Gungahlin
Overseas migration and apartment living shape Gungahlin more than detached housing: 49.8% of residents were born overseas, 46.8% live in apartments and 53.0% rent. At 31, the median age is 9 years below the national figure, while household income sits at the 83.9rd percentile. Compared with nearby Harrison or Franklin, buyers should expect a denser, renter-led market, with 8,586 residents across 4.56 square kilometres. The profile is young today but changing: the wider area recorded 52.8% population change over 10 years and an Aging trajectory, so current demand and future household needs may not look identical.
Population
8,586
Median Age
31.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,208/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
4
Homebuyers face a dwelling mix tilted away from traditional detached stock. Apartments account for 46.8%, separate houses 35.7% and semi-detached homes 17.5%, while 29.2% of dwellings have 2 bedrooms and 31.5% have 4 or more. Renting is 53.0%, higher than the 32.6% mortgage-held share and 13.3% owned outright, which creates a large pool of households familiar with apartment and townhouse formats. The mortgage figure is $1,801 per month and household income is $2,208 per week; mortgage-to-income stress is 18.8%, below rent-to-income stress of 20.4%. With no median house price available, compare current asking prices by dwelling type, body corporate costs and commute needs rather than relying on a single suburb-wide figure.
For Buyers
Homebuyers face a dwelling mix tilted away from traditional detached stock. Apartments account for 46.8%, separate houses 35.7% and semi-detached homes 17.5%, while 29.2% of dwellings have 2 bedrooms and 31.5% have 4 or more. Renting is 53.0%, higher than the 32.6% mortgage-held share and 13.3% owned outright, which creates a large pool of households familiar with apartment and townhouse formats. The mortgage figure is $1,801 per month and household income is $2,208 per week; mortgage-to-income stress is 18.8%, below rent-to-income stress of 20.4%. With no median house price available, compare current asking prices by dwelling type, body corporate costs and commute needs rather than relying on a single suburb-wide figure.
For Investors
Investor demand has a clear rental base: 53.0% of households rent, compared with 13.3% owning outright and 32.6% paying a mortgage. Weekly rent is $450 and vacancy is 8.6%, so tenant depth is substantial but leasing conditions may be less tight than in a low-vacancy market. Rent growth of 7.1% supports income momentum, while overseas migration is the primary growth driver and can reinforce demand for smaller dwellings. The 46.8% apartment share and 29.2% two-bedroom share broaden the likely tenant pool, but investors should compare body corporate costs, vacancy exposure and local asking rents. Only 4 development applications were recorded in 12 months. Compared with a major development pipeline, that is a modest supply signal, although project scale still needs checking.
Development Activity
Total DAs
37
Last 12 Months
4
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-33.3%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Gungahlin
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Gungahlin College
Burgmann Anglican School Valley Campus
Demographics
Gungahlin's demographic profile is younger and more internationally connected than the national pattern. Median age is 31, which is 9 years below national, while university attainment is 57.6%, 27.5 percentage points above national and overseas-born residents comprise 49.8%, 28.2 points above national. English, Chinese, Indian and Irish ancestries count 1,849, 1,184, 625 and 557 respectively; Mandarin is the most common listed non-English language at 426 speakers. No religion is recorded for 3,395 residents, ahead of Christianity at 2,612 and Hinduism at 916. Turnover is 45.9%, compared with 54.1% who stayed, suggesting a mobile household base because apartments and overseas migration attract new arrivals.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
35.7%
Houses
17.5%
Townhouse
46.8%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing is compact and renter-led rather than dominated by detached ownership. Apartments make up 46.8% of dwellings, above the 35.7% separate-house share, with semi-detached homes at 17.5%. Smaller formats are common: 19.7% are studio or 1-bedroom, 29.2% have 2 bedrooms, 19.6% have 3 and 31.5% have 4 or more. Renting at 53.0% is higher than outright ownership at 13.3% and mortgage ownership at 32.6%, consistent with a dense area of 1,881.2 people per square kilometre. Household size is 2.6, and housing costs look manageable on the available stress measures: rent-to-income is 20.4% and mortgage-to-income is 18.8%, with mortgage stress lower than rent stress. Buyers comparing Gungahlin with nearby Harrison or Franklin should assess building quality and ongoing strata costs alongside tenure figures, because apartment ownership carries different expenses from detached housing.
Mortgage / mo
$1,801
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$450
Census 2021
HH Size
2.6
Personal Income / wk
$1,049
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
8.6%
Unoccupied
304
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.4%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.8%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
42.7%
Couples with children
42.5%
Couples, no children
12.4%
Single parent
2,253
Total families
Economy & Employment
Employment is anchored by government-linked and knowledge industries. Public administration accounts for 25.9% of industry employment, followed by Professional and Technical at 12.3%, Healthcare 12.2%, Hospitality 9.9% and Education 9.0%. The occupation mix is led by Professionals at 1,377 people and Managers at 732, with Clerical and Administration 726, Community and Personal 722 and Trades 641. Participation is 75.9%, unemployment 4.6% and full-time work 65.6%, while household income sits at the 83.9rd percentile. Gungahlin's SEIFA pattern is uneven: education and occupation reach decile 9, above economic resources at decile 4, while relative disadvantage is decile 7 and advantage decile 8. That gap points to strong qualifications and professional employment, but not uniformly high financial resources across households.
Unemployment
4.6%
Labour Force
5,473
Unemployed
253
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
65.6%
Part-time
30.0%
Participation
75.9%
Employed
5,220
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
57.6%
Postgraduate
23.6%
Born Overseas
49.8%
Dwellings
3,201
Transport to Work
Daily life is car-oriented, although alternatives exist. Car drivers account for 66.4% of journeys, compared with 10.7% using public transport and 5.7% walking or cycling; 10.4% work from home. The local education mix includes Gungahlin College, a government college, and Burgmann Anglican School Valley Campus, a non-government school, giving families 2 named options across different sectors while exact enrolment zones should be checked by address. Social conditions are relatively advantaged overall, with IRSAD in decile 8, IRSD in decile 7 and IEO in decile 9, although IER is lower at decile 4. A current safety decision should use ACT Policing incident information for the exact streets, since no suburb-level crime rate is stated. Density is 1,881.2 people per square kilometre, higher than a low-density suburban setting, so access to services and parking can feel different from detached-house areas.
Drive
66.4%
Public Transport
10.7%
Walk / Cycle
5.7%
Work from Home
10.4%
Population Forecast
+3.53%/yr
(+337 people/yr)
EstablishedGungahlin is expanding quickly, with a forecast trend of 3.53% annual growth and population change across the wider area of 52.8% over 10 years. Overseas migration is the primary driver, which fits the suburb's 49.8% overseas-born share and 45.9% turnover rate because new arrivals can lift household formation and rental demand. The trajectory is labelled Aging: the young share has fallen 6.0 percentage points while the senior share has risen 3.2 points. This is not gentrification, with a gentrification score of 15 and stage Not gentrifying, so growth is better understood as broad population expansion than a prestige-led remake. Rent growth of 7.1% is above the 3.53% population trend, highlighting pressure on housing costs even as the area continues to add residents.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+165
Net Internal / yr
-29
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Accelerating: 7% → 52%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Gungahlin compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Gungahlin a good suburb to live in?
Gungahlin suits households seeking apartment living, education access and a highly educated workforce. The median age is 31, university attainment is 57.6% and household income is at the 83.9rd percentile. Compared with a detached-house suburb, Gungahlin has more apartments at 46.8% and more renting at 53.0%, so lifestyle fit depends on density and tenure preferences.
What is the median house price in Gungahlin?
A suburb-wide median house price is not available in the current figures, so buyers should compare live sales and asking prices by dwelling type. Apartments represent 46.8% of homes, separate houses 35.7% and semi-detached dwellings 17.5%. That mix means a single house median could be less representative than a property-level comparison, especially against nearby Harrison or Franklin.
What schools are in Gungahlin?
Gungahlin has Gungahlin College, a government college, and Burgmann Anglican School Valley Campus, a non-government school. These 2 named options span different sectors and school types, so families should compare enrolment zones, year levels and transport from the exact address. School-sector choice is broader than a government-only search, but the local list should not be treated as a performance ranking.
Is Gungahlin safe?
No suburb-level crime rate is stated, so use current ACT Policing incident information and inspect the exact streets before deciding. Gungahlin's density is 1,881.2 people per square kilometre and car use is 66.4%, which can shape activity, parking and traffic around busy areas. Compare recent incidents by location rather than assuming the wider suburb is uniform.
Is Gungahlin good for property investment?
Gungahlin can suit investors seeking a large renter base, but returns need property-level checking. Renting is 53.0%, weekly rent is $450 and vacancy is 8.6%; overseas migration is the primary growth driver. The 46.8% apartment share supports a broad tenant pool, while 4 development applications in 12 months warrant a supply check. Compared with owner-occupied areas, Gungahlin has more rental exposure and potentially more turnover.
How is Gungahlin's population changing?
Population growth is strong across the wider area: the forecast trend is 3.53% annually and 10-year population change is 52.8%, with overseas migration the primary driver. The profile is also shifting, labelled Aging, as the young share fell 6.0 percentage points and the senior share rose 3.2 points. Compared with a static suburb, Gungahlin is expanding while its age mix gradually broadens.
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). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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