Nairne
Two facts define this Adelaide Hills township: a population that has grown 20.5% over the decade while the housing remains 98.5% separate houses. Few growth corridors stay this detached, because Nairne adds residents through family-sized lots rather than apartments. The median age of 36 sits 4.0 years below the national figure, and 54% of households carry a mortgage against just 21% renting, a young owner-occupier profile. Household income reaches the 62.7th percentile nationally, while the crime rate of 13.0 per 1,000 stays low. SEIFA places it mid-table at IRSAD decile 5 but higher on relative disadvantage at IRSD decile 7.
Population
5,327
Median Age
36.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,776/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
90
Nairne is built for families buying a house rather than an apartment, and the stock proves it: 98.5% of dwellings are separate houses, with apartments effectively absent and only 1.5% semi-detached. Three-bedroom homes make up 51.8% and four-plus bedroom homes another 39.5%, so two-bedroom options are scarce at 7.8%. The median house price is not recorded in this dataset, but affordability looks comfortable: monthly mortgage repayments average $1,500 and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 19.5%, well below the 30% stress threshold. That low ratio explains why 54% of households hold a mortgage versus 25% who own outright, a market driven by younger buyers servicing debt rather than established debt-free owners.
For Buyers
Nairne is built for families buying a house rather than an apartment, and the stock proves it: 98.5% of dwellings are separate houses, with apartments effectively absent and only 1.5% semi-detached. Three-bedroom homes make up 51.8% and four-plus bedroom homes another 39.5%, so two-bedroom options are scarce at 7.8%. The median house price is not recorded in this dataset, but affordability looks comfortable: monthly mortgage repayments average $1,500 and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 19.5%, well below the 30% stress threshold. That low ratio explains why 54% of households hold a mortgage versus 25% who own outright, a market driven by younger buyers servicing debt rather than established debt-free owners.
For Investors
The renter pool is shallow at 21%, below most metro markets, because Nairne is dominated by owner-occupier families. Weekly rent averages $350 and the vacancy rate is 5.3%, looser than a tight rental market would show, which points to limited tenant competition. Demand support is modest and balanced: net internal migration adds 37 residents a year and overseas migration another 15, so growth is organic rather than investor-led. Development activity is healthy at 83 applications in 12 months, but the samples are carports, verandahs and single detached dwellings rather than multi-unit supply. With rent-to-income at 19.7% and rent growth of 29.6% over the period, the case rests on steady family demand and a 20.5% decade population rise more than high yield or rapid turnover.
Development Activity
Total DAs
493
Last 12 Months
90
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-7.2%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Nairne iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Nairne School - Preschool and Primary
R-6 · 399 students
Demographics
The median age of 36 runs 4.0 years below the national figure, a younger profile than most established suburbs, yet the trajectory is aging: the senior share rose 5.4 points while the working-age share fell 1.5 points and the young share dropped 2.5 points over the decade. Only 13.0% of residents were born overseas, which is 8.6 points below national, making this an Anglo-leaning community led by English (2,444), German (581), Scottish (504) and Irish (480) ancestry. The German heritage is visible in the dominant non-English language spoken at home (13 residents). University qualifications sit at 29.5%, just 0.6 points below national, and average household size is 2.6, marginally above national, consistent with the family-oriented couples-with-children base of 2,021 families.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
98.5%
Houses
1.5%
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure tilts firmly toward mortgaged owners: 54% carry a mortgage, 25% own outright and 21% rent. Mortgage holders outnumbering outright owners by more than two to one signals a younger market of recent buyers rather than long-held wealth. The stock is almost entirely detached at 98.5% separate houses, with 1.5% semi-detached and apartments absent, which keeps the suburb firmly in family-house territory. Three-bedroom dwellings account for 51.8% and four-plus bedroom homes 39.5%, leaving smaller dwellings rare. The median house price is not captured here, but the mortgage-to-income ratio of 19.5% and rent-to-income of 19.7% both sit well below the 30% stress line, a comfortable affordability position relative to Adelaide metro and far below capital-city medians.
Mortgage / mo
$1,500
Rent / wk
$350
HH Size
2.6
Personal Income / wk
$859
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.3%
Unoccupied
108
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.7%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.5%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
24.3%
Couples, no children
4,428
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce leans into public-facing service sectors: Healthcare leads at 18.6% (357 workers), Education follows at 13.3% (256) and Public Admin at 9.4% (181), with Construction at 9.2% and Retail at 7.0%. By occupation, Professionals (557) top the list ahead of Community/Personal workers (379), Clerical/Admin (359) and Managers (345), a white-collar tilt that aligns with the IEO score at decile 6. Unemployment is low at 4.0% and the full-time employment rate reaches 59.6%, with participation at 66.1%. SEIFA reads mid-band overall: IRSAD decile 5 and IEO decile 6, but the IER economic-resources score lifts to decile 7 and IRSD relative disadvantage to decile 7, because the high owner-occupier rate and low rental share raise aggregate household resources.
Unemployment
3.7%
Labour Force
3,495
Unemployed
131
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
59.6%
Part-time
36.4%
Participation
66.1%
Employed
2,641
Occupations
Top Industries
University
29.5%
Postgraduate
5.4%
Born Overseas
13.0%
Dwellings
1,935
Transport to Work
Nairne is car-dependent, as expected for an Adelaide Hills township: 90.5% drive to work while only 2.9% use public transport and 1.6% walk or cycle, above the rural norm but well below metro Adelaide. Safety is a genuine strength, with 69 recorded offences and a crime rate of 13.0 per 1,000 residents, low compared with metropolitan suburbs. The SEIFA IRSD score of decile 7 confirms relatively little disadvantage, and only 4.5% of residents (227 people) need daily assistance despite the aging trajectory. Volunteering is strong at 22.6%, above many metro suburbs and a marker of community engagement. No schools are recorded inside the 24.86 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring Hills towns.
Drive
90.5%
Public Transport
2.9%
Walk / Cycle
1.6%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+1.61%/yr
(+93 people/yr)
EstablishedNairne is a steady growth township, not a boom suburb: annual population growth runs 1.61% (about 93 residents a year) and the population has climbed 20.5% over the decade, from a recent 5,787 toward a medium forecast of 6,363 by 2031. Growth is balanced between net internal migration of 37 a year and overseas migration of 15, so it relies on Adelaide Hills relocations rather than a single driver. The gentrification reading is early-stage at most: the headline gentrification stage is not gentrifying (score 9), while the broader shift index sits at 26 with early signs. Affordability has held stable, easing from 42.3% in 2011 to 40.7% in 2021, and real incomes grew 9.3% over the period, a slow but positive trend.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+15
Net Internal / yr
+37
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Population +28% since 2011
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
69
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
13.0
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Nairne compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nairne a good suburb to live in?
Nairne suits owner-occupier families: 98.5% of homes are separate houses and the crime rate is low at 13.0 per 1,000. Household income sits in the 62.7th percentile nationally and SEIFA reads IRSD decile 7. The trade-off is car dependence, with 90.5% driving to work and only 2.9% using public transport.
What is the median house price in Nairne?
A median house price is not recorded for Nairne in this dataset. As affordability proxies, monthly mortgage repayments average $1,500 and weekly rent is $350, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 19.5% and rent-to-income of 19.7%, both well below the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Nairne?
No schools are recorded inside the 24.86 km2 Nairne boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring Adelaide Hills towns. The local population is reasonably educated, with university qualifications at 29.5%, just 0.6 points below the national figure.
Is Nairne safe?
Nairne records 69 offences and a crime rate of 13.0 per 1,000 residents, low compared with metropolitan suburbs. The SEIFA IRSD index of relative disadvantage reads decile 7, and only 4.5% of the 5,327 residents need daily assistance, both consistent with a low-disadvantage, low-crime area.
Is Nairne good for property investment?
The renter share is shallow at 21% and the vacancy rate is 5.3%, looser than a tight rental market. Weekly rent averages $350, with rent growth of 29.6% over the period. Demand is balanced via net internal migration of 37 a year, so returns rest on a 20.5% decade population rise more than high yield.
How is Nairne's population changing?
Population growth runs 1.61% annually, about 93 residents a year, and is up 20.5% over the decade to a recent 5,787. The medium forecast reaches 6,363 by 2031. The profile is aging, with the senior share up 5.4 points and the young share down 2.5 points over the decade.
How much development is happening in Nairne?
There were 83 development applications lodged in the past 12 months. Most are carports, verandahs and single detached dwellings rather than multi-unit supply, which fits a township that is 98.5% separate houses and growing 1.61% a year through family-sized lots.
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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