Hawthorndene
Among Adelaide's southern foothills suburbs, Hawthorndene stands out for its concentration of degree-qualified residents: 48.1% hold university qualifications, which is 18 percentage points above the national figure. The suburb's 3,389 residents skew toward professional households, with 39.5% owning their home outright and only 7.6% renting, a tenure mix that signals long-term, established occupancy rather than churn. Separate houses account for 96.4% of the dwelling stock, reinforcing a low-density, family-oriented character. Household income sits at the 81.6th percentile nationally, well above average, and the unemployment rate of 3.4% is low compared to broader SA benchmarks.
Population
3,389
Median Age
41.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,139/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
39
Median House
$1.1M
First quarter 2026
Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,842, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 19.9% stays below the 30% stress threshold, meaning income levels support current pricing reasonably well. Separate houses make up 96.4% of the stock, so buyers face a predominantly detached market with limited apartment alternatives. Larger homes dominate: 43.6% have four or more bedrooms and 47.3% have three bedrooms, which suits families rather than downsizers. With 39.5% of dwellings owned outright and only 52.9% carrying a mortgage, a significant share of current owners are debt-free, limiting forced-sale pressure and supporting price stability.
For Buyers
Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,842, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 19.9% stays below the 30% stress threshold, meaning income levels support current pricing reasonably well. Separate houses make up 96.4% of the stock, so buyers face a predominantly detached market with limited apartment alternatives. Larger homes dominate: 43.6% have four or more bedrooms and 47.3% have three bedrooms, which suits families rather than downsizers. With 39.5% of dwellings owned outright and only 52.9% carrying a mortgage, a significant share of current owners are debt-free, limiting forced-sale pressure and supporting price stability.
For Investors
The rental market in Hawthorndene is thin. Only 7.6% of dwellings are rented, far below the national average, and weekly rent sits at $400. The vacancy rate of 4.8% is elevated, reflecting the suburb's ownership-dominated character rather than a pool of available rental stock. Development activity recorded 35 applications in the past 12 months, covering verandahs, additions and pool installations rather than new dwellings, so supply additions are minimal. The investment case rests on capital growth, which has been strong at 21.9% year on year, but potential buyers should weigh whether that pace is sustainable given the limited local rental demand and the suburb's small overall population of 3,389.
Development Activity
Total DAs
200
Last 12 Months
39
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+18.2%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Hawthorndene
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Hawthorndene Primary School
Demographics
The median age of 41 matches the national figure almost exactly, one year above national. The university qualification rate of 48.1% runs 18 percentage points above the national average, the clearest differentiator for Hawthorndene. Overseas-born residents account for 18.8%, which is 2.8 percentage points below national. English ancestry dominates at 1,675 residents, followed by Scottish (415), Irish (346) and German (323), reflecting a strongly Anglo-Celtic background. Average household size is 2.8, slightly above the national 2.5. Couples with children represent 1,398 households, the largest family type, while couples without children number 720. A volunteering rate of 26.7% is notably high, consistent with the suburb's stable, community-oriented owner-occupier base.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
96.4%
Houses
3.1%
Townhouse
0.5%
Apartment
Tenure
Hawthorndene is owner-dominated by any measure: 39.5% hold their home outright, 52.9% are still paying a mortgage and only 7.6% rent, compared to the national renter share of around 30%. The dwelling mix is almost entirely separate houses at 96.4%, with just 3.1% semi-detached and 0.5% apartments. Four-plus bedroom homes make up 43.6% and three-bedroom homes 47.3%, meaning the vast majority of the stock is suited to families rather than singles or couples. Monthly mortgage costs of $1,842 sit at a mortgage-to-income ratio of 19.9%, below stress levels, supported by household incomes at the 81.6th percentile nationally.
Mortgage / mo
$1,842
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$400
Census 2021
HH Size
2.8
Personal Income / wk
$928
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.8%
Unoccupied
60
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.7%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.9%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
51.8%
Couples with children
36.5%
Couples, no children
10.9%
Single parent
986
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the largest employment sector at 20.9% of local workers (290 people), followed by Education at 17.3% (240). Professional/Tech contributes 11.0% (153), Public Administration 8.9% (123) and Construction 8.2% (114). By occupation, Professionals account for 622 workers, Managers for 275 and Community/Personal Services for 200. The full-time employment rate is 57.4%, and the unemployment rate of 3.4% is low relative to SA state averages. Participation sits at 63.6%, with 826 residents not in the labour force, a figure shaped partly by the older household profile and the concentration of outright owners who are no longer active earners. The dominance of healthcare and education employment suggests income stability, as these sectors are less cyclically sensitive than construction or retail.
Unemployment
3.2%
Labour Force
1,827
Unemployed
58
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
54.0%
Part-time
40.1%
Participation
67.4%
Employed
1,769
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
48.1%
Postgraduate
11.4%
Born Overseas
18.8%
Dwellings
1,200
Transport to Work
Car dependence is high: 87.3% of residents commute by car, and only 5.6% use public transport, below typical inner-suburban levels. Walking and cycling together account for 3.2%. Crime is low at 11.5 incidents per 1,000 residents across 39 total recorded incidents, a rate that aligns with the suburb's low-crime-rate identity signal. Rent-to-income at 18.7% and mortgage-to-income at 19.9% both remain below stress thresholds, meaning most residents carry manageable housing costs relative to their incomes, which sit at the 81.6th percentile nationally. Only 3.0% of residents (100 people) need daily assistance. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary in the dataset, so families rely on nearby institutions. The suburb records zero one-parent families in the dataset and a high volunteering rate of 26.7%, consistent with a stable, connected residential community.
Drive
73.4%
Public Transport
4.7%
Walk / Cycle
2.7%
Work from Home
15.9%
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
39
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
11.5
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Hawthorndene compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hawthorndene a good suburb to live in?
Hawthorndene offers a high-income, low-crime environment with household incomes at the 81.6th percentile nationally and only 11.5 crime incidents per 1,000 residents. University qualifications at 48.1% are 18 points above national. The main trade-off is strong car dependence, with 87.3% commuting by car and only 5.6% using public transport.
What schools are in Hawthorndene?
No schools are recorded within the Hawthorndene boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The local population is highly educated, with 48.1% of residents holding university qualifications, which is 18 percentage points above the national figure.
Is Hawthorndene safe?
Hawthorndene recorded 39 total crime incidents, giving a rate of 11.5 per 1,000 residents, which is low. The suburb carries a low-crime-rate identity signal. Only 3.0% of residents (100 people) require daily assistance, consistent with a stable, well-resourced community.
How is Hawthorndene's population changing?
Hawthorndene has a stable, low-turnover population of 3,389. The turnover rate is just 13.7%, meaning 86.3% of residents stayed in place. Development is focused on renovations and additions rather than new dwellings, so the population base is unlikely to change rapidly in the near term.
How much development is happening in Hawthorndene?
There were 35 development applications lodged in the past 12 months. Recent examples include a verandah, an elevated dwelling addition and an inground swimming pool, all classified as Performance Assessed. Activity reflects owners investing in existing properties rather than adding new dwellings to the suburb's 96.4% separate-house 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), 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.
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