Normanville
A median age of 61 sets Normanville apart immediately, sitting 21 years above the national figure and making it one of South Australia's most distinctly older coastal communities. The 1,965 residents are spread across 17.36 square kilometres at a density of 113 people per km2, far below metropolitan norms. Household income lands in just the 12.8th percentile nationally, yet 55.7% of residents own their homes outright, because the population consists largely of retirees and semi-retirees who paid off debt decades ago. The 36.6% vacancy rate signals a substantial holiday and seasonal dwelling stock, which shapes both the local economy and property market in ways that differ markedly from a typical residential suburb.
Population
1,965
Median Age
61.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$998/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
58
No median house price is recorded in this dataset for Normanville, but the housing cost indicators point to a modestly priced market: monthly mortgage repayments average $1,218 and weekly rent is $300, both below typical South Australian metropolitan levels. Separate houses dominate at 91.3% of dwellings, with semi-detached at 6.3%. Bedroom distribution skews toward 3-bedroom homes at 54.2%, with 4-plus bedrooms at 29.8% and 2-bedroom at 12.1%. The mortgage-to-income ratio of 28.2% is just below the 30% stress threshold, which is manageable compared to most coastal markets. For buyers seeking a low-density, freestanding home in a quiet coastal setting, Normanville offers a stock profile that is more detached-house dominant than the state average.
For Buyers
No median house price is recorded in this dataset for Normanville, but the housing cost indicators point to a modestly priced market: monthly mortgage repayments average $1,218 and weekly rent is $300, both below typical South Australian metropolitan levels. Separate houses dominate at 91.3% of dwellings, with semi-detached at 6.3%. Bedroom distribution skews toward 3-bedroom homes at 54.2%, with 4-plus bedrooms at 29.8% and 2-bedroom at 12.1%. The mortgage-to-income ratio of 28.2% is just below the 30% stress threshold, which is manageable compared to most coastal markets. For buyers seeking a low-density, freestanding home in a quiet coastal setting, Normanville offers a stock profile that is more detached-house dominant than the state average.
For Investors
A 36.6% vacancy rate is the most important figure for investors to understand. This does not indicate distress but instead reflects a high proportion of holiday homes and weekender properties that sit vacant between short stays, which is common in coastal SA towns. The renter share is 16.5%, below the national average, and weekly rent is $300. Development activity is moderate at 55 applications in the past 12 months, including tourist accommodation and new dwellings. The local workforce participation rate of 38.0% is low because of the retiree-heavy population, so rental demand leans on permanent residents rather than employment-driven migration. Long-term capital growth signals are mixed, with income at the 12.8th percentile nationally limiting local buyer depth.
Development Activity
Total DAs
370
Last 12 Months
58
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+3.6%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
The median age of 61 is 21 years above the national figure, defining Normanville as a retirement and sea-change destination. Couples with no children represent 55.5% of families, consistent with an empty-nester and retiree household profile, and average household size is 2.1, which is 0.4 below national. Overseas-born residents at 20.2% are 1.4 percentage points below the national average, and ancestry is strongly Anglo-Celtic: English (1,014), Scottish (228), Irish (205) and German (162) are the leading groups. University qualifications at 22.0% are 8.1 percentage points below national, partly because the older cohort completed education before university attendance rates rose. Volunteering reaches 27.1% of residents, reflecting high civic engagement typical of settled, older coastal communities.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
91.3%
Houses
6.3%
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
Normanville is overwhelmingly a detached-house suburb, with 91.3% of dwellings separate houses and only 6.3% semi-detached. Outright ownership at 55.7% is high relative to the national norm, while mortgage holders at 27.8% and renters at 16.5% make up the rest. The high ownership rate is consistent with a retired population that has had decades to pay down debt. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,218 and rent is $300 per week, placing housing costs well below the state capital. The 36.6% vacancy rate reflects seasonal and holiday use rather than market failure, a pattern common in SA coastal towns. Three-bedroom homes are the modal category at 54.2%, with 4-plus bedroom properties at 29.8%, indicating that families and holiday visitors often need meaningful space.
Mortgage / mo
$1,218
Rent / wk
$300
HH Size
2.1
Personal Income / wk
$546
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
36.6%
Unoccupied
492
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
30.1% stressed
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
28.2%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
55.5%
Couples, no children
1,460
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads local employment at 19.6% of workers, followed by Education at 11.5%, Construction at 9.0%, Hospitality at 8.6% and Retail at 7.6%. The hospitality share reflects the coastal tourism economy, while healthcare is elevated because of the older resident base requiring more care services than in younger suburbs nationally. Managers (103), Labourers (94), Professionals (93) and Community/Personal service workers (92) are the top occupational groups. The unemployment rate is 5.6% and the participation rate is just 38.0%, well below the national average, because the majority of residents aged 61 and over are outside the labour force. Household income in the 12.8th percentile nationally reflects this retirement-age profile rather than working-age disadvantage.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
49.8%
Part-time
44.6%
Participation
38.0%
Employed
622
Occupations
Top Industries
University
22.0%
Postgraduate
4.8%
Born Overseas
20.2%
Dwellings
846
Transport to Work
Car dependence is high, with 88.0% of residents driving to work, above the state average for regional towns, which reflects the limited public transport typical of small SA coastal communities. Walking or cycling accounts for 6.3% of commutes, meaningful for a low-density town. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary in this dataset, so families with school-age children rely on nearby towns. Crime sits at 26.5 incidents per 1,000 residents, which is a low rate compared to urban SA benchmarks, consistent with the low-crime-rate identity signal. Rent stress is present for tenants, with rent-to-income at 30.1%, just above the 30% threshold, but mortgage holders are below stress at 28.2%. Volunteering at 27.1% is above the national average, suggesting strong social cohesion in the resident community.
Drive
88.0%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
6.3%
Work from Home
N/A
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
52
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
26.5
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Normanville compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Normanville a good suburb to live in?
Normanville suits retirees and sea-change seekers well. The median age is 61, the crime rate is 26.5 per 1,000 residents (a low figure), and 55.7% of residents own their homes outright. The 36.6% vacancy rate reflects holiday homes, so the permanent community is quieter and more stable than raw numbers suggest.
What is the median house price in Normanville?
No median house price data is recorded for Normanville in this dataset. Available indicators show monthly mortgage repayments average $1,218 and weekly rent is $300, placing housing costs below the Adelaide metropolitan average and suggesting a modestly priced coastal market.
What schools are in Normanville?
No schools are recorded within the Normanville suburb boundary in this dataset. With a population of 1,965 and a median age of 61, the suburb has a small school-age cohort, and families typically travel to nearby larger towns for schooling.
Is Normanville safe?
Normanville records 52 total crimes, a rate of 26.5 per 1,000 residents, which is low by South Australian standards. The suburb is tagged as low-crime in its identity profile, consistent with its small, stable residential population where 75.0% of residents stayed in the same address over the prior year.
Is Normanville good for property investment?
The 36.6% vacancy rate reflects holiday letting patterns rather than oversupply, which can support short-stay rental income. The renter share is 16.5% and weekly rent is $300. With household income in the 12.8th percentile nationally, local buyer depth is limited, so capital growth depends more on sea-change demand than local economic drivers.
How is Normanville's population changing?
Population trend data is not available in this dataset for Normanville. Resident stability is high, with 75.0% of people staying in the same address year on year. The median age of 61, which is 21 years above the national figure, means the population is aging in place, and future growth would require younger in-movers to offset natural decrease.
How much development is happening in Normanville?
There were 55 development applications lodged in the past 12 months. Recent examples include tourist accommodation buildings and a two-storey detached dwelling, indicating a mix of holiday and permanent residential construction activity consistent with a small coastal town in moderate growth.
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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