Medindie
The suburb covers just 0.67 square kilometres and houses 1,175 residents at a density of 1,753 per km2, making it compact and owner-dominated, with 53.8% of households owning outright. University qualifications reach 62.6%, which is 32.5 percentage points above the national average, and the median age of 45 is 5 years older than the national figure. These traits together point to a settled, high-income population with long residential roots rather than a suburb in transition.
Local council: Walkerville
Population
1,175
Median Age
45.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$3,750/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
22
Median House
$2.0M
First quarter 2026
Buyers should treat this shift with caution, as the two-quarter data history is limited and may reflect a very small transaction count. Separate houses dominate at 91.4% of dwellings, and 59% of homes have four or more bedrooms, so large family homes are the norm here. Monthly mortgage repayments average $3,033, and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 18.7%, well below the 30% stress threshold given household incomes at the 99.3rd percentile. Only 10.9% of dwellings are rented, so competition for purchase is among owner-occupiers rather than investors, giving buyers a relatively stable demand environment.
For Buyers
Buyers should treat this shift with caution, as the two-quarter data history is limited and may reflect a very small transaction count. Separate houses dominate at 91.4% of dwellings, and 59% of homes have four or more bedrooms, so large family homes are the norm here. Monthly mortgage repayments average $3,033, and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 18.7%, well below the 30% stress threshold given household incomes at the 99.3rd percentile. Only 10.9% of dwellings are rented, so competition for purchase is among owner-occupiers rather than investors, giving buyers a relatively stable demand environment.
For Investors
The rental market in Medindie is thin: only 10.9% of dwellings are rented and weekly rent sits at $625. The vacancy rate of 7.1% is elevated, reflecting limited rental demand in a suburb where most residents own their homes outright. Development activity is modest at 16 applications in the past 12 months, mostly renovation and addition works on existing large homes rather than new dwellings. The rent-to-income ratio of 16.7% shows tenants are comfortable, but the small rental pool and high vacancy signal that Medindie suits capital preservation rather than yield-driven investment strategies.
Development Activity
Total DAs
116
Last 12 Months
22
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+4.8%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
The median age of 45 is 5 years above the national average, placing Medindie firmly in the older-resident bracket. University qualifications at 62.6% are 32.5 percentage points higher than the national figure, one of the strongest education profiles in South Australia. The average household size is 2.8, slightly above the national average of 2.5, and couples with children (367) outnumber couples without children (239) among the 941 families. Overseas-born residents make up 23.5% of the population, 1.9 points above the national rate. Ancestry is Anglo-dominated, with English (392), Scottish (118), Irish (96) and Greek (109) the top groups. Greek speakers number 36, a legacy of earlier community settlement. Volunteering participation is high at 24.2%, consistent with the older, established demographic profile.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
91.4%
Houses
6.0%
Townhouse
2.6%
Apartment
Tenure
Medindie's housing stock is almost entirely separate houses at 91.4%, with semi-detached at 6% and apartments at just 2.6%. Four-plus bedroom homes account for 59% of dwellings, and three-bedroom homes a further 31.9%, reflecting large lots and generous floor plans typical of the inner-north Adelaide prestige corridor. Ownership without a mortgage reaches 53.8%, with only 35.3% still carrying a mortgage, which is low compared to most suburban markets and signals long-held wealth. Rent-to-income at 16.7% and mortgage-to-income at 18.7% both sit well below stress thresholds despite the premium price level.
Mortgage / mo
$3,033
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$625
Census 2021
HH Size
2.8
Personal Income / wk
$1,309
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
7.1%
Unoccupied
29
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
16.7%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.7%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
50.3%
Couples with children
38.1%
Couples, no children
10.6%
Single parent
310
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads Medindie's industry mix at 30.8% of employed residents (132 workers), more than double the next sector. Professional and technical services follow at 15.4% (66 workers) and retail at 9.6% (41). By occupation, Professionals account for 245 workers and Managers 125, together representing the majority of the employed workforce. The unemployment rate is 3.2%, below the national average, and the full-time employment rate is 58.3%. The participation rate of 58.9% reflects the older age profile, with 341 residents not in the labour force, many of them retired rather than job-seeking. The concentration in healthcare likely reflects proximity to major hospitals in the inner-north Adelaide medical precinct, which draws highly qualified residents to the area.
Unemployment
3.0%
Labour Force
605
Unemployed
18
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
54.9%
Part-time
39.2%
Participation
62.5%
Employed
587
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
62.6%
Postgraduate
19.0%
Born Overseas
23.5%
Dwellings
383
Transport to Work
Car use is high at 85.1% of residents driving to work, compared to the national average, with only 2.2% using public transport. Walking and cycling account for 6.2%, above typical suburban rates given the compact 0.67 km2 footprint and proximity to inner-city amenities. Housing stress indicators are favourable: only 2.5% of residents (28 people) need daily assistance, and both rent and mortgage cost ratios sit well below national stress benchmarks. The suburb's elevated volunteering rate of 24.2% and high university qualification share together suggest strong community engagement and social capital.
Drive
69.7%
Public Transport
1.8%
Walk / Cycle
5.1%
Work from Home
18.1%
Growth Outlook
The 48% decline should be read carefully given Medindie's small transaction volume: a single high-value sale in one quarter can shift the median substantially. The suburb's population of 1,175 across 0.67 km2 leaves little room for infill development, and just 16 DAs were lodged in the past 12 months, most for renovations rather than new dwellings. The mobility data shows 79.9% of residents stayed in the same address over 5 years, well above the national average, indicating a stable rather than fast-growing population. Development is renovation-led, consistent with an established premium suburb where upgrades to existing large homes drive most construction activity.
Population trend: Walkerville council area
Medindie sits in the Walkerville council area. These are the council area's residents, not Medindie's.
Residents 2025
8,673
Growth, 5 yr average
+1.2%/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
78
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
66.4
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Medindie compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
What schools are in Medindie?
Families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs in the inner-north Adelaide corridor. Despite this, the local population is among the most highly educated in South Australia, with 62.6% holding university qualifications, which is 32.5 points above the national figure.
Is Medindie safe?
Recorded crime totals 78 incidents at a rate of 66.4 per 1,000 residents. As an indirect indicator, only 2.5% of residents (28 people) need daily assistance, and housing stress is absent with rent-to-income at 16.7% and mortgage-to-income at 18.7%, both well below national stress benchmarks. These numbers are consistent with a low-disadvantage area.
How is Medindie's population changing?
The suburb's population of 1,175 is stable, with 79.9% of residents having stayed at the same address over 5 years, a high retention rate compared to most suburbs. The 0.67 km2 area and detached-house-dominant stock (91.4%) leave little capacity for significant infill growth. Development activity runs at 16 applications per year, mostly renovations rather than new dwellings.
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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