Modbury Heights
With 91.8% of homes detached, Modbury Heights is a family-oriented northern Adelaide suburb where 6,995 residents live at a density of 2,135.9 people per square kilometre. The median age is 40, while 28.3% of residents were born overseas, 6.7 percentage points above the national level. Compared with nearby Modbury, the suburb has a more consistently house-based feel, supported by 62.6% three-bedroom and 29.8% four-bedroom-plus homes. Household income sits at the 51.3 percentile, and 17.6% rent, making ownership and long-term stability more common than renting.
Population
6,995
Median Age
40.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,573/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
87
Median House
$912K
First quarter 2026
Homebuyers are mostly choosing detached stock, with 91.8% separate houses, 62.6% three-bedroom homes and 29.8% four-bedroom-plus properties. The 45.5% mortgage share is higher than the 36.2% owned-outright share, indicating a substantial active-buyer cohort. Mortgage payments equal 21.9% of household income, only slightly higher than the 21.6% rent-to-income ratio, so neither is flagged as stress.
For Buyers
Homebuyers are mostly choosing detached stock, with 91.8% separate houses, 62.6% three-bedroom homes and 29.8% four-bedroom-plus properties. The 45.5% mortgage share is higher than the 36.2% owned-outright share, indicating a substantial active-buyer cohort. Mortgage payments equal 21.9% of household income, only slightly higher than the 21.6% rent-to-income ratio, so neither is flagged as stress.
For Investors
Modbury Heights has 17.6% renters, a $340 weekly median rent and a 3.8% vacancy rate. The renter share is lower than the 45.5% mortgage cohort, so the market is primarily owner-occupier led, although limited vacancy can still support tenant competition. Forecast rent growth of 24.5% strengthens the income case because rents have been moving faster than the wider population trend. Ninety development applications in 12 months indicate active property maintenance and redevelopment, but examples include tree removal, internal alterations and one detached dwelling rather than a confirmed wave of new rental supply. Overseas migration is the primary driver, which may broaden demand over time.
Development Activity
Total DAs
403
Last 12 Months
87
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+13.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Modbury Heights
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
The Heights School
Demographics
Modbury Heights has a median age of 40, matching the national comparison, and an average household size of 2.6, 0.1 above the national figure. Overseas-born residents account for 28.3%, 6.7 percentage points above the national level, with Punjabi the most recorded non-English language at 114 people, followed by Arabic at 43 and Mandarin at 33. English ancestry leads at 2,872, ahead of Scottish at 590, Irish at 494 and German at 484. No religion is recorded for 3,188 residents, compared with 2,672 identifying with Christianity and 245 with Hinduism. With 83.3% staying at the same address and 16.7% turnover, the population is more settled than transient, while nearby Modbury provides a more central comparison point.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
91.8%
Houses
8.0%
Townhouse
0.2%
Apartment
Tenure
Detached housing defines the suburb: 91.8% of dwellings are separate houses, compared with 0.2% apartments and 8.0% semi-detached homes. Three-bedroom properties make up 62.6% of stock and four-bedroom-plus homes 29.8%, so the built form is more suited to established families than small-format buyers. Tenure is relatively stable, with 36.2% owning outright, 45.5% paying a mortgage and 17.6% renting. The mortgage share is higher than outright ownership, while mortgage-to-income at 21.9% remains below a stress flag and rent-to-income is 21.6%. Compared with nearby Modbury, the separate-house concentration gives Modbury Heights a less apartment-oriented profile.
Mortgage / mo
$1,495
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$340
Census 2021
HH Size
2.6
Personal Income / wk
$782
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
3.8%
Unoccupied
103
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.6%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.9%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
45.7%
Couples with children
38.0%
Couples, no children
15.3%
Single parent
2,028
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads employment at 21.2% with 477 workers, followed by education at 12.4% with 279, construction at 9.7% with 219, public administration at 9.4% with 211 and manufacturing at 7.5% with 170. Occupations are led by professionals at 631, clerical and administration workers at 556, trades at 524, community and personal services at 494, and managers at 358. Participation is 64.3%, unemployment is 4.8% and full-time employment is 59.8%, creating a mixed service and trades base because healthcare and education together account for 33.6%. Personal income is $782 weekly and household income is at the 51.3 percentile, close to average. SEIFA IEO is decile 5, IER 6, IRSD 6 and IRSAD 5, with resources ranking higher than education and occupation but not at a top decile.
Unemployment
4.8%
Labour Force
3,631
Unemployed
173
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
59.8%
Part-time
34.8%
Participation
64.3%
Employed
3,458
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
30.1%
Postgraduate
7.7%
Born Overseas
28.3%
Dwellings
2,622
Transport to Work
Daily life is car-led: 77.0% travel as car drivers, compared with 8.0% using public transport and 0.9% walking or cycling; 10.0% work from home. This suits a low-rise 3.27 square kilometre suburb but makes route planning important for households without a car. The Heights School is the named government primary and secondary combined school option; families should check enrolment zones against the exact address because boundaries can cross suburb lines. Recorded crime is 151 incidents, or 21.6 per 1,000 residents, while 5.1% report needing assistance. IRSAD sits at decile 5, a middle position rather than a top-decile result, and volunteering is 13.6%, adding some local participation.
Drive
77.0%
Public Transport
8.0%
Walk / Cycle
0.9%
Work from Home
10.0%
Population Forecast
-0.03%/yr
(-5 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is subdued: the forecast annual trend is -0.03%, below zero, while population change across the wider area is 1.6% over 10 years. The primary migration driver is overseas migration, but the shift trajectory is Aging, with the senior share up 8.2% and the working share down 5.1%. Rent growth of 24.5% may lift investor interest because rental returns are responding faster than the population trend. Gentrification is scored at 0 and classified as Not gentrifying, so recent change is more consistent with an established, slowly evolving suburb than a rapid reinvention. Stable affordability, moving from 42.7 in 2011 to 41.9 in 2021, reinforces that gradual pattern.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+144
Net Internal / yr
-144
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Net internal outflow -144/yr
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
151
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
21.6
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Modbury Heights compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
What schools are in Modbury Heights?
The Heights School is the named government primary and secondary combined school. Families should check the exact enrolment zone and compare nearby options, as school access can vary across the 3.27 square kilometre suburb.
Is Modbury Heights safe?
The recorded rate is 21.6 incidents per 1,000 residents, with 151 total incidents. That provides a current benchmark, but householders should still compare street-level conditions, lighting and traffic around their intended address before deciding.
Is Modbury Heights good for property investment?
It can suit a long-term investor, with $340 weekly rent, 3.8% vacancy and 24.5% forecast rent growth. However, the 17.6% renting share is lower than the 45.5% mortgage share, so owner-occupier demand is central to the market.
How is Modbury Heights's population changing?
Population change is slow and aging in character. The annual forecast trend is -0.03%, while wider-area change is 1.6% over 10 years; the senior share has increased 8.2% and the working share has fallen 5.1%.
Is Modbury Heights experiencing much development?
There were 90 development applications in the past 12 months, including a detached dwelling, internal alterations and regulated tree removal. That points to ongoing property activity rather than 90 confirmed new homes.
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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