suburb.guide

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%

University qualified

36.1%

Work from home

1.3%

Languages at home

41.6%non-English

Most common: Australian Indigenous languages, Malayalam, Mandarin

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

41.1/100
Average

Top 31% of Northern Territory's suburbs

Verified 92% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Multicultural
  • Regional centre
What The Gap is known for: Multicultural, Regional centre

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Suburb Guide, “The Gap, NT Suburb Guide”, updated 30 September 2026, https://suburb.guide/nt/the-gap-nt

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Suburb profile

The Gap is a major regional centre in the Northern Territory, in Alice Springs Council, with mainly mixed commercial and residential development.

Local amenity access is stronger than in most comparable places, with local amenities 72% above the peer median. University qualifications are among the highest in the peer group, with university qualifications 109% above the peer median, and population growth is an exceptional strength, placing it among the highest-ranked major regional centres, and socio-economic advantage sits well above the peer median, and green cover is an exceptional strength. Childcare access is a relative weakness.

Overall, the suburb suits people prioritising university qualifications and local amenities over nearby family services.

Generated from the official metrics on this page. It can omit nuance or contain errors — check the tables and source notes before relying on it.

Strengths and weaknesses

Major regional centre · compared with major regional centres in Northern Territory (33)

Strengths

  • University qualifications are among the highest in the peer group
  • Population growth is a relative strength
  • Local amenity access is stronger than in most comparable places
  • Socio-economic advantage sits well above the peer median
  • Green cover is stronger than in comparable places

Weaknesses

  • Childcare access is a relative weakness

What stands out

Nothing distinctive beyond the usual profile.

Who it suits

  • Families
  • Professionals
  • Retirees
  • Students
  • Budget buyers

Housing, growth and risk

How The Gap compares

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

Median house price

—

No data available

Median rent (Census)

$350/wk

2021 Census median weekly rent

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

Rented dwellings

65%

2021 Census tenure

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
41.1/100 — Average
State standing
Top 31% of Northern Territory's suburbs
National rank
4145th in Australia
State rank
49th in NT
Peer rank
#2 among Country & regional · Growth area suburbs
Cohort rank
#10 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
92%

Data sources & freshness

  • Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb 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
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$350
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
9.6% / 25.5% / 64.9%
Employment rate
67.8%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
1.3% / 0.3% / 67.6%
Walked or cycled to work
19.4%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
223 / 381 / 59 (+ 6 other)

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%) · Accessibility (12%) · Future Growth (6%)

Employment, household income and owned-outright tenure (2021 Census) Work-from-home and public-transport commute shares (2021 Census) Five-year population change as a healthy-growth band, not a boom bonus

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

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

  • Estimated Resident Population — Australian Bureau of Statistics · 2025 · Updated · SA2 ERP allocated to suburb boundaries

Qualifications

36.1% of adults have a university degree, compared with 21.4% across Northern Territory. 12.7% have a trade or vocational qualification.

  • University qualified36.1% · 21.4% NT
  • Diploma qualified7.8% · 7.5% NT
  • Trade / vocational12.7% · 16.1% NT
  • Year 12 or below43.4% · 55% NT

Highest qualification field

Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).

  • Health33.4%
  • Management and commerce15.4%
  • Society and culture14.1%
  • Engineering and related technologies11.3%
  • Education7.4%
  • Food, hospitality and personal services5.5%
How these groups are defined
MeasureDefinition
University qualifiedBachelor degree or higher
Diploma qualifiedAdvanced Diploma / Diploma
Trade / vocationalCertificate III + IV
Year 12Year 12 as highest attainment
Below Year 12Year 11 / 10 / 9 or below

People aged 15 years and over, 2021 Census. University, diploma and trade shares match ABS highest educational attainment (HEAP). Year 12 and below Year 12 are combined in the chart because the General Community Profile reports school-only attainment as a residual.

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)

University qualifications from the 2021 Census

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

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

Tax & income

Median taxable income (2023–24)
$69,974

62nd percentile in NT · +19% vs Australia

Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$71,805

53rd percentile in NT · +10% vs Australia

Residents with rental investments
15.0%

65th percentile in NT · +9% vs Australia

Median super balance (2023–24)
$46,372

38th percentile in NT · -27% vs Australia

Residents with business income
9.0%

62nd percentile in NT · -13% vs Australia

Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 0870 — not a suburb-level official statistic. Rental investment is the share of local taxpayers reporting rental income or loss, not the share of local properties owned by investors.

Counts, net rent & state comparison
Taxpayers in this postcode
13,665
Taxpayers reporting net rent
2,076
Median net rent
-$680
Taxpayers reporting business income
1,176
Taxable income vs state median
+4%
Salary / wages vs state median
0%
Rental investment vs state median
+7%
Super vs state median
-14%
Business income vs state median
+29%

Percentiles rank this postcode among unique postcodes in NT, so suburbs that share a postcode are not counted twice. Dollar figures are compared with Australia-wide ATO medians from the same release. Median net rent is among taxpayers who reported the rent label and can be negative.

Data sources & freshness

  • Taxation Statistics 2023–24 — individuals by postcode (Table 25) — Australian Taxation Office · Updated · Annual release; taxpayer residential postcode, not suburb boundary

Community & culture

41.6% speak a language other than English at home; 43.1% born overseas

Language at home
1,008 English only · 717 other
Non-English at home
41.6%
Born overseas
755 (43.1%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
301 (15.5%)
Australian citizens
1,241
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
21

Top languages other than English

Share of residents who speak a language other than English at home (2021 Census).

  • Australian Indigenous languages49 · 17.3%
  • Malayalam46 · 16.3%
  • Mandarin29 · 10.2%
  • Punjabi29 · 10.2%
  • Tagalog20 · 7.1%
  • Nepali16 · 5.7%
  • Filipino12 · 4.2%
  • Arabic11 · 3.9%

Religion

41.4%Most common religion · Christianity

Christianity is the most common response at 41.4%, while 35% reported no religion.

MeasureSuburbState
No religion35%38.1%
Christianity41.4%40.5%
Hinduism3.5%2.7%
Buddhism2.2%2.1%
Other / not stated18%16.7%
Christian denominations
DenominationSuburbState
Catholic20.5%16.9%
Lutheran4%2.3%
Anglican3.7%6%
Christian (not further defined)3.5%3.2%

2021 Census — languages spoken at home, birthplace, Indigenous status, and religious affiliation (usual residence). Religion is optional on the Census form.

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

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

Crime & safety

Figures are for the Alice Springs reporting region, not this suburb alone.

Reported offences are running lower than the same point last year.

Offence counts & rates
Total offences (Jan 2026 to Sep 2026)
3,174
Against the person
1,330
Against property
1,844
Rate per 1,000 residents (annualised)
122.9
State crime-rate percentile
75.9th (higher = more crime)
Decrease (daily rate, partial year)
-39.5%

Most common offence types

  • 021 Serious Assault
  • 023 Common Assault
  • 061 Burglary - Dwelling (House Break-Ins), Actual
  • 07* Other Theft
  • 11 Property Damage Offences

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)

Crime rate, offences against the person, year-on-year trend and recorded road crash rates

Data sources & freshness

  • NT Police crime statistics (reporting region / SA2) — Northern Territory Police · Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 → Jan 2026 to Sep 2026; Jan 2026 to Sep 2026 · Updated · Monthly CSV; regional totals where suburb-level data unavailable

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 (14%)

Median school ICSEA first, then school and catchment counts

Data sources & freshness

Childcare

1 childcare service from OpenStreetMap

  • Ida Standley Preschoolkindergarten

Contributes to desirability score · Education (14%)

Childcare centres per 1,000 residents

Data sources & freshness

  • Childcare services — OpenStreetMap · 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 (12%)

Public transport stops per 1,000 residents and walkability

Data sources & freshness

Amenities

88 mapped amenities

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 space — 3 parks in suburb, 1 playgrounds nearby
  • Reasonable bus and transport access — 10 public transport stops
  • Strong local sport and recreation — 15 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
Everyday services(2)
  • BP Gap RoadPetrol station
  • ShellPetrol station
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)
Places to stay(4)
  • Alice on ToddGuest house

    5 Strehlow Street

  • Gap View HotelHotel

    123 Gap Road

  • Quest Alice SpringsHotel

    9-10 South Terrace

  • Quest Hotel ApartmentsHotel

    7-10 South Terrace

Entertainment(1)
  • Royal Flying Doctor Service Tourist FacilityMuseum
Transport(11)

11 bus stops

Other(9)
  • Love Me Do Coffee BarCoffee

    Skinner Street

  • Alice Springs Fire StationFire station

    47 Telegraph Terrace, The Gap

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

    7-10 South Terrace

  • St John Ambulance NTParking
  • 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. Campgrounds, beaches, wineries and local trails are included when they sit inside the suburb boundary.

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)

Food, shopping, recreation and sport per 1,000 residents (OpenStreetMap)

Data sources & freshness

  • Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
  • OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated

Parks & reserves

1 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Hospital LawnsPark

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Green cover of suburb area
9.9%
Woodland / forest cover
0%
Parks & woodland features (OSM)
3
Parks (OSM)
3
Typical summer maximum
36°C

Green cover is the share of this suburb's boundary overlapping OpenStreetMap parks, woodland and forest polygons — not a satellite tree-canopy product. Summer maximum is the WorldClim / Open-Meteo seasonal normal already collected for Weather.

Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)

Tree canopy first, then green-cover area and parks per 1,000

Data sources & freshness

  • OpenStreetMap green cover and tree canopy — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated · Park/woodland polygons intersected with suburb boundaries

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
GP clinics in suburb
1
GPs tagged bulk billing (OSM)
0 of 1
Aged-care services
1

GP clinic counts from OpenStreetMap. Bulk-billing figures only include clinics tagged in OSM (sparse and unofficial — not a Medicare list).

  • Alice Springs HospitalHospital
  • Gap Road Dialysis CentreGap RoadClinic
Aged-care services
  • MacDonnell Regional CouncilALICE SPRINGSNational Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Aged Care Program

Australian Government–subsidised services from the AIHW GEN list (30 June 2025), assigned to this suburb by location.

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Hospitals, GPs and aged care

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 (12%)

Temperature and humidity comfort

Data sources & freshness

  • Seasonal climate normals — WorldClim 2.1 · Updated

Future & Planning

Hazards

Bushfire planning zone
No overlay at centroid

Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via state planning hazard mapping. Flood cover uses inundation polygons against the suburb boundary where published.

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)

Bushfire and flood 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 (12%)

Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD and IRSD deciles)

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.