Gilberton (SA)

Population growth drivers in Gilberton are slightly above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium term trends

Based on ABS population updates for the broader area, and new addresses validated by AreaSearch since the Census, Gilberton's population is estimated at around 1,556 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 28 people (1.8%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 1,528 people. The change is inferred from the resident population of 1,542 estimated by AreaSearch following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024 and address validation since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 2,469 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Over the past decade, Gilberton has demonstrated resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 1.4%, outpacing the SA3 area. Population growth for the suburb was primarily driven by overseas migration that contributed approximately 83.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data and years post-2032, the SA State Government's Regional/LGA projections by age category, released in 2023 based on 2021 data, are adopted with adjustments made employing a method of weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Considering projected demographic shifts, an above median population growth is projected for Gilberton, with the suburb expected to grow by 262 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting an increase of 20.9% in total over the 17 years.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Gilberton when compared nationally

Based on AreaSearch analysis, Gilberton has received around 3 dwelling approvals per year from FY-21 to FY-25. This totals an estimated 16 homes over the past five financial years. As of FY-26, 1 approval has been recorded.

On average, each home built has accommodated approximately 5.7 new residents annually during this period. This supply is significantly lagging demand, leading to heightened buyer competition and pricing pressures. Developers have targeted the premium market segment with higher-end properties, constructing new homes at an average value of $844,000. Compared to Greater Adelaide, Gilberton has had significantly less development activity, which is 72.0% below the regional average per person. This scarcity of new properties typically strengthens demand and prices for existing properties. Recent construction comprises 33.0% detached dwellings and 67.0% medium and high-density housing, marking a significant shift from the current housing pattern of 55.0% houses. Gilberton has characteristics of a low density area with around 230 people per dwelling approval.

According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Gilberton is expected to grow by approximately 325 residents through to 2041. If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing buyer competition and supporting stronger price growth.

Gilberton has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 17thth percentile nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified three projects that may impact this region. Key projects are The Buckingham, Calvary North Adelaide Hospital Redevelopment, 274-275 North Terrace Development Site, and 183 Melbourne Street Redevelopment. Below is a list of these projects, focusing on those most relevant to the area.

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

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

Employment conditions in Gilberton remain below the national average according to AreaSearch analysis

Gilberton has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. The unemployment rate was 4.8% as of September 2025. Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 1.9%.

Compared to Greater Adelaide's unemployment rate of 3.9%, Gilberton's is 0.9% higher, while workforce participation is slightly higher at 69.6%. Approximately 16.6% of residents work from home, as per Census responses. Key employment sectors include health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training. The area shows a strong specialization in professional & technical services, with an employment share 2.1 times the regional level.

However, manufacturing is under-represented, with only 4.2% of Gilberton's workforce compared to Greater Adelaide's 7.0%. Over the year to September 2025, employment increased by 1.9%, while labour force grew by 2.4%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate by 0.4 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Adelaide saw employment growth of 3.0% and a fall in unemployment rate by 0.1 percentage points. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia project national employment growth at 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Gilberton's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.6% over five years and 15.4% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes only.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

The suburb of Gilberton has a median taxpayer income of $66,747 and an average income of $122,501 according to the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for the financial year 2023. This places it in the top percentile nationally, contrasting with Greater Adelaide's median income of $54,808 and average income of $66,852. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.8% since financial year 2023, current estimates would be approximately $72,621 (median) and $133,281 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census, individual earnings in Gilberton stand out at the 84th percentile nationally ($1,064 weekly), though household income ranks lower at the 52nd percentile. The earnings profile shows that 25.1% of the population (390 individuals) fall within the $1,500 - $2,999 income range, consistent with broader trends across the surrounding region showing 31.8% in the same category. The district demonstrates considerable affluence with 32.4% earning over $3,000 per week, supporting premium retail and service offerings. After housing expenses, 85.5% of income remains for other expenses. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

Gilberton displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Gilberton's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 54.8% houses and 45.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Adelaide metro's 75.2% houses and 24.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Gilberton was at 37.2%, with mortgaged dwellings at 24.0% and rented ones at 38.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,260, higher than Adelaide metro's average of $1,562. The median weekly rent figure for Gilberton was recorded at $344, compared to Adelaide metro's $320. Nationally, Gilberton's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were lower than the national figure of $375.

Gilberton features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 57.3% of all households, including 18.4% couples with children, 31.0% couples without children, and 4.9% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 42.7%, with lone person households at 38.5% and group households comprising 4.3%. The median household size is 2.0 people, which is smaller than the Greater Adelaide average of 2.5.

Educational achievement in Gilberton places it within the top 10% nationally, reflecting strong academic performance and high qualification levels across the community

Educational attainment in Gilberton is notably high, with 53.5% of residents aged 15 and above holding university qualifications. This compares to 25.7% in South Australia (SA) as a whole and 28.9% in Greater Adelaide. The area's educational advantage is evident in the types of qualifications held: bachelor degrees are most common at 31.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 17.2% and graduate diplomas at 5.0%. Vocational pathways account for 19.7% of qualifications among those aged 15 and above, with advanced diplomas making up 9.4% and certificates 10.3%.

Educational participation is high, with 27.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.1% in tertiary education, 6.3% in primary education, and 6.0% pursuing secondary education.

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

Gilberton has 12 operational public transport stops, all serving buses. These stops are covered by 16 different routes, offering a total of 1,699 weekly passenger trips. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 142 meters to the nearest stop. Most residents commute outwards from Gilberton, predominantly by car (78%), followed by bus (11%) and cycling (5%). The area has a lower vehicle ownership rate than the region's average, at 1.1 per dwelling. According to the 2021 Census, 16.6% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions.

Bus services operate an average of 242 trips daily across all routes, equating to approximately 141 weekly trips per individual stop.

Gilberton's residents are extremely healthy with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Analysis of health metrics indicates robust performance across Gilberton. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence were very low across all age groups, according to AreaSearch's assessment. Private health cover was exceptionally high at approximately 75% of the total population (1,170 people), compared to 52.7% in Greater Adelaide and a national average of 55.7%.

The most prevalent medical conditions were arthritis and mental health issues, affecting 8.0% and 7.8% of residents respectively. A total of 72.0% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 67.9% in Greater Adelaide. Health outcomes among the working-age population were broadly typical. The area had 22.9% of residents aged 65 and over (356 people), higher than Greater Adelaide's 19.3%. Health outcomes among seniors were particularly strong, with national rankings even higher than those of the general population.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Gilberton was found to be above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Gilberton's population showed higher linguistic diversity, with 21.9% speaking a language other than English at home, compared to the majority of local markets. Additionally, 31.0% were born overseas. Christianity was the predominant religion in Gilberton, accounting for 44.3%.

Notably, Buddhism was more prevalent in Gilberton at 3.2%, compared to Greater Adelaide's average of 2.4%. In terms of ancestry, English was the top group at 27.7%, followed by Australian at 16.8% (lower than the regional average of 22.8%), and Other at 9.2%. Some ethnic groups showed notable differences: Polish was overrepresented at 1.3% compared to the regional average of 1.0%, Russian at 0.8% vs 0.3%, and German at 5.3% vs 5.1%.

Gilberton hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

Gilberton has a median age of 42, which is slightly higher than Greater Adelaide's figure of 39 and significantly exceeds the national norm of 38. The age group of 65-74 is strongly represented at 13.7%, compared to Greater Adelaide, while the 5-14 cohort is less prevalent at 7.7%. According to the 2021 Census, the 15 to 24 age group has increased from 11.6% to 13.1% of Gilberton's population. Conversely, the 45 to 54 cohort has decreased from 13.1% to 11.8%, and the 0 to 4 group has dropped from 3.9% to 2.7%. Demographic modeling indicates that Gilberton's age profile will change significantly by 2041, with the 45 to 54 group projected to grow by 32%, adding 58 people to reach a total of 242 from its current figure of 183.