Fadden

Fadden has shown very soft population growth performance across periods assessed by AreaSearch

Fadden's population was around 2,969 as of November 2025. This reflected a decrease of 37 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 3,006 people. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 2,967 in June 2024 and an additional 3 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equated to a density ratio of 954 persons per square kilometer. While Fadden experienced a 1.2% decline since census, the SA3 area achieved 0.1% growth, highlighting divergent population trends. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by natural growth that contributed approximately 52.1% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopted ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For any SA2 areas not covered by this data, and for years post-2032, age group growth rates from the ACT Government's SA2 area projections, with 2022 as a base, were adopted. Considering projected demographic shifts, lower quartile growth of national areas was anticipated. The area was expected to increase by 17 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a gain of 0.5% in total over the 17 years.

The level of residential development activity in Fadden is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Fadden has seen minimal dwelling approvals in recent years. Between FY21 and FY25, 4 homes were approved, with none so far in FY26.

The population decline during this period suggests that the development activity has been adequate relative to demand, benefiting buyers. New dwellings are developed at an average cost of $330,000, slightly above the regional average, indicating a focus on quality developments. Compared to the Australian Capital Territory, Fadden has significantly less development activity, 89.0% below the regional average per person. This limited new supply generally supports stronger demand and values for established dwellings. Nationally, development levels are lower, reflecting market maturity and possible development constraints. Recent development has consisted entirely of detached houses, maintaining Fadden's traditional suburban character with a focus on family homes appealing to those seeking space.

Fadden has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 28thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified three projects that may affect this region. Notable projects are Wanniassa Hills Primary School Modernisation, Erindale Group Centre Master Plan Implementation - Stage 1, The Valley Ponds - Wanniassa, and Canberra Light Rail Stage 4 - Woden to Tuggeranong. Details of these projects follow.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

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Employment conditions in Fadden rank among the top 10% of areas assessed nationally

Fadden has an educated workforce with professional services well-represented. Its unemployment rate was 0.8% in September 2025, lower than the Australian Capital Territory's (ACT) 3.6%. Employment grew by 1.1% over the past year.

As of September 2025, 1,634 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 2.7%, below ACT's rate. Workforce participation was 69.5%, slightly lower than ACT's 72.5%. Home-based work accounted for 14.7% of jobs.

Key industries included public administration & safety, health care & social assistance, and professional & technical services. Accommodation & food services had limited presence at 4.8%, compared to the regional average of 6.5%. Local employment opportunities appeared limited based on Census data. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment levels increased by 1.1% and labour force grew by 0.8%, reducing unemployment by 0.3 percentage points. In contrast, ACT saw employment rise by 1.4%, labour force grow by 1.2%, and unemployment fall by 0.2 percentage points. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia (May-25) project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Fadden's industry mix suggests local employment could grow by 6.6% in five years and 13.5% in ten years, though this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

The economic profile demonstrates exceptional strength, placing the area among the top 10% nationally based on comprehensive AreaSearch income analysis

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 shows that Fadden SA2 has one of the highest incomes nationally. The median income is $83,100 while the average stands at $96,725. This contrasts with the Australian Capital Territory where the median income is $72,206 and the average is $85,981. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.26% since financial year 2023, current estimates for Fadden would be approximately $90,795 (median) and $105,682 (average) as of September 2025. Census data reveals that household, family and personal incomes in Fadden rank highly nationally, between the 96th and 98th percentiles. Income distribution shows that 38.1% of the population falls within the $4000+ range, contrasting with surrounding regions where the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket leads at 34.3%. A substantial proportion of high earners (55.8% above $3,000/week) indicates strong economic capacity throughout Fadden. After housing costs, residents retain 90.8% of their income, reflecting strong purchasing power and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 10th decile.

Fadden is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In Fadden, as per the latest Census evaluation, 96.8% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 3.1% comprising semi-detached units, apartments, and other dwelling types. This contrasts with the Australian Capital Territory's (ACT) figures of 63.3% houses and 36.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Fadden stood at 45.3%, with mortgaged dwellings accounting for 48.4% and rented dwellings making up 6.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,383, higher than the ACT average of $2,080. Weekly rent in Fadden was recorded at $620, compared to the ACT's $450. Nationally, Fadden's median monthly mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Fadden features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 86.0% of all households, including 44.0% couples with children, 33.1% couples without children, and 8.1% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 14.0%, consisting of 12.7% lone person households and 1.2% group households. The median household size is 2.9 people, which is larger than the Australian Capital Territory average of 2.5.

Fadden shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Fadden's educational attainment is notably higher than national averages. As of 2016, 47.1% of residents aged 15 and above have university qualifications, compared to the Australian average of 30.4% and the SA3 area average of 31.1%. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 26.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (14.5%) and graduate diplomas (6.6%). Vocational credentials are also common, with 25.6% of residents holding such qualifications, including advanced diplomas (11.6%) and certificates (14.0%).

Educational participation is high, with 28.4% of residents currently enrolled in formal education as of the census date. This includes 10.1% in primary education, 8.6% in secondary education, and 5.4% pursuing tertiary education.

Transport servicing is high compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

Fadden has 23 active public transport stops, all bus services. These stops are served by 39 routes, providing 3530 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically living 184 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward. Car remains dominant at 92%, with 5% using buses. Vehicle ownership averages 1.9 per dwelling, above the regional average.

In 2021 Census data, 14.7% of residents worked from home, possibly due to COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averaged 504 trips daily across all routes, about 153 weekly trips per stop.

Fadden's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

AreaSearch's assessment shows Fadden has exceptional health outcomes based on low mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence across all age groups. The most prevalent conditions are arthritis (8.7%) and asthma (8%). Notably, 69.6% of residents report no medical ailments.

Private health cover is high at approximately 70%, compared to the Australian Capital Territory's 62.4% and the national average of 55.7%. Health outcomes among working-age individuals are typical. Fadden has a higher proportion of seniors (19.8%) than the Australian Capital Territory (14.1%). Senior health outcomes rank nationally in line with the general population, indicating strong performance.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Fadden was found to be slightly above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Fadden's population showed above-average cultural diversity, with 23.8% born overseas and 15.3% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Fadden, accounting for 52.0%. Islam's representation was higher than average, comprising 2.0%, compared to the Australian Capital Territory's 3.4%.

The top three ancestry groups were English (26.4%), Australian (24.0%), and Irish (9.4%). Notable overrepresentations included Croatian at 1.1% (vs regional 0.9%), Welsh at 0.8% (vs 0.6%), and Serbian at 0.7% (vs 0.4%).

Fadden's median age exceeds the national pattern

Fadden's median age is 42, which is higher than the Australian Capital Territory figure of 35 and significantly higher than Australia's median age of 38. Compared to the Australian Capital Territory average, the 65-74 cohort is notably over-represented in Fadden at 12.9%, while the 25-34 year-olds are under-represented at 6.0%. Between 2021 and present, the 15 to 24 age group has grown from 10.9% to 13.3% of the population, while the 75 to 84 cohort increased from 4.1% to 5.5%. Conversely, the 55 to 64 cohort declined from 15.5% to 13.5%, and the 25 to 34 group dropped from 7.8% to 6.0%. Demographic modeling suggests that Fadden's age profile will evolve significantly by 2041, with the 45 to 54 age cohort projected to expand by 79 people (21%) from 387 to 467. Conversely, both the 25 to 34 and 0 to 4 age groups are expected to see reduced numbers.