Gillen vs The Gap

In Gillen, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. In The Gap, most households rent and about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Gillen: a median of $460,000, against $380,000 in The Gap, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Gillen tends to suit families with children, while The Gap suits renters, young adults, and people living alone.

Gillen is the larger suburb with 4466 residents compared to The Gap's 1945, and it commands higher median household income at $113,152 versus $101,556. Housing costs are notably higher in Gillen—median house prices sit at $455,000 against $380,000, and median unit prices at $300,000 versus $250,000. Gillen also scores better on liveability (60 versus 48) and walkability (61 versus 52), making it better suited to buyers seeking a more established, walkable community. The Gap offers a lower cost of entry and a slightly stronger rental yield on units at 7.8 percent, which may appeal to investors prioritising rental returns.

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

Gillen

ahead on 4 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (5 vs 1)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (4 vs 1)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (70% vs 32%)

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 units ($252,500 vs $307,500)
  • has cheaper houses ($380,000 vs $460,000)

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 42%)
  • has cheaper rent ($350/wk vs $400/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Too close to call

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

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

The Gap

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (68% vs 30%)

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

Investors

The Gap

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is growing faster (13.8% vs 4.4%)
  • returns a higher gross yield on units (7.7% vs 6.8%)
  • But Gillen returns a higher gross yield on houses (7.7% vs 6.8%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

Gillen 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.

Gillen 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.

Gillen The Gap
Walkability 65 / 58
Gillen — Walkability: 65/100 The Gap — Walkability: 58/100

Demographics

Gillen has more residents (4,466 vs 1,945); Gillen rents higher ($400/wk vs $350/wk).

Gillen The Gap
Population 4,466
+56% vs other
 1,945
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +4.4% +13.8%
Median age 33 34
Median household income $113,152/yr
+10% vs other
 $101,556/yr
Median weekly rent $400/wk
+12% vs other
 $350/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Gillen The Gap
0-4 6.9% / 7.1%
Gillen — 0-4: 6.9% The Gap — 0-4: 7.1%
5-14 15.9% / 9.0%
Gillen — 5-14: 15.9% The Gap — 5-14: 9.0%
15-19 6.4% / 2.7%
Gillen — 15-19: 6.4% The Gap — 15-19: 2.7%
20-24 5.5% / 5.6%
Gillen — 20-24: 5.5% The Gap — 20-24: 5.6%
25-34 19.2% / 27.5%
Gillen — 25-34: 19.2% The Gap — 25-34: 27.5%
35-44 16.1% / 18.0%
Gillen — 35-44: 16.1% The Gap — 35-44: 18.0%
45-54 12.4% / 12.3%
Gillen — 45-54: 12.4% The Gap — 45-54: 12.3%
55-64 9.9% / 10.7%
Gillen — 55-64: 9.9% The Gap — 55-64: 10.7%
65-74 5.0% / 5.6%
Gillen — 65-74: 5.0% The Gap — 65-74: 5.6%
75-84 2.1% / 1.1%
Gillen — 75-84: 2.1% The Gap — 75-84: 1.1%
85+ 0.6% / 0.2%
Gillen — 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.

Gillen 29.5% lone person
Gillen — Lone Person: 29.5% Gillen — Couple Families: 40.2% Gillen — One Parent Families: 19.6% Gillen — Group Household: 8.3% Gillen — Other Families: 2.3%
The Gap 47.3% lone person
The Gap — Lone Person: 47.3% The Gap — Couple Families: 29.1% The Gap — One Parent Families: 13.0% The Gap — Group Household: 9.3% The Gap — 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.

Gillen 42.1% renting
Gillen — Owned Outright: 14.8% Gillen — Mortgage: 43.2% Gillen — Renting: 42.1%
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.

Gillen The Gap
Bachelor Degree 12.2% / 21.6%
Gillen — Bachelor Degree: 12.2% The Gap — Bachelor Degree: 21.6%
Certificate III & IV 13.9% / 10.6%
Gillen — Certificate III & IV: 13.9% The Gap — Certificate III & IV: 10.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.9% / 6.6%
Gillen — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.9% The Gap — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.6%
Postgraduate Degree 4.9% / 6.5%
Gillen — Postgraduate Degree: 4.9% The Gap — Postgraduate Degree: 6.5%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.1% / 2.2%
Gillen — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.1% 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.

Gillen The Gap
India 5.8% / 8.3%
Gillen — India: 5.8% The Gap — India: 8.3%
Philippines 2.7% / 5.0%
Gillen — Philippines: 2.7% The Gap — Philippines: 5.0%
New Zealand 3.8% / 3.1%
Gillen — New Zealand: 3.8% The Gap — New Zealand: 3.1%
England 2.2% / 3.0%
Gillen — England: 2.2% The Gap — England: 3.0%
China 0.7% / 3.1%
Gillen — China: 0.7% The Gap — China: 3.1%
Nepal 1.2% / 1.4%
Gillen — Nepal: 1.2% The Gap — Nepal: 1.4%

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

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Gillen 69.6% houses
Gillen — Houses: 69.6% Gillen — Townhouses: 27.2% Gillen — Flats / Apartments: 3.3%
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

Gillen The Gap
Median house price $460,000 $380,000
Median unit price $307,500 $252,500
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 85 days
from 60 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.

Gillen The Gap
3 bed $442K / $380K
Gillen — 3 bed: $442K (74 sales) The Gap — 3 bed: $380K (11 sales)

74 vs 11 sales

4 bed $500K / $470K
Gillen — 4 bed: $500K (30 sales) The Gap — 4 bed: $470K (5 sales)

30 vs 5 sales

Development activity

Gillen 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.

Gillen The Gap
Houses 7.7%
$750/wk on $509K
 6.8%
$560/wk on $430K
Units 6.8%
$445/wk on $342K
 7.7%
$442/wk on $299K

Ranking within NT

Gillen The Gap
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 74% of NT Higher than 64% of NT
Schools Higher than 100% of NT —
Walkability Higher than 91% of NT Higher than 87% of NT
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 73% of NT
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 71% of NT
same for both
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 98% of NT Higher than 87% of NT
Rental yield (units) Higher than 50% of NT Higher than 85% of NT

Liveability

Gillen scores higher overall (65 vs 48).

Gillen The Gap
Grade B C
Score 65/100 48/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
same for both

Risk profile

Gillen 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 7
within 5 km
 6
within 5 km

Schools

Gillen The Gap
Inside the suburb 4 1
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Gillen

  • Bradshaw Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Centralian Middle School Government · Secondary
  • Gillen Primary School Government · Primary
  • St Joseph's Catholic Flexible School Catholic · Secondary · Special school

Schools in The Gap

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

Amenities in the suburb

Gillen The Gap
Supermarkets 2 0
Cafes & restaurants 0 2
Parks & reserves 5 1
Childcare 3
same for both
GPs 0 1
Hospitals 0 2
Fuel stations 0 2

Mobility

Gillen The Gap
Walkability score 65/100 58/100
Distance to Darwin 1500.4 km 1500.6 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 952 min
same for both
Public transport score 31/100
Bus
 34/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 8.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 10.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
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.

Gillen The Gap
Car (driver) 77.7% / 65.5%
Gillen — Car (driver): 77.7% The Gap — Car (driver): 65.5%
Walked Only 4.7% / 16.7%
Gillen — Walked Only: 4.7% The Gap — Walked Only: 16.7%
Car (passenger) 9.8% / 9.6%
Gillen — Car (passenger): 9.8% The Gap — Car (passenger): 9.6%
Bicycle 3.6% / 5.8%
Gillen — Bicycle: 3.6% The Gap — Bicycle: 5.8%
Worked from Home 2.8% / 1.5%
Gillen — Worked from Home: 2.8% The Gap — Worked from Home: 1.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (77.7%).

Setting

Gillen The Gap
Elevation 576 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 574 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Gillen The Gap
Connectivity score 64/100 57/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 35%
1,906 premises
 22%
1,001 premises

Climate

Gillen 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

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Gillen

Affordable Easy Commute Family Parks Townhouses Transport Hub

The Gap

Affordable Easy Commute Multicultural Professionals Townhouses Transport Hub

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Gillen

Gillen vs Araluen Gillen vs Ciccone Gillen vs Alice Springs Gillen vs Flynn

Other comparisons with The Gap

The Gap vs Desert Springs The Gap vs Mount Johns The Gap vs Alice Springs The Gap vs Flynn
Full data on Gillen 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.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or