Clarence Gardens
Its 2,373 residents live at 2,434.1 people per sq km, while median age is 38 and household income ranks at the 83.6th percentile. An 83.6% separate-house share and 44.8% mortgage tenure point to established family ownership, while 15.5% work from home. Compared with nearby Clarence Park and Cumberland Park, its 0.97 sq km footprint makes Clarence Gardens especially compact. Limited land and high incomes help explain why prices have moved faster than the modest 0.48% annual growth trend.
Local council: Mitcham
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
32
Median House
$1.5M
First quarter 2026
The 44.8% mortgage share is above the 30.3% owned outright share, showing many households are still paying down debt. Three-bedroom homes account for 48.4% and four-plus-bedroom homes 27.6%, while separate houses make up 83.6% of stock. Apartments are only 10.9%, so buyers seeking a different format may need to consider nearby Plympton Park or Edwardstown.
For Buyers
The 44.8% mortgage share is above the 30.3% owned outright share, showing many households are still paying down debt. Three-bedroom homes account for 48.4% and four-plus-bedroom homes 27.6%, while separate houses make up 83.6% of stock. Apartments are only 10.9%, so buyers seeking a different format may need to consider nearby Plympton Park or Edwardstown.
For Investors
Investors get a predominantly owner-occupied market: 21.2% of dwellings are rented, compared with 30.3% owned outright and 44.8% mortgaged. Weekly rent is $350 and vacancy is 4.9%, so leasing conditions appear less constrained than in a tight, low-vacancy market. The 29 development applications lodged in 12 months point to ongoing property activity, although examples centre on alterations, ancillary accommodation, verandahs, carports and pools rather than a clear wave of new dwellings. Balanced migration and a 0.48% annual growth trend favour a steady strategy over a rapid-growth thesis. Rent growth of 31.6% is higher than the 4.3% 10-year population change because rental pricing has moved faster than the resident base.
Development Activity
Total DAs
134
Last 12 Months
32
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+33.3%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
Clarence Gardens has a median age of 38, which is 2 years below the national comparison, but its trajectory is ageing. University attainment is 50.9%, or 20.8 percentage points above the national comparison, helping explain the suburb's professional and managerial profile. English ancestry is recorded for 890 people, followed by Irish at 256, Scottish at 220 and German at 176. No religion is the largest recorded affiliation at 1,177, ahead of Christianity at 955. Average household size is 2.7, 0.2 higher than the national comparison, and couples with children make up 55.4% of families. This mix supports established households while retaining a substantial graduate workforce.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
83.6%
Houses
5.5%
Townhouse
10.9%
Apartment
Tenure
The housing mix is firmly detached: separate houses account for 83.6%, compared with 10.9% apartments and 5.5% semi-detached dwellings. Tenure is led by mortgages at 44.8%, followed by outright ownership at 30.3% and renting at 21.2%, while mortgage costs equal 21.4% of household income. Three-bedroom stock is most common at 48.4%, with 27.6% containing four or more bedrooms. Compared with apartments, detached housing dominates because the compact 0.97 sq km footprint supports a scarce, established housing pattern.
Mortgage / mo
$2,038
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$350
Census 2021
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
55.4%
Couples with children
29.4%
Couples, no children
14.2%
Single parent
639
Total families
Economy & Employment
Clarence Gardens has a professional, public-facing employment base. Healthcare leads with 21.7% and 201 workers, followed by Education at 13.4% and 124, Professional/Tech at 10.8% and 100, Public Administration at 9.4% and 87, and Construction at 6.2% and 57. Professionals number 400 and Managers 197, above Clerical/Admin at 161 and Trades at 147. The 70.7% participation rate and 3.7% unemployment rate indicate broad labour engagement, while household income of $2,200 weekly ranks at the 83.6th percentile. SEIFA deciles are mixed: IEO 4, IER 4, IRSD 5 and IRSAD 4. These sit below a uniformly high-decile profile because education and income strength does not eliminate housing or occupational inequality.
Unemployment
3.7%
Labour Force
1,325
Unemployed
49
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
56.9%
Part-time
38.4%
Participation
70.7%
Employed
1,276
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
50.9%
Postgraduate
12.7%
Born Overseas
22.0%
Dwellings
860
Transport to Work
Clarence Gardens is practical for car-based households: 68.5% travel as car drivers, higher than the 7.4% using public transport, while 15.5% work from home and only 3.3% walk or cycle. Crime is recorded at 37.1 incidents per 1,000 residents, with 88 total incidents, so safety should be assessed alongside the exact street, lighting and travel patterns. The IRSAD decile is 4 and the IRSD decile is 5, below a high-advantage profile, even though household income ranks at the 83.6th percentile. Families should check nearby school options and enrolment zones against the exact address. A 20.5% volunteering rate and 3.8% needing assistance add context to local support needs. Compared with a transit-oriented suburb, daily life is more dependent on private vehicles because the urban form is dense but detached.
Drive
68.5%
Public Transport
7.4%
Walk / Cycle
3.3%
Work from Home
15.5%
Growth Outlook
Clarence Gardens is forecast to grow slowly at 0.48% annually, with migration labelled Balanced rather than driven by a single inflow. Population change across the wider area is 4.3% over 10 years, lower than the 35.4% house-price increase between 1Q 2025 and 1Q 2026, so price momentum has outpaced demographic growth. The shift trajectory is Aging: senior share has risen 5.8 percentage points while young share has fallen 2.7 points. Rent growth of 31.6% adds pressure, but affordability is classified Stable, moving from 34.9% in 2011 to 33.3% in 2021. Gentrification is Not gentrifying with a score of 0, favouring gradual change because the suburb already has a mature detached base.
Population trend: Mitcham council area
Clarence Gardens sits in the Mitcham council area. These are the council area's residents, not Clarence Gardens's.
Residents 2025
71,267
Growth, 5 yr average
+0.9%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+1.0%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
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
What schools are in Clarence Gardens?
Families should check nearby school options and enrolment zones using the exact Clarence Gardens address. School catchments can cross suburb boundaries, and the suburb covers only 0.97 sq km. Confirm sector, year levels and application rules directly before choosing a property, particularly where daily travel and the 68.5% car-driver rate matter.
Is Clarence Gardens safe?
Crime is recorded at 37.1 incidents per 1,000 residents, with 88 total incidents. That supports checking the exact street, lighting, parking exposure and travel patterns rather than treating one suburb-wide rate as a guarantee. The suburb's population is 2,373, so small changes in incident counts can affect the rate.
Is Clarence Gardens good for property investment?
Investment prospects are steady rather than high-growth. Weekly rent is $350, vacancy is 4.9% and 21.2% of dwellings are rented, while the annual growth trend is 0.48% and migration is Balanced. The 29 development applications in 12 months show activity, but recent examples are mainly alterations, so investors should not assume a large new-dwelling pipeline.
How is Clarence Gardens's population changing?
Clarence Gardens is on an Aging trajectory. Population change across the wider area is 4.3% over 10 years, and the annual growth trend is 0.48%, with migration labelled Balanced. The age shift includes a 5.8 percentage-point rise in the senior share and a 2.7-point fall in the young share, pointing to gradual change rather than rapid expansion.
What development is happening in Clarence Gardens?
Development activity includes 29 applications over 12 months, with examples involving a swimming pool and safety barrier, ancillary accommodation changes, verandahs, carports and dwelling alterations. This pattern indicates incremental upgrades more than a clear apartment or subdivision boom. Check approvals, conditions and construction timing before relying on a proposed change when buying.
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).
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