Glenelg East
The suburb packs 3,855 people into just 1.35 km2, giving a density of 2,851 per km2, unusually high for a premium coastal pocket. University qualifications reach 45.5%, which is 15.4 points above the national figure, and the median age of 43 is 3 years older than the national benchmark. These two facts together explain the high outright-ownership share: an educated, older cohort that bought early and has paid down debt.
Population
3,855
Median Age
43.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,681/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
37
Median House
$1.8M
First quarter 2026
Despite the premium price point, monthly mortgage repayments average $1,950, keeping the mortgage-to-income ratio at 26.8%, below the conventional 30% stress threshold. Stock composition rewards buyers who want character rather than apartment living: 47.7% of dwellings are separate houses and 43.8% are semi-detached, with apartments at just 8.5%. Two-bedroom configurations dominate at 43.1%, followed by three-bedroom at 32.0% and four-or-more at 20.1%. Buyers competing for the rare detached four-bedroom property face genuine scarcity, as that segment represents only a fifth of all stock in a suburb where 77.4% of residents stayed put over the past five years.
For Buyers
Despite the premium price point, monthly mortgage repayments average $1,950, keeping the mortgage-to-income ratio at 26.8%, below the conventional 30% stress threshold. Stock composition rewards buyers who want character rather than apartment living: 47.7% of dwellings are separate houses and 43.8% are semi-detached, with apartments at just 8.5%. Two-bedroom configurations dominate at 43.1%, followed by three-bedroom at 32.0% and four-or-more at 20.1%. Buyers competing for the rare detached four-bedroom property face genuine scarcity, as that segment represents only a fifth of all stock in a suburb where 77.4% of residents stayed put over the past five years.
For Investors
The 8.4% vacancy rate is elevated, suggesting the rental supply in this postcode slightly outpaces demand. Development activity is moderate, with 45 applications lodged in the past 12 months, including land divisions and semi-detached builds that add incremental supply. The rent-to-income ratio of 19.3% keeps tenants financially comfortable relative to national norms, reducing churn risk. Capital growth at 3.6% over the year ending 1Q 2026 is the stronger investment argument, given how compressed the yield is at this price point.
Development Activity
Total DAs
285
Last 12 Months
37
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-19.6%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Glenelg East
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Glenelg Primary School
Demographics
The median age of 43 is 3 years above national, and the high outright-ownership rate of 35.2% reflects a resident base that bought into this suburb early. University qualifications at 45.5% run 15.4 percentage points above the national average, typical of a premium, knowledge-economy pocket. Ancestry skews Anglo-Celtic: English leads with 1,674 residents, followed by Scottish (469) and Irish (460). Overseas-born residents at 21.9% sit just 0.3 points above national, so the international-born share is unremarkable. Average household size is 2.2, which is 0.3 below national, consistent with the older couples profile: 33.1% of families are couples without children compared to a lower national share, and one-parent families are effectively absent from the data.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
47.7%
Houses
43.8%
Townhouse
8.5%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure divides into rough thirds: 35.2% own outright, 31.9% carry a mortgage and 32.9% rent. Outright owners slightly outnumber renters, unusual for a suburb with a vacancy rate of 8.4%, which suggests a segment of the rental stock sits empty or turns over frequently. The dominant dwelling type is the separate house at 47.7%, closely followed by semi-detached at 43.8%, with apartments at 8.5%. Two-bedroom dwellings account for 43.1%, reflecting compact family sizes. Mortgage-to-income sits at 26.8% and rent-to-income at 19.3%, both below stress benchmarks, meaning housing costs remain proportionate to local incomes despite the premium price tag.
Mortgage / mo
$1,950
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$325
Census 2021
HH Size
2.2
Personal Income / wk
$976
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
8.4%
Unoccupied
156
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.3%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.8%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
39.5%
Couples with children
45.2%
Couples, no children
13.3%
Single parent
1,057
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the largest employer at 19.3% of workers (293 employed), followed by Professional/Tech at 12.2% (185), Education at 11.2% (170), Public Admin at 10.7% (162) and Construction at 7.8% (118). By occupation, Professionals number 590 and Managers 330, together accounting for the majority of the workforce, consistent with household income at the 58.4th percentile nationally. The unemployment rate is 4.0% and the full-time employment rate is 61.1%, with participation at 63.6%. Of the 1,019 residents not in the labour force, a sizable portion likely reflects the older demographic: median age 43 means a meaningful share approaching retirement. Weekly personal income averages $976 and family income $2,473.
Unemployment
3.8%
Labour Force
2,184
Unemployed
83
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
58.4%
Part-time
37.2%
Participation
66.4%
Employed
2,101
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
45.5%
Postgraduate
9.9%
Born Overseas
21.9%
Dwellings
1,699
Transport to Work
Transport patterns reflect the suburb's car-dependent layout: 85.7% of residents drive to work, above the national average, while 7.2% walk or cycle and only 2.4% use public transport. The 7.2% active-transport share is notable for a suburb of this density and hints at walkable access to Glenelg's foreshore. Crime totals 155 incidents per year at a rate of 40.2 per 1,000 residents, a reference point for safety assessment though no category breakdown is available in this dataset. Volunteering runs at 19.1% and only 4.5% of residents (168 people) need daily assistance, low figures consistent with a healthy, well-resourced population. No schools are recorded inside the suburb boundary, so families rely on nearby institutions, a practical trade-off common to compact, high-density coastal pockets.
Drive
68.0%
Public Transport
7.6%
Walk / Cycle
5.7%
Work from Home
14.9%
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
155
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
40.2
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Glenelg East compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
What schools are in Glenelg East?
No schools are recorded inside the Glenelg East boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The local population is highly educated, with 45.5% holding university qualifications, which is 15.4 percentage points above the national average, suggesting strong demand for quality schooling in the area.
Is Glenelg East safe?
Glenelg East records 155 total incidents per year at a rate of 40.2 per 1,000 residents. Detailed category breakdowns are not available in this dataset. As indirect indicators, only 4.5% of the 3,855 residents need daily assistance, and the suburb's premium profile correlates with lower disadvantage levels nationally.
How is Glenelg East's population changing?
Glenelg East has 3,855 residents across 1.35 km2, giving a density of 2,851 per km2. The 77.4% resident-retention rate suggests a stable base with limited turnover. Development activity of 45 applications in 12 months, including land divisions and new semi-detached builds, points to gradual densification as the primary growth mechanism.
How much development is happening in Glenelg East?
There were 45 development applications lodged in the past 12 months. Recent examples include land division into 2 Torrens Title lots and new double-storey semi-detached dwellings, consistent with infill densification. This is moderate activity for a 1.35 km2 suburb already at a density of 2,851 people per km2.
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). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
Explore Glenelg East on the Map
View parcels, zoning overlays, DA applications, schools and more.
Open Interactive Map