Gowrie

Development Activity

Schools in Gowrie iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged

Demographics

The median age of 38 is 2 years below the national figure, though the aging trajectory is pronounced, with the senior share rising 8.5 points and the working-age share falling 6.5 points over the decade. University qualifications at 42.8% run 12.7 points above national, consistent with the dominant industry being Public Administration at 34%. Ancestry leans Anglo-Celtic, led by English (1,196), Irish (416) and Scottish (349), and the overseas-born share at 20.8% is 0.8 points below national. Average household size is 2.8, slightly above the national figure, and 43.2% of families are couples with children, reflecting the 4-plus bedroom stock that suits family households.

Tenure splits into three clear groups: 49.0% carry a mortgage, 35.2% own outright and just 15.8% rent, well below the national renting share. The stock is almost entirely detached houses (99.3%) with only a trace of semi-detached dwellings (0.7%) and no recorded apartment component. Bedroom size skews large: 57.9% of dwellings have 4 or more bedrooms and 38.8% have 3, meaning small-format stock is effectively absent. Mortgage stress is low at 18.7% of income, below the national benchmark. The rent-to-income ratio sits at 16.5%, one of the lower readings in the ACT, giving renters comfortable headroom compared to many comparable suburbs.

Community Profile

Economy & Employment

Public Administration dominates local employment at 34% (389 workers), far above its national share, reflecting Gowrie's position in Canberra's government workforce catchment. Healthcare follows at 14% (160 workers) and Education at 12.3% (141). By occupation, Professionals (441) and Managers (297) account for the two largest groups, consistent with the decile 8 IRSAD score and household income in the 94.6th percentile nationally. The unemployment rate is 3.1%, slightly above the ACT norm but below national averages, and the full-time employment rate is 68.3%. The SEIFA IEO (education and occupation) decile is 8 and the IER (economic resources) decile is 9, the latter elevated by high homeownership and low renting.

Transport to Work

Car dependence is high at 88.0% commuting by private vehicle, well above the national rate and consistent with Canberra's suburban layout. Only 2.9% use public transport and 2.2% walk or cycle. The suburb scores decile 8 on IRSAD, placing it in the upper tier of advantage nationally, and 4.5% of residents (139 people) need daily assistance, a low figure relative to suburbs with older populations. Volunteering runs at 18.0%. The rent-to-income ratio of 16.5% keeps housing costs manageable for renters. No schools are recorded inside the 1.93 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on nearby schools in adjoining Tuggeranong suburbs.

Population Forecast

Population has declined slightly from 3,141 in 2023 to a projected 3,031 by 2031 at the current trend rate of minus 0.26% annually, which is minus 8 persons per year. Over the prior decade, population grew just 2.4%, classifying Gowrie as a slow-growth suburb compared to higher-growth Canberra greenfield areas. The migration balance is net negative internally, with 46 more residents leaving each year than arriving from other Australian locations. The gentrification score is 0 and the stage reads not gentrifying, consistent with a suburb already in the decile 8 advantage tier. Affordability improved from 41.4% in 2011 to 36.5% in 2021, a positive 10-year trend despite broader ACT price pressures.

National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs

How Gowrie compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs

Frequently Asked Questions