SA 5109 Census 2021 + Live DA Data

Brahma Lodge

Household income sits at the 16.7th percentile nationally, placing it well below the national average, yet house prices have moved faster than wages suggest. The suburb is overwhelmingly detached houses at 93.4% of stock, and 36.9% of residents were born overseas, which is 15.3 percentage points above the national figure. These two facts together signal a suburb attracting working-class migrant families seeking affordable land in Adelaide's northern corridor.

Brahma Lodge urban fabric map

Population

3,380

Median Age

37.0

Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)

$1,081/wk

DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year

52

Median House

$780K

First quarter 2026

1.35 km²· 2,511.7 people/km²· Family income $1,215/wk

That pace of growth is notable given household income is at the 16.7th percentile nationally, and monthly mortgage repayments average $1,170, representing about 25% of median household income, which stays below the 30% stress threshold. Separate houses dominate at 93.4%, with three-bedroom homes making up 76.3% of stock and four-plus bedrooms at 15.1%, so buyers can access family-sized homes. Semi-detached dwellings are just 5.4% and apartments 1.1%, meaning choice is concentrated in the detached segment. Outright owners account for 31.6% and mortgage holders 38.5%, reflecting a maturing ownership base for a working-income suburb.

For Buyers

That pace of growth is notable given household income is at the 16.7th percentile nationally, and monthly mortgage repayments average $1,170, representing about 25% of median household income, which stays below the 30% stress threshold. Separate houses dominate at 93.4%, with three-bedroom homes making up 76.3% of stock and four-plus bedrooms at 15.1%, so buyers can access family-sized homes. Semi-detached dwellings are just 5.4% and apartments 1.1%, meaning choice is concentrated in the detached segment. Outright owners account for 31.6% and mortgage holders 38.5%, reflecting a maturing ownership base for a working-income suburb.

For Investors

The vacancy rate is 5.8%, above a healthy 3% benchmark, signalling some softness in tenant demand relative to supply. Renters make up 30% of households, providing a broad tenant pool. Development activity is elevated at 43 applications in the past 12 months, including land subdivisions and terrace-style multi-dwelling projects, pointing to supply expansion that could moderate prices. The 23.8% annual price gain from Q1 2025 to Q1 2026 shows strong capital growth momentum, though the low household income base at the 16.7th percentile nationally means sustained growth depends on continued migration and supply constraints rather than income-driven demand.

Development Activity

Total DAs

212

Last 12 Months

52

YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements

+30.0%

Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year

N/A

Monthly DA Lodgements

DA Categories

Subdivision
28
Garage / Carport / Shed
13
Deck / Pergola / Patio
12
Multi-Dwelling / Townhouse
11
Tree Removal
11
New Dwelling
8
Fencing
5
Swimming Pool / Spa
1

Schools in Brahma Lodge

Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.

Brahma Lodge Primary School

Primary Education Government

Demographics

The median age of 37 is 3 years below the national average, pointing to a younger resident profile typical of family-oriented growth corridors. Overseas-born residents reach 36.9%, which is 15.3 percentage points above the national figure, driven by communities speaking Nepali (73 speakers), Arabic (39) and Italian (28). English and Scottish ancestry leads at 1,004 and 200 respectively, but the German-ancestry count of 190 reflects older SA settlement patterns. University qualifications stand at 18.3%, which is 11.8 percentage points below the national rate, consistent with an occupational profile weighted toward Labourers (235), Community and Personal Service workers (197) and Clerical/Admin staff (157). Average household size of 2.6 is marginally above the national figure, consistent with the couples-with-children household type that makes up 1,083 of 2,686 families.

Age Distribution

0-14
20.8%
15-24
11.7%
25-44
27.4%
45-64
23.4%
65+
16.8%

Bedrooms

Studio/1br
1.4%
2 bed
7.2%
3 bed
76.3%
4+ bed
15.1%

Dwelling Structure

93.4%

Houses

5.4%

Townhouse

1.1%

Apartment

Tenure

Own 31.2% Mortgage 38.0% Rent 29.6% Other 1.2%

Brahma Lodge's housing stock is one of the most detached-house-dominant in greater Adelaide at 93.4%, with just 5.4% semi-detached and 1.1% apartments. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 76.3%, followed by four-plus bedrooms at 15.1%, making it almost exclusively a family-housing suburb. Tenure splits into 31.6% owned outright, 38.5% mortgaged and 30.0% renting, a spread that is more rental-weighted than many comparable suburbs. Mortgage-to-income is 25.0% and rent-to-income 26.8%, both below stress thresholds despite household income sitting at the 16.7th percentile nationally. This affordability cushion partly explains buyer demand from lower-income households seeking to enter the market.

Mortgage / mo

$1,170

Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.

$290

Census 2021

HH Size

2.6

Personal Income / wk

$521

Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)

5.8%

Unoccupied

76

Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress

26.8%

Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress

25.0%

Community Profile

Languages Spoken at Home

Nepali
73
Arabic
39
Italian
28
Punjabi
19
Persian ED
16
Hindi
11

Ancestry

English
1,004
Other
887
Scottish
200
Ancestry NS
198
German
190
Irish
182

Household Composition

40.4%

Couples with children

31.4%

Couples, no children

24.9%

Single parent

882

Total families

Economy & Employment

Healthcare dominates local employment at 25.1% of workers (173 people), well above its share in most comparable suburbs, followed by Manufacturing at 12.2% (84), Construction at 9.0% (62) and Retail and Public Admin each at 7.4% (51). The occupational profile skews toward manual and service roles: Labourers lead at 235 workers, ahead of Community/Personal Service at 197 and Clerical/Admin at 157, while Professionals account for only 114. Unemployment sits at 10.1%, notably higher than the SA and national averages, and the participation rate is just 49.0%, with 1,161 residents not in the labour force, a figure linked to the younger-family demographic and the 9.2% of residents needing daily assistance. Weekly household income of $1,081 places the suburb at the 16.7th percentile nationally.

Unemployment

9.6%

Labour Force

1,384

Unemployed

133

Source: ABS Census 2021

Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)

Full-time

59.3%

Part-time

34.9%

Participation

51.7%

Employed

1,251

Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021

Occupations

Labourers 235
Trades 201
Community/Personal 197
Clerical/Admin 157
Machinery/Drivers 134
Professionals 114
Sales 95
Managers 79

Top Industries

Healthcare 25.1%
Manufacturing 12.2%
Construction 9.0%
Retail 7.4%
Public Admin 7.4%

University

18.3%

Postgraduate

2.8%

Born Overseas

36.9%

Dwellings

1,248

Transport to Work

Car dependence is high at 88.0% of workers driving, compared to just 4.9% using public transport and 2.3% walking or cycling, which reflects the northern Adelaide location with limited rapid transit options. No schools are recorded inside the Brahma Lodge boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in surrounding suburbs such as Salisbury and Paralowie. Crime totals 239 incidents, giving a rate of 70.7 per 1,000 residents, a figure that should be interpreted in context: the suburb contains 3,380 residents and the rate sits above typical suburban averages. On the welfare side, 9.2% of residents (295 people) need daily assistance, above the national norm. Rent stress and mortgage stress are both absent at 26.8% and 25.0% of income respectively, which is a practical livability advantage for households at the 16.7th percentile of national income.

Drive

83.2%

Public Transport

4.6%

Walk / Cycle

2.2%

Work from Home

5.5%

Safety & Crime

Total Offences

239

Year ending June 2024

Rate per 1,000 People

70.7

Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police

National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs

How Brahma Lodge compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs

Population
Top 16%
Household Income
Bottom 17%
Rent Level
Top 43%
Apartments
Top 20%
Renters
Top 21%
Uni Educated
Bottom 31%
Public Transport
Top 29%
Born Overseas
Top 8%
Density
Top 5%

Frequently Asked Questions

What schools are in Brahma Lodge?

No schools are recorded inside the Brahma Lodge boundary in this dataset. With a population of 3,380 and a compact 1.35 km2 footprint, families use schools in the broader Salisbury corridor. The suburb has an 18.3% university qualification rate, which is 11.8 percentage points below the national figure.

Is Brahma Lodge safe?

Brahma Lodge recorded 239 total crime incidents, giving a rate of 70.7 per 1,000 residents. Detailed crime category breakdowns are not available for this suburb in the current dataset. As context, the suburb has a 10.1% unemployment rate and household incomes at the 16.7th percentile nationally, factors that correlate with higher crime rates nationally.

How is Brahma Lodge's population changing?

Current population is 3,380, packed into 1.35 km2 at a density of 2,512 per km2. The residential turnover rate of 16.1% means 83.9% of residents stayed put over the measured period. The overseas-born share of 36.9% is 15.3 percentage points above the national average, indicating migration is the primary driver of population change compared to lower-growth suburbs.

What languages are spoken in Brahma Lodge?

About 36.9% of residents were born overseas, which is 15.3 percentage points above the national average. The most common non-English languages spoken at home are Nepali (73 speakers), Arabic (39), Italian (28), Punjabi (19) and Persian (16), reflecting diverse migration origins within a 3,380-person population.

How much development is happening in Brahma Lodge?

There were 43 development applications lodged in the past 12 months. Recent examples include a 1-into-3 residential land subdivision and a three-dwelling terrace project, both performance-assessed applications. This level of activity for a 1.35 km2 suburb signals active densification pressure, consistent with the 23.8% price rise and the suburb's position in Adelaide's northern growth corridor.

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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