Farrer vs Torrens

Torrens is the younger of the two, with a median age of 39 against 43 in Farrer. In both, most households own their home, most homes are detached houses, and about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Farrer: a median of $1.28 million, against $1.1 million in Torrens, though rent is higher in Torrens.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

Torrens

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (85% vs 73%)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

Torrens

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper units ($586,000 vs $875,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($1,100,000 vs $1,285,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Torrens

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (79/100 vs 65/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Farrer

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (27% vs 15%)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (24% vs 16%)
  • But Torrens is more walkable (79/100 vs 65/100)

Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Farrer

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (17.2% vs 9.9%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

Farrer and Torrens drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Farrer Torrens
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Farrer Torrens
Walkability 65 / 79
Farrer — Walkability: 65/100 Torrens — Walkability: 79/100
Safety 89 / 83
Farrer — Safety: 89/100 Torrens — Safety: 83/100
Low fire risk 1 / 0
Farrer — Low fire risk: 1/100 Torrens — Low fire risk: 0/100
Low flood risk 100 / 100
Farrer — Low flood risk: 100/100 Torrens — Low flood risk: 100/100

Demographics

Farrer has more residents (3,787 vs 2,424); Farrer skews older (43 vs 39).

Farrer Torrens
Population 3,787
+36% vs other
 2,424
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +17.2% +9.9%
Median age 43 39
Median household income $132,080/yr $135,824/yr
+3% vs other
Median weekly rent $450/wk $478/wk
+6% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Farrer Torrens
0-4 4.6% / 6.4%
Farrer — 0-4: 4.6% Torrens — 0-4: 6.4%
5-14 13.4% / 15.1%
Farrer — 5-14: 13.4% Torrens — 5-14: 15.1%
15-19 6.5% / 5.9%
Farrer — 15-19: 6.5% Torrens — 15-19: 5.9%
20-24 5.1% / 6.2%
Farrer — 20-24: 5.1% Torrens — 20-24: 6.2%
25-34 9.8% / 10.5%
Farrer — 25-34: 9.8% Torrens — 25-34: 10.5%
35-44 12.0% / 13.9%
Farrer — 35-44: 12.0% Torrens — 35-44: 13.9%
45-54 13.5% / 15.1%
Farrer — 45-54: 13.5% Torrens — 45-54: 15.1%
55-64 11.4% / 11.1%
Farrer — 55-64: 11.4% Torrens — 55-64: 11.1%
65-74 8.8% / 7.6%
Farrer — 65-74: 8.8% Torrens — 65-74: 7.6%
75-84 9.7% / 6.2%
Farrer — 75-84: 9.7% Torrens — 75-84: 6.2%
85+ 5.0% / 1.8%
Farrer — 85+: 5.0% Torrens — 85+: 1.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Farrer 51.4% couple families
Farrer — Couple Families: 51.4% Farrer — Lone Person: 34.2% Farrer — One Parent Families: 10.9% Farrer — Group Household: 2.3% Farrer — Other Families: 1.1%
Torrens 51.8% couple families
Torrens — Couple Families: 51.8% Torrens — Lone Person: 29.2% Torrens — One Parent Families: 12.8% Torrens — Group Household: 4.7% Torrens — Other Families: 1.5%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Farrer 17.7% renting
Farrer — Owned Outright: 40.9% Farrer — Mortgage: 41.5% Farrer — Renting: 17.7%
Torrens 25.4% renting
Torrens — Owned Outright: 35.9% Torrens — Mortgage: 38.7% Torrens — Renting: 25.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Farrer Torrens
Bachelor Degree 19.9% / 21.2%
Farrer — Bachelor Degree: 19.9% Torrens — Bachelor Degree: 21.2%
Postgraduate Degree 12.0% / 10.1%
Farrer — Postgraduate Degree: 12.0% Torrens — Postgraduate Degree: 10.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.3% / 6.7%
Farrer — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.3% Torrens — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.7%
Certificate III & IV 6.6% / 8.0%
Farrer — Certificate III & IV: 6.6% Torrens — Certificate III & IV: 8.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 4.4% / 4.0%
Farrer — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.4% Torrens — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.2%).

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

Farrer Torrens
England 4.3% / 3.3%
Farrer — England: 4.3% Torrens — England: 3.3%
India 2.4% / 3.8%
Farrer — India: 2.4% Torrens — India: 3.8%
China 1.3% / 1.5%
Farrer — China: 1.3% Torrens — China: 1.5%
New Zealand 1.4% / 0.9%
Farrer — New Zealand: 1.4% Torrens — New Zealand: 0.9%
Nepal 1.2% / —
Farrer — Nepal: 1.2% Torrens — Nepal: not among its largest
Philippines — / 1.2%
Farrer — Philippines: not among its largest Torrens — Philippines: 1.2%
Sri Lanka — / 1.1%
Farrer — Sri Lanka: not among its largest Torrens — Sri Lanka: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.3%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Farrer 73.2% houses
Farrer — Houses: 73.2% Farrer — Townhouses: 15.3% Farrer — Flats / Apartments: 11.5%
Torrens 84.6% houses
Torrens — Houses: 84.6% Torrens — Townhouses: 12.7% Torrens — Flats / Apartments: 2.7%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Farrer Torrens
Median house price $1,285,000 $1,100,000
Median unit price $875,000 $586,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 21 days
from 35 sales
 23 days
from 37 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Farrer Torrens
3 bed $1.11M / $980K
Farrer — 3 bed: $1.11M (32 sales) Torrens — 3 bed: $980K (28 sales)

32 vs 28 sales

4 bed $1.43M / $1.22M
Farrer — 4 bed: $1.43M (33 sales) Torrens — 4 bed: $1.22M (21 sales)

33 vs 21 sales

5 bed $1.56M / $1.38M
Farrer — 5 bed: $1.56M (10 sales) Torrens — 5 bed: $1.38M (5 sales)

10 vs 5 sales

Development activity

Farrer Torrens
New dwellings approved 3,750
across Unincorporated ACT
same for both
Approvals change year on year -48%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Farrer Torrens
Houses 4.7%
$900/wk on $1M
 4.7%
$900/wk on $988K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within ACT

Farrer Torrens
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 63% of ACT Higher than 69% of ACT
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 56% of ACT Higher than 81% of ACT
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 41% of ACT Higher than 40% of ACT
NBN connectivity Higher than 43% of ACT Higher than 22% of ACT
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 78% of ACT Higher than 83% of ACT

Liveability

Torrens is more walkable (79 vs 65).

Farrer Torrens
Grade B
same for both
Score 61/100 63/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Farrer Torrens
Bushfire High
99/100
 High
100/100
Crime Low
11/100
 Low
17/100
Flood None
0/100
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 5
within 5 km
 4
within 5 km

Schools

Farrer Torrens
Inside the suburb 1
same for both
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 1 0
Universities within 10 km 1
UNSW Canberra, 8.4 km
 1
UNSW Canberra, 8.6 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.6% 2.4%

Schools in Farrer

  • Farrer Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Torrens

  • Torrens Primary School Government · Primary above peers

Amenities in the suburb

Farrer Torrens
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 3 5
Parks & reserves 1 0
Childcare 2 3
Fuel stations 1 0

Mobility

Farrer Torrens
Walkability score 65/100 79/100
Distance to Canberra 16.4 km
+5% vs other
 15.6 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 23 min
same for both
Public transport score 78/100
Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 42.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 41.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 2.7%
postcode 2607
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 38
postcode 2607
same for both

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Farrer Torrens
Car (driver) 70.8% / 69.0%
Farrer — Car (driver): 70.8% Torrens — Car (driver): 69.0%
Worked from Home 14.3% / 14.0%
Farrer — Worked from Home: 14.3% Torrens — Worked from Home: 14.0%
Car (passenger) 6.3% / 6.8%
Farrer — Car (passenger): 6.3% Torrens — Car (passenger): 6.8%
Bus 5.6% / 7.1%
Farrer — Bus: 5.6% Torrens — Bus: 7.1%
Bicycle 1.7% / 1.6%
Farrer — Bicycle: 1.7% Torrens — Bicycle: 1.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (70.8%).

Setting

Farrer Torrens
Elevation 651 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 641 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Farrer Torrens
Connectivity score 52/100 46/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 14%
1,636 premises
 2%
991 premises

Climate

Farrer Torrens
Annual rainfall 686 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 28.2°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 0.9°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Farrer Torrens
PM2.5 7.3 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 11.9 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.32 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Farrer Torrens
Average residential rate $3,105/yr
same for both
Council Unincorporated ACT
same for both

Federal electorate

Farrer Torrens
Division Bean
same for both
Member David Smith
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Farrer Torrens
Grant amount Not offered
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility None
same for both

Tags

Farrer

Middle-Ring Professionals Quiet

Torrens

Middle-Ring Professionals Quiet

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Farrer

Farrer vs Mawson Farrer vs Isaacs

Other comparisons with Torrens

Torrens vs Mawson Torrens vs Pearce
Full data on Farrer Full data on Torrens
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Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

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