Joslin
At a $2,600,000 median house price in a suburb covering just 0.5 square kilometres, Joslin sits firmly in Adelaide's premium tier. Household income ranks in the 88.6th percentile nationally, and 47.5% of residents own their home outright, which is well above the national average and signals long-held, debt-free wealth rather than a transactional market. The median age of 48 is 8 years above the national figure, reflecting a settled, professional resident base where 56.8% hold university qualifications, some 26.7 percentage points higher than nationally. With 78.4% of residents having lived in the same address for over a year, Joslin has one of the lowest turnover rates among comparable Adelaide suburbs.
Population
1,243
Median Age
48.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,323/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
6
Median House
$2.6M
Median 1Q 2026
The median house price reached $2,600,000 in 1Q 2026, up from $2,010,000 in 1Q 2025, a 29.4% rise in a single year. That pace of growth is exceptional compared to most SA suburbs and reflects the suburb's tightly held nature: only 21.6% of dwellings changed hands in the year, and 76.8% of stock is separate houses, keeping true detached-house supply constrained. Most homes are substantial: 39.2% have four or more bedrooms and 38% have three, with very few smaller dwellings. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,461, and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 24.5%, below the standard 30% stress threshold despite very high purchase prices. For buyers seeking an established, low-turnover street in Adelaide's inner east, Joslin offers a rare and limited opportunity.
For Buyers
The median house price reached $2,600,000 in 1Q 2026, up from $2,010,000 in 1Q 2025, a 29.4% rise in a single year. That pace of growth is exceptional compared to most SA suburbs and reflects the suburb's tightly held nature: only 21.6% of dwellings changed hands in the year, and 76.8% of stock is separate houses, keeping true detached-house supply constrained. Most homes are substantial: 39.2% have four or more bedrooms and 38% have three, with very few smaller dwellings. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,461, and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 24.5%, below the standard 30% stress threshold despite very high purchase prices. For buyers seeking an established, low-turnover street in Adelaide's inner east, Joslin offers a rare and limited opportunity.
For Investors
Joslin's investment profile is defined by capital growth rather than yield. The median house price jumped 29.4% in the year to 1Q 2026, from $2,010,000 to $2,600,000, which comfortably outpaces broader SA market averages. Weekly rent of $310 against a $2.6 million median implies a very thin gross yield, so investors are primarily buying into capital preservation and price appreciation. The renter share is just 20.2%, well below the national average, which limits tenant pool depth, and the 7.8% vacancy rate is elevated compared to tighter suburban markets. Only 6 development applications were lodged in the past 12 months, indicating minimal new supply pipeline, which historically supports price floors in premium areas. The 19.1% volunteering rate and high owner-occupier concentration suggest strong community stability.
Development Activity
Total DAs
37
Last 12 Months
6
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-14.3%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
The median age of 48 runs 8 years above the national figure, and the household composition reflects this: 25.5% of families are couples without children, and average household size of 2.6 is close to the national level. University qualifications at 56.8% are 26.7 percentage points above the national figure, pointing to a professional and managerial resident base. Overseas-born residents account for 28.1%, some 6.5 points above national. English ancestry leads at 436 residents, followed by Italian at 181, Irish at 104 and German at 95, reflecting an older Anglo-European demographic mix with a smaller but growing multicultural segment. Italian (32 speakers), Mandarin (19) and Punjabi (11) are the most common non-English languages, though the suburb remains predominantly English-speaking.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
76.8%
Houses
15.1%
Townhouse
8.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Joslin's housing stock is detached-dominant: 76.8% of dwellings are separate houses, above the national share for inner urban suburbs, with semi-detached properties at 15.1% and apartments at only 8%. Bedrooms skew large, with 39.2% of homes having four or more bedrooms and 38% having three, consistent with family-sized dwellings in a premium market. Tenure strongly favours outright ownership at 47.5%, compared to 32.3% with a mortgage and 20.2% renting. This outright-ownership rate is well above the national average, a function of long-term residents who bought early and have since paid down or inherited debt-free properties. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,461, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.5% sits below the 30% stress threshold despite the $2,600,000 median.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,461
Rent / wk
$310
HH Size
2.6
Personal Income / wk
$943
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
7.8%
Unoccupied
36
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
13.3%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.5%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
25.5%
Couples, no children
963
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare dominates local employment at 24.1% of workers (106 residents), followed by Professional/Technical services at 15.2% (67) and Education at 14.3% (63), with Public Administration at 8.6% and Construction at 5.5%. By occupation, Professionals account for 229 residents and Managers for 100, together comprising the majority of the employed workforce, consistent with the suburb's 56.8% university qualification rate, which is well above the national average. The unemployment rate is 4.2% and full-time employment reaches 56.2% of those in work. The participation rate of 56.7% is moderate, partly because the older median age of 48 means a significant share of residents (411 people) are not in the labour force. Weekly personal income averages $943 and family income averages $3,187.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
56.2%
Part-time
39.6%
Participation
56.7%
Employed
573
Occupations
Top Industries
University
56.8%
Postgraduate
17.5%
Born Overseas
28.1%
Dwellings
436
Transport to Work
Transport in Joslin leans heavily on private vehicles: 84.5% drive to work, compared to 7.1% using public transport and 4.2% walking or cycling. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary, so families rely on schools in neighbouring Norwood Payneham St Peters suburbs. Crime is low at 22.5 reported incidents per 1,000 residents, consistent with the identity signals for a premium, low-turnover suburb. Rent-to-income sits at just 13.3% and mortgage-to-income at 24.5%, both well below stress thresholds compared to most capital city markets. The volunteering rate of 19.1% and a need-for-assistance figure of 11.9% (144 residents) reflect the older median age of 48 rather than disadvantage, given the suburb's high income and ownership levels.
Drive
84.5%
Public Transport
7.1%
Walk / Cycle
4.2%
Work from Home
N/A
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
28
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
22.5
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Joslin compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Joslin a good suburb to live in?
Joslin is a premium inner-Adelaide suburb with household income at the 88.6th percentile nationally, a low crime rate of 22.5 incidents per 1,000 residents, and 56.8% of residents holding university qualifications, which is 26.7 points above the national figure. The trade-off is a $2,600,000 median house price and limited stock in a 0.5 square kilometre footprint.
What is the median house price in Joslin?
The median house price in Joslin reached $2,600,000 in 1Q 2026, up 29.4% from $2,010,000 in 1Q 2025. Weekly rent averages $310 and monthly mortgage repayments run approximately $2,461, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.5%.
What schools are in Joslin?
No schools are recorded within Joslin's 0.5 square kilometre boundary. Families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs within the Norwood Payneham St Peters area. Despite this, the suburb has a very high education profile, with 56.8% of residents holding university qualifications, compared to the national figure of around 30%.
Is Joslin safe?
Joslin recorded 28 total crimes in the reference period, giving a rate of 22.5 incidents per 1,000 residents. This is low compared to broader metropolitan Adelaide averages and is consistent with the suburb's profile as a premium, stable owner-occupier area with 47.5% of homes owned outright.
Is Joslin good for property investment?
The median house price rose 29.4% in one year to $2,600,000, well above most SA suburb growth rates. However, weekly rent of $310 implies a thin gross yield at that price point. The renter share of 20.2% is below national average and the 7.8% vacancy rate is elevated, so investment returns depend primarily on capital growth rather than rental income.
How is Joslin's population changing?
Joslin has a population of 1,243 in a compact 0.5 square kilometre area, giving a density of 2,491 people per square kilometre. The suburb is aging: the median age of 48 is 8 years above national, and 78.4% of residents have stayed in the same address for over a year, indicating a slow-changing, stable community rather than rapid population growth.
What types of homes are in Joslin?
Joslin is dominated by separate houses at 76.8% of dwellings, with semi-detached homes at 15.1% and apartments at just 8%. Most homes are large, with 39.2% having 4 or more bedrooms and 38% having 3 bedrooms. Outright owners (47.5%) significantly outnumber mortgage holders (32.3%) and renters (20.2%).
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.
Explore Joslin on the Map
View parcels, zoning overlays, DA applications, schools and more.
Open Interactive Map