Mount Compass
Every dwelling in Mount Compass is a separate house, an ownership structure found in fewer than a quarter of Australian suburbs, and 92.5% of residents drive to work because public transport is virtually absent. The 1,580-person community sits across 42.79 square kilometres in the Adelaide Hills fringe, producing one of the lowest densities you will find in settled SA at 36.9 residents per km2. Household incomes land at the 57.3rd percentile nationally, middle-range rather than affluent, yet mortgage stress is absent at 21.2% of income compared to the 30% threshold. The economy skews toward Healthcare (21.3%), Construction (11.2%) and Education (10.3%), with Agriculture at 8.4% reflecting the rural setting.
Population
1,580
Median Age
40.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,655/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
24
No median house price is recorded for Mount Compass due to limited sales volume, a common feature of small rural suburbs with fewer than 2,000 residents. What the data does show is that mortgage repayments average $1,517 per month, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 21.2%, well below the national stress threshold of 30%. The stock is entirely separate houses, meaning buyers face no apartment or semi-detached competition. Four-bedroom-plus homes make up 49.5% of dwellings and three-bedroom homes another 43.4%, so the typical purchase is a substantial family home. Outright owners account for 29.4% while 59% carry a mortgage, higher than the national mortgage-belt average, which points to a community of relatively recent owner-occupiers still building equity.
For Buyers
No median house price is recorded for Mount Compass due to limited sales volume, a common feature of small rural suburbs with fewer than 2,000 residents. What the data does show is that mortgage repayments average $1,517 per month, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 21.2%, well below the national stress threshold of 30%. The stock is entirely separate houses, meaning buyers face no apartment or semi-detached competition. Four-bedroom-plus homes make up 49.5% of dwellings and three-bedroom homes another 43.4%, so the typical purchase is a substantial family home. Outright owners account for 29.4% while 59% carry a mortgage, higher than the national mortgage-belt average, which points to a community of relatively recent owner-occupiers still building equity.
For Investors
Renting accounts for only 11.5% of households in Mount Compass, well below the national average, which limits the tenant pool for investors. Weekly rent sits at $340, and with a vacancy rate of 6.1%, demand for rentals is soft compared to metropolitan benchmarks. The rent-to-income ratio of 20.5% suggests tenants are not under pressure, which reduces turnover risk. On the supply side, 24 development applications were lodged in the past 12 months, a meaningful figure for a suburb of 1,580 people, indicating ongoing construction interest. The community has an 81.2% stability rate with only 18.8% of residents having moved in the prior year, lower than higher-turnover urban markets. Investors should weigh the low yield potential against the detached-dominant, family-oriented character.
Development Activity
Total DAs
172
Last 12 Months
24
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-38.5%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Mount Compass iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Mount Compass Area School
R-12 · 469 students
Demographics
The median age of 40 matches the national figure exactly, unusual for a rural suburb. Overseas-born residents account for 17.4% of the population, which is 4.2 percentage points below the national average, consistent with the Anglo-Celtic ancestry profile: English (751), Scottish (146), German (119) and Irish (110) are the four largest ancestry groups. University qualifications reach 17.9%, which is 12.2 percentage points below the national rate, reflecting an occupational base in trades, healthcare and agriculture rather than professional services. Average household size of 2.8 runs 0.3 above national, driven by the high share of couples with children, who represent the largest household type. The volunteering rate of 19% is notable for a community this size.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
100.0%
Houses
N/A
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
The entire housing stock in Mount Compass is separate houses, a rarity that reflects its rural semi-acreage character rather than suburban infill. Four-bedroom-plus homes dominate at 49.5%, followed by three-bedroom at 43.4%, so smaller dwellings are uncommon. Tenure splits as 59% mortgaged, 29.4% owned outright and 11.5% renting, which is a lower renter share than most Australian suburbs. Mortgage-to-income at 21.2% and rent-to-income at 20.5% are both comfortably below stress thresholds, meaning housing costs are proportionate to local incomes. No median house price is available in this dataset due to low transaction volumes, which is common in suburbs with under 2,000 residents. Monthly mortgage repayments of $1,517 indicate prices are modest compared to metropolitan SA.
Mortgage / mo
$1,517
Rent / wk
$340
HH Size
2.8
Personal Income / wk
$725
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.1%
Unoccupied
35
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.5%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.2%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
28.8%
Couples, no children
1,327
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare employs the largest share at 21.3% (99 workers), followed by Construction at 11.2%, Education at 10.3%, and Agriculture at 8.4%, a mix that reflects both the rural land use and the commuter-draw of regional health facilities. By occupation, Managers lead at 112 workers, followed closely by Community/Personal service workers (103), Professionals (99) and Clerical/Admin (95). The unemployment rate of 4.2% sits near national norms, while full-time employment accounts for 60% of those employed. Participation at 59.8% reflects a significant portion not in the labour force, consistent with the household structure of families with children and the older end of the working-age curve. Weekly household income of $1,655 places the suburb at the 57.3rd income percentile nationally.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
60.0%
Part-time
35.8%
Participation
59.8%
Employed
715
Occupations
Top Industries
University
17.9%
Postgraduate
2.5%
Born Overseas
17.4%
Dwellings
521
Transport to Work
Car dependency is near total at 92.5% of residents driving to work, with public transport used by just 0.5%, reflecting the lack of rail or regular bus services across the 42.79 square kilometre area. The crime rate of 17.1 offences per 1,000 residents (27 total recorded incidents) is low in absolute terms, consistent with the low-crime-rate identity signal in the data. No schools are recorded inside the suburb boundary, so families depend on neighbouring townships for education. Rent-to-income at 20.5% places renters well below financial stress levels. The need-for-assistance rate of 5.5% (82 residents) is within normal range nationally. Volunteering at 19% signals active community participation despite the dispersed, semi-rural settlement pattern.
Drive
92.5%
Public Transport
0.5%
Walk / Cycle
2.3%
Work from Home
N/A
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
27
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
17.1
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Mount Compass compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mount Compass a good suburb to live in?
Mount Compass suits families and owner-occupiers who want a rural lifestyle with low housing cost pressure. Mortgage repayments average $1,517 per month at 21.2% of income, well below stress thresholds. The entire housing stock is separate houses and the crime rate is just 17.1 per 1,000 residents. The main trade-offs are no public transport and no schools recorded inside the suburb boundary.
What is the median house price in Mount Compass?
No median house price is recorded for Mount Compass due to low transaction volumes typical of suburbs under 2,000 residents. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,517, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 21.2% suggests prices are moderate relative to local incomes. Weekly rent is $340.
What schools are in Mount Compass?
No schools are recorded inside the Mount Compass suburb boundary in this dataset. With a population of 1,580 across 42.79 square kilometres, families rely on schools in nearby townships. Despite this, university qualifications are held by 17.9% of residents, though this is 12.2 percentage points below the national average.
Is Mount Compass safe?
Mount Compass recorded 27 total crimes, giving a rate of 17.1 offences per 1,000 residents, which is low compared to higher-density urban areas. The community is classified as low-crime-rate in the data signals. Only 5.5% of residents (82 people) need daily assistance, within normal national range.
Is Mount Compass good for property investment?
The investment case is limited by a low renter share of 11.5%, well below the national average, and a vacancy rate of 6.1% that indicates soft rental demand. Weekly rent of $340 is modest. The upside is low housing cost pressure at 21.2% mortgage-to-income and 24 development applications in 12 months showing continued construction activity.
How is Mount Compass's population changing?
No official population forecast is available for Mount Compass. The current population is 1,580 across 42.79 square kilometres. The community stability rate is high at 81.2% of residents staying year-on-year, with only 18.8% turnover, lower than many comparable SA rural suburbs.
How much development is happening in Mount Compass?
There were 24 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, a high figure relative to the 1,580 resident population. Recent applications include two-storey detached dwellings and earthworks projects, assessed under Performance Assessed pathways. This suggests sustained demand for new housing in the area despite its rural character.
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), state Valuer-General (house prices), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), ACARA (school ICSEA), 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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