Fannie Bay

Population growth drivers in Fannie Bay are above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

As of Feb 2026, the population of Fannie Bay is estimated at around 3,147 people. This reflects an increase of 272 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 2,875 people. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's resident population estimate of 3,077 following examination of ABS ERP data release in June 2024 and validation of 49 new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 1,484 persons per square kilometer, above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Fannie Bay's growth rate of 9.5% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area's growth rate of 8.2%. Population growth for the suburb was primarily driven by overseas migration.

AreaSearch is adopting 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 post-2032 estimates, AreaSearch applies growth rates by age cohort to each area, as provided by the ABS in its latest Greater Capital Region projections released in 2023 based on 2022 data. Looking ahead, an above median population growth is projected for the suburb, with an expected increase of 478 persons to 2041, reflecting a total increase of 13.3% over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Fannie Bay according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers, allocated from statistical area data, shows Fannie Bay averaged around 4 new dwelling approvals annually over the past 5 financial years, totalling an estimated 22 homes. So far in FY-26, 2 approvals have been recorded. Between FY-21 and FY-25, an average of 4.5 people moved to the area for each dwelling built, indicating demand significantly exceeds new supply. New homes are being built at an average value of $1,554,000, targeting the premium market segment with higher-end properties.

This financial year has seen $4.8 million in commercial development approvals, suggesting limited commercial development focus. Relative to Greater Darwin, Fannie Bay has 82.0% more building activity per person, offering buyers greater choice, though construction activity has eased recently. The area's established nature is indicated by its construction activity being below the national average, potentially due to planning limitations. New development consists of 80.0% detached dwellings and 20.0% medium and high-density housing, preserving Fannie Bay's suburban nature and attracting space-seeking buyers. Developers are constructing more detached housing than the existing pattern implies (35.0% at Census), reflecting strong demand for family homes amid densification trends.

With around 1024 people per dwelling approval, Fannie Bay reflects a highly mature market. Population forecasts indicate Fannie Bay will gain 420 residents through to 2041. If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing competition among buyers and supporting stronger price growth.

Fannie Bay has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 19thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified four projects likely impacting this region. Notable projects include Elysium Green, The North One Hotel And Apartments, Darwin Mid Suburbs Area Plan (2017), and Darwin Inner Suburbs Area Plan (2018). Details of these projects can be found below.

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

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

Fannie Bay has a highly educated workforce with essential services sectors well represented. Its unemployment rate is 1.1%, and it experienced an estimated employment growth of 2.0% in the past year, according to AreaSearch aggregation of statistical area data. As of September 2025, there are 1,954 residents employed while the unemployment rate is 2.1% lower than Greater Darwin's rate of 3.1%.

Workforce participation is on par with Greater Darwin at 76.0%. Census responses indicate that only 6.7% of residents work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. The dominant employment sectors among residents include public administration & safety, health care & social assistance, and professional & technical services. Fannie Bay has a particular specialization in professional & technical services, with an employment share 1.6 times the regional level.

Conversely, construction employs only 6.1% of local workers compared to Greater Darwin's 9.2%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. In the 12-month period ending in September 2025, employment increased by 2.0%, labour force grew by 1.9%, and unemployment remained essentially unchanged. This contrasts with Greater Darwin where employment rose by 1.9%, labour force grew by 1.9%, and unemployment rose marginally. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 offer insight into potential future demand within Fannie Bay. These projections, covering five and ten-year periods, suggest national employment should expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these industry-specific projections to Fannie Bay's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.8% over five years and 13.9% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections.

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

The suburb of Fannie Bay had one of the highest income levels in Australia according to AreaSearch data aggregated from ATO records for the financial year ending June 2023. The median income among taxpayers in Fannie Bay was $73,023, with an average income of $90,147. In comparison, Greater Darwin's median and average incomes were $66,956 and $77,199 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.44% from July 2023 to September 2025, estimated median and average incomes for Fannie Bay would be approximately $79,186 and $97,755 respectively by the latter date. According to the 2021 Census, individual earnings in Fannie Bay stood out at the 95th percentile nationally, with weekly earnings of $1,322. Income brackets indicated that 31.7% of residents (997 people) fell within the $1,500 - $2,999 bracket, aligning with the surrounding region where this cohort represented 36.7%. A substantial presence of higher earners was evident, with 35.4% exceeding $3,000 weekly in income. Housing expenses accounted for 14.4% of income, and residents ranked within the 80th percentile for disposable income. The suburb's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 9th decile.

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

Fannie Bay's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census data, consisted of 35.2% houses and 64.8% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Darwin metro's figures of 63.5% houses and 36.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Fannie Bay stood at 24.7%, with mortgaged dwellings at 23.4% and rented ones at 51.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,167, higher than Darwin metro's average of $2,100. Median weekly rent in Fannie Bay was $390, slightly above Darwin metro's figure of $385. Nationally, Fannie Bay's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents exceeded the national figure of $375.

Fannie Bay features high concentrations of group households and lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 63.3% of all households, including 24.5% couples with children, 29.2% couples without children, and 8.2% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 36.7%, with lone person households at 30.7% and group households comprising 6.2%. The median household size is 2.3 people, which is smaller than the Greater Darwin average of 2.6.

Educational attainment in Fannie Bay aligns closely with national averages, showing typical qualification patterns and performance metrics

In Fannie Bay, educational attainment is notably high. As of the latest data, 47.1% of residents aged 15 and above hold university qualifications. This figure exceeds both the Northern Territory average of 27.3% and the national average of 30.4%. The area's educational advantage is reflected in its strong representation across various qualification levels.

Bachelor degrees are most common, held by 28.7% of residents, followed by postgraduate qualifications (13.3%) and graduate diplomas (5.1%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 27.8% of residents aged 15 and above holding such qualifications. This includes advanced diplomas (10.9%) and certificates (16.9%). Educational participation is high, with 29.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.6% in primary education, 7.7% in secondary education, and 7.0% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Fannie Bay has 14 operational public transport stops, all bus services. These stops are served by 34 routes, offering a total of 2,297 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is excellent, with residents typically located 151 meters from the nearest stop. In this predominantly residential area, most commuters travel outward. Car remains the primary mode at 88%, with cycling at 4%. Average vehicle ownership is 1.3 per dwelling, below the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, 6.7% of residents work from home, possibly due to COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 328 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 164 weekly trips per stop.

Fannie Bay's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

Fannie Bay shows excellent health outcomes based on AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are low, especially among younger cohorts. Private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 62% of the total population (1960 people), compared to 57.8% in Greater Darwin and a national average of 55.7%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (6.3%) and asthma (6.1%). A majority, 75.6%, report no medical ailments, slightly lower than the 77.1% in Greater Darwin. Fannie Bay has 20.9% of residents aged 65 and over (657 people), higher than Greater Darwin's 10.8%. While health outcomes among seniors are strong, they rank lower nationally compared to the broader population.

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

Fannie Bay had a higher cultural diversity than most local markets, with 30.0% of its population born overseas and 21.3% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Fannie Bay, accounting for 37.2% of the population. However, Judaism showed significant overrepresentation, comprising 0.3% of the population compared to 0.1% across Greater Darwin.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were English at 26.9%, Australian at 18.9%, and Other at 11.3%. Notably, Sri Lankan (0.5%), Greek (2.2%), and Irish (9.8%) ethnicities were also overrepresented in Fannie Bay compared to regional averages of 0.3%, 2.3%, and 6.7% respectively.

Fannie Bay's population aligns closely with national norms in age terms

Fannie Bay's median age is 39 years, which is higher than the Greater Darwin average of 34 and close to Australia's median age of 38. Compared to Greater Darwin, Fannie Bay has a higher proportion of residents aged 75-84 (7.8%) but fewer residents aged 35-44 (13.2%). Between the 2016 Census and the 2021 Census, the population aged 15-24 grew from 9.0% to 10.5%, while the age group of 5-14 increased from 9.2% to 10.6%. Conversely, the age groups of 25-34 and 45-54 decreased from 19.6% to 17.8% and 12.1% to 10.3%, respectively. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in Fannie Bay's age profile. The 75-84 cohort is expected to grow by 61%, adding 150 residents to reach 396. Residents aged 65 and above will drive 56% of population growth, indicating a trend towards demographic aging. The 0-4 age group is projected to grow at a more modest rate of 1%, adding only 1 resident.