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Desert Springs vs The Gap

Name: Desert Springs vs The Gap — 2021 Census comparison
Creator: Australian Bureau of Statistics
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Suburb / Locality comparison ≈ 1.2 km apart · Desert Springs profile · The Gap profile

Desert Springs The Gap

The Gap (NT) and Desert Springs are neighbouring areas in Alice Springs with distinct profiles. The Gap (NT) is more linguistically and culturally diverse, with 36.9% of people using another language at home and a far higher share of First Nations people (15.5%). In contrast, Desert Springs has higher typical incomes, with 45.5% of households earning $3,000 or more a week compared to 20.2% in The Gap (NT). This income gap is especially sharp among First Nations residents; those in Desert Springs have a typical household income of $3,750, while the typical figure in The Gap (NT) is $1,111.

The two areas have tracked differently in their housing and transport patterns. While both have a similar proportion of residents with long-term health conditions, the gap in home ownership is widening, with Desert Springs having a far higher share of homes owned outright. The Gap (NT) is very walkable and has far better access to public transport, whereas Desert Springs is mostly car-dependent. This is reflected in the housing types, as Desert Springs has far more separate houses while The Gap (NT) has more townhouses and flats.

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Where they differ most

Renting: 29.1 pts higher in The Gap Separate houses: 34.7 pts higher in Desert Springs 3+ bedrooms: 36.4 pts higher in Desert Springs Other language: 20.0 pts higher in The Gap Living alone: 18.5 pts higher in The Gap

Demographics & Identity

Population in Desert Springs in The Gap +409 larger in The Gap gap widening

1,536 76th pct 1,945 78th pct

Median age in Desert Springs in The Gap +2 yrs older in Desert Springs gap narrowing

36 yrs 17th pct 34 yrs 13th pct

Age structure

32.2% Young adults (25–44) +13.2 pts ▸ 45.3%

26.1% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +2.9 pts 23.2%

20.6% Children (0–14) ◂ +4.5 pts 16.0%

10.2% Seniors (65+) ◂ +3.1 pts 7.1%

9.9% Youth (15–24) ◂ +1.6 pts 8.3%

Marital status

54.7% Married ◂ +18.5 pts 36.2%

31.5% Never married +19.2 pts ▸ 50.7%

8.7% Divorced ◂ +1.8 pts 6.9%

2.0% Separated +1.1 pts ▸ 3.1%

2.9% Widowed ◂ +0.4 pts 2.4%

Age & sex structure

Desert Springs The Gap

Bars show the share of each area's own population, so differently sized areas stay comparable.

Ancestry & Birthplace

Country of birth

60.5% Australia ◂ +9.3 pts 51.2%

4.0% India +4.4 pts ▸ 8.3%

2.3% Philippines +2.8 pts ▸ 5.0%

3.1% New Zealand +0.1 pts ▸ 3.1%

0.8% China +2.3 pts ▸ 3.1%

2.7% England +0.3 pts ▸ 3.0%

0.7% Nepal +0.8 pts ▸ 1.4%

1.4% South Africa ◂ +1.1 pts 0.3%

0.5% Italy ◂ +0.4 pts 0.2%

0.3% Vietnam ◂ +0.1 pts 0.2%

Ancestry

35.6% English ◂ +14.9 pts 20.7%

26.6% Australian ◂ +7.6 pts 19.1%

11.5% Irish ◂ +4.0 pts 7.6%

9.6% Scottish ◂ +3.1 pts 6.5%

8.3% German ◂ +4.9 pts 3.4%

4.4% Indian +2.9 pts ▸ 7.4%

2.6% Filipino +2.7 pts ▸ 5.3%

2.6% Chinese +2.6 pts ▸ 5.2%

3.6% Italian ◂ +1.8 pts 1.9%

1.8% Dutch even 1.7%

0.8% Greek ◂ +0.8 pts 0.0%

0.3% Vietnamese ◂ +0.1 pts 0.2%

Language

Language used at home

78.2% English only ◂ +26.4 pts 51.8%

0.7% Mandarin +2.7 pts ▸ 3.4%

1.4% Punjabi +1.2 pts ▸ 2.7%

0.5% Tagalog +2.0 pts ▸ 2.5%

1.4% Hindi ◂ +0.8 pts 0.6%

0.9% Cantonese ◂ +0.3 pts 0.6%

0.7% Arabic even 0.7%

0.6% Italian ◂ +0.2 pts 0.4%

0.2% Vietnamese +0.3 pts ▸ 0.5%

0.3% Greek ◂ +0.3 pts 0.0%

Religion

Religious affiliation

45.8% No religion ◂ +10.2 pts 35.7%

40.4% Christianity +1.0 pts ▸ 41.4%

5.3% Not stated +7.9 pts ▸ 13.2%

4.0% Hinduism ◂ +0.5 pts 3.5%

1.8% Other religions +1.2 pts ▸ 3.0%

1.3% Buddhism +0.9 pts ▸ 2.2%

0.8% Islam +0.6 pts ▸ 1.5%

0.0% Judaism even 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Schools/1k kids in Desert Springs in The Gap

— 3.21 45th pct

Schools ≤3 km in Desert Springs in The Gap +2 more in The Gap

13 83rd pct 15 86th pct

Avg size in Desert Springs in The Gap +19 larger in Desert Springs

291 47th pct 272 45th pct

ICSEA in Desert Springs in The Gap even

944 24th pct 944 24th pct

Highest year of school

70.8% Year 12 ◂ +11.4 pts 59.4%

11.1% Year 10 +0.6 pts ▸ 11.7%

9.5% Year 11 ◂ +1.5 pts 8.0%

4.2% Year 9 or below +4.8 pts ▸ 9.0%

Highest qualification level

30.4% Bachelor degree +5.5 pts ▸ 35.9%

23.5% Certificate III / IV ◂ +5.8 pts 17.7%

16.2% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +5.3 pts 10.9%

14.1% Postgraduate degree ◂ +3.3 pts 10.8%

3.5% Graduate diploma / certificate +0.1 pts ▸ 3.7%

1.5% Certificate I / II +0.2 pts ▸ 1.7%

Field of qualification

14.4% Health +12.5 pts ▸ 26.9%

21.3% Management & commerce ◂ +8.9 pts 12.4%

15.5% Society & culture ◂ +4.1 pts 11.3%

11.7% Engineering & related ◂ +2.6 pts 9.1%

7.1% Education ◂ +1.1 pts 6.0%

5.7% Food, hospitality & personal services ◂ +1.3 pts 4.4%

5.4% Architecture & building ◂ +1.9 pts 3.4%

2.2% Creative arts +0.8 pts ▸ 3.0%

2.5% Natural & physical sciences ◂ +0.7 pts 1.8%

1.9% Information technology ◂ +0.8 pts 1.1%

1.4% Agriculture & environment ◂ +0.3 pts 1.1%

Income

Personal income in Desert Springs in The Gap +$265 higher in Desert Springs gap widening

$1,454 97th pct $1,189 90th pct

Household income in Desert Springs in The Gap +$1,072 higher in Desert Springs gap widening

$3,025 97th pct $1,953 73rd pct

Family income in Desert Springs in The Gap +$942 higher in Desert Springs gap widening

$3,321 95th pct $2,379 77th pct

Household income distribution

29.5% $1,500–$2,999 +10.2 pts ▸ 39.8%

30.9% $4,000 or more ◂ +22.4 pts 8.5%

10.9% $650–$1,499 +12.6 pts ▸ 23.5%

14.7% $3,000–$3,999 ◂ +3.0 pts 11.7%

2.1% Under $650 +8.3 pts ▸ 10.4%

Personal income distribution

30.9% $650–$1,499 +5.6 pts ▸ 36.4%

33.1% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +6.3 pts 26.8%

18.2% Under $650 +3.9 pts ▸ 22.1%

13.7% $3,000 or more ◂ +11.0 pts 2.8%

Health & Disability

Long-term health conditions reported

6.8% Other condition ◂ +1.3 pts 5.4%

4.7% Mental health +1.9 pts ▸ 6.6%

5.9% Asthma ◂ +0.2 pts 5.7%

2.7% Diabetes +2.6 pts ▸ 5.2%

5.2% Arthritis ◂ +1.6 pts 3.7%

2.7% Heart disease +0.4 pts ▸ 3.0%

2.1% Cancer ◂ +0.9 pts 1.2%

0.7% Lung condition +0.5 pts ▸ 1.2%

0.3% Stroke +0.5 pts ▸ 0.8%

0.0% Dementia +0.2 pts ▸ 0.2%

Number of long-term health conditions

74.0% None ◂ +4.7 pts 69.3%

14.8% One condition ◂ +1.5 pts 13.4%

2.9% Two conditions +0.8 pts ▸ 3.8%

1.5% Three or more +0.8 pts ▸ 2.3%

Community Participation

First Nations

First Nations people in Desert Springs in The Gap +239 larger in The Gap

62 80th pct 301 86th pct

Median age in Desert Springs in The Gap even

30 yrs 63rd pct 30 yrs 63rd pct

Median income in Desert Springs in The Gap +$923 higher in Desert Springs

$1,406 89th pct $483 30th pct

Household income in Desert Springs in The Gap +$2,639 higher in Desert Springs

$3,750 93rd pct $1,111 23rd pct

Family & Households

Household size in Desert Springs in The Gap +0.5 larger in Desert Springs gap steady

2.8 76th pct 2.3 29th pct

Family composition

66.0% Couples with children ◂ +12.9 pts 53.1%

27.1% Couples without children +1.6 pts ▸ 28.7%

5.3% One-parent families +11.7 pts ▸ 17.0%

0.8% Other families +0.5 pts ▸ 1.3%

Household size

18.7% 1 person +18.5 pts ▸ 37.2%

32.8% 2 people ◂ +4.2 pts 28.5%

19.8% 3 people ◂ +3.2 pts 16.6%

16.8% 4 people ◂ +5.5 pts 11.2%

7.0% 5 people ◂ +3.3 pts 3.7%

3.8% 6 or more ◂ +1.1 pts 2.7%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Desert Springs in The Gap +$150 higher in Desert Springs gap widening

$500 92nd pct $350 71st pct

Mortgage in Desert Springs in The Gap +$755 higher in Desert Springs gap widening

$2,264 84th pct $1,509 42nd pct

People / bedroom in Desert Springs in The Gap +0.20 higher in The Gap gap steady

0.90 86th pct 1.10 93rd pct

How homes are owned or rented

34.3% Rented +29.1 pts ▸ 63.4%

37.9% Owned with a mortgage ◂ +13.0 pts 24.9%

21.3% Owned outright ◂ +12.0 pts 9.4%

4.6% Other tenure ◂ +3.1 pts 1.4%

0.8% Not stated +0.1 pts ▸ 0.9%

Types of homes

66.9% Separate house ◂ +34.7 pts 32.1%

31.4% Townhouse / semi-detached +23.5 pts ▸ 54.9%

0.8% Flat or apartment +7.7 pts ▸ 8.5%

0.0% Other dwelling +0.9 pts ▸ 0.9%

Bedrooms per home

25.0% 2 bedrooms +11.5 pts ▸ 36.5%

34.9% 4 bedrooms ◂ +28.2 pts 6.6%

29.5% 3 bedrooms ◂ +0.7 pts 28.8%

1.0% 1 bedroom +20.4 pts ▸ 21.3%

8.8% 5 or more ◂ +7.5 pts 1.3%

0.0% Studio / none +3.7 pts ▸ 3.7%

Weekly rent distribution

41.1% $350–$549 +4.3 pts ▸ 45.5%

3.3% $200–$349 +29.4 pts ▸ 32.7%

25.0% $750 or more ◂ +24.1 pts 0.9%

17.2% $550–$749 ◂ +10.9 pts 6.4%

4.4% Under $200 +6.0 pts ▸ 10.5%

Monthly mortgage distribution

22.6% $1,000–$1,799 +29.4 pts ▸ 52.0%

37.7% $1,800–$2,999 ◂ +17.5 pts 20.2%

24.1% $3,000 or more ◂ +21.8 pts 2.3%

9.0% Under $1,000 +7.1 pts ▸ 16.2%

Transport & Vehicles

PT stops in Desert Springs in The Gap +7 more in The Gap

3 72nd pct 10 80th pct

Stops/1k in Desert Springs in The Gap +3.19 more in The Gap

1.95 65th pct 5.14 78th pct

Departures/1k in Desert Springs in The Gap +228.7 more in The Gap

66.4 65th pct 295.1 75th pct

PT routes in Desert Springs in The Gap +2 more in The Gap

1 71st pct 3 79th pct

Stop walk in Desert Springs in The Gap +18 longer in Desert Springs

20 59th pct 2 14th pct

How people get to work

67.4% Car (driver) ◂ +10.9 pts 56.5%

2.6% Walked +11.8 pts ▸ 14.4%

7.5% Car (passenger) +0.7 pts ▸ 8.2%

5.0% Bicycle even 5.0%

3.7% Worked at home ◂ +2.4 pts 1.3%

1.7% Bus ◂ +1.4 pts 0.3%

0.0% Train even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

30.0% 1 vehicle +19.4 pts ▸ 49.4%

44.4% 2 vehicles ◂ +18.2 pts 26.2%

16.2% 3 vehicles ◂ +9.3 pts 6.9%

1.3% No vehicle +11.6 pts ▸ 12.9%

7.7% 4 or more ◂ +3.1 pts 4.5%

Migration & Movement

Jobs & Industry

Industries people work in

19.6% Health care & social assistance +18.4 pts ▸ 38.0%

20.5% Public administration & safety ◂ +9.1 pts 11.4%

10.0% Education & training ◂ +4.4 pts 5.5%

6.9% Retail trade +1.1 pts ▸ 8.1%

5.7% Accommodation & food +1.9 pts ▸ 7.5%

7.3% Construction ◂ +2.4 pts 4.9%

7.0% Professional & technical ◂ +3.7 pts 3.4%

3.9% Other services ◂ +0.7 pts 3.2%

3.4% Transport & warehousing even 3.4%

1.3% Administrative & support +2.1 pts ▸ 3.4%

2.6% Manufacturing ◂ +1.6 pts 1.0%

2.3% Arts & recreation even 2.4%

Occupations people work in

27.9% Professionals +7.4 pts ▸ 35.3%

17.8% Managers ◂ +11.4 pts 6.4%

15.5% Community & personal service +1.6 pts ▸ 17.1%

14.2% Clerical & administrative ◂ +6.2 pts 8.0%

11.0% Technicians & trades +0.7 pts ▸ 11.7%

4.3% Labourers +6.6 pts ▸ 10.9%

5.1% Sales workers +0.7 pts ▸ 5.8%

2.0% Machinery operators & drivers +1.1 pts ▸ 3.1%

Walkability

Walk score in Desert Springs in The Gap +3.1 higher in The Gap

3.5 75th pct 6.5 91st pct

Types ≤15 min in Desert Springs in The Gap +3.4 more in The Gap

3.3 74th pct 6.8 93rd pct

15-min city in Desert Springs in The Gap +68.6 pts higher in The Gap

31.4% 75th pct 99.9% 100th pct

Walk to shops in Desert Springs in The Gap +29.3 pts higher in The Gap

34.3% 75th pct 63.7% 83rd pct

Walk to transit in Desert Springs in The Gap +58.0 pts higher in The Gap

42.0% 71st pct 100.0% 100th pct

Walk to school in Desert Springs in The Gap +68.0 pts higher in The Gap

32.0% 69th pct 100.0% 100th pct

Walk to a park in Desert Springs in The Gap +0.4 pts higher in The Gap

99.6% 87th pct 100.0% 100th pct

Walk to health in Desert Springs in The Gap +68.5 pts higher in The Gap

31.1% 79th pct 99.6% 100th pct

Amenities/1k in Desert Springs in The Gap +4.4 more in Desert Springs

20.8 63rd pct 16.5 57th pct

Intersections/km² in Desert Springs in The Gap +81 higher in The Gap

57 79th pct 138 88th pct

Mean slope in Desert Springs in The Gap +1.2 pts higher in Desert Springs

3.6% 22nd pct 2.3% 2nd pct

Compare Desert Springs with nearby areas

The Gap Alice Springs Gillen Sadadeen Ciccone East Side Mount Johns Ross

Compare The Gap with nearby areas

Gillen Desert Springs Alice Springs Ciccone Araluen Sadadeen East Side Flynn

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Desert Springs vs The Gap [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/sal/SAL70078/desert-springs/vs/SAL70253/the-gap