Highbury
At 97.4% separate houses on detached blocks, Highbury reads as a settled north-eastern Adelaide family belt, yet the $1,185,000 median house price (1Q 2026) places it well above what its modest profile suggests. That price sits 39.4% higher than the $850,000 recorded a year earlier, a jump driven partly by the suburb's tight 4.33 km2 footprint and a near-total absence of unit stock to absorb demand. Ownership runs deep here: 42.2% own outright and 45.5% carry a mortgage, leaving just 12.3% renting, far below the national average. The crime rate of 22.6 per 1,000 residents is low, and SEIFA places the suburb in IRSD decile 9, signalling little socioeconomic disadvantage. University qualifications at 38.7% run 8.6 points above national.
Population
6,956
Median Age
41.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,038/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
77
Median House
$1.2M
Median 1Q 2026
Highbury's $1,185,000 median (1Q 2026) is high for the area, and the housing stock explains why: 97.4% are separate houses, with three-bedroom (53.3%) and four-plus-bedroom (42.0%) homes making up 95% of dwellings. This is a market built for families upsizing, not first-home buyers chasing units. Despite the price tag, monthly mortgage repayments of $1,733 produce a mortgage-to-income ratio of just 19.6%, below the 30% stress threshold, because household income sits in the 76.3rd percentile nationally. Ownership is the norm rather than the exception, with 42.2% owning outright and only 12.3% renting. The median age of 41 is 1 year above national, consistent with established owner-occupiers rather than churn-driven buyers.
For Buyers
Highbury's $1,185,000 median (1Q 2026) is high for the area, and the housing stock explains why: 97.4% are separate houses, with three-bedroom (53.3%) and four-plus-bedroom (42.0%) homes making up 95% of dwellings. This is a market built for families upsizing, not first-home buyers chasing units. Despite the price tag, monthly mortgage repayments of $1,733 produce a mortgage-to-income ratio of just 19.6%, below the 30% stress threshold, because household income sits in the 76.3rd percentile nationally. Ownership is the norm rather than the exception, with 42.2% owning outright and only 12.3% renting. The median age of 41 is 1 year above national, consistent with established owner-occupiers rather than churn-driven buyers.
For Investors
Highbury is a thin rental market: only 12.3% of homes are rented, well below the national average, so the tenant pool is shallow and competition for stock is largely owner-occupier driven. Weekly rent of $369 against the $1,185,000 median produces a gross yield near 1.6%, low even by Adelaide standards, which makes this a capital-growth rather than cash-flow play. The 3.8% vacancy rate is moderate. Development activity is notable, with 72 applications lodged in the past 12 months, several of them land divisions such as the 1-in-2 Torrens Title split lodged in May 2026, pointing to subdivision pressure on larger blocks. Mortgage-to-income at 19.6% sits below stress thresholds, suggesting resident demand is stable rather than stretched.
Development Activity
Total DAs
456
Last 12 Months
77
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+8.5%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
The median age of 41 is 1 year above the national median, marking Highbury as a mature family suburb rather than a young-professional enclave. Overseas-born residents at 23.4% run 1.8 points above national, a modest migrant share led by an Anglo-Celtic base: English ancestry dominates at 2,568, with Italian a strong second at 1,037, reflecting Adelaide's post-war Italian settlement. Italian (104) is also the top non-English language, ahead of Punjabi (43) and Mandarin (41). University qualifications at 38.7% sit 8.6 points above national, and the average household size of 2.7 is 0.2 above national, consistent with the family-oriented, three-and-four-bedroom housing stock. Couples with children (2,449) outnumber couples without (1,669), reinforcing the family profile.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
97.4%
Houses
2.6%
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
Owner-occupiers define Highbury: 45.5% hold a mortgage and 42.2% own outright, leaving renters at just 12.3%, far below the national average. The stock is overwhelmingly detached, at 97.4% separate houses with only 2.6% semi-detached and effectively no apartments. Three-bedroom homes (53.3%) and four-plus-bedroom homes (42.0%) account for 95% of dwellings, while one-bedroom stock is negligible at 0.4%. The median has moved sharply, from $850,000 in 1Q 2025 to $1,185,000 in 1Q 2026, though that 39.4% rise rests on a short two-quarter series and should be read with caution. Mortgage-to-income at 19.6% and rent-to-income at 18.1% both sit below stress thresholds, indicating that high prices track high local incomes rather than overextension.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,733
Rent / wk
$369
HH Size
2.7
Personal Income / wk
$856
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
3.8%
Unoccupied
97
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.1%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.6%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
27.4%
Couples, no children
6,091
Total families
Economy & Employment
Highbury's workforce leans on the care and public sectors: Healthcare leads at 19.0% (461 workers), followed by Education at 15.0% (365), Public Admin at 10.1% (246), Construction at 10.0% (242) and Professional/Tech at 9.6% (234). Professionals (938) top the occupation mix, ahead of Clerical/Admin (579) and Managers (501), a white-collar but not finance-heavy profile. Unemployment at 4.3% is around the national average, while the participation rate of 62.9% is moderate, held down by the older, family-stage population. SEIFA confirms steady advantage: IRSD decile 9 and IER decile 8 are both high, though the IRSAD decile of 7 is a step lower because education and occupation scores (IEO decile 7) are solid rather than elite.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
60.2%
Part-time
35.5%
Participation
62.9%
Employed
3,436
Occupations
Top Industries
University
38.7%
Postgraduate
8.6%
Born Overseas
23.4%
Dwellings
2,475
Transport to Work
Highbury is a car-dependent suburb: 85.9% of residents drive to work, with only 6.5% using public transport and 1.3% walking or cycling, reflecting its detached, lower-density form away from rail. The trade-off is space and safety. The crime rate of 22.6 per 1,000 residents, with 157 total offences, is low, and the IRSD decile of 9 confirms minimal socioeconomic disadvantage. The volunteering rate of 17.9% points to an engaged, settled community. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary itself, so families rely on neighbouring catchments, a factor worth weighing against the family-oriented housing. Rent-to-income at 18.1% and mortgage-to-income at 19.6% both sit comfortably below stress thresholds.
Drive
85.9%
Public Transport
6.5%
Walk / Cycle
1.3%
Work from Home
N/A
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
157
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
22.6
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Highbury compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Highbury a good suburb to live in?
Highbury suits families wanting detached homes, with 97.4% separate houses and a low crime rate of 22.6 per 1,000. It sits in IRSD decile 9, a high tier nationally, and university qualifications at 38.7% run 8.6 points above national. The main trade-off is car dependence, with 85.9% driving to work and only 6.5% using public transport.
What is the median house price in Highbury?
The median house price is $1,185,000 (1Q 2026), up 39.4% from $850,000 a year earlier, though that figure rests on a short two-quarter series. Weekly rent averages $369 and monthly mortgage repayments are around $1,733, a mortgage-to-income ratio of 19.6%, below the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Highbury?
No schools are recorded within the Highbury suburb boundary in this dataset, so families rely on neighbouring catchments in the north-eastern Adelaide area. With 95% of homes having 3 or more bedrooms and an average household size of 2.7, schooling access in adjacent suburbs is a key consideration for buyers.
Is Highbury safe?
Highbury has a low crime rate of 22.6 per 1,000 residents, with 157 total recorded offences across the year. The IRSD decile of 9 indicates minimal socioeconomic disadvantage, and the volunteering rate of 17.9% reflects a settled, engaged community. These figures place it among the safer suburbs in this dataset.
Is Highbury good for property investment?
Highbury is a capital-growth rather than yield play. Weekly rent of $369 on a $1,185,000 median gives a gross yield near 1.6%, low by Adelaide standards, and only 12.3% of homes are rented, a shallow tenant pool. However, 72 development applications in 12 months and a 3.8% vacancy rate point to active subdivision interest on larger blocks.
How is Highbury's population changing?
Highbury has a population of 6,956 at a density of 1,606 per km2, moderate for Adelaide. The median age of 41 is 1 year above national, marking a mature family profile. Growth is coming through infill, with 72 development applications lodged in 12 months, several being land divisions on the suburb's larger detached blocks.
How many development applications are there in Highbury?
There were 72 development applications lodged in Highbury over the past 12 months across a 4.33 km2 area. Several are land divisions, including a 1-in-2 Torrens Title subdivision lodged in May 2026, indicating infill and subdivision pressure on the suburb's larger detached blocks where 42.0% of homes have 4 or more bedrooms.
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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