Gordon
Gordon's population is shrinking at -0.06% per year, making it one of only 2 suburbs in this cohort with negative growth, yet household incomes sit at the 89th percentile ($2,321/week) and mortgage stress registers at just 19.4%, the lowest in this data set. Public Administration employs 34.2% of workers, more than double any other sector, reflecting Canberra's government workforce gravity. SEIFA scores at decile 7-8 across all indices place Gordon firmly in the upper-middle tier. With only 2 development applications in 12 months, the suburb is effectively built-out.
Population
7,892
Median Age
38.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,321/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
2
Median House
$568K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The estimated median of $568,000 (rent-derived) looks low for Canberra, but likely reflects the older housing stock (median age 38 implies 1990s-era construction). Detached houses at 69.3% are supplemented by semi-detached (29.5%) and minimal apartments (1.3%). Three-bedroom homes dominate at 49.1%, with 4-plus at 40.8%. Mortgage-to-income at 19.4% is the lowest stress ratio in this cohort, and 52.2% of households carry a mortgage. Only 28.0% own outright, lower than expected for an established suburb, suggesting many residents refinanced or bought recently. Gordon Primary School (ICSEA 1,005) provides local primary education.
For Buyers
The estimated median of $568,000 (rent-derived) looks low for Canberra, but likely reflects the older housing stock (median age 38 implies 1990s-era construction). Detached houses at 69.3% are supplemented by semi-detached (29.5%) and minimal apartments (1.3%). Three-bedroom homes dominate at 49.1%, with 4-plus at 40.8%. Mortgage-to-income at 19.4% is the lowest stress ratio in this cohort, and 52.2% of households carry a mortgage. Only 28.0% own outright, lower than expected for an established suburb, suggesting many residents refinanced or bought recently. Gordon Primary School (ICSEA 1,005) provides local primary education.
For Investors
The 19.8% renter share is modest, and vacancy at 3.6% is tight. Weekly rent of $420 against a $568,000 estimated median implies a gross yield of approximately 3.8%. With only 2 development applications in 12 months, supply growth is virtually zero, supporting existing asset values. However, population decline of -0.06% per year and net internal migration of -90 per year mean demand is not growing. Overseas migration adds 36 per year, but this is offset by internal outflows. The investment case rests on the government workforce anchor and supply scarcity rather than growth.
Development Activity
Total DAs
24
Last 12 Months
2
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-60.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Gordon iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Covenant Christian School
K-10 · 320 students
Gordon Primary School
K-6 · 407 students
Demographics
The median age of 38 sits 2 years below the national median. English ancestry (2,787) leads, followed by Irish (924) and Scottish (716). At 21.4% born overseas (0.2pp below national average), Gordon is one of the more homogeneous suburbs in this data set. University education at 33.9% is 4 percentage points above the national rate. Professionals (949) and Clerical/Admin (874) are the top occupational groups, consistent with the public service orientation. Christianity (3,772) dominates religion, with Islam (205) and Buddhism (180) as minorities. Average household size of 2.7 is slightly above national.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
69.3%
Houses
29.5%
Townhouse
1.3%
Apartment
Tenure
No historical price series is available, so the $568,000 median is rent-derived. Detached houses (69.3%) and semi-detached (29.5%) leave almost no apartment stock (1.3%). Ownership: 28.0% outright, 52.2% mortgage, 19.8% renting. The 52.2% mortgage rate is high for a suburb with 89th percentile incomes, suggesting residents are leveraged despite comfortable incomes. Three-bedroom (49.1%) and 4-plus bedroom (40.8%) homes accommodate families. Rent-to-income at 18.1% and mortgage-to-income at 19.4% are both well below stress thresholds, the lowest dual stress reading in this data set.
Mortgage / mo
$1,950
Rent / wk
$420
HH Size
2.7
Personal Income / wk
$1,157
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
3.6%
Unoccupied
107
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.1%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.4%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
23.8%
Couples, no children
6,642
Total families
Economy & Employment
Public Administration dominates at 34.2% (984 workers), more than double the next sector (Healthcare at 15.8%, 455). Education (9.5%, 272), Construction (8.3%, 239), and Professional/Tech (8.1%, 232) follow. The public sector concentration creates income stability but also economic dependence on government employment cycles. Full-time employment at 71.8% is the highest rate in this cohort, and unemployment at 3.3% is the lowest. The 66.5% participation rate is well above the national figure. SEIFA IRSAD decile 8 and IER decile 8 confirm solid economic standing.
Unemployment
4.7%
Labour Force
4,589
Unemployed
216
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
71.8%
Part-time
24.9%
Participation
66.5%
Employed
4,090
Occupations
Top Industries
University
33.9%
Postgraduate
8.7%
Born Overseas
21.4%
Dwellings
2,869
Transport to Work
Two schools serve Gordon: Covenant Christian School (Combined, Independent, ICSEA 1,090, 320 students) and Gordon Primary School (Government, ICSEA 1,005, 407 students), both above the 1,000 benchmark. Public transport at 2.9% is low, and 89.8% drive to work, the highest car dependency in this data set. Walking/cycling at 1.0% is the lowest in this cohort. Volunteering at 14.1% is near the national average. The IRSAD decile of 8 suggests good access to services. Only 2 development applications in 12 months mean the built environment is essentially fixed.
Drive
89.8%
Public Transport
2.9%
Walk / Cycle
1.0%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
-0.06%/yr
(-5 people/yr)
EstablishedPopulation is forecast to decline from 7,783 (2025) to 7,760 by 2031, losing about 5 people per year (-0.06% annual), below the ACT average growth rate. Net internal migration is negative at -90 per year, only partially offset by overseas inflow of 36/year. Population grew just 1.6% over the past decade. The ageing trajectory shows seniors' share rising 6.8 percentage points (the highest in this cohort) and working-age share stable at -0.2pp. Gentrification score of 0 (not gentrifying) confirms a static suburb. Affordability has improved from 40.0% to 36.3% rent-to-income, reflecting income gains that outpaced rent growth (13.5%).
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+36
Net Internal / yr
-90
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Gordon compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Gordon a good suburb to live in?
Gordon offers family-sized housing at an estimated $568,000 median with the lowest mortgage stress in this cohort (19.4%). Both schools exceed the ICSEA 1,000 benchmark, unemployment is 3.3%, and SEIFA decile 8 confirms above-average advantage. The trade-off is high car dependency (89.8%) and declining population.
What is the median house price in Gordon?
The estimated median is $568,000 (rent-derived, 2025). Weekly rent averages $420, and monthly mortgage repayments of $1,950 produce a 19.4% mortgage-to-income ratio, the lowest stress reading in this data set.
What schools are in Gordon?
Gordon has 2 schools, both above the ICSEA 1,000 benchmark: Covenant Christian School (Combined, Independent, ICSEA 1,090, 320 students) and Gordon Primary School (Government, ICSEA 1,005, 407 students). Secondary options require travel to neighbouring suburbs.
Is Gordon safe?
Crime data is not available for Gordon in the current dataset. The 3.3% unemployment rate (lowest in this cohort), SEIFA IRSD decile 8, and stable residential turnover (80.9% stayed) are all indicators that correlate with lower crime in comparable Canberra suburbs.
Is Gordon good for property investment?
The implied gross yield of 3.8% ($420/week on $568,000) is reasonable, and the 3.6% vacancy rate is tight. However, population is declining at -0.06% per year with net internal outflow of 90 people annually. With only 2 development applications in 12 months, supply is static, which protects values but limits growth upside.
How is Gordon's population changing?
Population is declining from 7,783 (2025) toward 7,760 by 2031, losing about 5 people per year. Net internal migration is -90/year, offset by 36 overseas arrivals. Seniors' share is rising 6.8 percentage points (highest in this cohort), while working-age share is nearly flat, indicating generational ageing in place.
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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