Hawker
Statistical Area - sa2

Hawker 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, Hawker's population is approximately 2987, a decrease of 21 people from the 2021 Census figure of 3008. This decline represents a 0.7% reduction since 2021. The estimated resident population in June 2024 was 2987, indicating a stable population during this period. Hawker's population density is around 1524 persons per square kilometer, higher than the average across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration contributed approximately 84.5% of overall population gains in recent periods, driving growth in the area.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, 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, also using 2022 as the base year. Projected demographic shifts indicate an overall population decline in Hawker by 231 persons by 2041. However, specific age cohorts are expected to grow, notably the 85 and over age group, projected to increase by 25 people during this period.

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

Hawker has recorded approximately three residential properties granted approval each year. Development approval data is produced by the ABS on a financial year basis, totalling 19 approvals across the past five financial years from FY20 to FY25, with zero approvals so far in FY26. On average, 0.7 people have moved to the area annually for each dwelling built over these years, indicating that new construction is keeping pace with or exceeding demand. The average expected construction cost value of new dwellings is $467,000, demonstrating a focus on the premium segment with upmarket properties.

This financial year has seen $919,000 in commercial approvals registered, suggesting minimal commercial development activity compared to residential. Hawker's construction activity is 81.0% below the regional average per person when compared to the Australian Capital Territory, indicating a scarcity of new dwellings that typically strengthens demand and prices for existing properties. This activity is also below average nationally, reflecting the area's maturity and possible planning constraints. All new construction has consisted of standalone homes, preserving Hawker's suburban nature and attracting space-seeking buyers. Developers are building more traditional houses than the current mix suggests (67.0% at Census), indicating strong demand for family homes.

With around 1985 people per approval, Hawker shows a mature, established area. Given stable or declining population forecasts, Hawker may experience less housing pressure, creating favourable conditions for buyers.

Hawker has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 25thth percentile nationally

No changes can significantly affect a region's performance like modifications to local infrastructure, major projects, or planning initiatives. A total of 0 projects have been identified by AreaSearch as potentially impacting the area. Key projects include New Northside Hospital, Parkwood Urban Release, Deakin Private Hospital, and Ngurra Cultural Precinct, with the following list detailing those likely to be most relevant.

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

The employment environment in Hawker shows above-average strength when compared nationally

Hawker's workforce is highly educated with significant representation in essential services sectors. The unemployment rate was 2.9% as of the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 2.4%.

As of June 2025, 1,580 residents were employed, while the unemployment rate was 0.5% lower than the Australian Capital Territory's (ACT) rate of 3.4%. Workforce participation in Hawker stood at 61.5%, compared to ACT's 69.6%. Employment is concentrated in public administration & safety, education & training, and health care & social assistance. Education & training has a particularly high employment share, at 1.4 times the regional level, while public administration & safety is under-represented with only 26.2% of Hawker's workforce compared to ACT's 30.4%.

Over a 12-month period ending in Sep-25, Hawker saw employment increase by 2.4%, labour force grow by 1.6%, and unemployment fall by 0.7 percentage points. In contrast, ACT experienced an employment rise of 1.9%, a labour force growth of 1.6%, and a decrease in unemployment rate of 0.3 percentage points. State-level data to Sep-25 shows ACT employment contracted by 0.33% (losing 1,480 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.2%, which compares favourably to the national unemployment rate of 4.5%. National employment forecasts from May 2025 project a growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Hawker's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.6%% over five years and 13.5% over ten years.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of ATO data released on June 30, 2022 for financial year 2022, Hawker had a median income among taxpayers of $65,318 and an average income level of $81,969. These figures are among the highest in Australia, compared to levels of $68,678 and $83,634 across Australian Capital Territory respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.78% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Hawker's median income would be approximately $72,359 and average income around $90,805 as of March 2025. Census data from 2021 shows household, family, and personal incomes in Hawker rank highly nationally, between the 81st and 90th percentiles. In terms of earnings profile, 32.6% of Hawker's population (973 individuals) fall within the $1,500 - $2,999 income range, reflecting patterns seen in the surrounding region where 34.3% similarly occupy this range. Higher earners are prominent with 35.4% exceeding $3,000 weekly, indicating strong purchasing power within the community. After housing costs, residents retain 89.7% of their income, reflecting strong purchasing power and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

Hawker displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

The latest Census evaluated Hawker's dwelling structures as 67.3% houses and 32.7% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to the Australian Capital Territory's 69.4% houses and 30.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Hawker was 45.3%, with mortgaged dwellings at 31.4% and rented ones at 23.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Hawker was $2,000, aligning with the Australian Capital Territory average, while the median weekly rent was $375, compared to the territory's $2,000 and $430 respectively. Nationally, Hawker's mortgage repayments exceeded the Australian average of $1,863, but rents were comparable at $375.

Hawker has a typical household mix, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households account for 70.2% of all households, including 30.9% couples with children, 28.8% couples without children, and 9.7% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 29.8%, with lone person households at 26.2% and group households comprising 3.3% of the total. The median household size is 2.5 people, which matches the Australian Capital Territory average.

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

Hawker has an educational attainment rate that exceeds broader benchmarks. Among residents aged 15 and above, 52.1% have university qualifications, compared to Australia's 30.4% and the SA3 area's 43.8%. This high level of educational attainment positions Hawker favourably for knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 29.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (16.4%) and graduate diplomas (6.3%).

Vocational pathways make up 20.8% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas accounting for 9.6% and certificates for 11.2%. Educational participation is notably high in Hawker, with 29.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.6% in secondary education, 8.4% in primary education, and 7.3% pursuing tertiary education. The three schools in Hawker have a combined enrollment of 1,556 students. Hawker demonstrates above-average socio-educational conditions, with an ICSEA score of 1094. Educational provision is conventional, split between one primary and two secondary institutions. As an education hub, Hawker has significantly more school places per resident than the regional average, with 52.1 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 15.1. This attracts students from surrounding communities.

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

Transport analysis indicates 26 operational stops in Hawker, serving a mix of buses. These are covered by five separate routes, facilitating 366 weekly passenger journeys. Residential accessibility to public transport is rated excellent, with residents positioned on average 157 meters from the nearest stop.

Daily service frequency averages 52 trips across all routes, equating to around 14 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Hawker faces significant health challenges, with common health conditions prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts. Approximately 61% of Hawker's total population (1816 people) have private health cover, compared to 57.1% in Australian Capital Territory and the national average of 55.3%. The most common medical conditions are arthritis, affecting 9.1% of residents, and mental health issues, impacting 8.4%.

Conversely, 65.8% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 68.1% in Australian Capital Territory. Hawker has a higher proportion of residents aged 65 and over at 21.2%, with 633 people in this age group, compared to 15.3% in Australian Capital Territory.

Hawker was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Hawker's population showed high cultural diversity, with 26.4% born overseas and 18.8% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the dominant religion in Hawker, comprising 39.2%. Hinduism stood out as overrepresented at 3.7%, compared to the Australian Capital Territory's 4.0%.

The top three ancestry groups were English (25.9%), Australian (23.4%), and Other (11.3%). Notably, Welsh was overrepresented at 1.0% in Hawker versus 0.6% regionally, Hungarian at 0.5% versus 0.3%, and Scottish at 9.3% versus 7.4%.

Hawker hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

Hawker has a median age of 42, which is considerably higher than the Australian Capital Territory figure of 35 and significantly higher than Australia's median age of 38 years. Compared to the Australian Capital Territory average, Hawker has an over-representation of the 75-84 age cohort (9.1% locally), while the 25-34 age group is under-represented (12.4%). Between 2021 and present, the population aged 15 to 24 grew from 12.4% to 14.2%, while the 65 to 74 cohort declined from 11.2% to 9.2%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests Hawker's age profile will evolve significantly. The 85+ age cohort is projected to expand by 23 people (28%), reaching a total of 109 individuals. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups are expected to account for 82% of total population growth. Meanwhile, the 65 to 74 and 0 to 4 cohorts are anticipated to experience population declines.