Clarence Gardens
At 0.97 square kilometres, Clarence Gardens packs a median house price of $1,486,327 into one of Adelaide's more compact inner-south footprints, which places it well above the state median and among Adelaide's premium tier. Half of working residents hold university qualifications, 20.8 percentage points above the national figure, making this one of the most credentialled suburbs in South Australia. The household income sits in the 83.6th percentile nationally, yet the SEIFA IRSD decile is only 5, reflecting the modest pockets within an otherwise advantaged area. The dominant pattern is an Anglo-heritage, detached-house suburb with an aging population and very low resident turnover at 83% staying between Census periods.
Population
2,373
Median Age
38.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,200/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
24
Median House
$1.5M
Median 1Q 2026
The median house price of $1,486,327 as of Q1 2026 represents a 35.4% rise from $1,097,500 just one year prior in Q1 2025, an exceptional single-year shift that buyers should treat cautiously given the short price history. Separate houses account for 83.6% of the stock, with apartments at 10.9% and semi-detached at 5.5%, so buyers who want a freestanding home face a narrow but stable market rather than an apartment-heavy one. Three-bedroom dwellings are the most common at 48.4%, followed by 4-plus bedrooms at 27.6%, skewing toward family-sized properties. The monthly mortgage repayment of $2,038 against household income in the 83.6th percentile gives a mortgage-to-income ratio of 21.4%, below the stress threshold of 30%, meaning most buyers here are not financially stretched relative to their income.
For Buyers
The median house price of $1,486,327 as of Q1 2026 represents a 35.4% rise from $1,097,500 just one year prior in Q1 2025, an exceptional single-year shift that buyers should treat cautiously given the short price history. Separate houses account for 83.6% of the stock, with apartments at 10.9% and semi-detached at 5.5%, so buyers who want a freestanding home face a narrow but stable market rather than an apartment-heavy one. Three-bedroom dwellings are the most common at 48.4%, followed by 4-plus bedrooms at 27.6%, skewing toward family-sized properties. The monthly mortgage repayment of $2,038 against household income in the 83.6th percentile gives a mortgage-to-income ratio of 21.4%, below the stress threshold of 30%, meaning most buyers here are not financially stretched relative to their income.
For Investors
The rental picture is modest: weekly rent of $350 against a $1,486,327 median implies a gross yield well below 2%, which is low even by Adelaide inner-suburb standards. Only 22% of dwellings are rented, well below the national average, confirming this is primarily an owner-occupier suburb. The 4.9% vacancy rate is elevated and warrants attention, as it indicates some supply-demand imbalance for tenants. Development activity is low at 19 applications in the past 12 months, mostly performance-assessed alterations and ancillary accommodation, so no major supply wave is coming to dilute prices. Net overseas migration adds 17 residents per year while net internal migration removes 14, a near-balanced flow that limits rapid demand surges. The investment case rests on long-term capital growth in a tightly held, low-turnover suburb rather than rental yield.
Development Activity
Total DAs
126
Last 12 Months
24
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-29.4%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
The median age of 38 sits 2 years below the national median, younger than might be expected for a high-income suburb. University qualifications reach 50.9% of residents, which is 20.8 percentage points above the national figure and reflects the concentration of Professionals (400 workers) and Managers (197) in the local workforce. The overseas-born share at 22% is roughly in line with the national average, 0.4 percentage points above. Ancestry is strongly Anglo-Celtic: English at 890 residents leads, followed by Irish at 256 and Scottish at 220, with German at 176 the main non-British heritage group. Average household size of 2.7 is 0.2 above national, consistent with the couples-with-children profile, where 1,002 families have children versus 377 couples without. Volunteering is active at 20.5% of residents.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
83.6%
Houses
5.5%
Townhouse
10.9%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is heavily owner-biased: 31.5% own outright and 46.5% hold a mortgage, leaving just 22% renting. The combined ownership rate of 78% is high compared to the national average, pointing to a deeply entrenched owner-occupier community with low portfolio-investor presence. The stock is predominantly separate houses at 83.6%, with apartments at 10.9% and semi-detached at 5.5%, giving little variety for buyers seeking alternatives to freestanding homes. Three-bedroom dwellings dominate at 48.4% and 4-plus bedrooms at 27.6%, making this a family-oriented market. The price history shows $1,097,500 in Q1 2025 rising to $1,486,327 by Q1 2026, a 35.4% move in a single year. Housing stress indicators are benign: rent-to-income at 15.9% and mortgage-to-income at 21.4% are both below stress thresholds.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,038
Rent / wk
$350
HH Size
2.7
Personal Income / wk
$979
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.9%
Unoccupied
44
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
15.9%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.4%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
19.4%
Couples, no children
1,946
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the dominant employer at 21.7% of workers (201 people), followed by Education at 13.4% (124) and Professional/Technical services at 10.8% (100), together accounting for nearly half of all local employment. Public Administration adds 9.4% and Construction 6.2%, rounding out the top five. By occupation, Professionals number 400 and Managers 197, together making up the majority of employed residents, consistent with the high 50.9% university qualification rate. The unemployment rate of 3.9% is low and the full-time employment rate of 59.7% is reasonable. The SEIFA IRSD decile of 5 sits at the national median, lower than the SEIFA IEO decile of 4 and IRSAD decile of 4 would suggest, because relative disadvantage captures a pocket of the suburb that the education and economic indicators average out. Household income in the 83.6th percentile nationally reflects the professional concentration.
Unemployment
2.9%
Labour Force
2,157
Unemployed
62
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
59.7%
Part-time
36.4%
Participation
67.5%
Employed
1,216
Occupations
Top Industries
University
50.9%
Postgraduate
12.7%
Born Overseas
22.0%
Dwellings
860
Transport to Work
Car dependency is high at 81.9% driving, compared to the national urban average, with only 7.7% using public transport and 3.9% walking or cycling. No schools are recorded within the 0.97 km2 boundary, so families depend on schools in surrounding suburbs. The crime rate of 37.1 incidents per 1,000 residents, across 88 total incidents, is a moderate figure for a suburb of 2,373 people and suggests a relatively safe environment. Housing stress is minimal: rent-to-income at 15.9% and mortgage-to-income at 21.4% are both comfortably below the 30% stress threshold. Only 3.8% of residents (89 people) need daily assistance, a low figure consistent with the relatively young median age of 38. The IRSAD decile of 4 places the suburb at a slight disadvantage ranking nationally, though household income in the 83.6th percentile tells a more advantaged story for most residents.
Drive
81.9%
Public Transport
7.7%
Walk / Cycle
3.9%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.48%/yr
(+20 people/yr)
EstablishedPopulation growth is slow at 0.48% per year, adding about 20 residents annually, and the 10-year growth rate of 4.3% confirms an established, low-growth trajectory. The medium forecast puts the combined population (including adjacent areas counted together) reaching 4,367 by 2031, up from a recent 4,185 in 2025. The suburb is classified as not gentrifying, with a gentrification score near zero, because there is no meaningful education or income shift happening from a lower base since the suburb is already advantaged. The population is aging, with the senior share rising 5.8 points and the young share falling 2.7 points over the decade, which will gradually shift housing demand toward lower-maintenance properties. Migration is balanced: overseas net inflow of 17 per year offsets internal net outflow of 14. Affordability has held stable, moving from 34.9% in 2011 to 33.3% in 2021.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+17
Net Internal / yr
-14
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
88
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
37.1
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Clarence Gardens compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Clarence Gardens a good suburb to live in?
Clarence Gardens suits owner-occupier families well. The household income sits in the 83.6th percentile nationally, housing stress is low with mortgage-to-income at 21.4%, and 50.9% of residents hold university qualifications, 20.8 percentage points above the national figure. The main trade-off is limited public transport, with 81.9% of residents driving to work.
What is the median house price in Clarence Gardens?
The median house price is $1,486,327 as of Q1 2026, up 35.4% from $1,097,500 in Q1 2025. Weekly rent averages $350 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $2,038, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 21.4%, below the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Clarence Gardens?
No schools are recorded within the 0.97 km2 Clarence Gardens boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. Locally, 50.9% of residents hold university qualifications, 20.8 percentage points above the national figure, reflecting a highly educated community regardless.
Is Clarence Gardens safe?
The recorded crime rate is 37.1 incidents per 1,000 residents, covering 88 total incidents across a population of 2,373. This is a moderate figure by Adelaide standards. The suburb also scores IRSD decile 5 nationally, at the median for relative disadvantage, with only 3.8% of residents (89 people) needing daily assistance.
Is Clarence Gardens good for property investment?
The suburb presents a mixed case. A $350 weekly rent against a $1,486,327 median implies a gross yield below 2%, low by most measures. Vacancy sits at 4.9%, above comfortable levels. However, only 19 development applications in 12 months means no supply surge is imminent, and the 83% resident retention rate signals a tightly held market with potential for long-run capital growth.
How is Clarence Gardens's population changing?
Population growth is slow at 0.48% per year, adding roughly 20 residents annually, and the 10-year growth rate is 4.3%. The suburb is aging, with the senior share up 5.8 points and the young share down 2.7 points over the decade. Medium forecasts project the area population reaching 4,367 by 2031 from 4,185 in 2025.
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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