Leabrook
At a median age of 55, Leabrook residents are 15 years older than the national figure, which goes a long way toward explaining the suburb's character. Household incomes sit at the 59.4th percentile nationally, yet the median house price reached $2,100,000 in 1Q 2026, a figure that places this compact 0.63 sqkm suburb firmly in Adelaide's premium tier. University qualifications reach 60.9%, which is 30.8 percentage points above the national average. With 80.1% of residents having lived in the same address for five years, Leabrook is a suburb of deeply settled owners, not transient renters.
Population
1,605
Median Age
55.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,693/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
15
Median House
$2.1M
Median 1Q 2026
The $2,100,000 median house price in 1Q 2026 rose 16.7% from $1,800,000 just one year earlier in 1Q 2025, a rapid appreciation that compresses the window for buyers. Stock is mixed: separate houses account for 40.5% of dwellings, semi-detached homes for 33.1% and apartments for 26.4%, so buyers seeking a detached home face genuine competition in a 0.63 sqkm suburb. Bedroom sizes lean toward the compact end, with 2-bedroom dwellings at 43.0% and 4-plus bedroom homes at 25.5%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,140, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 29.2%, just below the 30% stress threshold. Outright owners at 48.7% outnumber mortgage holders at 25.8%, indicating that much of the housing stock is held by long-established, debt-free residents rather than recent buyers.
For Buyers
The $2,100,000 median house price in 1Q 2026 rose 16.7% from $1,800,000 just one year earlier in 1Q 2025, a rapid appreciation that compresses the window for buyers. Stock is mixed: separate houses account for 40.5% of dwellings, semi-detached homes for 33.1% and apartments for 26.4%, so buyers seeking a detached home face genuine competition in a 0.63 sqkm suburb. Bedroom sizes lean toward the compact end, with 2-bedroom dwellings at 43.0% and 4-plus bedroom homes at 25.5%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,140, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 29.2%, just below the 30% stress threshold. Outright owners at 48.7% outnumber mortgage holders at 25.8%, indicating that much of the housing stock is held by long-established, debt-free residents rather than recent buyers.
For Investors
A 25.5% renter share and weekly rent of $308 give landlords a tenant base, but the yield arithmetic is demanding. Against the $2,100,000 median, $308 weekly rent implies a gross yield below 0.8%, among the lowest in Adelaide. The 9.8% vacancy rate suggests meaningful softness in the rental segment, which includes 26.4% apartments. Development activity is low at 14 applications in the past 12 months, mostly high-value alterations such as double-storey rebuilds and pools rather than new stock. Demand support is partly structural: the aging resident base and 60.9% university qualification rate attract steady professional tenants, but low yield and high vacancy mean the investment case relies almost entirely on capital growth rather than rental return.
Development Activity
Total DAs
88
Last 12 Months
15
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+50.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
The median age of 55 is 15 years above the national figure, making Leabrook one of Adelaide's most distinctly mature-age suburbs. Average household size of 2.0 is 0.5 below national, consistent with the 36.8% couples-without-children family structure that dominates here. Overseas-born residents reach 26.7%, which is 5.1 percentage points above national. English ancestry leads at 668 residents, followed by Irish at 183 and Scottish at 182, with Chinese ancestry at 121 the largest non-Anglo group. University qualifications at 60.9% run 30.8 points above national, reflecting the high concentration of Professionals (265 workers) and Managers (113) in the workforce. Volunteering is elevated at 23.1%, consistent with a settled, civic-minded resident base.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
40.5%
Houses
33.1%
Townhouse
26.4%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is dominated by outright ownership at 48.7%, nearly double the renter share of 25.5%, which signals a suburb where wealth is consolidated in existing owners rather than being circulated through frequent transactions. Only 25.8% of dwellings carry a mortgage, reinforcing the debt-free owner profile. The 2-bedroom category accounts for 43.0% of stock, reflecting the older, smaller-household profile of the suburb rather than investment-grade high density. Prices moved from $1,800,000 in 1Q 2025 to $2,100,000 in 1Q 2026, a 16.7% rise over one year. Mortgage-to-income at 29.2% is just below the 30% stress threshold, yet rent-to-income at 18.2% is comfortable for tenants. The 9.8% vacancy rate is higher than most premium Adelaide suburbs, pointing to moderate oversupply in the apartment and rental segments.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,140
Rent / wk
$308
HH Size
2.0
Personal Income / wk
$966
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
9.8%
Unoccupied
80
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.2%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
29.2%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
36.8%
Couples, no children
1,108
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the single largest industry at 25.7% of employed residents (130 workers), well above the typical suburb share, which aligns with proximity to major medical precincts. Professional and Technical Services follow at 16.0% (81 workers) and Education at 12.5% (63 workers), together creating a knowledge-intensive employment base. By occupation, Professionals (265) and Managers (113) dominate, consistent with household incomes at the 59.4th percentile nationally. Unemployment sits at 3.6%, close to the national level. The participation rate of 45.4% is low, but this is expected when the median age is 55 and 712 residents are outside the labour force, many likely retired. Full-time employment among those working is a solid 58.1%.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
58.1%
Part-time
38.3%
Participation
45.4%
Employed
621
Occupations
Top Industries
University
60.9%
Postgraduate
18.8%
Born Overseas
26.7%
Dwellings
731
Transport to Work
Car dependency is high at 79.0%, which is above the national average for inner-suburban Adelaide, while public transport use is only 6.5% and walking or cycling accounts for 8.6%. Crime totals 36 incidents per year, a rate of 22.4 per 1,000 residents, which is low in absolute terms for an urban suburb of this density. The suburb scores no SEIFA data in this dataset, so relative disadvantage cannot be formally ranked, but the 60.9% university rate and professional occupation concentration point to high advantage. No schools are recorded within the Leabrook boundary, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs. With 11.3% of residents needing daily assistance and a median age of 55, aged care accessibility is a more relevant infrastructure consideration than schools.
Drive
79.0%
Public Transport
6.5%
Walk / Cycle
8.6%
Work from Home
N/A
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
36
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
22.4
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Leabrook compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Leabrook a good suburb to live in?
Leabrook appeals strongly to professionals and retirees seeking a premium, low-turnover address in Adelaide. University qualifications reach 60.9%, which is 30.8 points above the national figure, and the crime rate of 22.4 per 1,000 is low for an urban suburb. The main trade-offs are a $2,100,000 median house price and limited public transport at only 6.5% of commuters.
What is the median house price in Leabrook?
The median house price is $2,100,000 as of 1Q 2026, up 16.7% from $1,800,000 in 1Q 2025. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,140, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 29.2%. Weekly rent averages $308, giving a rent-to-income ratio of 18.2%.
What schools are in Leabrook?
No schools are recorded inside the 0.63 sqkm Leabrook boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring eastern suburbs. The resident population is highly educated, with 60.9% holding university qualifications, which is 30.8 percentage points above the national figure.
Is Leabrook safe?
Leabrook recorded 36 crimes in total, giving a rate of 22.4 incidents per 1,000 residents, which is low for an inner-suburban Adelaide location. The suburb's low turnover rate of 19.9% and the 80.1% who stayed at the same address for 5 years are also associated with stable, low-crime neighbourhoods.
Is Leabrook good for property investment?
Capital growth is strong, with the median rising 16.7% in one year to $2,100,000. However, weekly rent of $308 against that price implies a gross yield below 0.8%, and a vacancy rate of 9.8% suggests rental demand is not matching the premium price point. The investment case is primarily a capital growth story rather than yield.
How is Leabrook's population changing?
The current population of 1,605 is constrained by a 0.63 sqkm footprint with 2,537 residents per sqkm, leaving minimal room for growth through new supply. The median age of 55, which is 15 years above national, and only 14 development applications in the past 12 months suggest the suburb is stable and established rather than rapidly expanding.
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 Leabrook on the Map
View parcels, zoning overlays, DA applications, schools and more.
Open Interactive Map