Gelston Park vs Rowan

Rowan is the younger of the two, with a median age of 43 against 47 in Gelston Park. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families.

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

Rowan

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more separate houses rather than flats (100% vs 90%)
  • is already more of a family suburb (79% vs 71%)
  • But Gelston Park carries lower crime risk (21/100 vs 83/100)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, 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

Rowan

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($350/wk vs $460/wk)

Weighs rent and rental stress.

Commuting to the city

Rowan

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (299 min vs 304 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (466.5 km vs 471.8 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Gelston Park

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (21/100 vs 83/100)

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

Investors

Gelston Park

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (32.2% vs 22.1%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Gelston Park Rowan
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.

Gelston Park Rowan
Walkability 0 / 0
Gelston Park — Walkability: 0/100 Rowan — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 79 / 17
Gelston Park — Safety: 79/100 Rowan — Safety: 17/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Gelston Park — Low fire risk: 100/100 Rowan — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Gelston Park has more residents (160 vs 105); Gelston Park rents higher ($460/wk vs $350/wk).

Gelston Park Rowan
Population 160
+34% vs other
 105
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +32.2% +22.1%
Median age 47 43
Median household income $126,724/yr $125,632/yr
Median weekly rent $460/wk
+24% vs other
 $350/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Gelston Park Rowan
0-4 4.4% / 3.8%
Gelston Park — 0-4: 4.4% Rowan — 0-4: 3.8%
5-14 15.6% / 20.0%
Gelston Park — 5-14: 15.6% Rowan — 5-14: 20.0%
15-19 8.8% / 8.6%
Gelston Park — 15-19: 8.8% Rowan — 15-19: 8.6%
20-24 4.4% / 2.9%
Gelston Park — 20-24: 4.4% Rowan — 20-24: 2.9%
25-34 8.8% / 5.7%
Gelston Park — 25-34: 8.8% Rowan — 25-34: 5.7%
35-44 9.4% / 13.3%
Gelston Park — 35-44: 9.4% Rowan — 35-44: 13.3%
45-54 20.6% / 18.1%
Gelston Park — 45-54: 20.6% Rowan — 45-54: 18.1%
55-64 16.9% / 19.0%
Gelston Park — 55-64: 16.9% Rowan — 55-64: 19.0%
65-74 14.4% / 9.5%
Gelston Park — 65-74: 14.4% Rowan — 65-74: 9.5%
75-84 3.1% / 4.8%
Gelston Park — 75-84: 3.1% Rowan — 75-84: 4.8%
85+ — / —
Gelston Park — 85+: not among its largest Rowan — 85+: not among its largest

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

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.

Gelston Park Rowan
Ireland — / 2.9%
Gelston Park — Ireland: not among its largest Rowan — Ireland: 2.9%
England 2.5% / —
Gelston Park — England: 2.5% Rowan — England: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (2.9%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Gelston Park 70.8% couple families
Gelston Park — Couple Families: 70.8% Gelston Park — Lone Person: 16.7% Gelston Park — Group Household: 12.5%
Rowan 78.9% couple families
Rowan — Couple Families: 78.9% Rowan — Lone Person: 21.1% Rowan — Group Household: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person Group Household

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Gelston Park 89.5% houses
Gelston Park — Houses: 89.5% Gelston Park — Flats / Apartments: 10.5%
Rowan 100.0% houses
Rowan — Houses: 100.0% Rowan — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Gelston Park Rowan
Certificate III & IV 16.2% / 27.6%
Gelston Park — Certificate III & IV: 16.2% Rowan — Certificate III & IV: 27.6%
Bachelor Degree 20.6% / 13.3%
Gelston Park — Bachelor Degree: 20.6% Rowan — Bachelor Degree: 13.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.5% / —
Gelston Park — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.5% Rowan — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: not among its largest
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.5% / 4.8%
Gelston Park — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.5% Rowan — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.8%
Postgraduate Degree 2.5% / —
Gelston Park — Postgraduate Degree: 2.5% Rowan — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest

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

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Gelston Park 0.0% renting
Gelston Park — Owned Outright: 52.1% Gelston Park — Mortgage: 47.9% Gelston Park — Renting: 0.0%
Rowan 0.0% renting
Rowan — Owned Outright: 45.5% Rowan — Mortgage: 54.5% Rowan — Renting: 0.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Property market

Gelston Park Rowan
Median house price $1,425,000 —
Median unit price $1,400,000 —
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Gelston Park Rowan
Rural and farming 99%
same for both
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

Gelston Park Rowan
New dwellings approved 548
across Wagga Wagga
same for both
Approvals change year on year +139%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Gelston Park Rowan
House price Higher than 72% of NSW —
Income Higher than 88% of NSW Higher than 87% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 29% of NSW Higher than 3% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 55% of NSW —
EV adoption Higher than 39% of NSW Higher than 38% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 34% of NSW Higher than 50% of NSW

Liveability

Gelston Park Rowan
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
same for both

Risk profile

Rowan carries more crime risk (83 vs 21).

Gelston Park Rowan
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Low
21/100
 High
83/100
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

Gelston Park Rowan
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

Gelston Park Rowan
Waterways 9
same for both

Mobility

Gelston Park sits further from the CBD (471.8 km vs 466.5 km).

Gelston Park Rowan
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Sydney 471.8 km
+1% vs other
 466.5 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 304 min 299 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.

Gelston Park Rowan
Car (driver) 89.2% / 84.2%
Gelston Park — Car (driver): 89.2% Rowan — Car (driver): 84.2%
Worked from Home 10.8% / 15.8%
Gelston Park — Worked from Home: 10.8% Rowan — Worked from Home: 15.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (89.2%).

Setting

Gelston Park Rowan
Elevation 352 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 287 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Gelston Park Rowan
Connectivity score 24/100 30/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
49 premises
 0%
33 premises

Climate

Gelston Park Rowan
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)

Gelston Park Rowan
PM2.5 7.7 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 23.1 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Gelston Park Rowan
Average residential rate $1,254/yr
same for both
Council Wagga Wagga
same for both

Federal electorate

Gelston Park Rowan
Division Riverina
same for both
Member Michael Mccormack
same for both
Party The Nationals
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Gelston Park Rowan
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Gelston Park

Rural

Rowan

Family Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Gelston Park

Gelston Park vs Gregadoo Gelston Park vs Maxwell

Other comparisons with Rowan

Rowan vs Lake Albert Rowan vs Springvale Rowan vs Uranquinty Rowan vs Kapooka Rowan vs Gregadoo Rowan vs Maxwell
Full data on Gelston Park Full data on Rowan
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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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