Crafers
The suburb's 2,006 residents are markedly well-educated, with 54.4% holding university qualifications, 24.3 percentage points above the national average. Detached houses account for 98% of the stock, 84.2% of residents stayed put over the survey period, and the crime rate of 16.9 per 1,000 residents places it firmly in the low-crime tier. Together these signals describe a stable, high-income, owner-occupier suburb where long-term residents value the quiet and the space.
Local council: Adelaide Hills
Population
2,006
Median Age
44.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,530/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
50
Median House
$1.4M
First quarter 2026
Separate houses make up 98% of the stock, and 48.2% of those have four or more bedrooms, making Crafers one of the more family-sized markets compared to typical urban suburbs. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,167, which translates to a mortgage-to-income ratio of just 19.8%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold because household income is in the 92.6th percentile nationally. Outright owners (43.8%) and mortgage holders (47.2%) together account for 91% of the market, with renters at only 9%, confirming this is a suburb of committed, long-term owners rather than transient occupiers.
For Buyers
Separate houses make up 98% of the stock, and 48.2% of those have four or more bedrooms, making Crafers one of the more family-sized markets compared to typical urban suburbs. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,167, which translates to a mortgage-to-income ratio of just 19.8%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold because household income is in the 92.6th percentile nationally. Outright owners (43.8%) and mortgage holders (47.2%) together account for 91% of the market, with renters at only 9%, confirming this is a suburb of committed, long-term owners rather than transient occupiers.
For Investors
With only 9% of dwellings rented and a vacancy rate of 5.1%, the rental market in Crafers is thin. That said, the vacancy rate of 5.1% is relatively tight given the small absolute rental pool of roughly 180 dwellings. Development activity shows 38 applications lodged in the past 12 months, mostly performance-assessed works such as outbuildings, pools and new dwellings, indicating steady reinvestment but no large supply surge. The 84.2% resident retention rate points to low turnover, which dampens listing frequency and can support prices in a constrained market. Investors seeking yield will find more favourable numbers elsewhere, but the suburb's income profile and low crime rate support long-run capital preservation.
Development Activity
Total DAs
220
Last 12 Months
50
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+28.2%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Crafers
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Crafers Primary School
Demographics
The median age of 44 is 4.0 years above the national figure, reflecting an established owner-occupier base rather than an influx of younger renters. University qualifications reach 54.4%, which is 24.3 percentage points higher than the national average, and Professionals (405 workers) and Managers (223) dominate the occupation mix. Ancestry is predominantly Anglo-Celtic, led by English (988), Scottish (243), Irish (221) and German (210). Overseas-born residents make up 18.7% of the population, 2.9 percentage points below the national figure, consistent with the suburb's low mobility and long-settled character. The average household size of 2.7 is 0.2 above the national average, and 43.1% of families are couples with children, pointing to a family-formation demographic that has stayed put rather than traded up elsewhere.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
98.0%
Houses
0.0%
Townhouse
2.0%
Apartment
Tenure
The housing stock in Crafers is almost entirely separate detached houses at 98%, with apartments at just 2%, a composition well above the national norm for detached-house dominance. Four-plus bedroom homes account for 48.2% of dwellings and three-bedroom homes a further 40.6%, so smaller households are a clear minority here. Outright owners represent 43.8% of occupiers, which is high compared to most Australian suburbs and signals a base of long-established, debt-free residents. Mortgage-to-income sits at 19.8% and rent-to-income at 15.0%, both below the typical stress thresholds, because the income base here is in the 92.6th percentile nationally. These ratios help explain why forced sales are rare and the suburb's turnover rate is just 15.8%.
Mortgage / mo
$2,167
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$380
Census 2021
HH Size
2.7
Personal Income / wk
$1,066
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.1%
Unoccupied
38
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
15.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.8%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
49.6%
Couples with children
43.2%
Couples, no children
7.2%
Single parent
595
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the top industry for Crafers residents, employing 19.1% of the local workforce, followed by Professional/Tech at 14.8% and Education at 14.0%. Public Administration accounts for a further 8.9% and Construction 7.4%, a mix that reflects the suburb's proximity to Adelaide CBD professional precincts. By occupation, Professionals number 405 and Managers 223, which together represent the majority of employed residents. The full-time employment rate is 59.3% and the unemployment rate is 4.2%. Personal weekly income averages $1,066 and family weekly income $2,955, both above state and national medians. The high professional and education industry shares are directly linked to the university qualification rate of 54.4%, which runs 24.3 percentage points higher than the national average, sustaining strong household incomes across the suburb.
Unemployment
4.0%
Labour Force
1,092
Unemployed
44
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
39.0%
Participation
67.2%
Employed
1,048
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
54.4%
Postgraduate
14.6%
Born Overseas
18.7%
Dwellings
707
Transport to Work
Car dependency is high in Crafers, with 88.6% of residents driving to work and only 3.4% using public transport, reflecting the suburb's hillside, lower-density geography compared to inner-city suburbs served by rail. The crime rate of 16.9 incidents per 1,000 residents is low, with just 34 recorded offences across the suburb in the survey period. Volunteering reaches 28.2% of residents, above typical metropolitan rates, indicating strong civic engagement. Housing stress is absent by standard thresholds: mortgage-to-income at 19.8% and rent-to-income at 15.0% are both well below the 30% stress line. No schools are recorded inside the suburb boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring Hills suburbs. The 2.7% need-assistance rate is consistent with the younger-than-aged, active population profile at a median age of 44.
Drive
71.2%
Public Transport
2.7%
Walk / Cycle
1.8%
Work from Home
19.6%
Growth Outlook
With only two quarters of price data available, a longer trend cannot be confirmed, but the softening aligns with broader Adelaide Hills adjustments after the post-COVID run-up. The population of 2,006 is small and the suburb density of 332.5 people per square kilometre is low compared to metropolitan norms, limiting the scale of organic demand growth. A volunteering rate of 28.2% and 84.2% residential stability suggest a community with strong attachment rather than one cycling through rapid demographic change. Development activity of 38 applications in 12 months points to incremental upgrade of existing stock rather than large-scale subdivision, which means new supply is unlikely to pressure prices materially.
Population trend: Adelaide Hills council area
Crafers sits in the Adelaide Hills council area. These are the council area's residents, not Crafers's.
Residents 2025
42,875
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
34
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
16.9
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Crafers compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Crafers a good suburb to live in?
Crafers rates strongly on affordability stress, safety and education. Household income sits at the 92.6th percentile nationally, the crime rate is just 16.9 per 1,000 residents, and 54.4% of residents hold university qualifications, 24.3 points above the national average. The main trade-off is strong car dependency, with 88.6% driving to work and limited public transport at 3.4%.
What schools are in Crafers?
No schools are recorded inside the Crafers suburb boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in neighbouring Adelaide Hills suburbs. The local adult population is highly educated, with 54.4% holding university qualifications, 24.3 percentage points above the national average, indicating strong educational values in the community.
Is Crafers safe?
Crafers has a low crime rate of 16.9 incidents per 1,000 residents, based on 34 total recorded offences. The suburb's identity signals include low-crime-rate as a defining characteristic. Only 2.7% of residents need daily assistance, and the 84.2% residential stability rate reflects a settled, low-stress community environment.
How is Crafers's population changing?
Crafers has a population of 2,006 across 6.03 square kilometres, giving a density of 332.5 per square kilometre. The suburb is stable rather than fast-growing: 84.2% of residents stayed put in the survey period against a turnover rate of 15.8%. The median age of 44 is 4.0 years above the national figure, suggesting an aging-in-place pattern rather than rapid demographic turnover.
How much development is happening in Crafers?
There were 38 development applications lodged in the past 12 months. Recent examples include two-storey detached dwellings with pools, outbuildings and an agricultural-horticulture tourism building. Most are performance-assessed applications, reflecting the Adelaide Hills planning context. This level of activity points to steady reinvestment in existing stock rather than large-scale subdivision.
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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