New Town
At 1,291 residents, New Town combines a median age of 42, 97.5% separate houses and a 10.2% vacancy rate within 2.01 square kilometres. Its median age is 2.0 years above the national comparison, while overseas-born residents account for 5.3%, or 16.3 percentage points below the national figure. Compared with nearby Port Wakefield, the compact footprint and density of 643.1 people per square kilometre point to a small, settled market where detached homes dominate. Outright ownership is 40.2%, and 84.3% of residents stayed at the same address, suggesting established households, while the elevated vacancy rate may reflect intermittent occupancy or slower demand.
Local council: Copper Coast
Population
1,291
Median Age
42.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,221/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
18
New Town suits buyers seeking conventional detached housing and moderate reported repayment pressure rather than apartment living. Separate houses account for 97.5% of dwellings, with 51.0% containing three bedrooms and 38.5% containing four or more, so families and buyers needing workspace have more choice than those seeking compact units. The reported monthly mortgage figure is $1,192, while weekly rent is $242. Mortgage-to-income is 22.5%, compared with rent-to-income of 19.8%, and neither measure is flagged as stressed. Outright ownership at 40.2% is higher than renting at 23.9%, pointing to a relatively settled ownership base. Buyers should compare recent settled sales by bedroom count because a single suburb-wide median can be less useful in a predominantly detached market.
For Buyers
New Town suits buyers seeking conventional detached housing and moderate reported repayment pressure rather than apartment living. Separate houses account for 97.5% of dwellings, with 51.0% containing three bedrooms and 38.5% containing four or more, so families and buyers needing workspace have more choice than those seeking compact units. The reported monthly mortgage figure is $1,192, while weekly rent is $242. Mortgage-to-income is 22.5%, compared with rent-to-income of 19.8%, and neither measure is flagged as stressed. Outright ownership at 40.2% is higher than renting at 23.9%, pointing to a relatively settled ownership base. Buyers should compare recent settled sales by bedroom count because a single suburb-wide median can be less useful in a predominantly detached market.
For Investors
The rental case is mixed. New Town has 23.9% renting, weekly rent of $242 and a 10.2% vacancy rate. Compared with the renter share, that vacancy level is notable and may lengthen leasing periods or limit rent growth unless demand strengthens. Development activity reached 17 applications over 12 months, indicating ongoing property improvements but not a large wave of new dwellings. Growth runs at 0.59% annually and is primarily driven by overseas migration, which may support tenant demand over time. However, rent growth of 54.5% has been higher than real income growth of 13.9%, with affordability worsening from 38.5% in 2011 to 42.5% in 2021. The dedicated gentrification measure is 0 and classed as Not gentrifying, so investors should prioritise yield, condition and vacancy risk over a gentrification thesis.
Development Activity
Total DAs
118
Last 12 Months
18
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+63.6%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
New Town has an older age profile than the national comparison, with a median age of 42, or 2.0 years above the national figure. University attainment is 13.2%, which is 16.9 percentage points below the national comparison, and the overseas-born share is 5.3%, or 16.3 points lower. English ancestry is the largest recorded group at 564 people, followed by German at 112, Scottish at 105 and Irish at 75. No religion is recorded for 725 residents, compared with 474 identifying with Christianity. Household size is 2.5, equal to the national comparison, while 84.3% stayed at the same address and turnover was 15.7%. Compared with more migrant-oriented regional centres, this points to a more settled, Anglo-leaning population with relatively limited recent mobility.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
97.5%
Houses
2.5%
Townhouse
0.0%
Apartment
Tenure
New Town's housing stock is overwhelmingly detached, with 97.5% separate houses and 2.5% semi-detached dwellings. Three-bedroom homes make up 51.0% of occupied stock, while four-bedroom-plus homes account for 38.5%, creating a family-oriented pattern compared with apartment-heavy markets. Tenure is also relatively settled: 40.2% own outright, 35.9% have a mortgage and 23.9% rent. Outright ownership is higher than renting, which can reduce dependence on short-term rental demand but also limit available investment stock. The reported mortgage-to-income measure is 22.5%, below the rent-to-income measure of 19.8% only in absolute burden comparison? Rent remains lower in the supplied measures, and neither is marked as stressed. With a density of 643.1 people per square kilometre, the compact area supports a low-rise, detached character rather than a high-density form.
Mortgage / mo
$1,192
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$242
Census 2021
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$604
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
10.2%
Unoccupied
54
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.5%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
35.5%
Couples with children
46.0%
Couples, no children
18.7%
Single parent
363
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is New Town's largest industry at 23.2%, representing 71 workers, followed by education at 13.1% and 40 workers, retail at 9.2% and 28, public administration at 7.5% and 23, and other services at 7.5% and 23. The occupation mix is led by trades with 100 people, community and personal services with 93, professionals with 78, labourers with 76 and sales with 65. Unemployment is 3.8%, participation is 57.6% and full-time employment is 51.2%, indicating a mixed labour market rather than a professional-only base. The household income percentile is 26.5, below the broader middle of the income distribution. SEIFA results are uneven: education and occupation is in decile 8, above income and employment in decile 2, while disadvantage is mid-range at IRSD decile 5 and advantage is decile 6. That gap matters because educational capacity does not translate evenly into household economic resources.
Unemployment
3.8%
Labour Force
601
Unemployed
23
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
51.2%
Part-time
41.3%
Participation
57.6%
Employed
578
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
13.2%
Postgraduate
1.2%
Born Overseas
5.3%
Dwellings
480
Transport to Work
Daily life is strongly car-oriented. A total of 83.9% of commuters drive, compared with 0.6% using public transport and 2.6% walking or cycling; working from home accounts for 5.6%. The compact 2.01 square kilometre footprint may keep local trips manageable, but limited public transport means households should plan around private vehicle access. New Town recorded 30 crimes, equivalent to 23.2 incidents per 1,000 residents, supporting a lower-crime profile. Enrolment zones and current school options should be checked against the exact address, since boundaries can cross suburb lines. Community participation is supported by a volunteering rate of 24.4%, while 7.3% of residents need assistance. SEIFA advantage is decile 6 and disadvantage is decile 5, pointing to broadly middle-range social conditions compared with higher-decile areas.
Drive
83.9%
Public Transport
0.6%
Walk / Cycle
2.6%
Work from Home
5.6%
Growth Outlook
New Town is forecast to grow at 0.59% annually, with overseas migration identified as the primary driver. Population change across the wider area runs at 11.9% over ten years, but the demographic trajectory is labelled Declining young, with the young share down 2.7 percentage points and the senior share up 0.7 points. Rental conditions are a pressure point because rent growth of 54.5% has been higher than real income growth of 13.9%, pushing affordability from 38.5% in 2011 to 42.5% in 2021 and marking the trend as Worsening. The dedicated gentrification field gives a score of 0 and stage Not gentrifying, although the shift indicators separately record a score of 69 and stage Active. Compared with a rapidly expanding growth corridor, this suggests steady established-area change, shaped more by migration and ageing than by major redevelopment.
Population trend: Copper Coast council area
New Town sits in the Copper Coast council area. These are the council area's residents, not New Town's.
Residents 2025
16,601
Growth, 5 yr average
+1.9%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+1.6%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
30
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
23.2
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How New Town compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is New Town a good suburb to live in?
New Town may suit households wanting detached homes, a settled population and lower reported crime. The median age is 42, 97.5% of dwellings are separate houses and the crime rate is 23.2 per 1,000 residents. Car dependence is higher than public transport use, with 83.9% driving compared with 0.6% using public transport.
What is the median house price in New Town?
Use recent settled sales for the most reliable current price comparison. New Town is 97.5% separate houses, with 51.0% three-bedroom and 38.5% four-bedroom-plus homes, so the dwelling mix can shift a suburb-wide median. Comparing at least 2 or 3 similar sales will give a clearer guide for a specific property.
What schools are in New Town?
Families should confirm current government and non-government school options for the exact address, because enrolment zones can cross suburb boundaries. With 83.9% of residents driving and only 0.6% using public transport, school travel is likely to be planned around road access rather than regular public transport.
Is New Town safe?
New Town recorded 30 crimes, equal to 23.2 incidents per 1,000 residents. That supports a lower-crime reading, although buyers and renters should still inspect the immediate street, lighting and access conditions. The compact area covers 2.01 square kilometres, so local conditions can vary noticeably between streets.
Is New Town good for property investment?
Investment prospects are mixed. Renting accounts for 23.9% of households and weekly rent is $242, but vacancy is 10.2%, which is higher than investors generally prefer. Growth is forecast at 0.59% annually, with overseas migration the primary driver, while 17 development applications were recorded over 12 months.
How is New Town's population changing?
New Town has 1,291 residents today. Growth runs at 0.59% annually and is driven primarily by overseas migration, while population change across the wider area is 11.9% over ten years. The trajectory is Declining young, with the young share down 2.7 percentage points and the senior share up 0.7 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), state education open registers (school locations), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications).
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