Gilmore
Gilmore combines high household earning power with an established, family-oriented housing form. Its 2,706 residents occupy a suburb where 92.8% of dwellings are separate houses, while household income sits at the 90.9th percentile nationally. Public administration accounts for 31.6% of employment, linking local household stability to Canberra's government economy. The median age of 37 is 3 years below the national figure, although the suburb is moving older. Compared with nearby Chisholm and Richardson, Gilmore is best understood as a settled Tuggeranong neighbourhood with limited new development and a strong owner-occupier base.
Local council: Unincorporated ACT
Population
2,706
Median Age
37.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,416/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
4
Gilmore suits buyers seeking conventional family housing, with 49.7% of homes containing 3 bedrooms and another 45.5% containing 4 or more. Separate houses make up 92.8% of stock, so the suburb is better matched to households wanting yards, storage and established streets than to apartment buyers. Mortgage holders represent 45.6% of households and pay a typical monthly mortgage of $2,048, while the mortgage-to-income ratio is 19.6% and is not flagged as stressed. Household income at the 90.9th percentile is above the national midpoint, which helps explain the suburb's relatively strong borrowing capacity. Buyers comparing Gilmore with Chisholm or Richardson should focus on individual street condition, renovation quality and recent comparable sales because no median house price is available.
For Buyers
Gilmore suits buyers seeking conventional family housing, with 49.7% of homes containing 3 bedrooms and another 45.5% containing 4 or more. Separate houses make up 92.8% of stock, so the suburb is better matched to households wanting yards, storage and established streets than to apartment buyers. Mortgage holders represent 45.6% of households and pay a typical monthly mortgage of $2,048, while the mortgage-to-income ratio is 19.6% and is not flagged as stressed. Household income at the 90.9th percentile is above the national midpoint, which helps explain the suburb's relatively strong borrowing capacity. Buyers comparing Gilmore with Chisholm or Richardson should focus on individual street condition, renovation quality and recent comparable sales because no median house price is available.
For Investors
Gilmore presents as a relatively stable but slow-growth rental market. Renting accounts for 22.9% of households, below the combined 75.9% held outright or with a mortgage, while weekly rent is $430 and vacancy is 2.8%. The owner-heavy profile reflects established detached housing and a long-stay population, with 83.7% of residents remaining at the same address a year earlier. Only 4 development applications were recorded over 12 months, so the near-term supply pipeline is limited, but that also points to modest construction-led upside. Migration is classified as Balanced, and the annual growth trend is -0.59%, making Gilmore less growth-driven than an expanding greenfield market. Investors should prioritise tenant demand, property condition and manageable maintenance over aggressive capital-growth assumptions.
Development Activity
Total DAs
21
Last 12 Months
4
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+300.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Gilmore
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Gilmore Primary School
Demographics
Gilmore has a relatively settled household profile, with an average household size of 2.8 people, 0.3 above the national figure, and 83.7% of residents staying at the same address. Families with children account for 47.5% of families, while couples without children represent 35.4% and one-parent families 16.4%. The median age is 37, 3 years below the national level, but the wider trajectory is aging. University qualification attainment is 33.1%, 3 percentage points above the national comparison, while the overseas-born share is 18.5%, 3.1 points below. English, Irish and Scottish ancestry are prominent, with counts of 959, 349 and 276 respectively. Christianity and no religion are both substantial affiliations, at 1,293 and 1,143 people, giving Gilmore a more established Anglo-Celtic profile than a migrant-majority district.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
92.8%
Houses
7.2%
Townhouse
0.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Gilmore's housing stock is strongly detached and family-sized: 92.8% of dwellings are separate houses, 7.2% are semi-detached, 49.7% have 3 bedrooms and 45.5% have 4 or more. This makes the suburb more suited to established family ownership than to downsizer or apartment-focused demand. Tenure is also owner-led, with 30.3% of households owning outright and 45.6% paying a mortgage, compared with 22.9% renting. Mortgage costs average $2,048 per month and represent 19.6% of household income, while rent is $430 per week and 17.8% of income, so neither measure is flagged as stressed. Household income at the 90.9th percentile is higher than the national midpoint. Compared with nearby Chisholm and Richardson, address-level condition and renovation quality are likely to matter more than broad dwelling mix because Gilmore's stock is already established.
Mortgage / mo
$2,048
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$430
Census 2021
HH Size
2.8
Personal Income / wk
$1,164
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
2.8%
Unoccupied
27
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
17.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.6%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
47.5%
Couples with children
35.4%
Couples, no children
16.4%
Single parent
788
Total families
Economy & Employment
Gilmore's economy is closely tied to Canberra's public-sector base. Public administration is the largest industry at 31.6%, or 306 workers, followed by healthcare at 13.1% and 127 workers, construction at 11.2% and 109, education at 9.2% and 89, and professional and technical services at 8.3% and 80. The occupation mix is similarly practical and skilled, led by professionals at 320, clerical and administrative workers at 267, trades at 234 and managers at 217. A participation rate of 69.2% and unemployment of 2.8% indicate a comparatively active labour market, while 65.9% of employed residents work full time. Socioeconomic conditions rank above the national midpoint, with IRSAD and IRSD both in decile 8 and IER in decile 8. That combination supports household resilience, although reliance on public administration creates sensitivity to government employment cycles.
Unemployment
2.8%
Labour Force
1,498
Unemployed
42
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
65.9%
Part-time
27.6%
Participation
69.2%
Employed
1,456
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
33.1%
Postgraduate
7.8%
Born Overseas
18.5%
Dwellings
946
Transport to Work
Gilmore offers practical suburban access but is strongly car dependent. Drivers account for 81.2% of commuting, compared with 2.5% using public transport, 1.4% walking or cycling and 9.5% working from home. There is 1 local government primary school, Gilmore Primary School, giving families a nearby primary option while enrolment zones should be checked against the exact address. The suburb covers 2.05 square kilometres and has a density of 1,323 people per square kilometre, supporting a compact established layout rather than a semi-rural setting. IRSAD decile 8 places socioeconomic advantage above the national midpoint, while volunteering is 14.3%. A suburb-level crime rate is not available, so safety decisions should rely on current ACT incident information and street-level inspection. The transport pattern explains why parking, driveway access and proximity to local services are important daily considerations.
Drive
81.2%
Public Transport
2.5%
Walk / Cycle
1.4%
Work from Home
9.5%
Growth Outlook
Gilmore is an established suburb with a slow-growth and aging outlook rather than a redevelopment cycle. The annual trend is -0.59%, and population change across the wider area is -4.8% over 10 years. Migration is classified as Balanced, so neither internal nor overseas movement is identified as the dominant growth engine. The shift trajectory is Aging, with the senior share increasing by 7.6 percentage points and the young share falling by 1.8 points. Gentrification is not currently indicated: the forecast score is 0 and the stage is Not gentrifying. Rent growth of 16.2% shows that housing costs have still moved upward even as population momentum remains below zero. Compared with a developing outer-suburban corridor, Gilmore's future is more likely to be shaped by household turnover, ageing-in-place and selective renovations than by large-scale population expansion.
Population trend: Unincorporated ACT council area
Gilmore sits in the Unincorporated ACT council area. These are the council area's residents, not Gilmore's.
Residents 2025
484,630
Growth, 5 yr average
+1.7%/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
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Gilmore compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Gilmore a good suburb to live in?
Gilmore is a sensible choice for households seeking established detached housing, with 92.8% of dwellings separate houses and 47.5% of families including children. Household income sits at the 90.9th percentile, above the national midpoint, while the 81.2% car-driver share suits residents comfortable with car-based commuting.
What is the median house price in Gilmore?
A current median house price is unavailable for Gilmore. Buyers can use the $2,048 typical monthly mortgage and $430 weekly rent as housing-cost reference points, then compare recent sales for 3-bedroom and 4-bedroom homes, which account for 49.7% and 45.5% of dwellings.
What schools are in Gilmore?
Gilmore has 1 local government primary school, Gilmore Primary School. Families should confirm the current enrolment zone against the exact address and investigate nearby secondary options, because school access can differ by year level and is narrower than in larger education hubs.
Is Gilmore safe?
There is no suburb-level crime rate available to support a reliable above-or-below safety comparison. Gilmore has 2,706 residents, so conditions can vary between streets and housing clusters. Check recent ACT incident information, visit the area at different times and inspect lighting, parking and pedestrian activity before deciding.
Is Gilmore good for property investment?
Gilmore may suit investors seeking established rental demand rather than rapid growth. Renting is 22.9%, weekly rent is $430 and vacancy is 2.8%, but the annual growth trend is -0.59% and only 4 development applications were recorded over 12 months. Owner occupation is higher than renting, supporting a stable but competitive market.
How is Gilmore's population changing?
Gilmore is moving through an aging, slow-growth phase. The annual trend is -0.59%, while population change across the wider area is -4.8% over 10 years. The senior share has risen 7.6 percentage points and the young share has fallen 1.8 points, with migration classified as Balanced rather than strongly expansionary.
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 education open registers (school locations), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications).
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