SA 5072 Census 2021 + Live DA Data

Magill

The suburb has 9,693 residents, a median age of 40 and an overseas-born share of 39.2%, while 54.0% hold university qualifications, 23.9 percentage points above the national figure. Compared with Norwood's more inner-urban setting, Magill's 69.4% separate-house share points to a more conventional family housing pattern because larger lots and established homes remain central to its appeal.

Magill urban fabric map

Population

9,693

Median Age

40.0

Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)

$1,616/wk

DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year

90

Median House

$1.5M

First quarter 2026

3.5 km²· 2,770.6 people/km²· Family income $2,200/wk

Magill suits buyers prioritising established houses, family-sized floor plans and access to Adelaide's eastern suburbs, but the entry point is high. Housing stock is led by separate houses at 69.4%, with 47.1% containing 3 bedrooms and 23.4% containing 4 or more. The listed mortgage cost is $1,950 per month and mortgage payments equal 27.9% of household income, so borrowing capacity remains important even though mortgage stress is not flagged.

For Buyers

Magill suits buyers prioritising established houses, family-sized floor plans and access to Adelaide's eastern suburbs, but the entry point is high. Housing stock is led by separate houses at 69.4%, with 47.1% containing 3 bedrooms and 23.4% containing 4 or more. The listed mortgage cost is $1,950 per month and mortgage payments equal 27.9% of household income, so borrowing capacity remains important even though mortgage stress is not flagged.

For Investors

Magill has an established rental base, with 30.2% of occupied dwellings rented and weekly rent at $341. Compared with outright owners at 33.0%, renters form a similarly substantial part of the tenure mix, supporting a meaningful tenant market. The 7.2% vacancy rate provides more leasing choice than a tightly constrained market, although rent growth of 34.1% indicates that conditions have recently moved higher. Overseas migration is the primary growth driver, and 91 development applications in 12 months point to active property turnover and ongoing construction activity.

Development Activity

Total DAs

505

Last 12 Months

90

YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements

+11.1%

Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year

N/A

Monthly DA Lodgements

DA Categories

Deck / Pergola / Patio
24
Renovation / Extension
23
New Dwelling
23
Tree Removal
22
Subdivision
19
Garage / Carport / Shed
16
Fencing
12
Swimming Pool / Spa
12

Schools in Magill

Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.

Magill School

Primary Education Government

Norwood International High School

Secondary Education Government

Demographics

Magill combines an older family profile with strong education and overseas links. Its median age is 40, while the average household size is 2.4, just 0.1 below the national figure. The university-qualified share is 54.0%, 23.9 percentage points above national levels, which helps explain the concentration of professionals, educators and health workers. Overseas-born residents account for 39.2%, or 17.6 percentage points above the national share. English, Chinese and Italian ancestry are prominent, while Mandarin is spoken by 415 residents. With 75.9% staying at the same address, residential ties are stronger than the 24.1% turnover rate suggests.

Age Distribution

0-14
17.0%
15-24
12.5%
25-44
27.5%
45-64
24.0%
65+
19.1%

Bedrooms

Studio/1br
4.3%
2 bed
25.2%
3 bed
47.1%
4+ bed
23.4%

Dwelling Structure

69.4%

Houses

19.9%

Townhouse

10.7%

Apartment

Tenure

Own 33.0% Mortgage 31.8% Rent 30.2% Other 4.9%

Compared with the earlier quarter, the latest price is therefore higher rather than merely recovering from a temporary dip. Tenure is split between 33.0% owned outright, 31.8% with a mortgage and 30.2% rented. Separate houses account for 69.4%, while semi-detached homes make up 19.9% and apartments 10.7%. The bedroom mix is family-oriented, with 47.1% having 3 bedrooms and 23.4% having 4 or more, because established detached stock remains influential.

Mortgage / mo

$1,950

Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.

$341

Census 2021

HH Size

2.4

Personal Income / wk

$781

Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)

7.2%

Unoccupied

297

Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress

21.1%

Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress

27.9%

Community Profile

Languages Spoken at Home

Mandarin
415
Italian
181
Canton
114
Punjabi
86
Hindi
75
Greek
73

Ancestry

English
2,650
Chinese
1,358
Other
1,336
Italian
1,254
Irish
677
Scottish
644

Household Composition

48.7%

Couples with children

34.8%

Couples, no children

14.7%

Single parent

2,526

Total families

Economy & Employment

Magill's economy is anchored by healthcare at 21.4% of local employment, followed by education at 14.3%, professional and technology work at 11.6%, public administration at 8.3% and construction at 6.3%. This aligns with 1,593 professionals, 663 clerical and administrative workers, 563 community and personal service workers and 554 managers. The labour force totals 5,041, with a 62.7% participation rate and 5.2% unemployment. SEIFA results are uneven: education and occupation sit at decile 8, higher than income and economic resources at decile 5, while disadvantage is decile 6 and advantage decile 7. That spread suggests educational attainment is stronger than the suburb's income position alone would indicate.

Unemployment

5.2%

Labour Force

5,041

Unemployed

261

Source: ABS Census 2021

Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)

Overall advantage
7
Disadvantage
6
Economic resources
5
Education & occupation
8

Full-time

56.9%

Part-time

38.4%

Participation

62.7%

Employed

4,780

Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021

Occupations

Professionals 1,593
Clerical/Admin 663
Community/Personal 563
Managers 554
Trades 469
Sales 382
Labourers 323
Machinery/Drivers 167

Top Industries

Healthcare 21.4%
Education 14.3%
Professional/Tech 11.6%
Public Admin 8.3%
Construction 6.3%

University

54.0%

Postgraduate

16.9%

Born Overseas

39.2%

Dwellings

3,847

Transport to Work

Magill provides a relatively compact, established setting across 3.5 square kilometres, with density of 2,770.6 people per square kilometre. Two local government schools provide a primary and secondary education option, but families should check enrolment zones and year-level availability against the exact address. Transport is car-oriented: 68.9% drive as car occupants compared with 8.3% using public transport, while 14.5% work from home. The recorded crime rate is 26.4 incidents per 1,000 residents across 256 incidents, supporting its low-crime identity. An IRSAD decile of 7 is above the middle of the national scale, while the transport split shows private vehicles remain more common than public transport.

Drive

68.9%

Public Transport

8.3%

Walk / Cycle

2.8%

Work from Home

14.5%

Population Forecast

+1.31%/yr

(+344 people/yr)

Established

Magill has a forecast annual growth rate of 1.31%, driven primarily by overseas migration, while the wider area's population change is forecast at 17.2% over 10 years. The trajectory is Mixed, reflecting established housing alongside changing demand. Gentrification is rated Early signs with a score of 33, while the broader shift measure records an Active stage and score of 45. Rent growth of 34.1% is higher than the 14.6% house price increase between 1Q 2025 and 1Q 2026, which may indicate stronger recent pressure in the rental market. Growth is therefore being shaped by migration and rental demand more than by a fully transformed housing profile.

Historical + Forecast

Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025

Age Cohort Forecast

Primary Driver

Overseas Migration

Net Overseas / yr

+544

Net Internal / yr

-76

33

Gentrification Signal

Early signs

Population +23% since 2011, Strong overseas inflow +544/yr, Accelerating: 4% → 19%

Safety & Crime

Total Offences

256

Year ending June 2024

Rate per 1,000 People

26.4

Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police

National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs

How Magill compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs

Population
Top 5%
Household Income
Top 47%
Rent Level
Top 29%
Apartments
Top 8%
Renters
Top 20%
Uni Educated
Top 7%
Public Transport
Top 10%
Born Overseas
Top 7%
Density
Top 4%

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Magill a good suburb to live in?

Magill suits households wanting established housing and access to 2 local government schools. It has a 26.4 per 1,000 crime rate, 69.4% separate houses and 8.3% public transport use, so it is more car-oriented than transit-led.

What schools are in Magill?

Magill has 2 local government schools: Magill School for primary education and Norwood International High School for secondary education. Check enrolment zones and year-level availability at the exact address, as access can vary.

Is Magill safe?

Magill recorded 256 total offences, equal to a crime rate of 26.4 incidents per 1,000 residents. That supports a low-crime profile, but conditions can vary by street, time and incident type, so buyers and renters should inspect the immediate area.

Is Magill good for property investment?

Magill can suit investors seeking established housing, with $341 weekly rent, 7.2% vacancy and 30.2% renting. The suburb recorded 91 development applications in 12 months, while rent growth reached 34.1%, indicating active demand and property activity.

How is Magill's population changing?

Population change across the wider area is forecast at 17.2% over 10 years, with annual growth of 1.31% driven primarily by overseas migration. The trajectory is Mixed, while gentrification is at Early signs with a score of 33.

What languages are spoken in Magill?

Mandarin is the most common listed language apart from English, spoken by 415 residents. Italian is recorded for 181 residents, Canton for 114, Punjabi for 86 and Hindi for 75, consistent with an overseas-born share of 39.2%.

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), 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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