Echunga
With household income in the 79.1st percentile nationally and an IRSD decile of 9, Echunga sits in the upper tier of South Australian advantage as a small rural community of 1,219 residents across 28.59 km2. The suburb scores decile 9 on both IRSD and IER, reflecting genuine wealth accumulation. Notably, 37.2% of residents hold university qualifications, 7.1 percentage points above the national figure, high for a rural locality. A 37.0% outright ownership rate and only 11.4% renting point to long-term, established households rather than high-churn tenancy.
Population
1,219
Median Age
41.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,090/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
26
Median house price data is not available for Echunga in this dataset, so buyers should seek current sales evidence directly. What the data confirms is that 100% of dwellings are separate houses, meaning competition focuses entirely on detached stock. The bedroom profile skews large: 42.0% of homes have 4 or more bedrooms and 43.2% have 3, above typical suburban distributions. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,761, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 19.5%, below the national 30% stress threshold. Affordability moved from 44.1% in 2011 to 42.9% in 2021, a stable trend compared to markets that tightened sharply over the same period.
For Buyers
Median house price data is not available for Echunga in this dataset, so buyers should seek current sales evidence directly. What the data confirms is that 100% of dwellings are separate houses, meaning competition focuses entirely on detached stock. The bedroom profile skews large: 42.0% of homes have 4 or more bedrooms and 43.2% have 3, above typical suburban distributions. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,761, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 19.5%, below the national 30% stress threshold. Affordability moved from 44.1% in 2011 to 42.9% in 2021, a stable trend compared to markets that tightened sharply over the same period.
For Investors
Echunga's investment profile is shaped by thin rental demand. Only 11.4% of dwellings are rented, well below the national average, and weekly rent is $320 with a vacancy rate of 7.3%. Net overseas migration averages 23 persons a year and internal migration contributes 6, providing modest but steady inflow. There were 24 development applications in the past 12 months, mostly detached dwelling additions rather than new rental stock. Rent grew 27.8% over the reference period, significantly outpacing real income growth of 6.8%, which improves yield trajectory even if starting yields are low against any realistic purchase price.
Development Activity
Total DAs
160
Last 12 Months
26
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
Schools in Echunga iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Echunga Primary and Preschool
R-6 · 149 students
Demographics
Echunga's median age of 41 is 1.0 year above the national median, and the trajectory is aging: the senior share rose 8.0 points over the decade while the working-age share fell 4.7 points. Overseas-born residents account for 11.2%, which is 10.4 percentage points below the national figure, giving the suburb a strongly Anglo-Celtic character. English (564 residents), German (175) and Scottish (142) lead the ancestry breakdown. University qualifications reach 37.2%, 7.1 points above the national average. Average household size is 2.7, and couples with children make up the largest family type at 419 households, compared with 266 couples without children.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
100.0%
Houses
N/A
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
Every dwelling in Echunga is a separate house, a 100% rate that makes it one of the most uniformly detached suburbs in South Australia. Tenure splits into outright ownership at 37.0%, mortgage holders at 51.6% and renters at 11.4%, below both state and national renter shares. The bedroom distribution is large: 42.0% of homes have 4 or more bedrooms and 43.2% have 3, consistent with acreage-style properties. Monthly mortgage repayments of $1,761 against household weekly income of $2,090 produce a mortgage-to-income ratio of 19.5%, below stress territory. The community is stable, with 84.7% of residents having stayed at the same address in the prior year, above typical urban turnover.
Mortgage / mo
$1,761
Rent / wk
$320
HH Size
2.7
Personal Income / wk
$887
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
7.3%
Unoccupied
33
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
15.3%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.5%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
26.6%
Couples, no children
1,000
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads employment at 16.1% of the local workforce, followed by Education at 11.0% and Construction at 9.3%, with Professional/Tech and Public Admin each at 7.9%. Professionals (143 workers) and Managers (97) are the top two occupational categories. The unemployment rate is 4.1% and the full-time employment rate is 58.2%. The suburb scores decile 8 on IRSAD and decile 7 on IEO, the education and occupation index. The IEO sitting one decile below IRSAD suggests that while wealth is in the upper tier, occupational advantage is somewhat lower, possibly because many higher-earning residents commute to Adelaide rather than working locally.
Unemployment
2.8%
Labour Force
2,648
Unemployed
73
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
58.2%
Part-time
37.7%
Participation
63.4%
Employed
605
Occupations
Top Industries
University
37.2%
Postgraduate
8.1%
Born Overseas
11.2%
Dwellings
413
Transport to Work
Car dependence is high at 89.5% of workers driving, expected for a rural suburb with no recorded public transport use. The crime rate of 9.0 per 1,000 residents is very low compared to metropolitan benchmarks, with only 11 total recorded offences. The suburb ranks in IRSD decile 9, among the least disadvantaged nationally. Volunteering runs at 30.8%, well above most urban suburbs, indicating strong community engagement. Only 3.7% of residents need daily assistance. No schools are recorded within Echunga's 28.59 km2 boundary, so families rely on schools in surrounding townships, a practical consideration for households with children.
Drive
89.5%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
5.4%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.55%/yr
(+26 people/yr)
EstablishedPopulation grew 10.4% over the decade at an annual rate of 0.55%, adding about 26 persons per year. Medium forecasts project the broader SA2 area reaching 4,943 by 2031. Migration is balanced: net overseas arrivals of 23 per year exceed internal net inflow of 6, making overseas migration the primary demand driver. The gentrification score of 23 indicates early signs, consistent with higher-income households gradually moving to rural fringe areas near Adelaide. Rent growth of 27.8% over the period significantly outpaced real income growth of 6.8%, compressing affordability at the margin despite a broadly stable affordability trend.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+23
Net Internal / yr
+6
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
11
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
9.0
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Echunga compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Echunga a good suburb to live in?
Echunga ranks in IRSD decile 9, among the least disadvantaged communities nationally. Household income sits in the 79.1st percentile, the crime rate is just 9.0 per 1,000 residents, and 84.7% of residents stayed at the same address year on year. The main trade-offs are high car dependence and no recorded schools within the suburb boundary.
What is the median house price in Echunga?
Median house price data is not available for Echunga in this dataset. Weekly rent averages $320 and monthly mortgage repayments average $1,761, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 19.5%, well below the 30% stress threshold. All 100% of dwellings are separate houses, so buyers compete for detached acreage properties only.
What schools are in Echunga?
No schools are recorded within Echunga's 28.59 km2 boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in surrounding townships. Despite this gap, 37.2% of local residents hold university qualifications, which is 7.1 percentage points above the national average, suggesting households successfully access education in nearby areas.
Is Echunga safe?
Echunga recorded only 11 total offences, producing a crime rate of 9.0 per 1,000 residents, very low compared to metropolitan suburbs. The suburb also ranks in IRSD decile 9, the second-highest tier of relative advantage nationally. An 84.7% residential stability rate further points to a settled, low-disruption community.
Is Echunga good for property investment?
The rental pool is thin at 11.4% of dwellings, with weekly rent of $320 and a vacancy rate of 7.3%. However, rent grew 27.8% over the reference period, outpacing real income growth of 6.8%. Net migration of around 29 persons per year provides modest but steady demand underpinning any capital growth case.
How is Echunga's population changing?
Population grew 10.4% over the decade at an annual rate of 0.55%, adding about 26 residents per year. The trajectory is aging, with the senior share up 8.0 points and the working-age share down 4.7 points. Medium forecasts project the broader area reaching 4,943 by 2031, continuing the slow, steady growth pattern.
How much development is happening in Echunga?
There were 24 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, including detached dwellings, decks and rural structures. Most are Performance Assessed applications reflecting the semi-rural character. Activity is modest relative to the 1,219-person population, consistent with an established, low-density community with limited subdivision pressure.
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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