Glenunga
With 62.7% of residents holding university qualifications, 32.6 percentage points above the national average, Glenunga ranks among Adelaide's most educated suburbs in a compact 0.89 km2 footprint. Household incomes sit in the 71.8th percentile nationally, and 45.1% of dwellings are owned outright, signalling established, debt-free wealth. The median age of 44 is 4 years above the national figure, and 40.4% of residents were born overseas, 18.8 points above national.
Local council: Burnside
Population
2,184
Median Age
44.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,918/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
21
Median House
$2.4M
First quarter 2026
Three-bedroom homes account for 45.8% of stock and four-plus-bedroom dwellings a further 27.9%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,400, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 28.9%, below the 30% stress threshold despite premium pricing. Outright owners at 45.1% outnumber mortgage holders at 31.7%, pointing to long-held wealth rather than recent leverage.
For Buyers
Three-bedroom homes account for 45.8% of stock and four-plus-bedroom dwellings a further 27.9%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,400, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 28.9%, below the 30% stress threshold despite premium pricing. Outright owners at 45.1% outnumber mortgage holders at 31.7%, pointing to long-held wealth rather than recent leverage.
For Investors
The vacancy rate of 5.7% is elevated, suggesting limited rental demand relative to supply. Development activity is low at 15 applications in the past 12 months, most of them alterations rather than new dwellings. Investors rely on capital growth rather than yield; the 85.1% price rise to 1Q 2026 is striking, though only 2 data points exist to confirm a trend.
Development Activity
Total DAs
116
Last 12 Months
21
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+5.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Glenunga
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Glenunga International High School
Demographics
The median age of 44 is 4.0 years above the national figure, reflecting a settled professional cohort. University qualifications at 62.7% are 32.6 percentage points above national, one of the highest rates in South Australia. Overseas-born residents reach 40.4%, some 18.8 points higher than the national share, with English ancestry leading at 635 residents followed by Chinese at 394. Mandarin is the most common non-English language with 135 speakers. Average household size of 2.6 is above national, with 26.3% of families being couples without children.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
66.8%
Houses
19.8%
Townhouse
13.5%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is skewed toward ownership: 45.1% of households own outright, 31.7% carry a mortgage and 23.2% rent, giving an ownership rate well above the national median. The stock is predominantly separate houses at 66.8%, with semi-detached at 19.8% and apartments at 13.5%. Three-bedroom dwellings are the most common at 45.8%, with four-plus bedrooms at 27.9%, consistent with a family-oriented suburb. The vacancy rate of 5.7% is above typical Adelaide levels, indicating some softness in the rental segment despite overall low supply of dwellings for sale.
Mortgage / mo
$2,400
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$380
Census 2021
HH Size
2.6
Personal Income / wk
$902
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.7%
Unoccupied
50
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
28.9%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
50.7%
Couples with children
39.6%
Couples, no children
8.7%
Single parent
609
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare dominates employment at 23.6% of workers (182 people), followed by Professional and Technical services at 13.1% (101) and Education at 11.5% (89). Public Administration at 7.4% and Retail at 6.6% round out the top five. By occupation, Professionals are the largest group at 374, with Managers at 191 and Clerical/Admin at 124. The full-time employment rate is 60.1% and unemployment sits at 4.5%, close to national norms. Household income in the 71.8th percentile nationally reflects the high share of professionals and managers. Participation rate of 55.2% is moderate, partly because 723 residents are not in the labour force, consistent with an older median age of 44.
Unemployment
4.4%
Labour Force
1,005
Unemployed
44
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
38.8%
Participation
56.7%
Employed
961
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
62.7%
Postgraduate
21.1%
Born Overseas
40.4%
Dwellings
825
Transport to Work
Glenunga is car-dependent, with 77.6% driving to work compared to lower rates in inner-city suburbs, and only 7.6% using public transport. Crime totalled 148 incidents, a rate of 67.8 per 1,000 residents; no category breakdown is available for state comparison. No schools are recorded inside the 0.89 km2 boundary, so families rely on neighbouring areas. The rent-to-income ratio of 19.8% and mortgage-to-income of 28.9% both sit below stress thresholds. Volunteering at 21.6% is above the national average, reflecting strong community engagement.
Drive
65.1%
Public Transport
6.4%
Walk / Cycle
4.0%
Work from Home
16.2%
Growth Outlook
The suburb's 0.89 km2 area and density of 2,455 per km2 leave little room for infill. The turnover rate of 21% means 79% of residents stayed, reflecting strong attachment. Development at 15 applications in 12 months is low compared to growth corridors, confirming Glenunga is consolidating rather than expanding. The overseas-born share of 40.4%, 18.8 points above national, indicates ongoing skilled migrant demand supporting long-term stability.
Population trend: Burnside council area
Glenunga sits in the Burnside council area. These are the council area's residents, not Glenunga's.
Residents 2025
48,257
Growth, 5 yr average
+0.8%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+0.7%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
148
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
67.8
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Glenunga compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
What schools are in Glenunga?
No schools are recorded inside the 0.89 km2 Glenunga boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The local population is highly educated, with 62.7% holding university qualifications, which is 32.6 percentage points above the national figure, so demand for quality schooling is strong.
Is Glenunga safe?
Glenunga recorded 148 crime incidents in the reference period, a rate of 67.8 per 1,000 residents. No breakdown by category is available for direct comparison to state or national rates. As an indirect indicator, the suburb has high incomes in the 71.8th percentile nationally and strong community participation with a volunteering rate of 21.6%.
How is Glenunga's population changing?
Glenunga has a population of 2,184 in a 0.89 km2 area, giving a density of 2,455 per km2. The turnover rate of 21% means 79% of residents stayed in recent years, indicating high retention. The 40.4% overseas-born share, 18.8 points above national, suggests ongoing skilled migrant demand supporting population stability.
What languages are spoken in Glenunga?
About 40.4% of residents were born overseas, 18.8 percentage points above the national figure. Mandarin is the most common non-English language with 135 speakers, followed by Sinhala (23), Cantonese (19), Hindi (19) and Bengali (15). English and Chinese ancestry together account for the two largest groups at 635 and 394 residents respectively.
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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