NT · Alice Springs Council

The Gap, 0870

Est. population · Jun 2025

2,445

Growth (1 yr)

+2.5%

Growth (5 yr)

+17.5%

Median age

34

Median income

$1,953/wk

Employment rate

67.8%

Languages at home

41.6%non-English

Most common: Australian Indigenous languages, Malayalam, Mandarin

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

46.7/100
Average

Top 26% of Northern Territory's suburbs

Verified 72% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Excellent transport
  • High desirability
  • Education hub
  • Green suburb
  • National parks
What The Gap is known for: Excellent transport, High desirability, Education hub, Green suburb, National parks

Suburb profile

The Gap is a regional smaller community in Alice Springs Council, oriented around local life rather than the metro orbit of Darwin. Working households and growing families are the backbone of local life, with plenty of young families in the mix. Most local households sit in a multicultural mix, with overseas-born residents and languages other than English common at home.

Sport and recreation are easy to access, with local venues supporting active weekends and after-work routines. Local parks and tree cover add a welcome outdoor dimension to suburban life. A car helps for most daily errands, though buses still link the suburb further afield.

Housing sits in the middle of the local market: neither cheap nor premium. The area is still finding its shape, with new households arriving and the community evolving year by year.

Against similar regional towns, the suburb sits around average overall, mainly because schools and education lag behind, despite relative strength in safety. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.

At a glance

The Gap snapshot

A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk

Median house price

No data available

Median rent

No data available

Population (ERP)

2,445

+2.5% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

11.8%

Census unoccupied dwellings

Livability profile

Desirability pillars vs the peer median (50th percentile)

How it compares

Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles

Desirability

#2

among Country & regional · Growth area

Pop. growth

87th

percentile in NT

Advantage (IRSAD)

6/10

national SEIFA decile

School ICSEA

9th

percentile among schools with ICSEA

Population growth

Recent ERP change over 1 and 5 years

Housing mix

Dwelling types from the 2021 Census

Risks & flags

Quick scan — open a section below for full context

Living here

Desirability

Ranks & confidence
Desirability score
46.7/100 — Average
State standing
Top 26% of Northern Territory's suburbs
National rank
2628th in Australia
State rank
41st in NT
Peer rank
#2 among Country & regional · Growth area suburbs
Cohort rank
#9 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
72%

Data sources & freshness

  • Suburb Guide desirability indexSuburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated

Population

Estimated resident population

2,445(June 2025)

+2.5% annual · +17.5% over 5 years · 87th percentile in NT

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+2.5%
5-year growth
+17.5%
Change in 1 year
+60
Change in 5 years
+364
Growth rank in NT
87th percentile

ABS Estimated Resident Population allocated to this suburb from SA2-level data. Not an official ABS suburb count.

Methodology

Figures are allocated from ABS Estimated Resident Population at Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2), using 2021 Census share within overlapping SA2 regions. Where Census data is unavailable, area overlap is used instead.

The dashed chart line is a simple growth-trend estimate to June 2030 (~2,650), extrapolated at +1.4% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
1,945
Median age
34
Median household income / week
$1,953
Dwelling vacancy
11.8%
Unoccupied private dwellings
94 of 794
Median monthly mortgage
$1,509
Employment rate
67.8%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
223 / 381 / 59 (+ 6 other)

Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)

Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community ProfileAustralian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

  • Estimated Resident PopulationAustralian Bureau of Statistics · 2025 · Updated · SA2 ERP allocated to suburb boundaries

Community & culture

No 2021 Census cultural diversity data for this suburb yet.

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community ProfileAustralian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Family & Lifestyle

Schools & preschools

Schools within 2 km
5
Median school ICSEA (4 schools)
867
Median ICSEA percentile
9th
School list
  • Gillen Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 807 · 3th percentile · LBOTE 64% · 230 students · Top SEA quarter 8% · 0.9 km awayView on My School →
  • Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Catholic CollegeCombined · Catholic · ICSEA 1028 · 59th percentile · LBOTE 51% · 823 students · Top SEA quarter 24% · 0.9 km awayView on My School →
  • Centralian Middle SchoolSecondary · Government · ICSEA 816 · 3th percentile · LBOTE 47% · 338 students · Top SEA quarter 4% · 1.0 km awayView on My School →
  • St Joseph's Catholic Flexible SchoolSpecial · Catholic · LBOTE 55% · 82 students · 1.2 km awayView on My School →
  • Bradshaw Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 918 · 14th percentile · LBOTE 38% · 381 students · Top SEA quarter 13% · 1.6 km awayView on My School →

Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)

School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA

Data sources & freshness

Childcare

1 childcare service from OpenStreetMap

  • Ida Standley Preschoolkindergarten

Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)

Childcare centre count

Data sources & freshness

  • Childcare servicesOpenStreetMap · current · Updated

Public transport

10 public transport stops in this suburb

  • Gap Road
  • Gap Road
  • Gap Road
  • Gap Road
  • Gap road

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)

Public transport stop coverage

Data sources & freshness

Amenities

87 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km

1 restaurants · 1 cafes · 1 places of worship · 1 playgrounds · 1 sports centres · 11 swimming pools · 2 petrol stations

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • Limited walkable amenities nearby
  • Decent local green space3 parks in suburb, 1 playgrounds nearby
  • Reasonable bus and transport access10 public transport stops
  • Strong local sport and recreation15 sport and outdoor facilities nearby
Walkability proxy
19/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0.51
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
1.03
Parks per 1,000 residents
1.54
Food & drink(2)
  • RFDS CafeCafe
  • Jump InnRestaurant

    4 Traeger Avenue

Shopping(1)
  • Reddy ExpressConvenience store
Community(2)
  • Ida Standley PreschoolKindergarten
  • Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College Traegar CampusSchool
Health & services(2)
  • Gap Road Dialysis CentreClinic

    33 Gap Road

  • Alice Springs HospitalHospital
Sport & outdoors(18)
  • Hospital LawnsPark
  • Park (2)
  • Playground
  • Traeger Park Sports ComplexSports centre
  • Sports field
  • TIO Traeger ParkSports field
  • Alice Springs Aquatic & Leisure CentreSwimming pool
  • Swimming pool (10)
Entertainment(1)
  • Royal Flying Doctor Service Tourist FacilityMuseum
Transport(11)

11 bus stops

Other(14)
  • Alice Springs Fire StationFire station

    47 Telegraph Terrace, The Gap

  • Alice on ToddGuest House

    5 Strehlow Street

  • Gap View HotelHotel

    123 The Gap Road

  • Quest Alice SpringsHotel

    9-10 South Terrace

  • Quest Hotel ApartmentsHotel

    7-10 South Terrace

  • Alice Springs Hospital Multistorey CarparkParking
  • Parking (36)
  • Quest Hotel ApartmentsParking

    7-10 South Terrace

  • St John Ambulance NTParking
  • BP Gap RoadPetrol station
  • ShellPetrol station
  • Alice Springs Lutheran ChurchPlace of worship
  • Shelter (2)
  • TIO Traeger ParkStadium

    Speed Street, The Gap

Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually.

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)

Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)

Data sources & freshness

  • Local amenity insightsSuburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
  • OpenStreetMap amenitiesOpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated

Parks & reserves

1 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Hospital LawnsPark

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Parks & woodland (OSM)
3
Parks (OSM)
3

OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.

Contributes to desirability score · Environment (10%)

Parks and green cover (OpenStreetMap)

Data sources & freshness

Places of worship

1 places of worship within ~1.5 km

  • Alice Springs Lutheran Church

From OpenStreetMap within ~1.5 km of the suburb centre.

Data sources & freshness

Health access

Hospitals & GP clinics in suburb
2
Nearest hospital
Alice Springs Hospital (1.1 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department
Emergency department in suburb
On site
  • Alice Springs HospitalHospital
  • Gap Road Dialysis CentreGap RoadClinic

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)

Hospitals and GP clinics

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
40
Participants per 1,000 residents
16.4

Active NDIS participants allocated from NDIA Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2, ASGS 2016) counts to this suburb boundary. Not an official suburb-level NDIS figure · as at 31 March 2026.

For NDIS spend and service-demand exploration by SA2 or postcode, see the Care Sector Demand Map.

Data sources & freshness

Weather

Typical conditions by season for suburbs in the same ~44 km climate area. Rainfall totals are summed from monthly WorldClim layers; rainy-day counts are approximate.

Summer (Dec–Feb)

Usual max / min
36° / 21°
Rainfall
117 mm · ~15 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
29° / 14°
Rainfall
78 mm · ~10 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
21° / 5°
Rainfall
37 mm · ~5 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
31° / 15°
Rainfall
56 mm · ~7 rainy days

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)

Temperature and humidity comfort

Data sources & freshness

  • Seasonal climate normalsWorldClim 2.1 · Updated

Future & Planning

Hazards

Bushfire planning zone
No overlay at centroid

Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via state planning hazard mapping.

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)

Bushfire hazard overlays

Data sources & freshness

Politics & representation

Federal electorate
Lingiari
Member of Parliament
Marion SCRYMGOUR (Australian Labor Party)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
76,817
Turnout (2025)
62.2%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
+6.5 pp toward Labor

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 41.9%Labor 58.1%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 1040.7 km away).

Coalition 44.0%Labor 56.0%

2.2 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +9.1 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • GillenLabor 54.8% · Coalition 45.2% TPP (2025)0.8 km away
  • Alice SpringsLabor 64.0% · Coalition 36.0% TPP (2025)1.6 km away
  • SadadeenLabor 64.2% · Coalition 35.8% TPP (2025)2.9 km away
  • IlparpaLabor 36.2% · Coalition 63.8% TPP (2025)3.0 km away
  • BraitlingLabor 53.2% · Coalition 46.8% TPP (2025)4.1 km away

Federal electorate from AEC federal division boundaries (2025 redistribution). Division-level results are official AEC figures from the latest general election, with by-election updates where applicable. The estimated suburb profile blends up to eight nearest ordinary polling booths in the same electorate using inverse-distance weighting from the suburb centroid — an approximation, not official AEC data. Nearest polling places are shown for reference.

Data sources & freshness

Socio-economic

IRSAD decile (2021)
6/10
IRSD decile (2021)
3/10

ABS Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), 2021 release — the latest available, derived from the 2021 Census. Deciles rank suburbs nationally from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).

What do IRSAD and IRSD measure?

IRSAD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage. Combines indicators of advantage (e.g. high income, skilled occupations) and disadvantage. Higher decile = more advantaged relative to other Australian areas.

IRSD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage. Focuses on disadvantage only (e.g. low income, unemployment, limited education). Higher decile = less disadvantage nationally.

A new SEIFA edition typically follows each census; the ABS has not announced a release date beyond 2021.

Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)

Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)

Data sources & freshness

This suburb ranks highly for

Compare with

Similar suburbs to weigh up side by side — scores, safety, schools, and lifestyle.

More in Alice Springs Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

Similar population and socio-economic profile elsewhere in Northern Territory or interstate.