New Town
With a 10.2% vacancy rate and 97.5% of dwellings being separate houses, New Town SA (postcode 5554) presents an unusually low-density, high-vacancy profile for a suburb of 1,291 residents. Household income sits at the 26.5th percentile nationally, yet housing stress is absent: rent-to-income runs at 19.8% and mortgage-to-income at 22.5%, both well below the 30% stress threshold. The median age of 42 is 2 years above national average, and only 5.3% of residents were born overseas, which is 16.3 percentage points below the national figure. The IEO decile of 8 signals above-average educational and occupational advantage, an anomaly given the below-average income percentile.
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
17
No sale price data is available for New Town SA, limiting direct market benchmarking. Ownership rates are high: 40.2% of households own outright and 35.9% carry a mortgage, with only 23.9% renting. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,192, and with mortgage-to-income at 22.5%, buyers face less pressure than the national 30% stress threshold. The stock is almost entirely separate houses at 97.5%, with 51% being 3-bedroom and 38.5% having 4 or more bedrooms. Buyers seeking detached family homes face minimal apartment competition here.
For Buyers
No sale price data is available for New Town SA, limiting direct market benchmarking. Ownership rates are high: 40.2% of households own outright and 35.9% carry a mortgage, with only 23.9% renting. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,192, and with mortgage-to-income at 22.5%, buyers face less pressure than the national 30% stress threshold. The stock is almost entirely separate houses at 97.5%, with 51% being 3-bedroom and 38.5% having 4 or more bedrooms. Buyers seeking detached family homes face minimal apartment competition here.
For Investors
New Town SA's 10.2% vacancy rate is a material risk signal for investors. Weekly rent of $242 is modest, reflecting the suburb's 26.5th percentile household income nationally. Net internal migration runs at minus 119 residents per year, offset partly by overseas arrivals of 106 per year, leaving thin net population growth. On a positive note, rent grew 54.5% over the decade, significantly outpacing income growth of 13.9% in real terms. Development activity is low at 17 applications in the past 12 months, suggesting limited new supply pressure. The 23.9% renter share is below national norms, so demand for rentals is structurally narrower than in higher-density markets.
Development Activity
Total DAs
114
Last 12 Months
17
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+30.8%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
The top ancestries are English (564 residents), German (112), Scottish (105) and Irish (75), and the overseas-born share of 5.3% is 16.3 percentage points below the national figure. The median age of 42 sits 2 years above the national median, consistent with a declining young trajectory: the youth share fell 2.7 points over the decade. University qualifications reach 13.2%, which is 16.9 points below national, though the IEO decile 8 indicates above-average occupational status. The volunteering rate of 24.4% is notably strong for a community of 1,291 people.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
97.5%
Houses
2.5%
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
Separate houses make up 97.5% of dwellings, with 51% having 3 bedrooms and 38.5% having 4 or more, a larger-bedroom skew than the national median. Tenure splits into 40.2% owned outright, 35.9% mortgaged and 23.9% renting. The 40.2% outright ownership is above the national average, pointing to a long-established owner base. Median house sale prices are not available. Weekly rent of $242 is low relative to capital city averages, and with rent-to-income at 19.8%, renters sit comfortably below the 30% stress threshold.
Mortgage / mo
$1,192
Rent / wk
$242
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
31.6%
Couples, no children
1,047
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare dominates at 23.2% of employed residents (71 workers), followed by Education at 13.1% and Retail at 9.2%. Community and Personal Services leads by occupation at 93 workers, ahead of Professionals (78) and Labourers (76). The unemployment rate of 4.1% is above the national low, and the participation rate of 53.4% is below average because 392 residents are outside the labour force. The SEIFA IEO decile of 8 indicates above-average educational and occupational status nationally, while the IER decile of 2 signals below-average economic resources, a gap explained by the service-sector wage base relative to professional city employment.
Unemployment
3.6%
Labour Force
3,685
Unemployed
132
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
55.3%
Part-time
40.6%
Participation
53.4%
Employed
535
Occupations
Top Industries
University
13.2%
Postgraduate
1.2%
Born Overseas
5.3%
Dwellings
480
Transport to Work
Car dependence is high: 88.9% of residents drive to work and only 0.7% use public transport, well below national averages because the suburb lacks a metropolitan transit network. The IRSAD decile 6 places New Town in the upper-middle tier nationally for advantage. Crime sits at 23.2 incidents per 1,000 residents (30 total), a low rate compared to urban centres. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary, so families depend on nearby towns. Housing stress is low, with rent-to-income at 19.8% and mortgage-to-income at 22.5%, both comfortably below the 30% benchmark.
Drive
88.9%
Public Transport
0.7%
Walk / Cycle
2.7%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.59%/yr
(+38 people/yr)
EstablishedNew Town SA grew 11.9% over the past decade, outpacing many comparable regional SA suburbs, and is forecast at 0.59% annual growth, adding roughly 38 residents per year. Net internal migration runs at minus 119 per year, so the suburb depends on overseas arrivals of approximately 106 per year to stay positive. The under-35 share fell 2.7 percentage points, indicating an aging shift. Affordability worsened from 38.5% in 2011 to 42.5% in 2021, though it remains lower than capital city averages. The stability rate of 84.3% shows most residents stay long-term, limiting turnover but signalling attachment to the area.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+106
Net Internal / yr
-119
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Net internal outflow -119/yr
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 SA scores IRSAD decile 6, placing it above the national median for advantage. Housing costs are manageable, with rent-to-income at 19.8% and mortgage-to-income at 22.5%, both well below the 30% stress threshold. The trade-offs are limited public transport at 0.7% of commuters and a 10.2% vacancy rate that reflects a quiet, low-density setting with 1,291 residents.
What is the median house price in New Town?
No sale price data is available for New Town SA in the current dataset. As an affordability proxy, monthly mortgage repayments average $1,192 and weekly rent averages $242. The mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 22.5%, below the 30% stress benchmark, suggesting purchase costs are manageable relative to local incomes.
What schools are in New Town?
No schools are recorded inside the New Town SA boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in neighbouring towns. The suburb has a university qualification rate of 13.2%, which is 16.9 percentage points below the national figure, though the IEO decile of 8 indicates above-average educational and occupational status.
Is New Town safe?
New Town SA recorded 30 reported crimes, giving a rate of 23.2 incidents per 1,000 residents. That is a low rate compared to metropolitan suburbs and major urban centres. The IRSD decile of 5 places the suburb near the national median for relative disadvantage, and only 7.3% of residents (90 people) need daily assistance.
Is New Town good for property investment?
The 10.2% vacancy rate is a notable concern for investors, indicating thin rental demand in a small market of 1,291 residents. Weekly rent of $242 is modest, but rent grew 54.5% over the decade, outpacing real income growth of 13.9%. Net internal migration of minus 119 per year means the suburb depends on overseas arrivals to maintain population, adding supply risk for rental properties.
How is New Town's population changing?
New Town grew 11.9% over the past decade and is forecast to add roughly 38 residents per year at 0.59% annual growth. Net internal migration is minus 119 per year, offset by overseas arrivals of about 106. The youth share fell 2.7 percentage points, indicating an aging trajectory, while the resident stability rate of 84.3% shows most long-term residents choose to stay.
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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