SA 5018 Census 2021 + Live DA Data

North Haven

A median age of 51 sits 11.0 years above the national figure, and that single number explains much of how this Adelaide marina suburb behaves. Despite the older profile, the median house price reached $997,500 in early 2026, up 8.4% from $920,000 a year earlier, because detached homes make up 73.4% of the stock on just 3.13 square kilometres of waterfront land. Household income lands in the 51.1st percentile, almost exactly the national midpoint, yet all four SEIFA indexes score decile 3, a below-average advantage tier driven by the large retired cohort with 1,900 residents not in the labour force. The result is an established, slow-growth pocket where 45.6% of owners hold their homes outright.

North Haven urban fabric map

Population

5,585

Median Age

51.0

Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)

$1,568/wk

DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year

79

Median House

$998K

Median 1Q 2026

3.13 km²· 1,787.1 people/km²· Family income $1,953/wk

At $997,500 the median house price has climbed 8.4% in a single year from $920,000, a faster move than many established Adelaide suburbs, and the supply mix is the reason. Separate houses are 73.4% of dwellings while apartments are only 4.0%, so buyers compete for detached stock rather than units. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 61.4% and four-plus-bedroom homes at 23.6%, pointing to a family-house market rather than a starter-unit one. Average monthly mortgage repayments of $1,636 produce a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.1%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold, which is unusually affordable for a near-million-dollar median and reflects how many buyers arrive with equity. With 45.6% of homes owned outright against 37.7% on a mortgage, the market turns over slowly.

For Buyers

At $997,500 the median house price has climbed 8.4% in a single year from $920,000, a faster move than many established Adelaide suburbs, and the supply mix is the reason. Separate houses are 73.4% of dwellings while apartments are only 4.0%, so buyers compete for detached stock rather than units. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 61.4% and four-plus-bedroom homes at 23.6%, pointing to a family-house market rather than a starter-unit one. Average monthly mortgage repayments of $1,636 produce a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.1%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold, which is unusually affordable for a near-million-dollar median and reflects how many buyers arrive with equity. With 45.6% of homes owned outright against 37.7% on a mortgage, the market turns over slowly.

For Investors

The renter share is only 16.6%, far below the national average, which leaves landlords a thin tenant pool, and weekly rent of $365 against a $997,500 median implies a gross yield near 1.9%. The 7.9% vacancy rate is elevated for a tight detached market and signals that the few rental dwellings can sit empty longer than owner-occupied stock moves. Rent has grown 36.4% over the decade, the standout figure for income returns, but the investment case still leans on capital growth given the low yield. Forecast population growth of 0.48% a year is balanced between net overseas migration of 80 and net internal migration of 66, modest demand support. Development was active with 69 applications in 12 months, mostly detached dwellings and alterations rather than new rental supply.

Development Activity

Total DAs

377

Last 12 Months

79

YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements

+75.6%

Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year

N/A

Monthly DA Lodgements

DA Categories

Deck / Pergola / Patio
35
Garage / Carport / Shed
23
Renovation / Extension
21
Swimming Pool / Spa
16
Tree Removal
7
Subdivision
7
Multi-Dwelling / Townhouse
5
New Dwelling
4

Schools in North Haven iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged

North Haven School

ICSEA 985 Primary Government

R-6 · 249 students

Demographics

The median age of 51 runs 11.0 years above national, the defining trait here, and the trajectory keeps aging: the senior share rose 4.6 points while the working-age share fell 1.9 points over the decade. University qualifications reach 22.5%, which is 7.6 points below the national figure, consistent with a workforce weighted toward trades, clerical and personal-service roles. Overseas-born residents are 20.6%, about 1.0 point below national, and ancestry leans Anglo, led by English (2,481), Scottish (585) and Irish (495). The most common non-English languages are Greek (34 speakers) and Italian (25), a small Mediterranean presence. Average household size is 2.3, which is 0.2 below national, matching a profile where couples without children make up 37.8% of families.

Age Distribution

0-14
13.0%
15-24
9.5%
25-44
20.2%
45-64
31.1%
65+
26.2%

Bedrooms

Studio/1br
2.3%
2 bed
12.7%
3 bed
61.4%
4+ bed
23.6%

Dwelling Structure

73.4%

Houses

21.6%

Townhouse

4.0%

Apartment

Tenure

Own 45.6% Mortgage 37.7% Rent 16.6%

Tenure tilts decisively toward owners: 45.6% own outright, 37.7% carry a mortgage and just 16.6% rent, well below the national rental share. Outright owners outnumbering mortgage holders points to long-held, debt-free homes rather than recent buyers, which is typical of a suburb where the median age is 51. The stock is 73.4% separate houses, 21.6% semi-detached and only 4.0% apartments, so detached scarcity is not an issue here, unlike denser inner-city markets. Three-bedroom dwellings account for 61.4% of homes and four-plus-bedroom for 23.6%. The median rose from $920,000 to $997,500 across 2025-2026, an 8.4% gain, yet mortgage-to-income stays at 24.1% and rent-to-income at 23.3%, both below the 30% stress line because incomes sit near the national median.

Median House Price Trend

Source: State Valuer-General

Mortgage / mo

$1,636

Rent / wk

$365

HH Size

2.3

Personal Income / wk

$758

Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)

7.9%

Unoccupied

198

Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress

23.3%

Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress

24.1%

Community Profile

Languages Spoken at Home

Greek
34
Italian
25
Croatian
12
Russian
12

Ancestry

English
2,481
Scottish
585
Irish
495
German
437
Other
354
Italian
332

Household Composition

37.8%

Couples, no children

4,580

Total families

Economy & Employment

Employment concentrates in Healthcare at 16.5% (275 workers), Education at 11.3% (189) and Manufacturing at 11.0% (184), with Public Admin at 10.4% and Construction at 8.0%, a mix weighted toward services and industry rather than the finance and professional roles seen in higher-decile suburbs. By occupation, Professionals (462) narrowly lead Clerical and Admin workers (449), followed by Community and Personal Service roles (345). Unemployment is low at 4.8% and the full-time rate is 65.5%, but the participation rate is only 55.2% because 1,900 residents are not in the labour force, a direct consequence of the aging profile. That low participation, combined with real income growth of 9.6% over the decade, helps explain why all four SEIFA indexes read decile 3 despite household income near the national midpoint.

Unemployment

5.0%

Labour Force

8,476

Unemployed

427

Quarterly Trend

Mar-24 Dec-25

Source: SALM Dec-25

Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)

Overall advantage
3
Disadvantage
3
Economic resources
3
Education & occupation
3

Full-time

65.5%

Part-time

29.7%

Participation

55.2%

Employed

2,557

Occupations

Professionals 462
Clerical/Admin 449
Community/Personal 345
Managers 317
Sales 230
Labourers 229
Machinery/Drivers 188

Top Industries

Healthcare 16.5%
Education 11.3%
Manufacturing 11.0%
Public Admin 10.4%
Construction 8.0%

University

22.5%

Postgraduate

4.6%

Born Overseas

20.6%

Dwellings

2,310

Transport to Work

Car dependence is high: 90.2% drive to work while only 3.9% use public transport and 1.8% walk or cycle, well above the national reliance on cars, a function of the waterfront location away from rail corridors. The crime rate is 34.7 incidents per 1,000 residents, or 194 total, a moderate figure for metropolitan Adelaide. SEIFA reads decile 3 on IRSAD, a below-average advantage tier, yet only 6.0% of residents (327 people) need daily assistance despite the median age of 51, suggesting a relatively independent older population. Volunteering runs at 14.3%. No schools are recorded inside the 3.13 square kilometre boundary, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring Largs Bay and Taperoo, a practical trade-off for the peninsula setting.

Drive

90.2%

Public Transport

3.9%

Walk / Cycle

1.8%

Work from Home

N/A

Population Forecast

+0.48%/yr

(+75 people/yr)

Established

Growth is slow and steady rather than booming: the forecast annual rate is 0.48%, adding about 75 people a year, and the 10-year population change was 5.3%, classifying this as an established suburb. Migration is balanced, with net overseas migration of 80 a year and net internal migration of 66, so neither inflow dominates. The gentrification score is a low 8 out of 100, placing it firmly in the not-gentrifying band, while the broader shift score of 31 registers only early signs of change. Affordability barely moved, from 41.2% in 2011 to 41.7% in 2021, a stable trend. The clearest sign of pressure is rent growth of 36.4% over the decade, which has outpaced the suburb's modest 9.6% real income growth.

Historical + Forecast

Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025

Age Cohort Forecast

Primary Driver

Balanced

Net Overseas / yr

+80

Net Internal / yr

+66

8

Gentrification Signal

Not gentrifying

Net internal migration +66/yr

Safety & Crime

Total Offences

194

Year ending June 2024

Rate per 1,000 People

34.7

Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police

National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs

How North Haven compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs

Population
Top 10%
Household Income
Top 49%
Rent Level
Top 23%
Apartments
Top 49%
Renters
Bottom 39%
Uni Educated
Bottom 46%
Public Transport
Top 44%
Born Overseas
Top 28%
Density
Top 10%

Frequently Asked Questions

Is North Haven a good suburb to live in?

North Haven suits owner-occupiers and retirees: 45.6% of homes are owned outright, the median age is 51, and only 6.0% of residents need daily assistance. SEIFA sits at decile 3, a below-average advantage tier, but mortgage costs stay low with a 24.1% mortgage-to-income ratio, well under the 30% stress line.

What is the median house price in North Haven?

The median house price is $997,500 as of the first quarter of 2026, up 8.4% from $920,000 a year earlier. Weekly rent averages $365 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,636, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.1%, below the stress threshold.

What schools are in North Haven?

No schools are recorded inside the 3.13 square kilometre North Haven boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. University qualifications among residents reach 22.5%, which is 7.6 points below the national figure, reflecting a trade and service oriented workforce.

Is North Haven safe?

North Haven recorded 194 criminal incidents, a rate of 34.7 per 1,000 residents, a moderate level for metropolitan Adelaide. As an indirect indicator, only 6.0% of the 5,585 residents need daily assistance, and the suburb scores decile 3 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage.

Is North Haven good for property investment?

Rent of $365 a week against a $997,500 median gives a gross yield near 1.9%, low, and the renter share is only 16.6%, below the national average. Rent has grown 36.4% over the decade, but the 7.9% vacancy rate and 0.48% population growth mean returns rely on capital growth rather than yield.

How is North Haven's population changing?

Population is forecast to grow 0.48% a year, about 75 people, after a 5.3% rise over 10 years. The profile is aging, with the senior share up 4.6 points and the working-age share down 1.9 points over the decade, leaving a median age of 51, eleven years above national.

How much development is happening in North Haven?

There were 69 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, active for a 3.13 square kilometre suburb. Most are detached dwellings and alterations rather than apartments, consistent with a stock that is 73.4% separate houses and only 4.0% apartments, and a slow 0.48% annual growth rate.

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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