Gawler East
A median house price of $860,000 in a town-edge suburb 40km north of Adelaide is the headline here, and it has climbed 16.2% in a single year from $740,000. 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
102
Median House
$860K
Median 1Q 2026
The $860,000 median has risen 16.2% in twelve months from $740,000, a steep move for a market on Gawler's edge. 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
The $860,000 median has risen 16.2% in twelve months from $740,000, a steep move for a market on Gawler's edge. 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
Renters make up only 19.1% of households, a thin tenant pool, and weekly rent of $300 against the $860,000 median implies a gross yield near 1.8%, low for a regional-fringe market. 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
732
Last 12 Months
102
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-3.8%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Gawler East iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Immanuel Gawler
R-6 · 353 students
Gawler East Primary School
R-6 · 374 students
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%. The median house price rose from $740,000 to $860,000 across 2025 to 2026, a 16.2% one-year jump. 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.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,508
Rent / wk
$300
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
33.7%
Couples, no children
4,447
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.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
64.4%
Part-time
30.5%
Participation
54.8%
Employed
2,493
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
92.0%
Public Transport
2.1%
Walk / Cycle
2.3%
Work from Home
N/A
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 is the median house price in Gawler East?
The median house price is $860,000 as of the first quarter of 2026, up 16.2% from $740,000 a year earlier. Weekly rent averages $300 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,508, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 22.2%, below the 30% stress threshold.
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.
Is Gawler East good for property investment?
Rent of $300 a week against the $860,000 median gives a gross yield near 1.8%, low for the region, with a moderate 5.5% vacancy rate. The case rests on growth, since the median rose 16.2% in a year, but the 19.1% renter share is a thin tenant pool compared with renter-heavy markets.
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), state Valuer-General (house prices), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), ACARA (school ICSEA), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
Explore Gawler East on the Map
View parcels, zoning overlays, DA applications, schools and more.
Open Interactive Map