Millswood
At 2,173 residents in just 1.02 sq km, Millswood combines a dense inner-suburban setting with a strongly detached housing profile. Household income sits at the 96.4th percentile, university attainment is 29 percentage points above the national comparison, and the median age of 45 is 5 years above it. Its established wealth, low 24.9 crimes per 1,000 residents and slow 0.25% annual growth point to stability rather than rapid change.
Local council: Unley
Population
2,173
Median Age
45.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,836/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
12
Median House
$1.9M
First quarter 2026
Separate houses account for 89.6% of dwellings, while 45.7% have 3 bedrooms and 37.7% have 4 or more, giving families more choice than apartment-led precincts. Mortgage repayments are $2,253 monthly, with mortgage stress at 18.3% of household income, so affordability depends more on deposit strength than on repayment pressure.
For Buyers
Separate houses account for 89.6% of dwellings, while 45.7% have 3 bedrooms and 37.7% have 4 or more, giving families more choice than apartment-led precincts. Mortgage repayments are $2,253 monthly, with mortgage stress at 18.3% of household income, so affordability depends more on deposit strength than on repayment pressure.
For Investors
Millswood offers an established, owner-occupier-heavy investment profile rather than a high-turnover rental market. Only 14.0% of households rent, while 51.1% own outright and 34.6% hold a mortgage, which can support lower tenant churn but narrows the renter pool compared with more rental-oriented suburbs. Rents have grown 23.6%, and 11 development applications in 12 months indicate ongoing reinvestment without a large construction pipeline. Overseas migration is the primary growth driver, which may gradually broaden tenant demand.
Development Activity
Total DAs
113
Last 12 Months
12
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-47.8%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
Millswood has an older and more highly educated profile than national benchmarks: the median age is 45, or 5 years above the national comparison, while 59.1% of adults hold a university qualification, 29 percentage points higher. Overseas-born residents account for 17.0%, 4.6 points below the national comparison, and English, Irish and Scottish ancestry counts are 914, 275 and 258 respectively. A household size of 2.7 is 0.2 above the national figure, reflecting 40.0% couples without children alongside 49.4% couples with children. Compared with nearby Goodwood and Unley, Millswood reads as more settled and Anglo-leaning, reinforced by 84.7% of residents staying at the same address.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
89.6%
Houses
5.6%
Townhouse
4.8%
Apartment
Tenure
Millswood is a detached-home market with strong owner-occupation and a premium price point. Housing choice is concentrated in 3-bedroom and 4-plus-bedroom homes, at 45.7% and 37.7%, while apartments represent only 4.8%. Ownership is higher than renting, with 51.1% owned outright, 34.6% mortgaged and 14.0% rented. Compared with apartment-heavy inner suburbs, this mix supports privacy and land value, but the limited apartment share can reduce lower-cost entry options. Rent stress is 14.8% of income and mortgage stress is 18.3%, both consistent with substantial household capacity.
Mortgage / mo
$2,253
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$420
Census 2021
HH Size
2.7
Personal Income / wk
$1,171
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.0%
Unoccupied
41
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
14.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.3%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
49.4%
Couples with children
40.0%
Couples, no children
10.9%
Single parent
615
Total families
Economy & Employment
Millswood's economic profile is stronger than the state and national norms typically associated with middle-income suburbs, with household income at the 96.4th percentile and unemployment at 3.9% across a 64.6% participation rate. Employment is concentrated in Healthcare at 23.2%, Professional and Technical services at 17.4%, Education at 14.3%, Public Administration at 9.1% and Construction at 5.1%. Professionals number 444 and managers 213, helping explain the high income position and the 59.1% university-educated share. SEIFA results are above average overall, with IEO and IRSAD both in decile 9, while IER sits in decile 6. That gap suggests strong education, occupation and social advantage, but less exceptional economic-resource performance than the headline income percentile implies.
Unemployment
3.9%
Labour Force
1,161
Unemployed
45
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
58.0%
Part-time
37.9%
Participation
64.6%
Employed
1,116
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
59.1%
Postgraduate
16.9%
Born Overseas
17.0%
Dwellings
791
Transport to Work
Millswood provides a compact, established setting with strong socioeconomic advantage, reflected in an IRSAD decile of 9 and a population density of 2,125.6 residents per sq km. Daily travel remains car-led: 61.1% drive to work, higher than the 10.3% who walk or cycle, while 6.9% use public transport and 17.8% work from home. The recorded crime rate is 24.9 incidents per 1,000 residents across 54 incidents, supporting a lower-crime profile than many busy urban settings. Families should check school zones against the exact address because nearby enrolment options and sector types can cross suburb boundaries. Compared with less advantaged outer areas, the combination of decile 9 socioeconomic standing, 25.2% volunteering and low turnover supports a settled community environment.
Drive
61.1%
Public Transport
6.9%
Walk / Cycle
10.3%
Work from Home
17.8%
Growth Outlook
Millswood is on an established, slow-growth path, with annual growth forecast at 0.25% and wider-area population change of 2.6% over 10 years. Overseas migration is the primary driver, but the shift trajectory is labelled Aging, supported by a 5.4 percentage-point rise in the senior share and a 1.1-point fall in the young share. Compared with faster-changing inner suburbs, the gentrification score of 10 and stage of Not gentrifying point to continuity rather than rapid demographic replacement. Rent growth of 23.6% shows that established housing demand remains firm even while affordability improved from 37.8% in 2011 to 34.0% in 2021. The combination of 0.25% growth and ageing suggests gradual renewal focused on existing homes.
Population trend: Unley council area
Millswood sits in the Unley council area. These are the council area's residents, not Millswood's.
Residents 2025
40,731
Growth, 5 yr average
+0.6%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+0.7%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
54
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
24.9
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Millswood compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
What schools are in Millswood?
School choices should be checked using the exact property address, because enrolment zones can cross suburb boundaries and nearby options may include different sectors and school types. Millswood's compact 1.02 sq km setting makes address-level distance and zone checks especially important for families comparing locations.
Is Millswood safe?
Millswood recorded 54 crimes, equivalent to 24.9 incidents per 1,000 residents. That supports a relatively low-crime profile, although conditions can vary by street and offence type. Buyers and renters should review the latest local information before making a decision.
How is Millswood's population changing?
Millswood is following an aging, slow-growth trajectory. Annual growth is forecast at 0.25%, wider-area population change is 2.6% over 10 years, and the senior share has risen 5.4 percentage points. Overseas migration is the primary driver, while the young share has declined by 1.1 points.
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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