Karabar
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Karabar's population, as of Aug 2025, is approximately 8,456 people. This figure represents a decrease of 61 individuals since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 8,517 people. The change is inferred from ABS data showing an estimated resident population of 8,446 as of June 2024 and an additional 33 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 1,211 persons per square kilometer, which exceeds the average across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Natural growth contributed approximately 58.4% 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 by this data, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections are utilized, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. By 2041, population projections indicate an overall decline of 508 persons. However, specific age cohorts are expected to grow, notably the 85 and over age group, projected to increase by 107 people.

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

Karabar has seen approximately six new homes approved annually. Development approval data from the ABS is on a financial year basis. Between FY20 and FY25, 32 homes were approved, with none recorded so far in FY26. The population decline in recent years suggests that new supply has been keeping pace with demand, offering buyers good choice.

New dwellings are developed at an average cost of $589,000, moderately above regional levels, indicating a focus on quality construction. This financial year, $19.7 million in commercial approvals have been registered, suggesting balanced commercial development activity. Compared to the Rest of NSW, Karabar has significantly less development activity, with 94.0% below the regional average per person. This limited new supply generally supports stronger demand and values for established properties. Nationally, this is also below average, reflecting the area's maturity and possible planning constraints.

Recent development has been entirely comprised of detached dwellings, preserving Karabar's suburban nature and attracting space-seeking buyers. Interestingly, developers are building more traditional houses than the current mix suggests, indicating continued strong demand for family homes. With around 2117 people per dwelling approval, Karabar reflects a highly mature market. Given the expected stable or declining population, housing pressure should remain reduced, potentially creating opportunities for buyers.

Karabar has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified five projects likely affecting the region. Notable initiatives include the Queanbeyan Sewage Treatment Plant Upgrade, the Yass Road, Bungendore Road and Ellerton Drive Intersection Upgrade, and the Queanbeyan Regional Integrated Transport Plan. Below is a list of projects most relevant to the area.

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

Despite maintaining a low unemployment rate of 3.4%, Karabar has experienced recent job losses, resulting in a below average employment performance ranking when compared nationally

Karabar's workforce is skilled with high representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate is 3.4%.

As of June 2025, 4671 residents are employed and the unemployment rate is 0.3% lower than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%. Workforce participation is higher at 65.4% compared to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Key industries include public administration & safety, construction, and health care & social assistance. Public administration & safety has notably high concentration with employment levels at 3.1 times the regional average.

Health care & social assistance has limited presence at 10.3% compared to region's 16.9%. Limited local employment opportunities are indicated by Census working population vs resident population count. From June 2024 to June 2025, labour force decreased by 3.6% and employment declined by 4.8%, increasing unemployment rate by 1.2 percentage points. Rest of NSW had employment decline of 0.1% and labour force growth of 0.3%. State-level data to Sep-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.41%, losing 19,270 jobs with state unemployment rate at 4.3%. National unemployment rate is 4.5% and national employment grew by 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia's projections from May 2025 suggest national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with varying rates between sectors. Applying these to Karabar's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.1% over five years and 12.6% over ten years.

The area exhibits notably strong income performance, ranking higher than 70% of areas assessed nationally through AreaSearch analysis

Karabar has a median taxpayer income of $56,730 and an average income of $66,789 based on the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for the financial year 2022. This is slightly above the national average, contrasting with Rest of NSW's median income of $49,459 and average income of $62,998. Using the Wage Price Index growth rate of 10.6% since financial year 2022, estimated incomes for March 2025 would be approximately $62,743 (median) and $73,869 (average). According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in Karabar are at the 70th percentile nationally. The data shows that 33.6% of individuals in Karabar earn between $1,500 and $2,999 per week, mirroring the broader area where 29.9% fall into this bracket. After housing expenses, 85.6% of income remains for other expenses. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the fifth decile.

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

Dwelling structure in Karabar, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 80.4% houses and 19.6% other dwellings. In comparison, Non-Metro NSW had 74.5% houses and 25.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Karabar was 29.8%, similar to Non-Metro NSW's figure. Mortgaged dwellings accounted for 41.0% and rented dwellings made up 29.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Karabar was $1,950, below the Non-Metro NSW average of $2,167. The median weekly rent in Karabar was $350, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $355. Nationally, Karabar's mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were lower than the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 73.2% of all households, including 33.0% couples with children, 24.6% couples without children, and 14.2% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 26.8%, consisting of 24.6% lone person households and 2.2% group households. The median household size is 2.6 people, which aligns with the average for the Rest of NSW.

Educational outcomes in Karabar fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

The university qualification rate in this area is 20.2%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 12.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.4%) and graduate diplomas (2.4%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 37.0% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas being 10.7% and certificates 26.3%. Educational participation is high at 29.0%, including 10.4% in primary, 8.0% in secondary, and 4.1% in tertiary education.

Karabar's three schools have a combined enrollment of 1,236 students. The area has typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 977) with balanced educational opportunities. It includes one primary, one secondary, and one K-12 school. School capacity exceeds residential needs at 14.6 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 10.1, indicating it serves as an educational center for the broader region.

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

Kabarar has 43 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 42 different routes that together offer 607 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these transport services is rated as excellent, with residents typically living just 149 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 86 trips per day across all routes, which works out to about 14 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Karabar faces significant health challenges, with common health conditions prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts. The rate of private health cover is approximately 52% of the total population (~4,430 people), leading that of the average SA2 area but lower than the 61.0% across Rest of NSW.

Mental health issues impact 9.5% of residents, while arthritis affects 9.2%. Approximately 65.3% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 68.7% across Rest of NSW. The area has 15.6% of residents aged 65 and over (1,317 people), higher than the 13.4% in Rest of NSW. Health outcomes among seniors present challenges broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

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

Karabar had cultural diversity above average, with 18.5% of its population born overseas and 15.4% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the main religion in Karabar, making up 57.0%, compared to 52.1% across Rest of NSW. The top three ancestry groups were Australian (27.7%), English (23.6%), and Irish (7.7%).

Notably, Macedonian (3.2% vs regional 1.5%), Serbian (0.9% vs 0.6%), and Croatian (1.2% vs 0.9%) were overrepresented in Karabar.

Karabar's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Karabar's median age is 38, which is lower than the Rest of NSW figure at 43 but matches the national norm of 38. The age group of 25-34 makes up 16.2% of Karabar's population, higher than the Rest of NSW figure. Conversely, the 65-74 cohort comprises 8.7%, lower than the Rest of NSW percentage. Post-2021 Census, the 35 to 44 age group grew from 13.3% to 14.8%, and the 25 to 34 group increased from 14.9% to 16.2%. However, the 45 to 54 cohort declined from 13.5% to 12.2%, and the 5 to 14 age group decreased from 12.8% to 11.5%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in Karabar's age profile. The 85+ group is projected to grow by 64%, reaching 235 from 142. Those aged 65 and above are expected to comprise 54% of the population growth, with the 65-74 and 45-54 cohorts projected to experience population declines.