Fraser
Statistical Area - sa2

Fraser is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

As of Aug 2025, Fraser's population is approximately 2,072. This figure reflects a decrease from the 2021 Census which reported a population of 2,126 people, marking a decrease of 54 individuals (2.5%). The change is inferred from ABS estimates; as of June 2024, the estimated resident population was 2,070 with an additional 11 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 835 persons per square kilometer, comparable to averages seen across areas assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration primarily drove population growth, contributing approximately 81.6% of overall gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area as released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data and years post-2032, age group growth rates from the ACT Government's SA2 area projections are adopted, using 2022 as the base year. Projected demographic shifts indicate an overall population decline over this period. According to these projections, Fraser's population is expected to shrink by 362 persons by 2041. However, specific age cohorts are anticipated to grow; notably, the 85 and over age group is projected to increase by 28 people.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Fraser, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

Fraser has seen approximately five new homes approved annually. Development approval data from the ABS covers financial years 2020 to 2025, totalling 29 approvals, with none recorded so far in FY26. Over these five years, an average of 1.4 new residents arrived per new home. However, this has moderated to -6.8 people per dwelling over the past two financial years. The average construction cost for new homes was $213,000, below regional levels, suggesting more affordable housing choices.

In FY26, $276,000 in commercial development approvals have been recorded, indicating minimal commercial development activity. Compared to the Australian Capital Territory, Fraser has 66.0% lower building activity per person. Recent construction consists of 50.0% standalone homes and 50.0% medium and high-density housing, marking a shift from the area's existing housing composition of 96.0% houses. The estimated population density is 870 people per dwelling approval, reflecting Fraser's quiet development environment. Stable or declining population forecasts may alleviate housing pressure in the area.

Given stable or declining population forecasts, Fraser may experience less housing pressure, creating favourable conditions for buyers.

Fraser has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 21stth percentile nationally

No factor influences a region's performance more than modifications to local infrastructure, significant projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified zero projects that could potentially impact this area. Notable projects include New Northside Hospital, Parkwood Urban Release, Deakin Private Hospital, and enhanced bus and light rail corridors connecting Belconnen and Queanbeyan to central Canberra. The following list details those most likely to be relevant.

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

Employment performance in Fraser has been below expectations when compared to most other areas nationally

Fraser has an educated workforce with prominent representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate is 4.5%, and it experienced an estimated 1.1% employment growth in the past year.

As of June 2025, Fraser has 1,057 residents employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.1% higher than the Australian Capital Territory's (ACT) rate of 3.4%. Workforce participation in Fraser is 64.1%, compared to ACT's 69.6%. Key industries employing residents are public administration & safety, professional & technical services, and education & training. Fraser shows strong specialization in construction, with an employment share 1.6 times the regional level.

Conversely, public administration & safety employs only 26.7% of local workers, lower than ACT's 30.4%. Employment opportunities locally appear limited, as indicated by Census data comparing working population to resident population. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 1.1%, and labour force grew by 1.6%, leading to a 0.4 percentage point rise in unemployment. In comparison, ACT recorded employment growth of 1.9% and a fall in unemployment by 0.3 percentage points during the same period. As of Sep-25, ACT's employment contracted by 0.33% (losing 1,480 jobs), with an unemployment rate of 4.2%, compared to the national rate of 4.5%. National employment forecasts from May 2025 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Fraser's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.6%% over five years and 13.3% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localized population projections.

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

AreaSearch reports median taxpayer income in Fraser at $68,310 and average income at $77,216 based on latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2022. Nationally, these figures are high compared to ACT's $68,678 (median) and $83,634 (average). Using Wage Price Index growth of 10.78% since FY2022, estimated incomes as of March 2025 would be approximately $75,674 (median) and $85,540 (average). Census 2021 data ranks Fraser's household, family, and personal incomes between the 89th and 93rd percentiles nationally. Income distribution shows 30.2% of Fraser residents earn between $1,500 - $2,999 weekly (625 individuals), similar to regional patterns at 34.3%. High earners comprise 43.6%, indicating strong economic capacity. After housing costs, residents retain 89.0% of income, reflecting strong purchasing power and the area's SEIFA income ranking in the 8th decile.

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

In Fraser, as evaluated in the latest Census, 95.8% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 4.2% comprising semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types. This is compared to the Australian Capital Territory's figures of 69.4% for houses and 30.5% for other dwellings. Home ownership in Fraser stood at 41.1%, with mortgaged dwellings making up 47.7% and rented dwellings accounting for 11.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Fraser was $2,167, exceeding the Australian Capital Territory average of $2,000. The median weekly rent in Fraser was recorded at $450, higher than the Australian Capital Territory figure of $430. Nationally, Fraser's median monthly mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while median weekly rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 83.3% of all households, including 39.6% couples with children, 31.2% couples without children, and 11.6% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 16.7%, with lone person households at 14.8% and group households comprising 1.5%. The median household size is 2.9 people, larger than the Australian Capital Territory average of 2.5.

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

The area faces educational challenges, with university qualification rates at 35.6%, significantly below the SA4 region average of 46.8%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 22.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (7.7%) and graduate diplomas (5.0%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 31.0% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (12.4%) and certificates (18.6%).

Educational participation is high, with 30.3% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 11.6% in primary education, 8.3% in secondary education, and 3.9% pursuing tertiary education. Fraser Primary School provides local educational services within Fraser, with an enrollment of 486 students as of the latest data. Fraser demonstrates typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 1039) with balanced educational opportunities. The one primary school focuses exclusively on primary education, with secondary options available in surrounding areas from 2021 onwards. The area functions as an education hub with 23.5 school places per 100 residents – significantly above the regional average of 15.1 – attracting students from surrounding communities since 2010.

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

Fraser has 33 active public transport stops, all serving buses. These stops are covered by six different routes, offering a total of 1,542 weekly passenger trips. Residents have excellent access to these services, with an average distance of 122 meters to the nearest stop.

Buses run approximately 220 times daily across all routes, resulting in about 46 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Fraser is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts

Fraser faces significant health challenges, with common health conditions prevalent among both younger and older age cohorts.

Private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 58%, affecting 1,197 people in total. The most common medical conditions are mental health issues and arthritis, impacting 9.9% and 9.8% of residents respectively. A total of 64.2% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments compared to 68.1% across the Australian Capital Territory. The area has 19.2% of residents aged 65 and over, which totals 397 people, higher than the 15.3% in the Australian Capital Territory.

Fraser ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Fraser's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 82.8% of its population born in Australia, 94.8% being citizens, and 91.3% speaking English only at home. Christianity is the main religion in Fraser, comprising 44.8% of its population. Islam is overrepresented in Fraser, making up 1.6% compared to the Australian Capital Territory's average of 3.3%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (29.7%), Australian (28.3%), and Irish (9.5%). Other ethnic groups with notable divergences include Welsh (0.8% vs regional average of 0.6%), Scottish (9.0% vs 7.4%), and Samoan (0.3% vs 0.2%).

Fraser's median age exceeds the national pattern

The median age in Fraser is 41 years, which is considerably higher than the Australian Capital Territory's average of 35 years. This figure modestly exceeds the national average of 38 years. Compared to the Australian Capital Territory average, the 65-74 cohort is notably over-represented in Fraser at 11.6%, while the 25-34 age group is under-represented at 8.4%. Post-2021 Census data shows that the 75 to 84 age group has grown from 4.6% to 6.7% of the population, and the 45 to 54 cohort increased from 13.5% to 14.9%. Conversely, the 65 to 74 cohort has declined from 14.2% to 11.6%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes for Fraser. The 85+ age group is expected to grow by 153%, reaching 43 people from 16, and residents aged 65 and older will represent 100% of anticipated growth. Conversely, the 45 to 54 and 0 to 4 age cohorts are expected to experience population declines.