Downside vs The Gap

The Gap is the younger of the two, with a median age of 36 against 46 in Downside. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Downside: a median of $2.5 million, against $880,000 in The Gap, though rent is higher in The Gap. On these figures, The Gap tends to suit families with children, couples, and buyers on a tighter budget.

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

Too close to call

Nothing among the 5 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

First-home buyers

The Gap

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($880,000 vs $2,500,000)
  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (9% vs 16%)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Downside

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($185/wk vs $240/wk)

Weighs rent and rental stress.

Commuting to the city

Downside

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (8/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (299 min vs 321 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (470.8 km vs 486.7 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Downside

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (8/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (12% vs 5%)

Weighs who already lives there, GPs, and walkability.

Investors

The Gap

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (22.6% vs 0.0%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Downside 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.

Downside 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.

Downside The Gap
Walkability 8 / 0
Downside — Walkability: 8/100 The Gap — Walkability: 0/100
Low fire risk 82 / 72
Downside — Low fire risk: 82/100 The Gap — Low fire risk: 72/100

Demographics

Downside has more residents (124 vs 76); The Gap rents higher ($240/wk vs $185/wk).

Downside The Gap
Population 124
+39% vs other
 76
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +0.0% +22.6%
Median age 46 36
Median household income $134,316/yr
+18% vs other
 $110,500/yr
Median weekly rent $185/wk $240/wk
+30% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Downside The Gap
0-4 5.6% / 7.9%
Downside — 0-4: 5.6% The Gap — 0-4: 7.9%
5-14 12.1% / 21.1%
Downside — 5-14: 12.1% The Gap — 5-14: 21.1%
15-19 4.8% / 3.9%
Downside — 15-19: 4.8% The Gap — 15-19: 3.9%
20-24 9.7% / 5.3%
Downside — 20-24: 9.7% The Gap — 20-24: 5.3%
25-34 8.1% / 11.8%
Downside — 25-34: 8.1% The Gap — 25-34: 11.8%
35-44 12.1% / 17.1%
Downside — 35-44: 12.1% The Gap — 35-44: 17.1%
45-54 17.7% / 9.2%
Downside — 45-54: 17.7% The Gap — 45-54: 9.2%
55-64 16.1% / 27.6%
Downside — 55-64: 16.1% The Gap — 55-64: 27.6%
65-74 12.1% / 5.3%
Downside — 65-74: 12.1% The Gap — 65-74: 5.3%
75-84 — / —
Downside — 75-84: not among its largest The Gap — 75-84: not among its largest
85+ — / —
Downside — 85+: not among its largest The Gap — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (27.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Downside 63.6% couple families
Downside — Couple Families: 63.6% Downside — Lone Person: 22.7% Downside — One Parent Families: 13.6%
The Gap 82.4% couple families
The Gap — Couple Families: 82.4% The Gap — Lone Person: 17.6% The Gap — One Parent Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Downside 21.1% renting
Downside — Owned Outright: 34.2% Downside — Mortgage: 44.7% Downside — Renting: 21.1%
The Gap 0.0% renting
The Gap — Owned Outright: 46.2% The Gap — Mortgage: 53.8% The Gap — Renting: 0.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Downside 100.0% houses
Downside — Houses: 100.0%
The Gap 100.0% houses
The Gap — Houses: 100.0%
Houses

Qualifications

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

Downside The Gap
Certificate III & IV 15.3% / 9.2%
Downside — Certificate III & IV: 15.3% The Gap — Certificate III & IV: 9.2%
Bachelor Degree 13.7% / 10.5%
Downside — Bachelor Degree: 13.7% The Gap — Bachelor Degree: 10.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 5.6% / 9.2%
Downside — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.6% The Gap — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.2%
Postgraduate Degree 4.0% / —
Downside — Postgraduate Degree: 4.0% The Gap — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.3%).

Property market

Downside The Gap
Median house price $2,500,000 $880,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Downside The Gap
Rural and farming 99% 100%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it. Zones as at 2026-09.

Development activity

Downside The Gap
New dwellings approved 548
across Wagga Wagga
same for both
Approvals change year on year +139%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Downside The Gap
House price Higher than 90% of NSW Higher than 41% of NSW
Income Higher than 90% of NSW Higher than 76% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 52% of NSW Higher than 23% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 20% of NSW Higher than 79% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 38% of NSW Higher than 39% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 52% of NSW Higher than 37% of NSW

Liveability

Downside is more walkable (8 vs 0).

Downside The Gap
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

The Gap carries more bushfire risk (28 vs 18).

Downside The Gap
Bushfire Low
18/100
 Low
28/100
Crime High
77/100
 —
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 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Downside The Gap
Inside the suburb 0
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Amenities in the suburb

Downside The Gap
Waterways 5 8

Mobility

The Gap sits further from the CBD (486.7 km vs 470.8 km).

Downside The Gap
Walkability score 8/100 0/100
Distance to Sydney 470.8 km 486.7 km
+3% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 299 min 321 min
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 2650
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 45
postcode 2650
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.

Downside The Gap
Car (driver) 77.4% / 65.8%
Downside — Car (driver): 77.4% The Gap — Car (driver): 65.8%
Worked from Home 22.6% / 26.3%
Downside — Worked from Home: 22.6% The Gap — Worked from Home: 26.3%
Walked Only — / 7.9%
Downside — Walked Only: not among its largest The Gap — Walked Only: 7.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (77.4%).

Setting

Downside The Gap
Elevation 204 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 219 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Downside The Gap
Connectivity score 30/100 26/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
49 premises
 0%
48 premises

Climate

Downside The Gap
Annual rainfall 565 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 31.8°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 3.4°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Downside The Gap
PM2.5 7.7 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 23.1 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Downside The Gap
Average residential rate $1,254/yr
same for both
Council Wagga Wagga
same for both

Federal electorate

Downside The Gap
Division Riverina
same for both
Member Michael Mccormack
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Downside The Gap
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Downside

Premium Rural

The Gap

Family Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Downside

Downside vs Boorooma Downside vs North Wagga Wagga Downside vs Charles Sturt University Downside vs Marrar Downside vs Brucedale Downside vs Yathella

Other comparisons with The Gap

The Gap vs Coolamon The Gap vs Marrar The Gap vs Currawarna The Gap vs Euberta
Full data on Downside 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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