Gawler South
At a median age of 46, Gawler South residents are 6 years older than the national figure, and that demographic reality shapes everything from housing tenure to transport behaviour. Household income sits at the 27.3rd percentile nationally, making that price jump notable for a lower-to-middle income suburb. Three in four dwellings are separate houses, and nearly a third of residents own outright, indicating a long-settled owner base rather than a churn of new buyers.
Local council: Gawler
Population
2,618
Median Age
46.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,238/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
55
Median House
$982K
First quarter 2026
Separate houses dominate at 74.7% of stock, with semi-detached dwellings at 23.7% and apartments at just 1.6%, so buyers face a traditional detached-house market with limited apartment alternatives. Three-bedroom dwellings make up 48.3% of housing, making them the most common configuration; 4-plus bedroom homes account for 23.4%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,300, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.3%, which stays below the 30% stress threshold despite household incomes at the 27.3rd percentile nationally. That manageable ratio is driven by historically modest price points before the recent surge.
For Buyers
Separate houses dominate at 74.7% of stock, with semi-detached dwellings at 23.7% and apartments at just 1.6%, so buyers face a traditional detached-house market with limited apartment alternatives. Three-bedroom dwellings make up 48.3% of housing, making them the most common configuration; 4-plus bedroom homes account for 23.4%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,300, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.3%, which stays below the 30% stress threshold despite household incomes at the 27.3rd percentile nationally. That manageable ratio is driven by historically modest price points before the recent surge.
For Investors
Gawler South offers a 31.2% renter share and weekly rent of $260, but the numbers warrant careful reading. The vacancy rate is 8.5%, elevated compared to a healthy market threshold of around 3%, signalling soft rental demand relative to available stock. On the positive side, 53 development applications were lodged in the past 12 months, indicating active construction interest. Turnover sits at 21.6%, with 78.4% of residents staying put, suggesting the owner-occupier base is stable. The 45.4% price jump in a single year raises questions about whether the current median is sustainable at this income level.
Development Activity
Total DAs
372
Last 12 Months
55
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-5.2%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
The median age of 46 places Gawler South 6 years above the national figure, reflecting a suburb where established older households predominate. University qualifications reach 22.8% of residents, which is 7.3 percentage points below the national average, consistent with a workforce concentrated in trades, community services and administration rather than professional sectors. Overseas-born residents account for 18.2% of the population, 3.4 points below national, and ancestry is predominantly Anglo-Celtic, with English the leading heritage (1,401 residents), followed by Scottish (266), Irish (261) and German (256). Average household size is 2.2, which is 0.3 below national, reflecting a profile of couples without children and single-person households typical of an aging community.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
74.7%
Houses
23.7%
Townhouse
1.6%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure data reveals a suburb in a settled phase: 31.3% own outright, 37.6% carry a mortgage, and 31.2% rent, proportions that point to an established owner base alongside a meaningful rental segment. Separate houses dominate at 74.7%, with semi-detached stock at 23.7%, leaving apartments at just 1.6%. The three-bedroom dwelling is the standard at 48.3%; 4-plus bedroom homes account for 23.4%, indicating families have historically chosen Gawler South for space. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,300 and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.3% remains below the 30% stress threshold, though the recent price surge compresses future affordability.
Mortgage / mo
$1,300
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$260
Census 2021
HH Size
2.2
Personal Income / wk
$715
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
8.5%
Unoccupied
107
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.3%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
35.5%
Couples with children
43.9%
Couples, no children
19.7%
Single parent
709
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the largest employing industry at 19.2% (146 workers), followed by Education at 15.0% (114) and Public Admin at 10.4% (79), making the public-sector services cluster the backbone of local employment. Construction accounts for 8.7% and Manufacturing 7.9%, pointing to a blue-collar dimension alongside the service economy. By occupation, Professionals (229) lead, but Community and Personal Service Workers (178), Clerical and Administrative workers (150) and Labourers (149) follow closely, a spread that reflects middle-skill rather than knowledge-economy employment. Unemployment sits at 6.5%, above the national average, and the participation rate of 55.0% is lower than typical, partly because the median age of 46 produces a larger share of residents outside the labour force (837 people).
Unemployment
6.2%
Labour Force
1,315
Unemployed
81
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
56.6%
Part-time
37.4%
Participation
58.2%
Employed
1,234
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
22.8%
Postgraduate
4.8%
Born Overseas
18.2%
Dwellings
1,146
Transport to Work
Car dependence is high by any standard, with 88.6% of residents driving to work, compared to a national average notably lower. Only 2.1% use public transport and 3.6% walk or cycle, reflecting Gawler South's position as a suburban commuter area where most destinations require a vehicle. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary in this dataset, so families rely on facilities in surrounding Gawler townships. A crime rate of 60.0 incidents per 1,000 residents (157 total incidents) provides a baseline for safety assessment, though no breakdown by category is available. Volunteering at 16.4% indicates reasonable civic engagement, and 8.0% of residents (200 people) require daily assistance, a figure that aligns with the older median age of 46. Rent-to-income at 21.0% and mortgage-to-income at 24.3% both sit below stress thresholds.
Drive
82.7%
Public Transport
1.9%
Walk / Cycle
3.4%
Work from Home
6.7%
Growth Outlook
However, the income base remains modest, with household income at the 27.3rd percentile nationally, which limits organic demand at the new price level. The suburb's identity signals point to a stable, aging resident base rather than a rapidly expanding population: 78.4% of residents stayed put over the reference period and the turnover rate of 21.6% is moderate. Development activity remains active with 53 applications in the past 12 months, including ancillary accommodation works, which may reflect interest in dual-occupancy and granny-flat construction consistent with housing affordability pressures across greater Adelaide.
Population trend: Gawler council area
Gawler South sits in the Gawler council area. These are the council area's residents, not Gawler South's.
Residents 2025
27,564
Growth, 5 yr average
+2.2%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+1.3%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
157
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
60.0
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Gawler South compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Gawler South a good suburb to live in?
Gawler South suits established families and older owner-occupiers who value space and stability. Separate houses make up 74.7% of stock, 31.3% of residents own outright, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.3% is below stress thresholds. The main trade-offs are an 8.5% rental vacancy rate and limited public transport, with 88.6% of residents relying on cars.
What schools are in Gawler South?
No schools are recorded inside the Gawler South boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring Gawler townships. The suburb's resident population of 2,618 with a median age of 46 reflects a community weighted toward established households rather than families with young children.
Is Gawler South safe?
Gawler South recorded 157 total incidents, giving a crime rate of 60.0 per 1,000 residents. No breakdown by crime category is available in this dataset. For context, the suburb has a turnover rate of 21.6%, with 78.4% of residents staying put, which is typical of stable, established communities.
How is Gawler South's population changing?
Gawler South has a population of 2,618 with a median age of 46, which is 6 years above the national figure. Mobility data shows 78.4% of residents stayed over the reference period, with a turnover rate of 21.6%, consistent with a stable, aging community rather than a high-growth suburb. The participation rate of 55.0% is below average, partly because of the older age profile.
How much development is happening in Gawler South?
There were 53 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, including ancillary accommodation, verandah and garage works assessed as Performance Assessed applications. This level of activity suggests steady renovation and small-scale construction, consistent with an established suburb seeing interest in dual-occupancy configurations.
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).
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