Belair
A median age of 47 puts Belair 7 years above the national figure, while household income sits at the 87.2 percentile. Belair has 4,718 residents across 14.84 square kilometres. Compared with nearby Blackwood and Glenalta, its defining signals are an older, owner-oriented population and slower growth. Because 83.3% of residents stayed at the same address, the 0.25% annual trend points to a settled community rather than rapid turnover.
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
34
Median House
$1.3M
First quarter 2026
Belair suits buyers seeking detached homes and larger floorplans, but entry cost is high. Separate houses account for 88.8% of stock, and 46.1% of homes have 4 or more bedrooms, making the market more family-house oriented than apartment-led. The detached mix matters because buyers are paying for land and space rather than compact units. Mortgage repayments are listed at $2,100 monthly, while mortgage-to-income is 21.4% and the stress flag is false. Household income at the 87.2 percentile is higher than most households nationally, but the purchase price remains substantial compared with lower-priced markets.
For Buyers
Belair suits buyers seeking detached homes and larger floorplans, but entry cost is high. Separate houses account for 88.8% of stock, and 46.1% of homes have 4 or more bedrooms, making the market more family-house oriented than apartment-led. The detached mix matters because buyers are paying for land and space rather than compact units. Mortgage repayments are listed at $2,100 monthly, while mortgage-to-income is 21.4% and the stress flag is false. Household income at the 87.2 percentile is higher than most households nationally, but the purchase price remains substantial compared with lower-priced markets.
For Investors
Investment conditions are shaped by limited rental depth rather than a large tenant base. Only 8.0% of households rent, below the 41.2% owning outright and 43.7% paying a mortgage, while weekly rent is $376 and vacancy is 4.7%. Rents have grown 23.0%, which may support income growth, but the small rental share can make comparable evidence thinner. Development activity reached 37 applications in 12 months, including a 2-dwelling semi-detached proposal. Migration is labelled Balanced, so the investment case rests more on established demand and rental availability than on a high-growth story.
Development Activity
Total DAs
314
Last 12 Months
34
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-49.3%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Belair
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Belair Primary School
Demographics
Belair has an older, settled population: median age is 47, or 7 years above national, and 83.3% stayed at the same address while turnover was 16.7%. University attainment is 54.0%, 23.9 percentage points above national, aligning with Professionals and Managers at 907 and 406 people. English, Scottish and Irish are the leading ancestries at 2,219, 621 and 506 people. No religion is recorded for 2,620 people, compared with Christianity at 1,720. Overseas-born residents are 22.9%, just 1.3 points above national, while household size is 2.6, or 0.1 above national. The result is a stable, educated population with a smaller overseas-born gap than the university gap.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
88.8%
Houses
9.5%
Townhouse
0.5%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing is overwhelmingly detached and ownership-heavy. Separate houses account for 88.8%, semi-detached homes 9.5% and apartments just 0.5%; 46.1% of dwellings have 4 or more bedrooms, compared with 38.2% with 3 bedrooms. Tenure is split between 41.2% owned outright and 43.7% mortgaged, while renting is 8.0%. This structure favours established owners because the 21.4% mortgage-to-income ratio is not flagged as stressed, although the price is high relative to $2,265 weekly household income.
Mortgage / mo
$2,100
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$376
Census 2021
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
49.1%
Couples with children
41.1%
Couples, no children
8.7%
Single parent
1,354
Total families
Economy & Employment
Belair's economy is anchored in service and professional work. Healthcare employs 366 people (20.5%), Education 309 (17.3%), Professional/Tech 248 (13.9%), Public Administration 179 (10.0%) and Construction 116 (6.5%). Occupations reinforce that pattern: Professionals number 907 and Managers 406, ahead of Community/Personal at 248 and Trades at 204. The labour force is 2,440, participation is 61.8% and unemployment is 3.9%, with 1,337 full-time and 892 part-time workers. SEIFA sits in decile 9 or 10 across IEO, IER, IRSD and IRSAD, higher than middle-ranked areas and consistent with the 87.2 household-income percentile. This professional mix helps explain why mortgage stress is false at 21.4%.
Unemployment
3.9%
Labour Force
2,440
Unemployed
95
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
57.0%
Part-time
38.0%
Participation
61.8%
Employed
2,345
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
54.0%
Postgraduate
16.4%
Born Overseas
22.9%
Dwellings
1,698
Transport to Work
Belair has a car-oriented daily pattern. Car drivers account for 69.1% of journeys, compared with 4.2% using public transport and 3.1% walking or cycling; 19.4% work from home. Crime is recorded at 28.4 incidents per 1,000 residents, with 134 total incidents, while 5.5% need assistance. Belair Primary School provides a local government primary option, so families should check enrolment zones and nearby secondary choices against the exact address. The suburb's social advantage is high, with IRSAD decile 9 and IRSD decile 10, above the middle deciles. A volunteering rate of 26.3% adds civic participation, while the transport mix suits households that value driving or home-based work more than transit.
Drive
69.1%
Public Transport
4.2%
Walk / Cycle
3.1%
Work from Home
19.4%
Population Forecast
+0.25%/yr
(+12 people/yr)
EstablishedBelair is an established, slow-growth suburb, with the forecast trend at 0.25% annually and migration classified as Balanced. Across the wider area, population change is 7.7% over 10 years, while the trajectory is Aging: senior share is 5.9 percentage points higher, working share is 4.6 points lower and young share is down 0.6 points. Affordability improved from 41.5 in 2011 to 37.7 in 2021, while real income growth was 10.0%. Gentrification is labelled Not gentrifying with score 0, although a separate shift indicator records Early signs at 27. The higher senior trend and lower working share point to gradual, age-led change rather than rapid expansion.
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 can suit households seeking detached housing, established services and a settled foothills setting. Median age is 47, crime is 28.4 per 1,000 residents and 69.1% travel by car, so it is a stronger fit for drivers than for people prioritising frequent public transport.
What schools are in Belair?
Belair Primary School provides a local government primary option. Families should confirm the exact enrolment zone and compare nearby choices, especially for secondary years. Belair has 1 named local school and an 88.8% separate-house share, so school access is best assessed alongside the home's address.
Is Belair safe?
Belair records 134 total crimes, equal to a rate of 28.4 incidents per 1,000 residents. That supports a relatively low-crime setting, but safety can vary by street and incident type. Check recent local updates before deciding, particularly when comparing individual addresses.
How is Belair's population changing?
Belair's current population is 4,718. Across the wider area, population change is 7.7% over 10 years, while the annual trend is 0.25% and migration is Balanced. The trajectory is Aging, with senior share up 5.9 points and working share down 4.6 points, so change is likely to be gradual and age-led rather than rapid.
What development is occurring in Belair?
Recent activity includes 37 development applications in 12 months, with one proposal for 2 two-storey semi-detached dwellings and other ancillary accommodation or earthworks. The pattern points to ongoing small-scale change, with additions and limited infill rather than a clearly identified large project.
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), SA Department for Housing and Urban Development (house prices), state education open registers (school locations), 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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