Christie Downs
Among Adelaide's outer-south suburbs, Christie Downs stands out for a SEIFA profile that sits in decile 1 on all four indexes, IRSAD, IRSD, IEO and IER, the most disadvantaged tier nationally, while its median house price still jumped 17.5% in a single year to $771,000. Household income falls in the 7.3rd percentile, yet that price growth reflects Adelaide's broad affordability squeeze pushing buyers further out. University qualifications reach just 13.3%, 16.8 points below the national figure, and the recorded crime rate of 131.5 per 1,000 residents is high. The stock is 76.7% separate houses across a 3.19 km2 footprint, and the median age of 41 runs 1.0 year above national.
Population
5,239
Median Age
41.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$889/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
92
Median House
$771K
Median 1Q 2026
The $771,000 median house price is striking for a decile 1 suburb, and it climbed 17.5% from $656,100 a year earlier, a faster move than most of Adelaide. Affordability still holds for buyers on paper because monthly mortgage repayments average only $1,148, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 29.8%, just under the 30% stress line despite household income in the 7.3rd percentile. The stock favours families: 76.7% are separate houses and 71.4% have three bedrooms, with apartments almost absent at 1.2%. Two-bedroom dwellings make up 12.0% and four-plus bedroom homes 10.3%, so buyers wanting larger homes face thin supply. Owner-occupiers are a minority here, with 23.9% owning outright and 28.2% on a mortgage, below the 47.9% who rent, signalling a market where investors and tenants outweigh resident owners.
For Buyers
The $771,000 median house price is striking for a decile 1 suburb, and it climbed 17.5% from $656,100 a year earlier, a faster move than most of Adelaide. Affordability still holds for buyers on paper because monthly mortgage repayments average only $1,148, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 29.8%, just under the 30% stress line despite household income in the 7.3rd percentile. The stock favours families: 76.7% are separate houses and 71.4% have three bedrooms, with apartments almost absent at 1.2%. Two-bedroom dwellings make up 12.0% and four-plus bedroom homes 10.3%, so buyers wanting larger homes face thin supply. Owner-occupiers are a minority here, with 23.9% owning outright and 28.2% on a mortgage, below the 47.9% who rent, signalling a market where investors and tenants outweigh resident owners.
For Investors
A 47.9% renter share is well above the typical owner-occupier suburb and gives landlords a deep tenant pool, the core of the local investment case. Weekly rent of $250 against the $771,000 median implies a gross yield near 1.7%, modest, though rents have grown 76.1% over the decade, far outpacing most markets and lifting income returns over time. The 8.4% vacancy rate is elevated and points to softer short-term demand than the renter share alone suggests. Development is active, with 81 applications lodged in 12 months including several semi-detached and terrace dwelling proposals, which adds future rental supply. Net overseas migration of 29 a year and net internal migration of 4 keep demand balanced rather than surging, so the case rests on yield growth and the affordable entry price rather than rapid capital gains.
Development Activity
Total DAs
304
Last 12 Months
92
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+91.7%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Christie Downs iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Lonsdale Heights Primary School
U, R-6 · 71 students
Christie Downs Primary School
U, R-6 · 205 students
Christies Beach High School
U, 7-12 · 789 students
Demographics
The median age of 41 is 1.0 year above the national figure, and the trajectory is aging: the senior share rose 6.5 points while the working-age share fell 3.2 points over the decade. Overseas-born residents sit at 21.0%, which is 0.6 points below national, so the suburb is more Australian-born than typical. Ancestry leans Anglo-Celtic, led by English (2,288), Scottish (388) and Irish (364). University qualifications at 13.3% run 16.8 points below national, among the lower figures in metropolitan Adelaide and consistent with a workforce weighted toward labouring and personal-service roles. Average household size is 2.2, which is 0.3 below national, reflecting a high share of couples without children at 25.2% of families. Christianity (1,599 residents) is by far the largest religious affiliation.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
76.7%
Houses
22.2%
Townhouse
1.2%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is renter-led: 47.9% rent, well above the 28.2% carrying a mortgage and 23.9% owning outright, so resident owners are a minority compared with most Australian suburbs. The stock is overwhelmingly detached at 76.7% separate houses, with semi-detached dwellings at 22.2% and apartments just 1.2%, and three-bedroom homes dominate at 71.4%. The median house price rose 17.5% from $656,100 to $771,000 across 2025-2026, a sharp single-year gain. That pace matters because household income sits in the 7.3rd percentile, yet the mortgage-to-income ratio stays at 29.8% thanks to low repayments of $1,148 a month. Rent-to-income runs higher at 28.1%, closer to the stress threshold, which is why the large renting cohort feels affordability pressure more acutely than mortgage holders.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,148
Rent / wk
$250
HH Size
2.2
Personal Income / wk
$493
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
8.4%
Unoccupied
195
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
28.1%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
29.8%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
25.2%
Couples, no children
3,447
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce concentrates in service and trade roles rather than knowledge sectors. Healthcare leads at 24.4% (238 workers), followed by Retail at 9.9% (97), Construction at 9.5% (93), Education at 8.3% and Manufacturing at 7.9%. By occupation, Community and Personal Service workers (289) and Labourers (265) outnumber Professionals (163), which aligns with the decile 1 IEO score for education and occupation. Unemployment is high at 12.5%, well above national, and the participation rate of 40.3% is low, partly because 1,982 residents are not in the labour force in an aging population. The full-time employment rate is 53.2%. All four SEIFA indexes read decile 1, the most disadvantaged tier, yet real incomes still grew 14.9% over the decade, showing modest gains from a low base.
Unemployment
12.0%
Labour Force
4,560
Unemployed
545
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
53.2%
Part-time
34.3%
Participation
40.3%
Employed
1,529
Occupations
Top Industries
University
13.3%
Postgraduate
2.4%
Born Overseas
21.0%
Dwellings
2,135
Transport to Work
The suburb is heavily car-dependent: 83.1% drive to work while only 6.2% use public transport and 2.7% walk or cycle, above the national reliance on cars and a practical consequence of an outer-south location. On disadvantage measures it scores decile 1 on IRSD and IRSAD, the most disadvantaged tier nationally, and 12.4% of residents (576 people) need daily assistance, higher than typical and consistent with the aging profile. The recorded crime rate is 131.5 per 1,000 residents, with 689 incidents, elevated compared with lower-crime suburbs. No schools are recorded inside the 3.19 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs. Volunteering runs at 11.0%, a modest level of community participation.
Drive
83.1%
Public Transport
6.2%
Walk / Cycle
2.7%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.75%/yr
(+73 people/yr)
EstablishedChristie Downs is classified as an established suburb with steady, slow expansion: the forecast annual growth rate is 0.75%, adding about 73 people a year, and the 10-year population change was 9.9%. Migration is balanced, with net overseas inflow of 29 a year and net internal migration of just 4, so growth is organic rather than driven by a single force. The gentrification score reads 58, an active stage, supported by rent growth of 76.1% and real income growth of 14.9% over the decade. Affordability has worsened, moving from 36.2% in 2011 to 45.1% in 2021, as the 17.5% one-year price jump outpaced local incomes. The aging trajectory, with the senior share up 6.5 points, means future demand skews toward smaller and lower-maintenance dwellings.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+29
Net Internal / yr
+4
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
689
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
131.5
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Christie Downs compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Christie Downs a good suburb to live in?
Christie Downs offers affordable family housing, with 76.7% separate houses and a median of $771,000, plus mortgage repayments near $1,148 a month. The main trade-offs are decile 1 SEIFA scores, the most disadvantaged tier nationally, a 12.5% unemployment rate and a crime rate of 131.5 per 1,000 residents.
What is the median house price in Christie Downs?
The median house price is $771,000, up 17.5% from $656,100 a year earlier, a sharp single-year gain. Weekly rent averages $250 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,148, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 29.8%, just below the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Christie Downs?
No schools are recorded inside the 3.19 km2 Christie Downs boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. University qualifications among residents reach 13.3%, which is 16.8 points below the national figure.
Is Christie Downs safe?
The recorded crime rate is 131.5 per 1,000 residents, with 689 incidents, higher than lower-crime suburbs. The suburb also scores decile 1 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, the most disadvantaged tier, and 12.4% of residents need daily assistance, both pointing to a higher-need area.
Is Christie Downs good for property investment?
Rent of $250 a week against a $771,000 median gives a gross yield near 1.7%, modest, and the 8.4% vacancy rate is elevated. The upside is a deep tenant pool at 47.9% renting and rent growth of 76.1% over the decade, so returns lean on income growth more than yield.
How is Christie Downs's population changing?
The forecast annual population growth is 0.75%, about 73 people a year, with a 9.9% rise over 10 years. The profile is aging, with the senior share up 6.5 points and the working-age share down 3.2 points over the decade, while migration stays balanced at 29 overseas arrivals a year.
How much development is happening in Christie Downs?
There were 81 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, including several semi-detached and terrace dwelling proposals that add future supply. This activity sits alongside a forecast annual population growth of 0.75% and a high 47.9% renter share.
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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