Farrer
Farrer stands out for a household income percentile of 92.8, alongside a median age of 43 and a population of 3,787. Its housing is detached-led, with 73.5% separate houses and 52.6% of dwellings containing 4 or more bedrooms. Household income sits well above the national position because public administration and professional employment are concentrated locally. Compared with nearby Mawson and Isaacs, Farrer suits buyers seeking established, family-sized housing, although its aging trajectory matters for long-term demand. The suburb's 26.9% overseas-born share is 5.3 percentage points above the national comparison, adding breadth to its traditional English, Irish and Scottish ancestry profile.
Population
3,787
Median Age
43.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,540/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
3
Farrer is most suitable for buyers prioritising established houses and larger floorplans over compact apartment living. Separate houses account for 73.5% of dwellings, while 52.6% have 4 or more bedrooms and another 28.4% have 3 bedrooms. A monthly mortgage benchmark of $2,600 is higher than the $450 weekly rent figure, but mortgage costs equal 23.6% of household income and rent equals 17.7%, with neither measure flagged as stress. Ownership is split between 37.3% outright owners and 37.9% mortgagors, so buyers should compare current comparable sales carefully because a reliable suburb-wide median is unavailable. The profile is more established than a first-home market dominated by small apartments.
For Buyers
Farrer is most suitable for buyers prioritising established houses and larger floorplans over compact apartment living. Separate houses account for 73.5% of dwellings, while 52.6% have 4 or more bedrooms and another 28.4% have 3 bedrooms. A monthly mortgage benchmark of $2,600 is higher than the $450 weekly rent figure, but mortgage costs equal 23.6% of household income and rent equals 17.7%, with neither measure flagged as stress. Ownership is split between 37.3% outright owners and 37.9% mortgagors, so buyers should compare current comparable sales carefully because a reliable suburb-wide median is unavailable. The profile is more established than a first-home market dominated by small apartments.
For Investors
Farrer presents a lower-renter, established-market investment profile rather than a high-turnover rental market. Renting accounts for 16.1% of households, below the 37.3% owned outright and 37.9% mortgaged shares, while the weekly rent is $450 and vacancy is 5.3%. That owner-heavy structure can support neighbourhood stability because many households are settled, but it may also limit the depth of the tenant pool compared with more rental-oriented locations. Only 3 development applications were recorded over 12 months, including 2 dwellings in one lease variation, which points to limited new supply. Forecast migration is labelled Balanced and annual growth is 0.66%, so investors should focus on property quality, tenant appeal and holding costs rather than assuming rapid capital growth.
Development Activity
Total DAs
28
Last 12 Months
3
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
0.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Farrer
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Farrer Primary School
Demographics
Farrer has an older and more university-educated profile than the national comparison. The median age is 43, which is 3 years above the national figure, while 54.6% of residents have university qualifications, 24.5 percentage points higher than nationally. Overseas-born residents represent 26.9%, or 5.3 points above the national comparison. English ancestry is recorded for 1,378 people, followed by Irish at 499, Scottish at 471 and German at 183. Christianity accounts for 1,686 people and no religion for 1,530, with Hinduism at 115. Household size is 2.6, only 0.1 above the national measure, because couples with children make up 49.1% of families while couples without children account for 39.5%. A 75.4% five-year stay rate, compared with 24.6% turnover, reinforces the suburb's settled character.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
73.5%
Houses
15.3%
Townhouse
11.2%
Apartment
Tenure
Farrer's housing stock is dominated by detached homes, with 73.5% separate houses, 15.3% semi-detached dwellings and 11.2% apartments. Larger properties are common: 52.6% contain 4 or more bedrooms, compared with 28.4% containing 3 bedrooms and 14.1% containing 2. Tenure is divided between 37.3% owned outright, 37.9% with a mortgage and 16.1% rented, while 8.7% falls into other tenure categories. The $2,600 monthly mortgage benchmark is higher than the $450 weekly rent figure, but the mortgage-to-income ratio of 23.6% remains below the stress flag and rent-to-income is 17.7%. Buyers should compare Farrer with nearby Mawson and Isaacs on a street-by-street basis, since block size, renovation quality and housing type can differ even between adjoining suburbs.
Mortgage / mo
$2,600
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$450
Census 2021
HH Size
2.6
Personal Income / wk
$1,223
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.3%
Unoccupied
77
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
17.7%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.6%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
49.1%
Couples with children
39.5%
Couples, no children
10.4%
Single parent
1,028
Total families
Economy & Employment
Farrer's economy is strongly connected to government and professional work. Public administration is the leading industry at 36.1%, or 479 workers, followed by healthcare at 15.2% and 202 workers, professional and technical services at 13.4% and 178, education at 9.6% and 128, and construction at 4.7% and 62. The occupational mix is led by 577 professionals and 402 managers, ahead of 238 clerical and administrative workers. Full-time employment is 63.8%, unemployment is 3.8% and labour-force participation is 60.5%, with 1,878 people in the labour force. Household income ranks at the 92.8 percentile, while all four SEIFA measures sit in decile 10. That top-decile result aligns with professional employment and high incomes, although 1,096 people are outside the labour force, reflecting the suburb's older age profile.
Unemployment
3.8%
Labour Force
1,878
Unemployed
71
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
63.8%
Part-time
31.7%
Participation
60.5%
Employed
1,807
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
54.6%
Postgraduate
20.5%
Born Overseas
26.9%
Dwellings
1,363
Transport to Work
Farrer is compact at 2.07 square kilometres, with a density of 1,830.6 people per square kilometre. Daily travel is car-led: 71.3% drive a car, compared with 5.0% using public transport and 3.0% walking or cycling, while 14.4% work from home. This pattern makes the suburb more practical for drivers than for households seeking a transit-first lifestyle because most commuting is private-vehicle based. Families have access to Farrer Primary School, a government primary school, and should check enrolment zones against the exact address because boundaries can cross suburb lines. The IRSAD and IRSD measures both sit in decile 10, higher than middle-ranked areas, which supports a strong socioeconomic setting. Safety should still be checked through current ACT incident information rather than inferred from socioeconomic rankings alone.
Drive
71.3%
Public Transport
5.0%
Walk / Cycle
3.0%
Work from Home
14.4%
Population Forecast
+0.66%/yr
(+25 people/yr)
EstablishedFarrer is an established suburb with measured rather than rapid growth. The annual trend is 0.66%, migration is labelled Balanced, and population change across the wider area is 12.6% over 10 years. The shift trajectory is Aging, supported by a 3.3 percentage point rise in the senior share and a 1.4 point decline in the working share. Gentrification signals are mixed: the main score is 19 with a stage of Not gentrifying, versus a shift score of 23 labelled Early signs. This distinction matters because the suburb's change is more closely associated with ageing households and established wealth than with a wholesale redevelopment cycle. Rent growth of 18.4% and real income growth of 6.9% provide some support for demand, but the 0.66% annual rate remains below a rapid expansion profile.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+30
Net Internal / yr
+17
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Population +11% since 2011, Accelerating: -5% → 16%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Farrer compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Farrer a good suburb to live in?
Farrer can suit households wanting established detached housing, high socioeconomic conditions and a local primary option. The median age is 43, IRSAD is decile 10, and 73.5% of dwellings are separate houses. Car use is high at 71.3%, so it is a better fit for drivers than for households relying on public transport at 5.0%.
What is the median house price in Farrer?
A current median house price is not available for Farrer, so buyers should use recent comparable sales and adjust for land size, renovation quality and bedroom count. The housing profile is 73.5% separate houses, 52.6% with 4 or more bedrooms, and a monthly mortgage benchmark of $2,600.
What schools are in Farrer?
Farrer Primary School is the local government primary school identified in Farrer. Families should check the exact enrolment zone and year-level availability before committing, because 1 nearby primary school does not cover every secondary or specialist need. Farrer has 3,787 residents across 2.07 square kilometres, so nearby suburb options may also matter.
Is Farrer safe?
A definitive safety rating should not be assumed without checking current incident information for the specific address. Farrer records an IRSAD decile of 10 and 6.6% of residents needing assistance, but socioeconomic measures do not replace recent crime patterns. Review ACT Police updates and inspect the street at different times before deciding.
Is Farrer good for property investment?
Farrer may suit investors seeking an established owner-heavy market, but the rental case should be assessed carefully. Weekly rent is $450, vacancy is 5.3% and only 16.1% of households rent. Just 3 development applications were recorded over 12 months, while annual growth is 0.66% and migration is labelled Balanced.
How is Farrer’s population changing?
Farrer has 3,787 residents today. Population change across the wider area is 12.6% over 10 years, while the annual trend is 0.66%. The trajectory is Aging, with the senior share up 3.3 percentage points and the working share down 1.4 points, so demand may favour established, lower-turnover households rather than rapid expansion.
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 education open registers (school locations), 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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