their ABS 2021 Census SA1 blocks, the suburb splits into three distinct tiers:

• Strong Street Profile (Score 75–100): 24 streets (63% of scored streets) pass both ABS Census tenure tests (owner-occupiers >65% and public housing ≤5%) plus at least one—or both—of the Duffy rent and yield benchmarks.
• Mid / Mixed Street Profile (Score 50–74): 3 streets pass the core owner-occupier and public-housing thresholds but sit below the suburb median on weekly rent or yield.
• Weaker / Caution Street Profile (Score 0–25): 11 streets fail one or both census tenure thresholds—meaning either owner-occupation sits at or below 65% or state/community public housing exceeds 5% on those specific SA1 blocks.

Top 5 Highest-Scoring Streets in Duffy (ACT)

These streets sit in SA1 census blocks with high homeowner pride of ownership, minimal social housing concentration, and strong block-level rents (inspect all 47 streets in Duffy):

Top Street in Duffy	Street Score	Addresses	Owner-Occupiers	Public Housing	SA1 Rent & Yield
#1 Rocklands Street	100/100	30	83%	2.4%	$780/wk (5%)
#2 Nyah Place	100/100	11	83%	2.4%	$780/wk (5%)
#3 Waranga Place	100/100	8	82%	3.9%	$750/wk (5.1%)
#4 Wyangala Street	100/100	29	82%	3.7%	$776/wk (4.9%)
#5 Mirrool Street	100/100	65	81%	3.6%	$796/wk (4.8%)

Streets Where Block-Level Tenure Trails the Duffy Average

By contrast, the streets below run through SA1 census blocks that fail one or more of our tenure or rental tests. A lower Street Score is not a judgement of any individual house, but it highlights where higher renter turnover or public housing concentration exists within Duffy:

Caution Street Sample	Street Score	Addresses	Owner-Occupiers	Public Housing	SA1 Median Rent
Settlement Drive	0/100	25	42%	50%	$800/wk
Dolly Mcgrath Street	0/100	16	42%	50%	$800/wk
Glenmaggie Street	0/100	59	65%	12.1%	$715/wk

3. Economic & Supply Drivers in Unincorporated ACT Council (Australian Capital Territory)

Duffy sits within the Unincorporated ACT Local Government Area, which has a residential population of approximately 484,630 (+5.1% population movement over the past 3 years) and 163,539 total dwellings. Three council-level fundamentals shape Duffy’s medium-term outlook:

• Local Employment Diversity (ABS Census): The largest employment sectors across Unincorporated ACT are Public Administration and Safety (32%), Education and Training (10%), Health Care and Social Assistance (10%), Professional, Scientific and Technical Services (10%). Multi-sector employment reduces reliance on any single employer or commodity cycle.
• New Building Approvals vs. Existing Stock: Over the latest 12-month financial year, Unincorporated ACT approved 2.3% new dwelling stock (~4,128 dwellings). Because new approvals exceed 1.8% of stock, investors in Duffy must avoid generic greenfield house-and-land pockets and stick to established, built-out streets.
• Tracked Infrastructure Pipeline: Unincorporated ACT currently has $10.5 billion in tracked major infrastructure projects (placing it in the 86th percentile of Australian councils).

4. Worked Cashflow, Deposit & 80% LVR Stress-Test for Duffy (October 2026)

What does it actually cost to acquire and hold a typical house in Duffy at today’s median price of $1,030,000 and median rent of $650/wk? Below is the baseline 80% Loan-to-Value Ratio (LVR) model we use to stress-test serviceability before shortlisting a property:

Cashflow & Capital Item	Duffy Worked Figure	Assumptions & Notes
Purchase Price (Suburb Median)	$1,030,000	Settled house median as of October 2026
20% Deposit + Est. Stamp Duty & Costs	$255,440	$206,000 deposit (80% LVR) + ~$49,440 stamp duty, legal & inspection allowance (can be funded via usable home equity)
80% LVR Loan Amount	$824,000	Standard no-LMI investor loan threshold
Gross Annual Rental Income	$33,800/yr ($650/wk)	3.3% gross rental yield before vacancies and expenses
Est. Annual Interest + Operating Costs	$62,830/yr	Assumes 6.25% interest-only ($51,500/yr) + ~1.1% for council rates, insurance & property management ($11,330/yr)
Pre-Tax Weekly Cashflow Position	-$558/wk top-up	Before tax deductions / depreciation (confirm post-tax position with your accountant)

5. Who Should Buy in Duffy—And 3 Rules Before You Make an Offer

R-Score Jumped +50 Points Over the Past 12 Months. Based on our October 2026 data, Duffy is best suited to equity-backed homeowners and portfolio builders seeking a balanced entry price ($1,030,000) and 3.3% rental yield in ACT.

1. Never Buy Blind on the Suburb Median: In Duffy, 11 streets score below 50/100 on our census tenure and yield tests. Always run the exact street through the Duffy Street Score Hub and target the 24 streets scoring 75–100/100.
2. Check Lot-Level Overlays (Flood, Bushfire, Slope & Easements): Even on a 100/100 streetlike Rocklands Street, individual lots can carry overland flow paths, steep gradients, or sewer easements that restrict granny-flat additions or spike insurance premiums.
3. Price Against Street-Matched Settled Comparables: Do not let a selling agent justify an asking price on a 25/100 street using comparable sales from a 100/100 street. Compare settled sales within the same SA1 Street Score band.