Desert Springs vs The Gap

In Desert Springs, most households own their home, most homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. In The Gap, most households rent and about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Desert Springs: a median of $760,000, against $380,000 in The Gap, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Desert Springs tends to suit families with children and couples, while The Gap suits renters, young adults, and people living alone.

Desert Springs and The Gap are both small Northern Territory suburbs with minimal environmental risk. Desert Springs is notably wealthier, with a median household income of $157,300 compared to The Gap's $101,556, and correspondingly higher property prices—houses median at $740,000 versus $380,000. The Gap offers better walkability (52 versus 24) and attracts a slightly younger population, while Desert Springs scores higher on liveability (58 versus 48) and sits in the top socio-economic decile. If affordability and walkability matter most, The Gap may suit you; Desert Springs appeals to those prioritising higher incomes and established amenity.

Written by an AI language model from the figures below. Every number in it is checked against those figures before it is published.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

Desert Springs

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more separate houses rather than flats (67% vs 32%)
  • is already more of a family suburb (66% vs 42%)

Weighs schools, house stock, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

The Gap

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($380,000 vs $760,000)
  • has cheaper units ($252,500 vs $400,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

The Gap

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (65% vs 37%)
  • has cheaper rent ($350/wk vs $500/wk)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

The Gap

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (58/100 vs 30/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

The Gap

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (68% vs 33%)
  • is more walkable (58/100 vs 30/100)

Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, and walkability.

Investors

The Gap

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (13.8% vs 4.0%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

Desert Springs and The Gap drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Desert Springs The Gap
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Desert Springs The Gap
Walkability 30 / 58
Desert Springs — Walkability: 30/100 The Gap — Walkability: 58/100

Demographics

Desert Springs has higher household incomes ($157,300 vs $101,556); Desert Springs rents higher ($500/wk vs $350/wk).

Desert Springs The Gap
Population 1,536 1,945
+27% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +4.0% +13.8%
Median age 36 34
Median household income $157,300/yr
+35% vs other
 $101,556/yr
Median weekly rent $500/wk
+30% vs other
 $350/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Desert Springs The Gap
0-4 7.6% / 7.1%
Desert Springs — 0-4: 7.6% The Gap — 0-4: 7.1%
5-14 13.0% / 9.0%
Desert Springs — 5-14: 13.0% The Gap — 5-14: 9.0%
15-19 6.2% / 2.7%
Desert Springs — 15-19: 6.2% The Gap — 15-19: 2.7%
20-24 3.7% / 5.6%
Desert Springs — 20-24: 3.7% The Gap — 20-24: 5.6%
25-34 16.1% / 27.5%
Desert Springs — 25-34: 16.1% The Gap — 25-34: 27.5%
35-44 16.3% / 18.0%
Desert Springs — 35-44: 16.3% The Gap — 35-44: 18.0%
45-54 13.2% / 12.3%
Desert Springs — 45-54: 13.2% The Gap — 45-54: 12.3%
55-64 13.2% / 10.7%
Desert Springs — 55-64: 13.2% The Gap — 55-64: 10.7%
65-74 7.5% / 5.6%
Desert Springs — 65-74: 7.5% The Gap — 65-74: 5.6%
75-84 2.6% / 1.1%
Desert Springs — 75-84: 2.6% The Gap — 75-84: 1.1%
85+ 0.6% / 0.2%
Desert Springs — 85+: 0.6% The Gap — 85+: 0.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (27.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Desert Springs 58.2% couple families
Desert Springs — Couple Families: 58.2% Desert Springs — Lone Person: 26.8% Desert Springs — One Parent Families: 8.2% Desert Springs — Group Household: 4.9% Desert Springs — Other Families: 1.9%
The Gap 29.1% couple families
The Gap — Couple Families: 29.1% The Gap — Lone Person: 47.3% The Gap — One Parent Families: 13.0% The Gap — Group Household: 9.3% The Gap — Other Families: 1.3%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Desert Springs 36.7% renting
Desert Springs — Owned Outright: 22.8% Desert Springs — Mortgage: 40.5% Desert Springs — Renting: 36.7%
The Gap 64.9% renting
The Gap — Owned Outright: 9.6% The Gap — Mortgage: 25.5% The Gap — Renting: 64.9%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Desert Springs The Gap
Bachelor Degree 17.4% / 21.6%
Desert Springs — Bachelor Degree: 17.4% The Gap — Bachelor Degree: 21.6%
Certificate III & IV 13.4% / 10.6%
Desert Springs — Certificate III & IV: 13.4% The Gap — Certificate III & IV: 10.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.2% / 6.6%
Desert Springs — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.2% The Gap — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.6%
Postgraduate Degree 8.1% / 6.5%
Desert Springs — Postgraduate Degree: 8.1% The Gap — Postgraduate Degree: 6.5%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.0% / 2.2%
Desert Springs — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.0% The Gap — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.6%).

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

Desert Springs The Gap
India 4.0% / 8.3%
Desert Springs — India: 4.0% The Gap — India: 8.3%
Philippines 2.3% / 5.0%
Desert Springs — Philippines: 2.3% The Gap — Philippines: 5.0%
New Zealand 3.1% / 3.1%
Desert Springs — New Zealand: 3.1% The Gap — New Zealand: 3.1%
England 2.7% / 3.0%
Desert Springs — England: 2.7% The Gap — England: 3.0%
China 0.8% / 3.1%
Desert Springs — China: 0.8% The Gap — China: 3.1%
South Africa 1.4% / —
Desert Springs — South Africa: 1.4% The Gap — South Africa: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (8.3%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Desert Springs 66.9% houses
Desert Springs — Houses: 66.9% Desert Springs — Townhouses: 31.4% Desert Springs — Flats / Apartments: 1.7%
The Gap 32.1% houses
The Gap — Houses: 32.1% The Gap — Townhouses: 54.9% The Gap — Flats / Apartments: 13.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Desert Springs The Gap
Median house price $760,000 $380,000
Median unit price $400,000 $252,500
Median land price $720,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 54 days
from 20 sales
 68 days
from 9 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Desert Springs The Gap
3 bed $738K / $380K
Desert Springs — 3 bed: $738K (12 sales) The Gap — 3 bed: $380K (11 sales)

12 vs 11 sales

4 bed $775K / $470K
Desert Springs — 4 bed: $775K (20 sales) The Gap — 4 bed: $470K (5 sales)

20 vs 5 sales

Development activity

Desert Springs The Gap
New dwellings approved 30
across Alice Springs
same for both
Approvals change year on year +25%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Desert Springs The Gap
Houses 7.0%
$1,275/wk on $948K
 6.8%
$560/wk on $430K
Units — 7.7%
$442/wk on $299K

Ranking within NT

Desert Springs The Gap
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 97% of NT Higher than 64% of NT
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 75% of NT Higher than 87% of NT
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 72% of NT Higher than 73% of NT
NBN connectivity Higher than 74% of NT Higher than 71% of NT
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 89% of NT Higher than 87% of NT
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 85% of NT

Liveability

The Gap is more walkable (58 vs 30); Desert Springs scores higher overall (64 vs 48).

Desert Springs The Gap
Grade B C
Score 64/100 48/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Desert Springs The Gap
Bushfire Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Crime Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 6
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Desert Springs The Gap
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Desert Springs

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Schools in The Gap

  • Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Catholic College Catholic · Combined

Amenities in the suburb

Desert Springs The Gap
Cafes & restaurants 3 2
Parks & reserves 1
same for both
Childcare 2 3
GPs 0 1
Hospitals 0 2
Fuel stations 0 2

Mobility

Desert Springs The Gap
Walkability score 30/100 58/100
Distance to Darwin 1500.7 km 1500.6 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 953 min 952 min
Public transport score 18/100
Bus
 34/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 1.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 10.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 2 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 0870
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 40
postcode 0870
same for both

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Desert Springs The Gap
Car (driver) 76.6% / 65.5%
Desert Springs — Car (driver): 76.6% The Gap — Car (driver): 65.5%
Walked Only 3.0% / 16.7%
Desert Springs — Walked Only: 3.0% The Gap — Walked Only: 16.7%
Car (passenger) 8.6% / 9.6%
Desert Springs — Car (passenger): 8.6% The Gap — Car (passenger): 9.6%
Bicycle 5.7% / 5.8%
Desert Springs — Bicycle: 5.7% The Gap — Bicycle: 5.8%
Worked from Home 4.2% / 1.5%
Desert Springs — Worked from Home: 4.2% The Gap — Worked from Home: 1.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (76.6%).

Setting

Desert Springs The Gap
Elevation 584 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 574 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Desert Springs The Gap
Connectivity score 68/100 57/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 42%
656 premises
 22%
1,001 premises

Climate

Desert Springs The Gap
Annual rainfall 285 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 36.6°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 4.5°C
same for both

Council rates

Desert Springs The Gap
Average residential rate $2,106/yr
same for both
Council Alice Springs
same for both

Federal electorate

Desert Springs The Gap
Division Lingiari
same for both
Member Marion Scrymgour
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Desert Springs The Gap
Grant amount $50,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Desert Springs

Quiet Townhouses

The Gap

Affordable Easy Commute Multicultural Professionals Townhouses Transport Hub

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Desert Springs

Desert Springs vs East Side Desert Springs vs Sadadeen Desert Springs vs Mount Johns Desert Springs vs Alice Springs

Other comparisons with The Gap

The Gap vs Gillen The Gap vs Mount Johns The Gap vs Alice Springs The Gap vs Flynn
Full data on Desert Springs Full data on The Gap
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

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