Belair
A $1,330,000 median house price in a suburb of 4,718 residents that sits 14.84 km2 across the Adelaide Hills face tells most of the story: Belair is a low-density, detached-house enclave where 88.8% of dwellings are separate houses and only 0.5% are apartments. It scores decile 10 on both the IRSD and IER SEIFA indexes and decile 9 on IEO and IRSAD, placing it in the top advantage tiers nationally, with household income in the 87.2nd percentile. The median age of 47 runs 7.0 years above national, and university qualifications reach 54.0%, which is 23.9 points higher than the national figure. The standout is price momentum: the median jumped 27.6% in a single year from $1,042,500.
Population
4,718
Median Age
47.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,265/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
46
Median House
$1.3M
Median 1Q 2026
Belair asks $1,330,000 for a median house, and the climb has been steep, up 27.6% from $1,042,500 a year earlier in 1Q 2025. Buyers are competing for detached stock almost exclusively, since 88.8% of dwellings are separate houses and apartments are just 0.5%, so there is no cheaper entry tier to fall back on. The homes are large: 46.1% have four or more bedrooms and 38.2% have three, which suits the family profile with an average household size of 2.6. Despite the high price, the burden is manageable for local incomes, with monthly mortgage repayments averaging $2,100 and a mortgage-to-income ratio of 21.4%, well below the 30% stress threshold. That gap reflects household income in the 87.2nd percentile nationally carrying the cost.
For Buyers
Belair asks $1,330,000 for a median house, and the climb has been steep, up 27.6% from $1,042,500 a year earlier in 1Q 2025. Buyers are competing for detached stock almost exclusively, since 88.8% of dwellings are separate houses and apartments are just 0.5%, so there is no cheaper entry tier to fall back on. The homes are large: 46.1% have four or more bedrooms and 38.2% have three, which suits the family profile with an average household size of 2.6. Despite the high price, the burden is manageable for local incomes, with monthly mortgage repayments averaging $2,100 and a mortgage-to-income ratio of 21.4%, well below the 30% stress threshold. That gap reflects household income in the 87.2nd percentile nationally carrying the cost.
For Investors
Belair is a weak fit for rental investors and the numbers explain why. Only 8.6% of residents rent, the smallest of the tenure groups against 44.3% owning outright and 47.0% holding a mortgage, so the tenant pool is thin. Weekly rent averages $376, which against the $1,330,000 median implies a gross yield near 1.5%, very low. The vacancy rate of 4.7% is higher than tight metro markets, signalling soft rental demand rather than scarcity. Demand support is modest: net overseas migration adds about 25 residents a year while internal migration removes 13, and there were 46 development applications in 12 months, mostly dwelling additions and tree or pool works rather than new supply. With annual population growth of just 0.25%, the case rests on capital growth, which the 27.6% one-year price move has delivered.
Development Activity
Total DAs
309
Last 12 Months
46
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-32.4%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Belair iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St John's Grammar School
R-12 · 1009 students
Belair Primary School
R-6 · 490 students
Demographics
The median age of 47 is 7.0 years above national, and the trajectory is clearly aging: the senior share rose 5.9 points while the working-age share fell 4.6 points over the decade. Overseas-born residents reach 22.9%, only 1.3 points above national, so this is a comparatively Anglo population. Ancestry is led by English (2,219), Scottish (621), Irish (506) and German (406), and the most common non-English languages are Mandarin (30), Afrikaans (11) and German (11), all small numbers. University qualifications at 54.0% run 23.9 points above national, consistent with the professional workforce. Average household size is 2.6, just 0.1 above national, and couples with children (1,604) outnumber couples without children (1,105 households, 28.2% of families), reflecting an established family suburb rather than a downsizer one.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
88.8%
Houses
9.5%
Townhouse
0.5%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is heavily owner-occupied: 47.0% carry a mortgage, 44.3% own outright and only 8.6% rent, so nearly all housing is held by residents rather than landlords. The stock is overwhelmingly detached at 88.8% separate houses, with semi-detached at 9.5% and apartments a negligible 0.5%. Homes are large, with 46.1% having four or more bedrooms and 38.2% three, a profile that keeps the market oriented to families rather than first-home buyers. The median house price rose from $1,042,500 to $1,330,000 across 2025 to 2026, a 27.6% one-year move. Affordability metrics stay comfortable: mortgage-to-income at 21.4% and rent-to-income at 16.6% both sit well below the 30% stress threshold, because household income reaches the 87.2nd percentile nationally and absorbs the high prices.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,100
Rent / wk
$376
HH Size
2.6
Personal Income / wk
$977
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.7%
Unoccupied
83
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
16.6%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.4%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
28.2%
Couples, no children
3,924
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local workforce is concentrated in caring and knowledge sectors: Healthcare leads at 20.5% (366 workers), Education follows at 17.3% (309) and Professional/Tech at 13.9% (248), with Public Admin at 10.0% and Construction at 6.5%. By occupation, Professionals (907) and Managers (406) dominate, which aligns with the decile 9 IEO score for education and occupation. Unemployment is low at 4.1% and the full-time employment rate is 60.0%, while participation reads 58.9%, held down by the aging profile that leaves 1,383 residents not in the labour force. Real incomes grew 10.0% over the decade. The suburb scores decile 10 on the IER index of economic resources, higher than its decile 9 IRSAD rank, because the 44.3% outright-ownership base lifts measured household wealth.
Unemployment
1.2%
Labour Force
2,803
Unemployed
33
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
60.0%
Part-time
35.9%
Participation
58.9%
Employed
2,229
Occupations
Top Industries
University
54.0%
Postgraduate
16.4%
Born Overseas
22.9%
Dwellings
1,698
Transport to Work
Car dependence is high, with 85.7% driving to work against 5.2% on public transport and 3.8% walking or cycling, a function of the dispersed hills layout at 317.9 residents per km2. Safety is a strength: 134 recorded offences give a crime rate of 28.4 per 1,000 residents, low for metro Adelaide, and the suburb scores decile 10 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, the top tier nationally. Volunteering runs high at 26.3%, and only 5.5% of residents (251 people) need daily assistance despite the older median age of 47. No schools are recorded inside the 14.84 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs, a trade-off for the low-density, bushland-fringe setting that residents value.
Drive
85.7%
Public Transport
5.2%
Walk / Cycle
3.8%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.25%/yr
(+12 people/yr)
EstablishedBelair is effectively static: annual population growth registers 0.25%, about 12 residents a year, and the 10-year change is just 7.7%, classifying it as an established, slow-growth suburb. Recent history confirms the plateau, with population moving from 4,911 in 2023 to 4,895 in 2025 before medium forecasts project a slow rise to 4,981 by 2031. Migration is balanced and small, with net overseas inflow of about 25 a year offset by net internal outflow of 13. The gentrification stage reads early signs at a score of 27, with affordability improving from 41.5% in 2011 to 37.7% in 2021 and rent growth of 23.0% over the period. Growth here comes from price appreciation rather than population, given the limited land in a 14.84 km2 hills setting.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+25
Net Internal / yr
-13
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
134
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
28.4
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Belair compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Belair a good suburb to live in?
Belair scores decile 10 on the IRSD and IER SEIFA indexes and decile 9 on IEO and IRSAD, among the top advantage tiers nationally, with household income in the 87.2nd percentile. It is car-dependent, with 85.7% driving to work, and the median house price is high at $1,330,000, suiting established families more than first-home buyers.
What is the median house price in Belair?
The median house price is $1,330,000 as of 1Q 2026, up 27.6% from $1,042,500 a year earlier. Weekly rent averages $376 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $2,100, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 21.4%, well below the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Belair?
No schools are recorded inside the 14.84 km2 Belair boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The local population is highly educated, with university qualifications at 54.0%, which is 23.9 points above the national figure.
Is Belair safe?
Belair recorded 134 offences, a crime rate of 28.4 per 1,000 residents, low for metropolitan Adelaide. The suburb also scores decile 10 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, the highest tier nationally, and only 5.5% of its residents need daily assistance, both consistent with a low-risk area.
Is Belair good for property investment?
Rent of $376 a week against a $1,330,000 median gives a gross yield near 1.5%, very low, and only 8.6% of residents rent, so the tenant pool is thin. With a 4.7% vacancy rate and 0.25% annual population growth, returns depend on capital growth, which delivered a 27.6% one-year price rise.
How is Belair's population changing?
Population growth is 0.25% annually, about 12 residents a year, with a 7.7% rise over 10 years. The count moved from 4,911 in 2023 to 4,895 in 2025. The profile is aging, with the senior share up 5.9 points and the working-age share down 4.6 points over the decade.
How much development is happening in Belair?
There were 46 development applications lodged in the past 12 months. Most are dwelling additions, alterations, deck and verandah works, or tree removal and spa or fence installations on existing homes rather than new supply, consistent with an established, slow-growth area at 0.25% annual population growth.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), state Valuer-General (house prices), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), ACARA (school ICSEA), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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