Crystal Brook
With a median age of 49, Crystal Brook sits 9 years above the national figure, making it one of South Australia's older rural communities. Population is 1,537 across 192.74 square kilometres, giving a density of just 8 people per square kilometre. Household income falls in the 13th percentile nationally, substantially below the Australian average, yet housing stress is absent: rent-to-income runs at 18.7% and mortgage-to-income at 22.3%, both comfortably below stress thresholds. The community is stable, with 84.2% of residents having stayed in the same address over the previous five years, compared to typical metropolitan turnover rates above 25%.
Population
1,537
Median Age
49.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,011/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
31
Median house price data is not captured in this dataset for Crystal Brook, so buyers should obtain current valuations directly from local agents. What the data does show is that housing is affordable relative to income: monthly mortgage repayments average $975, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 22.3%, well below the 30% stress benchmark. Separate houses make up 92.1% of all dwellings, with semi-detached homes accounting for 7.2%, meaning buyers face a predominantly detached-house market with little apartment supply. Three-bedroom homes are the most common configuration at 53.3% of dwellings, followed by 4-plus bedroom homes at 30.3%. Outright ownership is high at 46.3%, above average for regional SA, suggesting that many long-term residents have fully paid off their homes.
For Buyers
Median house price data is not captured in this dataset for Crystal Brook, so buyers should obtain current valuations directly from local agents. What the data does show is that housing is affordable relative to income: monthly mortgage repayments average $975, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 22.3%, well below the 30% stress benchmark. Separate houses make up 92.1% of all dwellings, with semi-detached homes accounting for 7.2%, meaning buyers face a predominantly detached-house market with little apartment supply. Three-bedroom homes are the most common configuration at 53.3% of dwellings, followed by 4-plus bedroom homes at 30.3%. Outright ownership is high at 46.3%, above average for regional SA, suggesting that many long-term residents have fully paid off their homes.
For Investors
Rental yield calculations are constrained by the absence of a median price, but weekly rent of $189 gives a reference point for gross return estimates. The vacancy rate of 13.6% is elevated compared to healthy rental market thresholds around 3%, signalling an oversupply of rental stock relative to tenant demand. Renters represent 22.3% of households. Development activity reached 28 applications over the past 12 months, a meaningful level for a town of 1,537, and recent lodgements include detached dwellings and outbuildings rather than purely infrastructure works. The low-income base at the 13th household-income percentile nationally constrains rental growth, so investors should price for yield rather than capital gains.
Development Activity
Total DAs
139
Last 12 Months
31
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+121.4%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Crystal Brook iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Crystal Brook Primary School
R-6 · 106 students
Demographics
The median age of 49 is 9 years above the national median of 40, placing Crystal Brook clearly in the aging-resident category. Overseas-born residents account for just 7.7% of the population, 13.9 percentage points below the national figure, reflecting the area's Anglo-Celtic heritage: English ancestry leads at 656 residents, followed by Scottish (167), Irish (153) and German (137). University qualifications reach 20.8% of the population, which is 9.3 points below the national average, consistent with a regional labour market centred on healthcare, agriculture and trades rather than professional services. Average household size is 2.3, slightly below the national 2.5. Couples with children account for 446 families and couples without children number 384, indicating a mature family profile.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
92.1%
Houses
7.2%
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
Detached houses dominate at 92.1% of the housing stock, which is substantially higher than South Australian suburban averages. Three-bedroom homes account for 53.3% of all dwellings and 4-plus bedroom homes for 30.3%, pointing to a stock built for families rather than singles or downsizers. Outright ownership stands at 46.3%, above typical regional benchmarks, while mortgage holders represent 31.3% and renters 22.3%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $975, and at a mortgage-to-income ratio of 22.3%, repayments remain manageable compared to metropolitan markets where ratios routinely exceed 30%. Vacancy at 13.6% is high, suggesting available rental supply exceeds demand at the current population level of 1,537.
Mortgage / mo
$975
Rent / wk
$189
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$557
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
13.6%
Unoccupied
96
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.7%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.3%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
34.3%
Couples, no children
1,119
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the dominant industry at 26.4% of employed residents (101 workers), a share well above national averages for towns of this size and typical of regional centres that serve surrounding pastoral areas. Education follows at 14.9% (57 workers), Agriculture at 7.3% (28), Public Administration at 6.8% (26) and Construction at 6.5% (25). By occupation, Professionals lead at 116 workers, Managers at 80 and Labourers at 79. The unemployment rate is low at 3.6%, and the full-time employment rate among workers is 57.5%. Participation sits at 44.9%, below national averages, because the older age profile means a large share of 556 residents are not in the labour force. Household income at the 13th percentile nationally reflects the regional and part-time employment base rather than unemployment.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
57.5%
Part-time
38.9%
Participation
44.9%
Employed
534
Occupations
Top Industries
University
20.8%
Postgraduate
2.5%
Born Overseas
7.7%
Dwellings
607
Transport to Work
Car dependency is very high: 85.1% of residents drive to work, compared to national averages around 60%, which is expected given the rural footprint of 192.74 square kilometres. Public transport use is minimal at 0.7%, and 8.4% walk or cycle. Crime recorded 28 incidents in the data period, translating to a rate of 18.2 per 1,000 residents, a low figure by Australian standards. No schools are recorded inside the Crystal Brook boundary in this dataset, so families use facilities in surrounding towns. Volunteering is high at 35.6% of the adult population, above the national average of around 19%, reflecting the strong community participation common in rural South Australian towns. Only 9.0% of residents need daily assistance, while rent stress (18.7% of income) and mortgage stress (22.3% of income) are both absent.
Drive
85.1%
Public Transport
0.7%
Walk / Cycle
8.4%
Work from Home
N/A
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
28
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
18.2
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Crystal Brook compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Crystal Brook a good suburb to live in?
Crystal Brook suits buyers and residents who value low housing costs and community stability over urban amenity. Mortgage-to-income sits at 22.3%, well below the 30% stress threshold, and 84.2% of residents stayed in the same address over five years. Volunteering reaches 35.6%, above the national average, indicating strong community ties. The trade-offs are car dependency at 85.1% and limited public transport at 0.7%.
What is the median house price in Crystal Brook?
A median house price is not recorded in this dataset for Crystal Brook. What is available: monthly mortgage repayments average $975, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 22.3%, which is below the 30% stress threshold. Weekly rent averages $189. Buyers should obtain current market valuations directly from local real estate agents.
What schools are in Crystal Brook?
No schools are recorded inside the Crystal Brook boundary in this dataset. Families in the area rely on schools in nearby regional centres. The local population has a university qualification rate of 20.8%, which is 9.3 percentage points below the national average, consistent with a predominantly trade and services workforce.
Is Crystal Brook safe?
Crystal Brook recorded 28 crime incidents in the data period, equating to a rate of 18.2 per 1,000 residents. This is a low figure compared to Australian metropolitan averages, which commonly exceed 50 per 1,000. Only 9.0% of residents require daily assistance, and 84.2% have lived at the same address for five or more years, suggesting a settled and stable community.
Is Crystal Brook good for property investment?
The investment case is mixed. Weekly rent of $189 is affordable relative to the 13th-percentile household income locally, but the 13.6% vacancy rate is well above the healthy market threshold of around 3%, indicating more rental supply than tenant demand. The aging population median age of 49, nine years above national, and low population of 1,537 constrain growth expectations. Investors should focus on yield stability rather than capital appreciation.
How is Crystal Brook's population changing?
Population stands at 1,537 across a 192.74 square kilometre area, giving a density of just 8 people per square kilometre. The community shows high stability, with 84.2% of residents staying at the same address, but the median age of 49 is 9 years above national, and the high vacancy rate of 13.6% suggests the town is not attracting new residents at the rate needed to replace an aging demographic base.
How much development is happening in Crystal Brook?
There were 28 development applications lodged in the past 12 months. Recent examples include a detached dwelling with domestic outbuilding (May 2026), a single-storey house with porch and alfresco (May 2026) and a storage shed (April 2026). Most activity is residential rather than commercial, consistent with a small rural community of 1,537 people maintaining and incrementally expanding its housing stock.
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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