Gilston
Household income in the 91.6th percentile nationally, yet the median house price sits at $650,000 and 82.7% of dwellings have four or more bedrooms, placing Gilston firmly in Gold Coast hinterland family territory. At 9.48 square kilometres with a population of 2,669, this is low-density living by design: 96.8% of dwellings are separate houses and 94.5% of workers drive to the job, because public transport reaches just 0.3% of commuters. The median age of 35 is five years below the national figure, reflecting a suburb built around couples raising children, with 54% of the 2,391 families in that category.
Population
2,669
Median Age
35.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,446/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$650K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The $650,000 median house price represents genuine value for a suburb where household income lands in the 91.6th percentile nationally, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 20.5%, well below the 30% stress threshold. Monthly repayments average $2,172, manageable against the $2,436 median family weekly income. Stock is almost entirely detached houses at 96.8%, and 82.7% of those have four or more bedrooms, so buyers get genuine family-scale floor plans rather than townhouse compromises. Only 16.3% of residents rent, compared with a higher national renter share, meaning most transactions are owner-occupier driven. Turnover is also low, with 82.4% of residents having stayed in place over the prior five years, suggesting genuine community attachment rather than transient demand.
For Buyers
The $650,000 median house price represents genuine value for a suburb where household income lands in the 91.6th percentile nationally, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 20.5%, well below the 30% stress threshold. Monthly repayments average $2,172, manageable against the $2,436 median family weekly income. Stock is almost entirely detached houses at 96.8%, and 82.7% of those have four or more bedrooms, so buyers get genuine family-scale floor plans rather than townhouse compromises. Only 16.3% of residents rent, compared with a higher national renter share, meaning most transactions are owner-occupier driven. Turnover is also low, with 82.4% of residents having stayed in place over the prior five years, suggesting genuine community attachment rather than transient demand.
For Investors
The investor case is thin but stable. The 16.3% renter share is lower than the national average, meaning tenant demand is structurally modest, and the $540 weekly rent against a $650,000 median implies a gross yield around 4.3%, reasonable for a suburban detached market. Vacancy sits at 2.4%, which is tight enough to support rental pricing without signalling oversupply. No development applications were recorded in the past 12 months, indicating constrained new supply in an already low-density suburb. Construction industry workers make up 16.1% of employed residents, suggesting the local trades workforce supports renovation more than greenfield expansion. Income strength at the 91.6th percentile nationally keeps mortgage stress low at 20.5%, which protects owner-occupier demand and indirectly floors the rental market.
Schools in Gilston iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Gilston State School
Prep-6 · 484 students
Demographics
The median age of 35 sits five years below the national figure, driven by a concentration of families at formation stage: couples with children account for 54% of families, well above a national average that includes far more singles and aged households. Average household size is 3.2, which is 0.7 above national, consistent with that family profile. Overseas-born residents account for 20.9%, which is 0.7 percentage points below national, and ancestry is predominantly Anglo-Celtic, led by English (1,157 residents), Scottish (308) and Irish (296). University qualifications reach 27.1%, which is 3 percentage points below the national rate, reflecting an occupational mix weighted toward healthcare, construction and trades rather than knowledge-sector professionals.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
96.8%
Houses
3.2%
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
The stock is defined by one type: 96.8% separate houses, with the remaining 3.2% semi-detached and effectively zero apartments. Within that detached stock, 82.7% of dwellings have four or more bedrooms, an unusually high share compared to most suburban markets. Tenure leans heavily toward ownership: 62.8% carry a mortgage, 20.9% own outright, and just 16.3% rent, lower than national renter proportions. The $650,000 median house price, combined with $2,172 average monthly repayments and a mortgage-to-income ratio of 20.5%, keeps the suburb below housing stress thresholds. Rent at $540 per week and a rent-to-income ratio of 22.1% also stays well below stress territory, suggesting financial headroom for most residents regardless of tenure.
Mortgage / mo
$2,172
Rent / wk
$540
HH Size
3.2
Personal Income / wk
$943
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
2.4%
Unoccupied
20
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.1%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.5%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
19.6%
Couples, no children
2,391
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads local employment at 18.0% (171 workers), followed by Construction at 16.1% (153), Education at 12.1% (115), Retail at 6.7% and Public Administration at 6.6%. By occupation, Professionals number 287, Clerical and Admin 195, and Managers 186, pointing to a balanced workforce with white-collar roles sitting alongside trades and healthcare. The unemployment rate is 3.0%, below most metro benchmarks, and the full-time employment rate is 64.6%. Labour force participation at 67.4% is moderate, with 439 residents not in the labour force, partly a function of the family-age demographic where one partner may work part-time. The 91.6th percentile household income sits well above national average, though this is earned income rather than asset wealth, given that SEIFA data is not available for this suburb.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
64.6%
Part-time
32.4%
Participation
67.4%
Employed
1,298
Occupations
Top Industries
University
27.1%
Postgraduate
5.6%
Born Overseas
20.9%
Dwellings
789
Transport to Work
Car dependency is near total: 94.5% of employed residents drive to work and public transport accounts for just 0.3%, which means access to Gold Coast centres relies on road capacity rather than transit. Walking and cycling cover 0.8% of trips. Rent-to-income at 22.1% and mortgage-to-income at 20.5% both sit below stress thresholds, making daily costs manageable relative to local incomes in the 91.6th percentile nationally. The need-for-assistance rate is 4.2%, covering 107 residents, and volunteering reaches 13.4% of residents, pointing to moderate community participation. Crime data is not available for the suburb. No schools are recorded inside the Gilston boundary in this dataset, so families draw on institutions in surrounding Gold Coast suburbs.
Drive
94.5%
Public Transport
0.3%
Walk / Cycle
0.8%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Gilston compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Gilston a good suburb to live in?
Gilston suits families well. Household income sits in the 91.6th percentile nationally and the mortgage-to-income ratio is just 20.5%, well below stress territory. The median age is 35, five years below national, and 54% of families are couples with children. The trade-off is near-total car dependency, with public transport at only 0.3% of commuter trips.
What is the median house price in Gilston?
The median house price is approximately $650,000, estimated from 2025 rental data. Weekly rent averages $540 and monthly mortgage repayments average $2,172. Household income in the 91.6th percentile nationally means the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 20.5%, below the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Gilston?
No schools are recorded inside the Gilston boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in surrounding Gold Coast hinterland suburbs. The local university qualification rate is 27.1%, which is 3 percentage points below the national figure, reflecting a workforce mix of healthcare, construction and trades occupations.
Is Gilston safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Gilston in this dataset. As an indirect measure, only 4.2% of residents (107 people) need daily assistance, unemployment sits at 3.0%, and household incomes rank in the 91.6th percentile nationally, all markers consistent with a low-disadvantage residential area.
Is Gilston good for property investment?
The investment case is moderate. Weekly rent of $540 against a $650,000 median implies a gross yield near 4.3%, and the 2.4% vacancy rate is tight. However, the renter share at 16.3% is lower than national averages, limiting tenant pool depth, and zero development applications in the past 12 months means supply is constrained.
How is Gilston's population changing?
Gilston has a population of 2,669 across 9.48 square kilometres. The turnover rate is 17.6% over five years, meaning 82.4% of residents stayed, above typical suburban mobility rates. The young median age of 35, five years below national, and the 54% share of families with children suggest ongoing organic household demand rather than population decline.
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.
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