Wright
At a median age of 32, Wright is 8 years younger than the national figure, and that youth is backed by serious economic weight: household income sits in the 93rd percentile nationally. The suburb packs 3,808 residents into 1.27 km2, producing a density of nearly 3,000 people per km2, and apartments account for 50.3% of all dwellings. University qualifications reach 63.3% of residents, which is 33.2 percentage points above the national average. Public administration employs 32.9% of the workforce, reflecting the suburb's deep integration with the federal government precinct that defines Canberra's employment landscape.
Population
3,808
Median Age
32.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,559/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
1
Median House
$601K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The estimated median house price is $601,000, derived from rental data for 2025. With monthly mortgage repayments averaging $1,950 and a mortgage-to-income ratio of 17.6%, Wright sits well below the 30% stress threshold despite the ACT's higher price base, making it more accessible than raw prices suggest compared to state medians. Stock skews towards apartments at 50.3%, with only 39.6% separate houses, so buyers seeking a detached home face constrained supply for that segment. The bedroom split shows 4-plus bedroom homes at 34.0% and 2-bedroom dwellings at 30.4%, suggesting a mix of families and compact households. Outright ownership stands at just 9.2%, with 59.2% carrying mortgages, consistent with a young, early-career buyer base.
For Buyers
The estimated median house price is $601,000, derived from rental data for 2025. With monthly mortgage repayments averaging $1,950 and a mortgage-to-income ratio of 17.6%, Wright sits well below the 30% stress threshold despite the ACT's higher price base, making it more accessible than raw prices suggest compared to state medians. Stock skews towards apartments at 50.3%, with only 39.6% separate houses, so buyers seeking a detached home face constrained supply for that segment. The bedroom split shows 4-plus bedroom homes at 34.0% and 2-bedroom dwellings at 30.4%, suggesting a mix of families and compact households. Outright ownership stands at just 9.2%, with 59.2% carrying mortgages, consistent with a young, early-career buyer base.
For Investors
A 31.6% renter share against a weekly rent of $461 gives investors an active tenant pool, and the rent-to-income ratio of 18.0% means renters are not stressed, lowering vacancy risk. The vacancy rate of 5.5% is elevated and warrants monitoring. Population growth is forecast at 7.02% annually, adding around 334 persons per year, with the medium projection reaching 7,044 by 2031 from a current base of 3,808. That growth is driven primarily by internal migration averaging 136 net arrivals per year, supplemented by 44 net overseas arrivals annually. Development activity is low at just 1 application in the past 12 months, well below the territory average, meaning new supply pressure is minimal in the near term.
Development Activity
Total DAs
17
Last 12 Months
1
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-50.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
Wright's median age of 32 runs 8 years below the national figure, placing it among Canberra's younger suburbs. Overseas-born residents make up 39.5%, which is 17.9 percentage points above the national rate, reflecting the ACT's strong draw for skilled migrants and international workers. Ancestry is led by English (892), Indian (427), Irish (299) and Scottish (298), with a notable South Asian presence evident in the top languages: Nepali (56 speakers), Malayalam (54), Mandarin (51), Punjabi (51) and Hindi (49). Hinduism is the second largest religion with 430 adherents after Christianity at 1,199. University qualifications reach 63.3%, which is 33.2 points higher than national, consistent with the professional workforce concentrated in public administration and knowledge sectors.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
39.6%
Houses
10.1%
Townhouse
50.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is dominated by mortgage holders at 59.2%, with just 9.2% owning outright and 31.6% renting, a profile typical of a young suburb where first and second-home buyers have not yet paid down debt. Apartments account for 50.3% of stock and separate houses 39.6%, which is lower than the national house share, while semi-detached homes are 10.1%. The bedroom breakdown shows 34.0% of dwellings with 4 or more bedrooms and 30.4% with 2 bedrooms, covering both family-sized and compact needs. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,950, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 17.6% is well below the 30% stress threshold, meaning most buyers can service debt comfortably relative to their incomes, which sit at the 93rd percentile nationally.
Mortgage / mo
$1,950
Rent / wk
$461
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$1,446
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.5%
Unoccupied
85
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
17.6%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
27.4%
Couples, no children
2,923
Total families
Economy & Employment
Public administration is the dominant industry at 32.9% of employed residents (650 workers), well above any comparable national average for suburban areas, driven by proximity to federal government offices. Healthcare follows at 19.5% (384 workers) and Professional/Tech at 13.6% (269 workers), creating a knowledge-heavy employment base. Education accounts for 10.2% and Construction for 4.1%. By occupation, Professionals lead with 944 workers, followed by Managers (396) and Clerical/Admin (366). The unemployment rate is 3.2%, slightly below national norms, and the full-time employment rate is 76.1%. Wright scores decile 10 on IRSD, IRSAD and IEO, the top tier nationally on three of four SEIFA measures, confirming deep socioeconomic advantage across education, employment and living standards.
Unemployment
12.0%
Labour Force
4,946
Unemployed
595
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
76.1%
Part-time
20.7%
Participation
78.4%
Employed
2,309
Occupations
Top Industries
University
63.3%
Postgraduate
23.2%
Born Overseas
39.5%
Dwellings
1,469
Transport to Work
Wright scores decile 10 on the IRSAD advantage index, placing it in the top tier nationally for access to economic resources and social infrastructure. Car dependency is high, with 85.0% of residents driving to work versus just 6.4% using public transport and 2.0% walking or cycling, reflecting Canberra's generally car-oriented layout. Volunteering runs at 17.1%, above the national average, and only 2.2% of residents (82 people) need daily assistance, consistent with the young, highly educated profile. Housing stress is absent: rent-to-income at 18.0% and mortgage-to-income at 17.6% are both comfortably below the 30% stress threshold. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary, so families rely on nearby institutions in adjacent ACT suburbs.
Drive
85.0%
Public Transport
6.4%
Walk / Cycle
2.0%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+7.02%/yr
(+334 people/yr)
High GrowthWright is classified as high growth, with annual population expansion projected at 7.02%, adding approximately 334 persons per year. The medium scenario forecasts growth from 3,808 currently to 7,044 by 2031, nearly doubling the population in six years. Historical data confirms the trajectory: population rose from 4,252 in 2023 to 4,423 in 2024 and 4,757 in 2025. Internal migration is the primary driver at a net 136 arrivals per year, supported by net overseas migration of 44. The suburb has not experienced a COVID dip, sustaining uninterrupted growth compared to many ACT peers that saw temporary declines. Residential turnover is 44.1%, meaning nearly half of residents moved in within the last five years, pointing to an evolving rather than settled community.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Internal Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+44
Net Internal / yr
+136
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Wright compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Wright a good suburb to live in?
Wright ranks decile 10 on IRSD, IRSAD and IEO, the top advantage tier nationally on three of four SEIFA measures. Household income sits in the 93rd percentile nationally, unemployment is 3.2%, and housing stress is absent with mortgage-to-income at 17.6%. The main trade-offs are high car dependency at 85.0% and a vacancy rate of 5.5%.
What is the median house price in Wright?
The estimated median house price is $601,000 (derived from 2025 rental data). Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,950, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 17.6%, well below the 30% stress threshold. Weekly rent averages $461, reflecting a 31.6% renter share.
What schools are in Wright?
No schools are recorded inside the Wright suburb boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in nearby ACT suburbs. The local population is highly educated at 63.3% university qualified, which is 33.2 percentage points above the national figure, and the suburb scores decile 10 on the IEO index for education and occupation.
Is Wright safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Wright in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, Wright scores decile 10 on IRSD (relative disadvantage) nationally, the highest tier, and only 2.2% of residents (82 people) need daily assistance. High income and low unemployment, with unemployment at 3.2%, are generally associated with lower crime rates.
Is Wright good for property investment?
Wright's high growth classification, with 7.02% annual population growth and a medium forecast of 7,044 residents by 2031 (up from 3,808), supports sustained rental demand. Internal migration averages 136 net arrivals per year. Weekly rent is $461 against a $601,000 median, and the vacancy rate of 5.5% is elevated, so yield depends on the apartment versus house segment chosen.
How is Wright's population changing?
Wright is growing rapidly at 7.02% per year, adding around 334 persons annually. Population rose from 4,252 in 2023 to 4,757 in 2025 and is projected to reach 7,044 by 2031 under the medium scenario. Internal migration (136 net per year) is the primary driver, supplemented by 44 net overseas arrivals annually.
What languages are spoken in Wright?
About 39.5% of residents were born overseas, which is 17.9 percentage points above the national rate. The most common non-English languages are Nepali (56 speakers), Malayalam (54), Mandarin (51), Punjabi (51) and Hindi (49), reflecting a strong South Asian professional community alongside other migrant groups.
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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