Gowrie (ACT)

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

Gowrie's population was approximately 3,098 as of February 2026, reflecting a decrease of 42 people since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 3,140. This change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 3,096 in June 2024 and an additional 7 validated new addresses since the Census date. The population density ratio was 1,605 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 0.1% growth, indicating divergent population trends. Natural growth contributed approximately 73.9% of overall population gains during recent periods. AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year.

For areas not covered and years post-2032, age group growth rates from ACT Government's SA2 area projections are used, also based on 2022. Future population trends indicate a decline by 284 persons by 2041, with the 75 to 84 age group projected to grow by 55 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, from FY21 to FY25, an average of 1.1 new residents per year was associated with each dwelling constructed. This suggests a balanced supply and demand dynamic in the market, with recent figures indicating an acceleration to nine people per dwelling over the past two financial years, implying increasing demand and tightening supply. The average value of new homes being built is $464,000, indicating that developers are targeting the premium market segment with higher-end properties.

In FY26, commercial approvals valued at $595,000 have been registered, suggesting minimal commercial development activity in the area compared to the Australian Capital Territory average. Gowrie has significantly less development activity than the regional average per person (72.0% below). This limited new supply generally supports stronger demand and values for established dwellings due to reduced competition from new constructions. Similarly, when measured against national averages, Gowrie's development activity is lower, suggesting an area that is more established with potential planning limitations.

All new construction in the area has been comprised of detached houses, preserving its suburban nature and attracting space-seeking buyers. Given stable or declining population forecasts, Gowrie may experience less housing pressure, creating favourable conditions for buyers.

Gowrie has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 21stth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified three projects that may affect this 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.

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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 6.9% as of September 2025. Employment stability has been relatively consistent over the past year.

As of that date, 1,532 residents were employed while the unemployment rate was 3.3% higher than the Australian Capital Territory's rate of 3.6%. Workforce participation in Gowrie was 67.6%, compared to the Australian Capital Territory's 72.5%. According to Census responses, only 10.8% of residents worked from home. Key industries of employment among residents were public administration & safety, health care & social assistance, and education & training.

Employment specialization in construction was notable, with a share 1.4 times the regional level. However, professional & technical services were under-represented at 8.5% compared to the Australian Capital Territory's 11.1%. The predominantly residential area appeared to offer limited local employment opportunities based on Census data. Over a 12-month period ending in September 2025, labour force increased by 0.6% while employment declined by 0.3%, leading to an unemployment rate rise of 0.9 percentage points. In contrast, the Australian Capital Territory experienced employment growth of 1.4% and labour force growth of 1.2%, with a decrease in unemployment by 0.2 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 projected national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Gowrie's employment mix suggested local employment should increase by 6.4% over five years and 13.2% over ten years, though this was a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and did 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 Gowrie SA2 has a median taxpayer income of $70,885 and an average of $82,507 according to the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. This is among the highest in Australia, contrasting with Australian Capital Territory's median income of $72,206 and average income of $85,981. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.26% since financial year 2023, current estimates would be approximately $77,449 (median) and $90,147 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census figures, household, family and personal incomes in Gowrie rank highly nationally, between the 91st and 93rd percentiles. Distribution data shows that 30.6% of locals (947 people) fall into the $1,500 - 2,999 income category. Economic strength is evident with 43.1% of households achieving high weekly earnings exceeding $3,000, supporting elevated consumer spending. After housing costs, residents retain 88.2% of their income, reflecting strong purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

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

In Gowrie, as per the latest Census evaluation, 99.3% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 0.7% consisting of semi-detached properties, apartments, and other types. This is in contrast to the Australian Capital Territory's (ACT) dwelling structure, which comprised 63.3% houses and 36.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Gowrie stood at 35.2%, with mortgaged dwellings accounting for 49.3% and rented properties making up 15.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,167, surpassing the ACT average of $2,080. The median weekly rent figure in Gowrie was recorded at $440, compared to the ACT's $450. Nationally, Gowrie's median monthly mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and its 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, including 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%. The median household size is 2.8 people, 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 has university qualification rates at 34.8%, which is significantly lower than the SA4 region average of 46.8%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 21.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 8.6% and graduate diplomas at 4.3%. Vocational credentials are held by 32.4% of residents aged 15 and above, with advanced diplomas at 12.7% and certificates at 19.7%. Educational participation is 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 operational public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 64 different routes that facilitate a total of 3,868 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these stops is rated as excellent, with residents typically residing just 166 meters from the nearest stop. As a predominantly residential area, most commutes are outward-bound. Cars remain the primary mode of transport, used by 91% of residents, while buses account for 5%. On average, there are 1.8 vehicles per dwelling in Gowrie, exceeding the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, only 10.8% of residents work from home, which may be due to COVID-19 conditions. Across all routes, an average of 552 trips are made daily, equating to approximately 161 weekly trips per individual 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 (1,883 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 of residents 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 18.9% of residents aged 65 and over (583 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 above average, with 20.8% of its population born overseas and 15.4% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Gowrie, comprising 50.5% of the population. Notably, Judaism was overrepresented in Gowrie at 0.3%, compared to 0.2% across Australian Capital Territory.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were Australian (27.1%), English (26.7%), and Irish (9.3%). There were also notable differences in the representation of Spanish (0.8% vs regional 0.5%), Russian (0.6% vs 0.3%), and Croatian (0.9% vs 0.9%) ethnic groups in Gowrie compared to the region.

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 the Australian median of 38. Compared to the Australian Capital Territory, Gowrie has a higher proportion of residents aged 65-74 (11.1%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (11.5%). Between the 2021 Census and present, the population aged 75-84 has grown from 4.3% to 6.6%, while the 35-44 age group increased from 14.5% to 16.1%. Conversely, the 25-34 age group has declined from 13.5% to 11.5%, and the 55-64 age group dropped from 12.2% to 11.1%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests significant changes in Gowrie's age profile. The 85+ cohort is projected to grow by 89%, adding 32 residents to reach 69. Senior residents aged 65 and above will drive 91% of population growth, reflecting demographic aging trends. Conversely, the 55-64 and 0-4 age cohorts are expected to experience population declines.