Fyshwick vs Symonston

Fyshwick is the younger of the two, with a median age of 37 against 55 in Symonston. In Fyshwick, the large majority of households rent, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. In Symonston, most households own their home, most homes are flats or apartments, and most households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Fyshwick: a median of $2.2 million, against $380,000 in Symonston, and rent is higher there too. Fyshwick is closer to the city centre: 10.2 km, against 13.1 km. On these figures, Fyshwick tends to suit renters, young adults, and couples, while Symonston suits people living alone, older residents, and buyers on a tighter budget.

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

Fyshwick

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • is already more of a family suburb (56% vs 17%)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (91% vs 34%)
  • But Symonston carries lower crime risk (87/100 vs 98/100)

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

First-home buyers

Symonston

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($380,000 vs $2,200,000)
  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (16% vs 51%)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Fyshwick

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (100% vs 32%)
  • leaves renters under less rental stress (24% vs 33%)
  • But Symonston has cheaper rent ($275/wk vs $323/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Fyshwick

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (34/100 vs 11/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (10.2 km vs 13.1 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Symonston

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (66% vs 9%)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (28% vs 6%)
  • carries lower crime risk (87/100 vs 98/100)
  • But Fyshwick is more walkable (34/100 vs 11/100)

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

Investors

Symonston

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (17.2% vs -7.1%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Fyshwick Symonston
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.

Fyshwick Symonston
Walkability 34 / 11
Fyshwick — Walkability: 34/100 Symonston — Walkability: 11/100
Safety 2 / 13
Fyshwick — Safety: 2/100 Symonston — Safety: 13/100
Low fire risk 68 / 19
Fyshwick — Low fire risk: 68/100 Symonston — Low fire risk: 19/100
Low flood risk 17 / 41
Fyshwick — Low flood risk: 17/100 Symonston — Low flood risk: 41/100

Demographics

Symonston has more residents (655 vs 52); Fyshwick has higher household incomes ($71,448 vs $43,732).

Fyshwick Symonston
Population 52 655
+1160% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -7.1% +17.2%
Median age 37 55
Median household income $71,448/yr
+39% vs other
 $43,732/yr
Median weekly rent $323/wk
+15% vs other
 $275/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Fyshwick Symonston
0-4 — / 2.0%
Fyshwick — 0-4: not among its largest Symonston — 0-4: 2.0%
5-14 — / 4.4%
Fyshwick — 5-14: not among its largest Symonston — 5-14: 4.4%
15-19 5.8% / 2.9%
Fyshwick — 15-19: 5.8% Symonston — 15-19: 2.9%
20-24 7.7% / 4.9%
Fyshwick — 20-24: 7.7% Symonston — 20-24: 4.9%
25-34 30.8% / 8.9%
Fyshwick — 25-34: 30.8% Symonston — 25-34: 8.9%
35-44 25.0% / 11.9%
Fyshwick — 35-44: 25.0% Symonston — 35-44: 11.9%
45-54 21.2% / 14.2%
Fyshwick — 45-54: 21.2% Symonston — 45-54: 14.2%
55-64 17.3% / 22.1%
Fyshwick — 55-64: 17.3% Symonston — 55-64: 22.1%
65-74 5.8% / 17.9%
Fyshwick — 65-74: 5.8% Symonston — 65-74: 17.9%
75-84 — / 9.3%
Fyshwick — 75-84: not among its largest Symonston — 75-84: 9.3%
85+ — / 1.1%
Fyshwick — 85+: not among its largest Symonston — 85+: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (30.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Fyshwick 44.4% lone person
Fyshwick — Lone Person: 44.4% Fyshwick — Couple Families: 55.6% Fyshwick — One Parent Families: 0.0% Fyshwick — Group Household: 0.0% Fyshwick — Other Families: 0.0%
Symonston 73.1% lone person
Symonston — Lone Person: 73.1% Symonston — Couple Families: 8.8% Symonston — One Parent Families: 8.3% Symonston — Group Household: 6.9% Symonston — Other Families: 2.8%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Fyshwick 100.0% renting
Fyshwick — Owned Outright: 0.0% Fyshwick — Mortgage: 0.0% Fyshwick — Renting: 100.0%
Symonston 31.7% renting
Symonston — Owned Outright: 66.7% Symonston — Mortgage: 1.6% Symonston — Renting: 31.7%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Fyshwick Symonston
Certificate III & IV 15.4% / 12.4%
Fyshwick — Certificate III & IV: 15.4% Symonston — Certificate III & IV: 12.4%
Bachelor Degree 7.7% / 5.5%
Fyshwick — Bachelor Degree: 7.7% Symonston — Bachelor Degree: 5.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma — / 4.1%
Fyshwick — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: not among its largest Symonston — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.1%
Postgraduate Degree — / 2.1%
Fyshwick — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Symonston — Postgraduate Degree: 2.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 1.7%
Fyshwick — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Symonston — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.4%).

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.

Fyshwick Symonston
China 5.8% / —
Fyshwick — China: 5.8% Symonston — China: not among its largest
Philippines — / 3.5%
Fyshwick — Philippines: not among its largest Symonston — Philippines: 3.5%
England — / 3.1%
Fyshwick — England: not among its largest Symonston — England: 3.1%
New Zealand — / 2.3%
Fyshwick — New Zealand: not among its largest Symonston — New Zealand: 2.3%
Thailand — / 0.8%
Fyshwick — Thailand: not among its largest Symonston — Thailand: 0.8%
Zimbabwe — / 0.8%
Fyshwick — Zimbabwe: not among its largest Symonston — Zimbabwe: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Fyshwick 90.9% houses
Fyshwick — Houses: 90.9% Fyshwick — Flats / Apartments: 9.1% Fyshwick — Townhouses: 0.0%
Symonston 33.6% houses
Symonston — Houses: 33.6% Symonston — Flats / Apartments: 58.4% Symonston — Townhouses: 8.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Fyshwick Symonston
Median house price $2,200,000 $380,000
Median unit price $754,050 —
Median land price $3,257,500 —
Typical days to sell (houses) — 22 days
from 4 sales

Development activity

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

Ranking within ACT

Fyshwick Symonston
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 4% of ACT Higher than 1% of ACT
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 21% of ACT Higher than 10% of ACT
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 98% of ACT Higher than 95% of ACT
NBN connectivity Higher than 80% of ACT Higher than 46% of ACT

Liveability

Fyshwick is more walkable (34 vs 11).

Fyshwick Symonston
Grade — D
Score — 8/100
Socio-economic band — high-need area
decile 1/10

Risk profile

Symonston carries more bushfire risk (81 vs 32); Fyshwick carries more flood risk (83 vs 59).

Fyshwick Symonston
Bushfire Low
32/100
 High
81/100
Crime High
98/100
 High
87/100
Flood High
83/100
 Moderate
59/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 4
within 5 km
 6
within 5 km

Schools

Fyshwick Symonston
Inside the suburb 0
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 2
UNSW Canberra, 3.3 km
 1
UNSW Canberra, 5.1 km

Amenities in the suburb

Fyshwick Symonston
Cafes & restaurants 28 3
Parks & reserves 1 0
Childcare 2
same for both
Pharmacies 2 0
Banks & Bank@Post 2 0
Fuel stations 7 0
EV chargers 2 0
Waterways 3 2

Mobility

Symonston sits further from the CBD (13.1 km vs 10.2 km).

Fyshwick Symonston
Walkability score 34/100 11/100
Distance to Canberra 10.2 km 13.1 km
+28% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 18 min
same for both
Public transport score 78/100
Bus
 43/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 91.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 9.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 5.0%
postcode 2609
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 88
postcode 2609
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.

Fyshwick Symonston
Car (driver) 47.1% / 79.9%
Fyshwick — Car (driver): 47.1% Symonston — Car (driver): 79.9%
Worked from Home 35.3% / 5.0%
Fyshwick — Worked from Home: 35.3% Symonston — Worked from Home: 5.0%
Car (passenger) 17.6% / 10.1%
Fyshwick — Car (passenger): 17.6% Symonston — Car (passenger): 10.1%
Walked Only — / 5.0%
Fyshwick — Walked Only: not among its largest Symonston — Walked Only: 5.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (79.9%).

Setting

Fyshwick Symonston
Elevation 568 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 579 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Fyshwick Symonston
Connectivity score 92/100 53/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 73%
2,308 premises
 11%
270 premises

Climate

Fyshwick Symonston
Annual rainfall 622 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 28.5°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 0.8°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Fyshwick Symonston
PM2.5 5.4 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 14.1 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Fyshwick Symonston
Average residential rate $3,105/yr
same for both
Council Unincorporated ACT
same for both

Federal electorate

Fyshwick Symonston
Division Canberra Bean
Member Alicia Payne David Smith
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Fyshwick Symonston
Grant amount Not offered
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility None
same for both

Tags

Fyshwick

Inner Premium

Symonston

Affordable Middle-Ring Multicultural Quiet Retirees

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Fyshwick

Fyshwick vs Kingston Fyshwick vs Campbell Fyshwick vs Narrabundah Fyshwick vs Griffith Fyshwick vs Barton Fyshwick vs Pialligo

Other comparisons with Symonston

Symonston vs Narrabundah Symonston vs Garran Symonston vs Red Hill Symonston vs O'Malley
Full data on Fyshwick Full data on Symonston
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

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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