Gawler East vs Willaston

Willaston is the younger of the two, with a median age of 42 against 46 in Gawler East. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. Houses cost more in Gawler East: a median of $775,000, against $708,000 in Willaston.

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

Gawler East

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (7 vs 1)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (2 vs 0)
  • carries lower crime risk (49/100 vs 68/100)

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

First-home buyers

Gawler East

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper land ($370,750 vs $881,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Commuting to the city

Willaston

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (40 min vs 47 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (51.9 km vs 55.3 km)
  • But Gawler East is more walkable (66/100 vs 56/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Gawler East

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (3 vs 0)
  • carries lower crime risk (49/100 vs 68/100)
  • is more walkable (66/100 vs 56/100)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 2 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

Gawler East and Willaston drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Gawler East Willaston
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.

Gawler East Willaston
Walkability 66 / 56
Gawler East — Walkability: 66/100 Willaston — Walkability: 56/100
Safety 51 / 32
Gawler East — Safety: 51/100 Willaston — Safety: 32/100
Low fire risk 100 / 82
Gawler East — Low fire risk: 100/100 Willaston — Low fire risk: 82/100
Low flood risk 37 / 15
Gawler East — Low flood risk: 37/100 Willaston — Low flood risk: 15/100

Demographics

Gawler East has more residents (5,689 vs 3,458); Gawler East has higher household incomes ($81,588 vs $65,208).

Gawler East Willaston
Population 5,689
+39% vs other
 3,458
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +6.6% +2.2%
Median age 46 42
Median household income $81,588/yr
+20% vs other
 $65,208/yr
Median weekly rent $300/wk
same for both

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Gawler East Willaston
0-4 4.8% / 5.0%
Gawler East — 0-4: 4.8% Willaston — 0-4: 5.0%
5-14 10.9% / 13.5%
Gawler East — 5-14: 10.9% Willaston — 5-14: 13.5%
15-19 5.0% / 5.5%
Gawler East — 15-19: 5.0% Willaston — 15-19: 5.5%
20-24 5.7% / 5.1%
Gawler East — 20-24: 5.7% Willaston — 20-24: 5.1%
25-34 11.5% / 11.9%
Gawler East — 25-34: 11.5% Willaston — 25-34: 11.9%
35-44 11.0% / 11.4%
Gawler East — 35-44: 11.0% Willaston — 35-44: 11.4%
45-54 12.2% / 11.8%
Gawler East — 45-54: 12.2% Willaston — 45-54: 11.8%
55-64 14.7% / 13.9%
Gawler East — 55-64: 14.7% Willaston — 55-64: 13.9%
65-74 11.7% / 11.7%
Gawler East — 65-74: 11.7% Willaston — 65-74: 11.7%
75-84 8.1% / 7.1%
Gawler East — 75-84: 8.1% Willaston — 75-84: 7.1%
85+ 4.5% / 3.2%
Gawler East — 85+: 4.5% Willaston — 85+: 3.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (14.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Gawler East 36.4% lone person
Gawler East — Lone Person: 36.4% Gawler East — Couple Families: 41.6% Gawler East — One Parent Families: 18.0% Gawler East — Group Household: 2.6% Gawler East — Other Families: 1.3%
Willaston 43.1% lone person
Willaston — Lone Person: 43.1% Willaston — Couple Families: 29.1% Willaston — One Parent Families: 21.9% Willaston — Group Household: 4.6% Willaston — Other Families: 1.3%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Gawler East 19.1% renting
Gawler East — Owned Outright: 36.1% Gawler East — Mortgage: 44.8% Gawler East — Renting: 19.1%
Willaston 24.8% renting
Willaston — Owned Outright: 34.0% Willaston — Mortgage: 41.2% Willaston — Renting: 24.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Gawler East Willaston
Certificate III & IV 19.1% / 20.2%
Gawler East — Certificate III & IV: 19.1% Willaston — Certificate III & IV: 20.2%
Bachelor Degree 9.1% / 6.9%
Gawler East — Bachelor Degree: 9.1% Willaston — Bachelor Degree: 6.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.7% / 6.7%
Gawler East — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.7% Willaston — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.7%
Postgraduate Degree 2.0% / 1.7%
Gawler East — Postgraduate Degree: 2.0% Willaston — Postgraduate Degree: 1.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.1% / 0.9%
Gawler East — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.1% Willaston — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.2%).

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.

Gawler East Willaston
England 10.7% / 7.8%
Gawler East — England: 10.7% Willaston — England: 7.8%
Scotland 0.9% / 1.0%
Gawler East — Scotland: 0.9% Willaston — Scotland: 1.0%
Germany 0.6% / 0.6%
Gawler East — Germany: 0.6% Willaston — Germany: 0.6%
New Zealand 0.5% / 0.7%
Gawler East — New Zealand: 0.5% Willaston — New Zealand: 0.7%
Philippines 0.5% / 0.4%
Gawler East — Philippines: 0.5% Willaston — Philippines: 0.4%
Netherlands — / 0.5%
Gawler East — Netherlands: not among its largest Willaston — Netherlands: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (10.7%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Gawler East 90.0% houses
Gawler East — Houses: 90.0% Gawler East — Townhouses: 7.7% Gawler East — Flats / Apartments: 2.3%
Willaston 85.7% houses
Willaston — Houses: 85.7% Willaston — Townhouses: 13.5% Willaston — Flats / Apartments: 0.7%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Gawler East Willaston
Median house price $775,000 $708,000
Median unit price $571,000 $552,250
Median land price $370,750 $881,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 20 days
from 60 sales
 18 days
from 28 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.

Gawler East Willaston
3 bed $727K / $700K
Gawler East — 3 bed: $727K (69 sales) Willaston — 3 bed: $700K (49 sales)

69 vs 49 sales

4 bed $816K / $740K
Gawler East — 4 bed: $816K (48 sales) Willaston — 4 bed: $740K (17 sales)

48 vs 17 sales

Zoning mix

Willaston has more industrially zoned land (11% vs 0%).

Gawler East Willaston
Residential 95% 62%
Parks and recreation 3% 16%
Industrial 0% 11%
Infrastructure and transport 1% 9%
Commercial 1% 2%
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

Gawler East Willaston
New dwellings approved 324
across Gawler
same for both
Approvals change year on year -22%
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.

Gawler East Willaston
Houses 4.2%
$625/wk on $765K
 4.2%
$585/wk on $720K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within SA

Gawler East Willaston
House price Higher than 23% of SA Higher than 11% of SA
Income Higher than 57% of SA Higher than 33% of SA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 86% of SA Higher than 82% of SA
Affordability Higher than 80% of SA Higher than 70% of SA
EV adoption Higher than 57% of SA Higher than 56% of SA
NBN connectivity Higher than 97% of SA Higher than 79% of SA
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 76% of SA Higher than 74% of SA

Liveability

Gawler East scores higher overall (51 vs 23); Gawler East is more walkable (66 vs 56).

Gawler East Willaston
Grade B D
Score 51/100 23/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Willaston carries more bushfire risk (18 vs 0); Willaston carries more crime risk (68 vs 49).

Gawler East Willaston
Bushfire None
0/100
 Low
18/100
Crime Moderate
49/100
 Moderate
68/100
Flood Moderate
63/100
 High
85/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
 2
within 5 km

Schools

Gawler East Willaston
Inside the suburb 2 0
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Gawler East

  • Immanuel Gawler Independent · Primary above peers
  • Gawler East Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Willaston

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

Amenities in the suburb

Gawler East Willaston
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 1 0
Parks & reserves 1 2
Childcare 7 1
GPs 3 0
Pharmacies 2 0
Hospitals 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 1
same for both
EV chargers 1 0

Mobility

Gawler East sits further from the CBD (55.3 km vs 51.9 km).

Gawler East Willaston
Walkability score 66/100 56/100
Distance to Adelaide 55.3 km
+6% vs other
 51.9 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 47 min 40 min
Public transport score 65/100
Bus
 51/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 35.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 23.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 5118
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 76
postcode 5118
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.

Gawler East Willaston
Car (driver) 83.4% / 86.5%
Gawler East — Car (driver): 83.4% Willaston — Car (driver): 86.5%
Worked from Home 8.8% / 6.3%
Gawler East — Worked from Home: 8.8% Willaston — Worked from Home: 6.3%
Car (passenger) 3.3% / 4.3%
Gawler East — Car (passenger): 3.3% Willaston — Car (passenger): 4.3%
Bus 2.4% / 1.6%
Gawler East — Bus: 2.4% Willaston — Bus: 1.6%
Walked Only 2.0% / 1.4%
Gawler East — Walked Only: 2.0% Willaston — Walked Only: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (86.5%).

Setting

Gawler East Willaston
Elevation 115 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 63 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 26.0 km 25.4 km

NBN connectivity

Gawler East Willaston
Connectivity score 95/100 65/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 87%
2,617 premises
 37%
1,764 premises

Climate

Gawler East Willaston
Annual rainfall 404 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 30.0°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 6.6°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Gawler East Willaston
PM2.5 5.5 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 18.7 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.31 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Gawler East Willaston
Average residential rate $2,258/yr
same for both
Council Gawler
same for both

Federal electorate

Gawler East Willaston
Division Spence
same for both
Member Matt Burnell
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Gawler East Willaston
Grant amount $15,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Gawler East

Large Blocks Outer

Willaston

Large Blocks Outer Quiet

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Gawler East

Gawler East vs Gawler South Gawler East vs Gawler Gawler East vs Kalbeeba Gawler East vs Concordia

Other comparisons with Willaston

Willaston vs Hewett Willaston vs Gawler South Willaston vs Gawler Belt Willaston vs Gawler West Willaston vs Gawler Willaston vs Reid
Full data on Gawler East Full data on Willaston
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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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