Hawker

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

Hawker's population, as of November 2025, is approximately 2988 people. This figure represents a decrease of 20 individuals since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 3008. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 2988 in June 2024 and address validation since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 1524 persons per square kilometer, exceeding the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration contributed approximately 84.5% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered and years post-2032, age group growth rates from the ACT Government's SA2 area projections are adopted, using 2022 as the base year. According to these projections, Hawker's population is expected to decrease by 231 persons by 2041. However, specific age cohorts like the 85 and over group are projected to grow, with an increase of 25 people anticipated in this cohort 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 per year over the past five financial years, totalling 17 homes. As of FY-26, one approval has been recorded. On average, 0.7 new residents arrive per new home built annually between FY-21 and FY-25. This pace matches or exceeds demand, providing more options for buyers and potentially exceeding population growth expectations.

The average construction cost of new properties is $247,000. In FY-26, $919,000 in commercial approvals have been registered, indicating the area's residential nature. Compared to the Australian Capital Territory, Hawker has significantly less development activity, 80.0% below the regional average per person. This limited new supply generally supports stronger demand and values for established dwellings. New construction is also under the national average, suggesting potential planning limitations.

All new construction in Hawker has been detached houses, preserving its suburban nature and catering to space-seeking buyers. This emphasis on detached housing (67.0% at Census) demonstrates robust demand for family homes. With around 1985 people per dwelling approval, Hawker reflects a highly mature market. Given stable or declining population forecasts, Hawker may experience less housing pressure, creating favourable conditions for buyers.

Hawker has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 15thth percentile nationally

No changes can significantly impact an area's performance like modifications to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified a total of 0 projects that are expected to affect the area. Notable projects include Belconnen Town Centre East Precinct (Republic Phase 2 & Future), New Northside Hospital, Ginninderry Estate - Stages 4-7 (Strathnairn & future Macnamara), and Parkwood Urban Release. The following list details those projects likely to be most relevant.

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

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The employment landscape in Hawker shows performance that lags behind national averages across key labour market indicators

Hawker has an educated workforce with significant representation from essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate is 3.5%, with an estimated employment growth of 0.8% over the past year.

As of September 2025, there are 1,549 residents employed, and the unemployment rate aligns with the Australian Capital Territory's rate of 3.6%. However, workforce participation in Hawker is lower at 61.5%, compared to the ACT's 69.6%. Key industries of employment among residents are public administration & safety, education & training, and health care & social assistance. Notably, education & training has a higher representation with an employment share of 1.4 times the regional level.

Conversely, public administration & safety shows lower representation at 26.2% compared to the regional average of 30.4%. Employment opportunities locally appear limited as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. In the 12-month period ending September 2025, employment increased by 0.8%, labour force increased by 0.9%, resulting in an unemployment rise of 0.2 percentage points. By comparison, Australian Capital Territory recorded employment growth of 1.4% and a decrease in unemployment by 0.2 percentage points during the same period. As of 25-Nov-25, ACT employment grew by 1.19% year-on-year, adding 710 jobs, with an unemployment rate of 4.5%, compared to the national rate of 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Hawker's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.6% over five years and 13.5% over ten years, although this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localised population projections.

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

The Hawker SA2 shows a median taxpayer income of $65,318 and an average of $81,969 according to the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2022. This is among the highest in Australia, contrasting with Australian Capital Territory's median income of $68,678 and average income of $83,634. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 13.6% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $74,201 (median) and $93,117 (average) as of September 2025. According to 2021 Census figures, household, family and personal incomes all rank highly in Hawker, between the 81st and 89th percentiles nationally. Distribution data shows the $1,500 - 2,999 earnings band captures 32.6% of the community (974 individuals), consistent with broader trends across the broader area showing 34.3% in the same category. Economic strength emerges through 35.4% of households achieving high weekly earnings exceeding $3,000, supporting elevated consumer spending. After housing costs, residents retain 89.7% of 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

As per the latest Census evaluation in Hawker, 67.3% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 32.7% comprising semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types of dwellings. This is comparable to the Australian Capital Territory's figures of 69.4% houses and 30.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Hawker stood at 45.3%, with mortgaged properties accounting for 31.4% and rented dwellings making up 23.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Hawker was $2,000, aligning with the Australian Capital Territory average, while the median weekly rent figure was $375, compared to the ACT's $2,000 and $430 respectively. Nationally, Hawker's mortgage repayments were higher than 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 constitute 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 comprise the remaining 29.8%, with lone person households at 26.2% and group households making up 3.3% of the total. The median household size is 2.5 people, which aligns with 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's educational attainment exceeds broader standards significantly, with 52.1% of residents aged 15+ possessing university qualifications compared to Australia's 30.4% and the SA3 area's 43.8%. This notable advantage positions Hawker well for knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 29.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (16.4%) and graduate diplomas (6.3%). Vocational pathways account for 20.8% of qualifications among those aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 9.6% and certificates at 11.2%.

Educational participation is notably high, 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.

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

The analysis of public transport in Hawker indicates that there are 26 active transport stops currently operating. These stops serve a mix of bus routes, totaling 5 individual routes. The combined weekly passenger trips facilitated by these routes amount to 366.

The accessibility of transport in the area is rated as excellent, with residents on average located 157 meters from their nearest transport stop. The service frequency across all routes averages 52 trips per day, which translates to approximately 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 (1,816 people) has private health cover, compared to 57.1% in the Australian Capital Territory and a national average of 55.3%. The most common medical conditions are arthritis, impacting 9.1% of residents, and mental health issues, affecting 8.4%.

A total of 65.8% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 68.1% in the Australian Capital Territory. Hawker has 21.2% of its residents aged 65 and over (633 people), which is higher than the 15.3% in the Australian Capital Territory.

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

Hawker's population, born overseas, was 26.4%, significantly higher than most local markets. 18.8% of Hawker residents spoke a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Hawker, with 39.2% of people identifying as Christian.

Hinduism, however, was overrepresented compared to the Australian Capital Territory average, comprising 3.7% versus 4.0%. The top three ancestral groups were English (25.9%), Australian (23.4%), and Other (11.3%). Notably, Welsh (1.0%) and Hungarian (0.5%) ethnicities were overrepresented in Hawker compared to regional averages of 0.6% and 0.3%, respectively. Scottish ethnicity was also notably higher at 9.3%.

Hawker's median age exceeds the national pattern

Hawker has a median age of 42, which is considerably higher than the Australian Capital Territory figure of 35. It is also 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 year-olds are under-represented (12.4%). Between 2021 and now, the 15 to 24 age group has grown from 12.4% to 14.2% of Hawker's population. Conversely, the 65 to 74 cohort has declined from 11.2% to 9.2%. Demographic modeling suggests that Hawker's age profile will evolve significantly by 2041. The 85+ age cohort is projected to expand notably, increasing by 23 people (28%) to reach a total of 109. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups are expected to account for 82% of Hawker's total population growth by 2041, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. Meanwhile, both the 65-74 and 0-4 age cohorts are expected to experience population declines.