Gawler vs Preston

Gawler is the younger of the two, with a median age of 45 against 48 in Preston. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Gawler, most households are couple families. On these figures, Gawler tends to suit couples, while Preston suits people living alone.

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

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is already more of a family suburb (70% vs 58%)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Preston

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (21% vs 6%)
  • has cheaper rent ($220/wk vs $250/wk)
  • But Gawler leaves renters under less rental stress (14% vs 23%)

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

Commuting to the city

Gawler

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (214 min vs 226 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (305.6 km vs 318.6 km)
  • But Preston is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Preston

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)

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

Investors

Gawler

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (13.0% vs -0.7%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Gawler and Preston 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 Preston
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 Preston
Walkability 0 / 10
Gawler — Walkability: 0/100 Preston — Walkability: 10/100
Low fire risk 80 / 88
Gawler — Low fire risk: 80/100 Preston — Low fire risk: 88/100

Demographics

Gawler has more residents (703 vs 149); Gawler has higher household incomes ($91,312 vs $48,932).

Gawler Preston
Population 703
+79% vs other
 149
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +13.0% -0.7%
Median age 45 48
Median household income $91,312/yr
+46% vs other
 $48,932/yr
Median weekly rent $250/wk
+12% vs other
 $220/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Gawler Preston
0-4 4.0% / 4.0%
Gawler — 0-4: 4.0% Preston — 0-4: 4.0%
5-14 13.5% / 14.1%
Gawler — 5-14: 13.5% Preston — 5-14: 14.1%
15-19 6.3% / 6.7%
Gawler — 15-19: 6.3% Preston — 15-19: 6.7%
20-24 4.0% / 3.4%
Gawler — 20-24: 4.0% Preston — 20-24: 3.4%
25-34 9.0% / 2.7%
Gawler — 25-34: 9.0% Preston — 25-34: 2.7%
35-44 11.9% / 11.4%
Gawler — 35-44: 11.9% Preston — 35-44: 11.4%
45-54 14.1% / 16.1%
Gawler — 45-54: 14.1% Preston — 45-54: 16.1%
55-64 18.8% / 17.4%
Gawler — 55-64: 18.8% Preston — 55-64: 17.4%
65-74 11.2% / 14.1%
Gawler — 65-74: 11.2% Preston — 65-74: 14.1%
75-84 5.7% / 5.4%
Gawler — 75-84: 5.7% Preston — 75-84: 5.4%
85+ 1.7% / —
Gawler — 85+: 1.7% Preston — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Gawler 58.9% couple families
Gawler — Couple Families: 58.9% Gawler — Lone Person: 29.7% Gawler — One Parent Families: 11.4%
Preston 32.6% couple families
Preston — Couple Families: 32.6% Preston — Lone Person: 41.9% Preston — One Parent Families: 25.6%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Gawler 6.3% renting
Gawler — Owned Outright: 47.1% Gawler — Mortgage: 46.7% Gawler — Renting: 6.3%
Preston 20.8% renting
Preston — Owned Outright: 52.8% Preston — Mortgage: 26.4% Preston — Renting: 20.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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 Preston
England 2.4% / 4.0%
Gawler — England: 2.4% Preston — England: 4.0%
New Zealand 0.4% / 3.4%
Gawler — New Zealand: 0.4% Preston — New Zealand: 3.4%
Philippines 0.9% / —
Gawler — Philippines: 0.9% Preston — Philippines: not among its largest
Netherlands 0.4% / —
Gawler — Netherlands: 0.4% Preston — Netherlands: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.0%).

Qualifications

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

Gawler Preston
Certificate III & IV 20.6% / 15.4%
Gawler — Certificate III & IV: 20.6% Preston — Certificate III & IV: 15.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.4% / 7.4%
Gawler — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.4% Preston — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.4%
Bachelor Degree 7.7% / 4.0%
Gawler — Bachelor Degree: 7.7% Preston — Bachelor Degree: 4.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.1% / —
Gawler — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.1% Preston — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest
Postgraduate Degree 1.7% / —
Gawler — Postgraduate Degree: 1.7% Preston — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.6%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Gawler 98.5% houses
Gawler — Houses: 98.5% Gawler — Flats / Apartments: 1.5%
Preston 94.9% houses
Preston — Houses: 94.9% Preston — Flats / Apartments: 5.1%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Gawler Preston
Median house price $925,000 —
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $1,025,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 73 days
from 4 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Gawler Preston
Rural and farming 97% 99%
Infrastructure and transport 2% 1%
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 Preston
New dwellings approved 84
across Central Coast (Tas.)
same for both
Approvals change year on year -38%
same for both

Ranking within TAS

Gawler Preston
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 82% of TAS Higher than 19% of TAS
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 6% of TAS Higher than 77% of TAS
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 33% of TAS Higher than 35% of TAS
NBN connectivity Higher than 73% of TAS Higher than 34% of TAS

Liveability

Preston is more walkable (10 vs 0).

Gawler Preston
Grade B —
Score 49/100 —
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10
 high-need area
decile 1/10

Risk profile

Gawler Preston
Bushfire Low
20/100
 Low
12/100
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 1
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Gawler Preston
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

Gawler Preston
Parks & reserves 0 2
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Waterways 18 5

Mobility

Preston sits further from the CBD (318.6 km vs 305.6 km).

Gawler Preston
Walkability score 0/100 10/100
Distance to Hobart 305.6 km 318.6 km
+4% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 214 min 226 min
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 7315
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 28
postcode 7315
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 Preston
Car (driver) 83.3% / 61.4%
Gawler — Car (driver): 83.3% Preston — Car (driver): 61.4%
Worked from Home 10.7% / 38.6%
Gawler — Worked from Home: 10.7% Preston — Worked from Home: 38.6%
Car (passenger) 3.2% / —
Gawler — Car (passenger): 3.2% Preston — Car (passenger): not among its largest
Walked Only 2.8% / —
Gawler — Walked Only: 2.8% Preston — Walked Only: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (83.3%).

Setting

Gawler Preston
Elevation 53 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 367 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 7.6 km 18.7 km

NBN connectivity

Gawler Preston
Connectivity score 37/100 27/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 6%
288 premises
 0%
59 premises

Climate

Gawler Preston
Annual rainfall 814 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Gawler Preston
Average residential rate $1,379/yr
same for both
Council Central Coast (Tas.)
same for both

Federal electorate

Gawler Preston
Division Braddon
same for both
Member Anne Urquhart
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Gawler Preston
Grant amount $20,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Gawler

Rural

Preston

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Gawler

Gawler vs Ulverstone Gawler vs North Motton Gawler vs Sprent Gawler vs Abbotsham Gawler vs Spalford

Other comparisons with Preston

Preston vs North Motton Preston vs Gunns Plains Preston vs Upper Castra
Full data on Gawler Full data on Preston
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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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