Mclaren Flat
The median age is 40, household income sits at the 81.3rd percentile, and 55.6% of homes are mortgaged, pointing to established family ownership rather than a high-turnover rental market. Population change across the wider area is 4.3% over 10 years, while the trajectory is Aging. Compared with nearby McLaren Vale and Willunga, McLaren Flat reads as a quieter, land-oriented housing market.
Local council: Onkaparinga
Population
1,625
Median Age
40.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,129/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
40
Median House
$1.1M
First quarter 2026
McLaren Flat suits buyers seeking detached space, but the entry cost is substantial even with household income at the 81.3rd percentile. Because 54.5% of homes have 4 or more bedrooms and 38.0% have 3 bedrooms, the stock is oriented to families rather than compact buyers. Mortgage repayments equal 19.4% of household income and are not flagged as stressed. Compared with higher-density housing, the premium reflects land and detached space, so deposit size and maintenance costs matter.
For Buyers
McLaren Flat suits buyers seeking detached space, but the entry cost is substantial even with household income at the 81.3rd percentile. Because 54.5% of homes have 4 or more bedrooms and 38.0% have 3 bedrooms, the stock is oriented to families rather than compact buyers. Mortgage repayments equal 19.4% of household income and are not flagged as stressed. Compared with higher-density housing, the premium reflects land and detached space, so deposit size and maintenance costs matter.
For Investors
Investor conditions are shaped by limited rental stock and modest growth rather than a rapid expansion cycle. Only 11.3% of dwellings are rented, the weekly median rent is $350, and vacancy is 5.2%, so the rental market is smaller than in higher-rental suburbs even though available properties may be limited. There were 42 development applications in the latest 12-month count, including agricultural, verandah and dwelling-related work, indicating ongoing property activity but not a confirmed pipeline of new homes. Annual growth is 0.48% and the migration driver is Balanced, so the case leans toward patient ownership rather than short-term capital gains.
Development Activity
Total DAs
214
Last 12 Months
40
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+17.6%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Mclaren Flat
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
McLaren Flat Primary School
Demographics
McLaren Flat’s demographic profile is settled and Anglo-leaning, with 85.7% of residents staying at the same address and a 14.3% turnover rate. English ancestry is recorded for 877 people, followed by Scottish at 187, Irish at 139 and German at 117. No religion is the largest reported affiliation at 941, ahead of Christianity at 538. University attainment is 26.7%, 3.4 percentage points below the national comparison, while overseas-born residents make up 16.4%, 5.2 points lower than nationally. Average household size is 3.0, which is 0.5 above the national figure and aligns with couples with children forming 55.4% of families. Compared with nearby McLaren Vale, the profile points to continuity and family households.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
100.0%
Houses
0.0%
Townhouse
0.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Detached housing is the defining feature: 100.0% of dwellings are separate houses, with 54.5% containing 4 or more bedrooms and 38.0% containing 3 bedrooms. Ownership is mortgage-led, with 55.6% paying a mortgage and 32.5% owning outright; only 11.3% rent. Household income sits at the 81.3rd percentile, while mortgage costs equal 19.4% of household income and rent equals 16.4%. Compared with attached housing markets, McLaren Flat’s price reflects land and dwelling size more than apartment supply.
Mortgage / mo
$1,786
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$350
Census 2021
HH Size
3.0
Personal Income / wk
$842
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.2%
Unoccupied
28
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
16.4%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.4%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
55.4%
Couples with children
33.9%
Couples, no children
10.9%
Single parent
466
Total families
Economy & Employment
Employment is a relative strength, with unemployment at 2.5%, participation at 70.7% and 22 people unemployed within a labour force of 892. Healthcare leads the industry mix at 16.3% or 95 workers, followed by construction at 12.9% and 75, manufacturing at 12.7% and 74, education at 10.8% and 63, and public administration at 8.2% and 48. Occupations are led by professionals at 161, clerical and administration at 136, managers at 131 and trades at 119, indicating a mixed service, technical and hands-on base. Household income ranks at the 81.3rd percentile, above the median, yet IEO and IER are both decile 4, IRSD is decile 5 and IRSAD is decile 4. That contrast indicates income capacity without uniformly high socioeconomic advantage.
Unemployment
2.5%
Labour Force
892
Unemployed
22
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
53.3%
Part-time
40.1%
Participation
70.7%
Employed
870
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
26.7%
Postgraduate
5.8%
Born Overseas
16.4%
Dwellings
517
Transport to Work
Livability centres on space, driving access and a small local school footprint. Car driving accounts for 80.3% of travel, while 14.8% work from home and 2.0% walk or cycle, so daily life is more car-dependent than a dense inner suburb. McLaren Flat Primary School provides government primary education locally; families should check enrolment zones and secondary choices across the wider region because 1 local school does not cover every year level. The crime rate is 11.1 incidents per 1,000 residents, and volunteering is 22.7%, supporting a community-oriented setting. IRSAD is decile 4 and IRSD decile 5, so social advantage is lower than the state’s strongest locations. A 27.92 sq km area and density of 58.2 people per sq km help explain the open, low-density feel.
Drive
80.3%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
2.0%
Work from Home
14.8%
Growth Outlook
Growth is steady rather than rapid. The annual trend is 0.48%, the primary migration driver is Balanced, and population change across the wider area is 4.3% over 10 years. The shift trajectory is Aging, with the senior share up 5.8 percentage points and the young share down 2.7 points, because established households are becoming older while new growth remains limited. Affordability is labelled Stable, moving from 34.9 in 2011 to 33.3 in 2021, and real income growth is 12.0%. Gentrification is Not gentrifying, with a score of 0, so McLaren Flat is better read as an established market than a transformation precinct. Compared with a higher-growth corridor, its appeal rests on continuity, land and lifestyle rather than scale.
Population trend: Onkaparinga council area
Mclaren Flat sits in the Onkaparinga council area. These are the council area's residents, not Mclaren Flat's.
Residents 2025
184,827
Growth, 5 yr average
+1.1%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+0.9%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
18
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
11.1
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Mclaren Flat compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is McLaren Flat a good suburb to live in?
Yes, if you value detached space, a quieter setting and family-sized homes. All recorded dwellings are separate houses, 54.5% have 4 or more bedrooms, and the crime rate is 11.1 per 1,000 residents. Car dependence is high at 80.3%, so it suits households comfortable driving for services better than those seeking dense public transport.
What schools are in McLaren Flat?
McLaren Flat Primary School is the local government primary school. Confirm the enrolment zone for the exact address and review secondary choices across the wider region, because 1 local school does not represent every year level. School access should be weighed alongside the suburb’s 80.3% car-driver rate.
Is McLaren Flat safe?
Reported crime is 18 incidents, equal to 11.1 per 1,000 residents. That is a useful low-crime indicator for a suburb of 1,625 people, although personal safety can vary by street, property security and incident type. Inspect the immediate area at different times rather than treating one reported rate as a guarantee.
How is McLaren Flat's population changing?
McLaren Flat is on an Aging trajectory rather than a rapid-growth path. Population change across the wider area is 4.3% over 10 years, the annual trend is 0.48%, and the senior share has increased by 5.8 percentage points while the young share fell 2.7 points. Migration is Balanced, so change is gradual compared with faster-expanding corridors.
What development is occurring in McLaren Flat?
There were 42 development applications in the latest 12-month count, including agricultural works, a verandah and a proposal involving conversion from viticulture to residential use. The mix points to ongoing property maintenance and land-use change rather than a clearly defined estate rollout. Check approvals, dwelling counts and conditions before assuming a project will materially alter local supply.
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).
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