Gawler East
The resident base skews older, with a median age of 46 that runs 6.0 years above the national figure, while detached houses make up 90.6% of the stock. Mortgaged owners (44.8%) outnumber both outright owners (36.1%) and renters (19.1%), which marks this out as a classic mortgage belt. University qualifications reach only 22.2%, which is 7.9 points below national, and 92.0% of residents drive to work, far higher than typical, reflecting limited public transport in a 5.84 km2 footprint.
Population
5,689
Median Age
46.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,569/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
112
Median House
$860K
First quarter 2026
Buyers here are almost always buying a freestanding house, since separate houses account for 90.6% of dwellings and apartments just 1.6%. Family-sized homes dominate: three-bedroom dwellings are 48.9% of stock and four-plus-bedroom homes 38.1%, so smaller buyers have little to choose from. Average monthly mortgage repayments of $1,508 produce a mortgage-to-income ratio of 22.2%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold, because household income sits near the national midpoint at the 51.2nd percentile. That affordability cushion is why mortgaged owners at 44.8% outnumber outright owners at 36.1%, a profile of active buyers servicing debt rather than long-settled residents.
For Buyers
Buyers here are almost always buying a freestanding house, since separate houses account for 90.6% of dwellings and apartments just 1.6%. Family-sized homes dominate: three-bedroom dwellings are 48.9% of stock and four-plus-bedroom homes 38.1%, so smaller buyers have little to choose from. Average monthly mortgage repayments of $1,508 produce a mortgage-to-income ratio of 22.2%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold, because household income sits near the national midpoint at the 51.2nd percentile. That affordability cushion is why mortgaged owners at 44.8% outnumber outright owners at 36.1%, a profile of active buyers servicing debt rather than long-settled residents.
For Investors
The 5.5% vacancy rate is moderate, neither tight nor oversupplied. The investment case leans on growth rather than yield: the median rose 16.2% over the year and development activity is healthy, with 93 applications lodged in the past 12 months, though most are carports, verandahs and alterations rather than new dwellings. With a detached-house share of 90.6% and almost no apartment stock, there is little high-density rental product, so investors compete with owner-occupiers for the same family homes. Rent-to-income of 19.1% leaves tenants room to absorb increases, which supports rent escalation over time.
Development Activity
Total DAs
759
Last 12 Months
112
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+27.3%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Gawler East
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Gawler East Primary School
Demographics
The median age of 46 is 6.0 years above the national figure, confirming an aging resident base, and average household size of 2.4 sits 0.1 below national. Overseas-born residents are 18.7%, which is 2.9 points below national, so this is a less migrant-heavy area than most. Ancestry leans Anglo, led by English (2,801), then German (554), Scottish (546) and Irish (543), and the only recorded non-English language is Italian (13 speakers), underlining how few residents speak a language other than English. University qualifications at 22.2% run 7.9 points below national, consistent with a workforce weighted toward trades and services rather than knowledge professions. Christianity dominates religious affiliation with 2,527 adherents, far ahead of any other group.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
90.6%
Houses
7.8%
Townhouse
1.6%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure tilts toward mortgages: 44.8% carry one, 36.1% own outright and 19.1% rent. Mortgage holders outnumbering outright owners points to a population still paying down recent purchases rather than long-settled, debt-free residents. The stock is overwhelmingly detached at 90.6%, with semi-detached at 7.8% and apartments just 1.6%, so density is low at 974.9 people per km2. Three-bedroom homes are 48.9% and four-plus-bedroom 38.1%, leaving one and two-bedroom dwellings a combined 13.0%. Despite that, mortgage-to-income stays at 22.2% and rent-to-income at 19.1%, both below the 30% stress line, because the price gain is recent and household income holds at the 51.2nd percentile nationally.
Mortgage / mo
$1,508
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$300
Census 2021
HH Size
2.4
Personal Income / wk
$776
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.5%
Unoccupied
126
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.1%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.2%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
36.8%
Couples with children
46.1%
Couples, no children
15.9%
Single parent
1,638
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local workforce is concentrated in services and trades rather than high-paying knowledge sectors: Healthcare leads at 20.0% (343 workers), Education follows at 12.3% (212), then Public Administration at 11.3% (194), Manufacturing at 10.3% (176) and Construction at 8.9% (153). By occupation, Professionals (499) and Clerical/Admin (393) top the list, with Community/Personal (330), Managers (303) and Labourers (257) close behind, a spread that fits the below-national 22.2% university rate. Unemployment is moderate at 5.1% and the full-time employment rate is 64.4%. Participation reads 54.8%, held down because 1,787 residents are not in the labour force, a direct consequence of the older median age of 46. SEIFA scores are not available for this suburb, so socioeconomic ranking cannot be stated.
Unemployment
4.8%
Labour Force
2,789
Unemployed
135
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
60.5%
Part-time
33.5%
Participation
58.2%
Employed
2,654
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
22.2%
Postgraduate
3.9%
Born Overseas
18.7%
Dwellings
2,162
Transport to Work
Car dependence is the defining feature: 92.0% drive to work while only 2.1% use public transport and 2.3% walk or cycle, well above the national reliance on cars and a function of the suburb's fringe location with limited transit. No schools are recorded inside the 5.84 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring Gawler suburbs. The crime rate is 34.3 incidents per 1,000 residents, totalling 195 recorded incidents across the population of 5,689. Volunteering runs at 16.9%, and 10.7% of residents (593 people) need daily assistance, higher than would be expected and consistent with the older median age of 46. Low density at 974.9 people per km2 and a 90.6% detached-house share give the area a spacious, suburban-residential character.
Drive
83.9%
Public Transport
1.9%
Walk / Cycle
2.1%
Work from Home
8.8%
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
195
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
34.3
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Gawler East compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Gawler East a good suburb to live in?
Gawler East suits buyers wanting space, with detached houses at 90.6% of stock and density of just 974.9 people per km2. Household income sits near the national midpoint at the 51.2nd percentile, and mortgage-to-income of 22.2% stays below the 30% stress line. The main trade-off is car dependence, with 92.0% of residents driving to work.
What schools are in Gawler East?
No schools are recorded inside the 5.84 km2 Gawler East boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring Gawler suburbs. The local university qualification rate is 22.2%, which is 7.9 points below the national figure.
Is Gawler East safe?
The recorded crime rate is 34.3 incidents per 1,000 residents, totalling 195 incidents across the 5,689 population. A category breakdown is not available in this dataset. Resident stability is high, with 78.9% staying put and turnover at just 21.1%, which is consistent with a settled residential area.
How is Gawler East's population changing?
The population stands at 5,689 with a median age of 46, which is 6.0 years above the national figure, marking an aging base. Turnover is 21.1%, so 78.9% of residents stayed put. A high 1,787 residents are not in the labour force, reflecting the older age profile.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), SA Department for Housing and Urban Development (house prices), state education open registers (school locations), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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