Compare
Desert Springs vs Gillen
Suburb / Locality comparison ≈ 2.0 km apart · Desert Springs profile · Gillen profile
Desert Springs Gillen
Gillen and Desert Springs are neighbouring areas in Alice Springs with very different profiles. Gillen is very walkable, with 100% of homes within a 10-minute walk of public transport and a population where 19% are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander. In contrast, Desert Springs is mostly car-dependent and has a smaller First Nations population of 4%. Desert Springs is also more affluent, with 45.5% of households earning $3,000 or more a week, compared to 25.9% in Gillen. This is consistent with a higher share of university degrees in Desert Springs (34.7%) than in Gillen (24.7%).
Both areas have tracked similarly since 2011, remaining distinct in their layout and demographics. They share some common ground, such as a similar number of people per home and almost identical school advantage scores. Both areas also have a high share of residents born overseas—28.5% in Gillen and 35.5% in Desert Springs—which is well above the national figure.
Where they differ most
Demographics & Identity
- First area, 2011: 1,499
- First area, 2016: 1,477
- First area, 2021: 1,536
- Second area, 2011: 4,417
- Second area, 2016: 4,278
- Second area, 2021: 4,466
- First area, 2011: 39 yrs
- First area, 2016: 39 yrs
- First area, 2021: 36 yrs
- Second area, 2011: 32 yrs
- Second area, 2016: 33 yrs
- Second area, 2021: 33 yrs
Age structure
Marital status
Age & sex structure
Bars show the share of each area's own population, so differently sized areas stay comparable.
- 85+ in Desert Springs: 0.0% males, 0.5% females; 85+ in Gillen: 0.1% males, 0.3% females
- 80–84 in Desert Springs: 0.8% males, 0.6% females; 80–84 in Gillen: 0.3% males, 0.5% females
- 75–79 in Desert Springs: 0.8% males, 0.6% females; 75–79 in Gillen: 0.4% males, 0.8% females
- 70–74 in Desert Springs: 1.6% males, 1.2% females; 70–74 in Gillen: 1.2% males, 1.1% females
- 65–69 in Desert Springs: 1.9% males, 2.3% females; 65–69 in Gillen: 1.4% males, 1.5% females
- 60–64 in Desert Springs: 3.6% males, 2.7% females; 60–64 in Gillen: 2.1% males, 2.5% females
- 55–59 in Desert Springs: 3.4% males, 3.9% females; 55–59 in Gillen: 2.7% males, 2.6% females
- 50–54 in Desert Springs: 2.8% males, 3.9% females; 50–54 in Gillen: 2.5% males, 3.7% females
- 45–49 in Desert Springs: 3.4% males, 2.6% females; 45–49 in Gillen: 3.1% males, 3.2% females
- 40–44 in Desert Springs: 3.1% males, 4.0% females; 40–44 in Gillen: 3.9% males, 3.7% females
- 35–39 in Desert Springs: 4.7% males, 4.5% females; 35–39 in Gillen: 4.2% males, 4.3% females
- 30–34 in Desert Springs: 4.2% males, 5.2% females; 30–34 in Gillen: 4.7% males, 5.8% females
- 25–29 in Desert Springs: 3.1% males, 3.1% females; 25–29 in Gillen: 4.4% males, 4.3% females
- 20–24 in Desert Springs: 2.3% males, 1.5% females; 20–24 in Gillen: 2.8% males, 2.8% females
- 15–19 in Desert Springs: 3.1% males, 3.3% females; 15–19 in Gillen: 3.4% males, 3.2% females
- 10–14 in Desert Springs: 3.0% males, 4.1% females; 10–14 in Gillen: 3.7% males, 3.4% females
- 5–9 in Desert Springs: 3.1% males, 3.0% females; 5–9 in Gillen: 4.3% males, 4.4% females
- 0–4 in Desert Springs: 4.1% males, 3.8% females; 0–4 in Gillen: 3.9% males, 2.8% females
Ancestry & Birthplace
Country of birth
Ancestry
Language
Language used at home
Religion
Religious affiliation
Education & Qualifications
Highest year of school
Highest qualification level
Field of qualification
Income
- First area, 2011: $1,085
- First area, 2016: $1,305
- First area, 2021: $1,454
- Second area, 2011: $865
- Second area, 2016: $973
- Second area, 2021: $1,103
- First area, 2011: $2,466
- First area, 2016: $2,517
- First area, 2021: $3,025
- Second area, 2011: $1,707
- Second area, 2016: $2,001
- Second area, 2021: $2,176
- First area, 2011: $2,574
- First area, 2016: $2,906
- First area, 2021: $3,321
- Second area, 2011: $1,922
- Second area, 2016: $2,233
- Second area, 2021: $2,391
Household income distribution
Personal income distribution
Health & Disability
Long-term health conditions reported
Number of long-term health conditions
Community Participation
First Nations
Family & Households
- First area, 2011: 2.7
- First area, 2016: 2.5
- First area, 2021: 2.8
- Second area, 2011: 2.7
- Second area, 2016: 2.7
- Second area, 2021: 2.7
Family composition
Household size
Housing & Dwellings
- First area, 2011: $380
- First area, 2016: $410
- First area, 2021: $500
- Second area, 2011: $350
- Second area, 2016: $375
- Second area, 2021: $400
- First area, 2011: $2,000
- First area, 2016: $2,167
- First area, 2021: $2,264
- Second area, 2011: $1,950
- Second area, 2016: $1,950
- Second area, 2021: $1,733
- First area, 2011: 1.10
- First area, 2016: 0.80
- First area, 2021: 0.90
- Second area, 2011: 1.20
- Second area, 2016: 0.90
- Second area, 2021: 1.00
How homes are owned or rented
Types of homes
Bedrooms per home
Weekly rent distribution
Monthly mortgage distribution
Transport & Vehicles
How people get to work
Motor vehicles per home
Migration & Movement
Jobs & Industry
Industries people work in
Occupations people work in
Walkability
Compare Desert Springs with nearby areas
Compare Gillen with nearby areas
Cite this page
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Desert Springs vs Gillen [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sal/SAL70078/desert-springs/vs/SAL70109/gillen