Gowrie (ACT)

Gowrie has shown very soft population growth performance across periods assessed by AreaSearch

AreaSearch's analysis shows Gowrie's population was approximately 3,100 as of May 2026. This reflects a decrease of 40 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 3,140. The change is inferred from ABS's estimated resident population of 3,100 in June 2025 and seven validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 1,606 persons per square kilometer, above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. While Gowrie experienced a 1.3% decline since census, the SA3 area achieved 1.4% growth, indicating divergent population trends. Population growth was primarily driven by natural growth contributing approximately 65.9% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered and years post-2032, age group growth rates from the ACT Government's SA2 area projections are adopted, using 2022 as a base. Examining future trends, projections indicate an overall population decline by 266 persons in Gowrie by 2041. However, specific age cohorts are expected to grow, notably the 75 to 84 age group projected to increase by 39 people.

The level of residential development activity in Gowrie is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Gowrie has averaged approximately two new dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling ten homes. As of FY26, zero approvals have been recorded. Over these five years, between FY21 and FY25, an average of 1.1 new residents per year per dwelling constructed was observed. However, in the past two financial years, this figure has increased to nine people per dwelling, suggesting rising demand and decreasing supply. New homes are being built at an average expected construction cost value of $464,000, indicating a focus on the premium market segment with higher-end properties.

In FY26, $595,000 in commercial approvals have been registered, reflecting minimal commercial development activity compared to the Australian Capital Territory, where Gowrie has 73.0% less development activity per person. This limited new supply generally supports stronger demand and values for established dwellings. Furthermore, this activity is below the national average, suggesting the area's established nature and potential planning limitations. All new construction in Gowrie over these years has been comprised of detached houses, preserving the area's suburban character and attracting space-seeking buyers.

Given stable or declining population forecasts, Gowrie may experience less housing pressure in the future, creating favourable conditions for buyers.

Gowrie has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 19thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified three projects expected to affect the region: Wanniassa Hills Primary School Modernisation, Erindale Group Centre Master Plan Implementation - Stage 1, The Valley Ponds - Wanniassa, and Canberra Light Rail Stage 4 - Woden to Tuggeranong. Details of these key projects are listed below.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

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Employment drivers in Gowrie are experiencing difficulties, placing it among the bottom 20% of areas assessed across Australia

Gowrie's workforce is well-educated with significant representation in essential services sectors. The unemployment rate was 7.2% as of December 2025, which is 3.3% higher than the Australian Capital Territory's rate of 3.8%. Workforce participation was 67.9%, slightly below the Australian Capital Territory's 70.5%.

A low 10.8% of residents worked from home as per Census responses, with Covid-19 lockdown impacts considered. Key industries of employment among residents are public administration & safety, health care & social assistance, and education & training. Construction is particularly specialized, with an employment share of 1.4 times the regional level. However, professional & technical services are under-represented at 8.5% compared to Australian Capital Territory's 11.1%.

The predominantly residential area offers limited local employment opportunities. Over a 12-month period ending in December 2025, labour force increased by 1.0%, while employment declined by 0.1%, causing unemployment to rise by 1.0 percentage points. In contrast, Australian Capital Territory experienced employment growth of 0.9% and labour force growth of 1.2%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years for national employment. Applying these projections to Gowrie's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.4% over five years and 13.2% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localized population projections.

The economic profile demonstrates exceptional strength, placing the area among the top 10% nationally based on comprehensive AreaSearch income analysis

The median taxpayer income in Gowrie SA2 was $70,885 in financial year 2023. The average income was $82,507. These figures were among the highest in Australia, contrasting with the Australian Capital Territory's median income of $72,206 and average income of $85,981 during the same period. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.44% since financial year 2023, estimated current incomes as of March 2026 would be approximately $78,285 (median) and $91,121 (average). According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in Gowrie ranked highly nationally, between the 91st and 93rd percentiles. Distribution data showed that 30.6% of locals (948 people) fell into the $1,500 - 2,999 income category. Economic strength was evident with 43.1% of households achieving high weekly earnings exceeding $3,000. After housing costs, residents retained 88.2% of their income, reflecting strong purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 8th decile.

Gowrie is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

As evaluated at the latest Census, dwelling structure in Gowrie comprised 99.3% houses and 0.7% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Australian Capital Territory had 63.3% houses and 36.7% other dwellings. Home ownership level in Gowrie was 35.2%, with the rest of dwellings either mortgaged (49.3%) or rented (15.5%). Median monthly mortgage repayment in Gowrie was $2,167, higher than Australian Capital Territory's average of $2,080. Median weekly rent figure in Gowrie was recorded at $440, compared to Australian Capital Territory's $450. Nationally, Gowrie's median monthly mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $2,167 compared to the Australian average of $1,863, while median weekly rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Gowrie features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 82.4% of all households, consisting of 38.7% couples with children, 31.0% couples without children, and 12.2% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 17.6%, with lone person households at 15.5% and group households comprising 2.0% of the total. The median household size is 2.8 people, which is larger than the Australian Capital Territory average of 2.5.

Gowrie shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

The area's university qualification rate is 34.8%, significantly lower than the SA4 region average of 46.8%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 21.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (8.6%) and graduate diplomas (4.3%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 32.4% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (12.7%) and certificates (19.7%). Educational participation is high at 28.8%, comprising primary education (11.2%), secondary education (6.5%), and tertiary education (4.7%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 28.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 11.2% in primary education, 6.5% in secondary education, and 4.7% pursuing tertiary education.

Transport servicing is high compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

Gowrie has 24 active public transport stops serving buses. These stops are covered by 64 routes offering a total of 3,868 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is excellent with residents usually within 166 meters of the nearest stop. In this residential area, most commute outward using cars at 91%, while 5% use buses. Average vehicle ownership per dwelling is 1.8, exceeding regional averages. According to the 2021 Census, 10.8% work from home, potentially influenced by COVID-19 conditions.

Service frequency averages 552 trips daily across all routes, equating to about 161 weekly trips per stop.

The level of general health in Gowrie is notably higher than the national average with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Gowrie demonstrates above-average health outcomes based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Both young and old age cohorts show low prevalence of common health conditions.

The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 61% of the total population (1,884 people), compared to the national average of 55.7%. The most common medical conditions in the area are mental health issues and asthma, impacting 9.7% and 8.4% of residents respectively. Sixty-six percent declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 70.2% across Australian Capital Territory. Working-age residents show above average prevalence of chronic health conditions. The area has 19.5% of residents aged 65 and over (603 people), which is higher than the 14.3% in Australian Capital Territory. Health outcomes among seniors are above average, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

In terms of cultural diversity, Gowrie records figures broadly comparable to the national average, as found in AreaSearch's assessment of a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Gowrie's cultural diversity was found to be above average, with 20.8% of its population born overseas and 15.4% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the main religion in Gowrie, representing 50.5% of its population. Notably, Judaism had an overrepresentation compared to Australian Capital Territory averages, comprising 0.3% of Gowrie's population instead of 0.2%.

The top three ancestry groups were Australian (27.1%), English (26.7%), and Irish (9.3%). Some ethnic groups showed notable divergences in representation: Spanish was overrepresented at 0.8%, Russian at 0.6%, and Croatian at 0.9%.

Gowrie's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Gowrie's median age is 38 years, which is higher than the Australian Capital Territory average of 35 but equivalent to Australia's median age of 38. Compared to the Australian Capital Territory, Gowrie has a higher proportion of residents aged 65-74 (11.4%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (11.3%). Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses, the proportion of residents aged 75 to 84 increased from 4.3% to 6.7%, while those aged 35 to 44 rose from 14.5% to 16.3%. Conversely, the proportion of residents aged 25 to 34 decreased from 13.5% to 11.3%, and those aged 55 to 64 dropped from 12.2% to 10.5%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests significant changes in Gowrie's age profile. The 85+ cohort is projected to grow by 91%, adding 37 residents to reach 78. Residents aged 65 and above will drive 89% of population growth, highlighting demographic aging trends. However, the 55 to 64 and 0 to 4 age cohorts are expected to experience population declines.