Crace
Two numbers define this Gungahlin suburb: a population that grew 748.1% over the decade and a household income in the 96.2nd percentile nationally. Crace barely existed before its greenfield release, so the explosive growth reflects new estate construction rather than churn, and the high income follows from a workforce where 59.4% hold university qualifications, 29.3 points above the national figure. The median age of 34 sits 6.0 years below national, a young-family profile reinforced by 47.2% of dwellings carrying four or more bedrooms. All four SEIFA indexes score decile 10, the top advantage tier, yet the $652,000 median house price keeps the area more accessible than Canberra's inner suburbs.
Population
4,800
Median Age
34.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,811/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
2
Median House
$652K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The $652,000 median house price is modest for an all-decile-10 suburb, which is the core appeal for upgrading families. Stock is house-dominated at 69.6% separate dwellings, with apartments only 14.9%, and the bedroom mix skews large: 47.2% of homes have four or more bedrooms and 27.0% have three, so buyers get space rather than the compact units common in higher-priced inner suburbs. Affordability is comfortable because incomes are high relative to price: monthly mortgage repayments average $2,400 against household income in the 96.2nd percentile, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 19.7%, well below the 30% stress threshold. The mortgage-holder share of 50.3% far exceeds the 14.1% who own outright, confirming a market of recent buyers still paying down loans rather than long-settled owners.
For Buyers
The $652,000 median house price is modest for an all-decile-10 suburb, which is the core appeal for upgrading families. Stock is house-dominated at 69.6% separate dwellings, with apartments only 14.9%, and the bedroom mix skews large: 47.2% of homes have four or more bedrooms and 27.0% have three, so buyers get space rather than the compact units common in higher-priced inner suburbs. Affordability is comfortable because incomes are high relative to price: monthly mortgage repayments average $2,400 against household income in the 96.2nd percentile, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 19.7%, well below the 30% stress threshold. The mortgage-holder share of 50.3% far exceeds the 14.1% who own outright, confirming a market of recent buyers still paying down loans rather than long-settled owners.
For Investors
Renters make up 35.6% of households and weekly rent averages $460, giving landlords a steady tenant base in a young suburb. The vacancy rate of 3.8% is moderate, not tight, so rent setting carries some competition. The stronger signal is rent growth of 49.8% over the period, which has outpaced wages and pushed affordability from 26.0% in 2011 to 33.0% in 2021. Demand support comes mainly from overseas migration, adding a net 48 residents a year, while internal migration removes a net 96, so population gains depend on new arrivals and dwelling completions rather than people relocating from elsewhere in the ACT. Development is quiet at only 2 applications in 12 months because the estate is largely built out, which limits new supply and supports existing values.
Development Activity
Total DAs
7
Last 12 Months
2
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
—
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
The median age of 34 runs 6.0 years below national, among the youngest profiles you will find, driven by couples with children who make up 2,443 of the 4,065 families against just 858 couples with no children. Overseas-born residents reach 37.7%, which is 16.1 points above national, and university qualifications at 59.4% sit 29.3 points above the national figure, a combination typical of skilled-migrant family households. English ancestry leads at 1,144 residents, followed by Chinese at 625 and Indian at 448, and the top non-English languages are Mandarin (202 speakers) and Hindi (61). Average household size is 2.8, which is 0.3 above national, consistent with the larger four-bedroom homes. Beyond Christianity (1,803), Hinduism (419) and Islam (330) are notable, reflecting the South Asian and Chinese resident mix.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
69.6%
Houses
15.5%
Townhouse
14.9%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is dominated by mortgage holders at 50.3%, far above the 14.1% who own outright, with renters at 35.6%. That heavy mortgage share marks Crace as a recent-buyer market rather than one of long-settled, debt-free owners. The dwelling stock is 69.6% separate houses and only 14.9% apartments, and the bedroom profile is large, with 47.2% of homes having four or more bedrooms versus 19.9% two-bedroom. The $652,000 median house price is low relative to the all-decile-10 advantage profile and the 96.2nd-percentile household income, which keeps both mortgage-to-income at 19.7% and rent-to-income at 16.4% below the 30% stress line. Rent climbed 49.8% over the period, faster than incomes, so affordability worsened from 26.0% to 33.0% even as the suburb stayed cheaper than inner Canberra.
Mortgage / mo
$2,400
Rent / wk
$460
HH Size
2.8
Personal Income / wk
$1,395
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
3.8%
Unoccupied
66
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
16.4%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.7%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
21.1%
Couples, no children
4,065
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce is anchored by the public service: Public Admin employs 37.0% of working residents (810 people), reflecting Canberra's government economy, with Professional/Tech at 14.0% (306) and Healthcare at 11.0% (241) following. Education adds 10.2% and Construction 5.4%. By occupation, Professionals (876) and Managers (561) lead, aligning with the decile 10 IEO score for education and occupation and the 59.4% university qualification rate. Unemployment is low at 3.0% and the full-time employment rate reaches 74.8%, with participation at 73.1%, all stronger than typical because the young, skilled, dual-income family base keeps residents in work. All four SEIFA indexes read decile 10, so unlike many suburbs there is no economic-resources anomaly to explain, the high mortgage and rent shares are offset by the 96.2nd-percentile household income.
Unemployment
2.0%
Labour Force
2,915
Unemployed
59
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
74.8%
Part-time
22.2%
Participation
73.1%
Employed
2,557
Occupations
Top Industries
University
59.4%
Postgraduate
24.7%
Born Overseas
37.7%
Dwellings
1,683
Transport to Work
Car dependence is high: 88.2% of residents drive to work while only 2.0% take public transport and 2.4% walk or cycle, a function of the outer Gungahlin location and limited transit. The suburb scores decile 10 on IRSAD, the top advantage tier nationally, and decile 10 on IRSD for relative disadvantage, so very few residents face deprivation, and only 2.7% (128 people) need daily assistance despite a population of about 4,834. Housing costs stay manageable, with rent-to-income at 16.4% and mortgage-to-income at 19.7%, both below the 30% stress threshold. No schools are recorded inside the 1.65 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring Gungahlin suburbs, a practical trade-off given the compact footprint at 2,905.9 residents per km2.
Drive
88.2%
Public Transport
2.0%
Walk / Cycle
2.4%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+5.48%/yr
(+264 people/yr)
High GrowthCrace is one of the fastest-growing suburbs in the dataset, with annual population growth of 5.48% adding roughly 264 residents a year and a 10-year change of 748.1% off a near-zero base as the greenfield estate filled. The medium forecast lifts the population from about 4,834 today to 7,170 by 2031, a continuation of the build-out trend. The COVID dip was mild at 2.7% and has fully recovered. Growth now leans on overseas migration, a net 48 a year, because internal migration removes a net 96 annually as some early settlers move on. The demographic trajectory is shifting toward aging, with the senior share up 6.8 points and the working-age share down 8.0 points over the decade, though the gentrification stage reads not gentrifying since the suburb already sits at decile 10 advantage.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+48
Net Internal / yr
-96
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Crace compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Crace a good suburb to live in?
Crace scores decile 10 on all four SEIFA indexes, the top advantage tier nationally, with household income in the 96.2nd percentile. University qualifications reach 59.4%, 29.3 points above national, and housing costs stay low with mortgage-to-income at 19.7%. The main trade-off is heavy car dependence, with 88.2% driving to work.
What is the median house price in Crace?
The median house price is $652,000, modest for an all-decile-10 suburb. Weekly rent averages $460 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $2,400, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 19.7%, well below the 30% stress threshold thanks to household incomes in the 96.2nd percentile.
What schools are in Crace?
No schools are recorded inside the 1.65 km2 Crace boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring Gungahlin suburbs. The local population is highly educated, with university qualifications at 59.4%, which is 29.3 points above the national figure.
Is Crace safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Crace in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 10 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, the highest tier, and only 2.7% of its roughly 4,834 residents need daily assistance, both consistent with a low-disadvantage area.
Is Crace good for property investment?
Renters make up 35.6% of households and rent of $460 a week has grown 49.8% over the period, faster than wages. The 3.8% vacancy rate is moderate. Overseas migration of 48 a year supports demand, but with only 2 development applications in 12 months the estate is largely built out, limiting new supply.
How is Crace's population changing?
Population growth is 5.48% annually, adding about 264 residents a year, off a 748.1% rise over 10 years as the greenfield estate filled. The medium forecast lifts the population to 7,170 by 2031. Growth now leans on overseas migration of 48 a year, with internal migration removing a net 96.
What languages are spoken in Crace?
About 37.7% of residents were born overseas, 16.1 points above the national figure. English is the dominant language, with Mandarin (202 speakers), Hindi (61), Urdu (57) and Cantonese (54) the most common non-English languages, reflecting a strong Chinese and South Asian resident mix.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), state Valuer-General (house prices), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), ACARA (school ICSEA), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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