Old Reynella
A 42-year median age makes Old Reynella 2 years older than the national comparison, while its 3,458 residents are concentrated at 1,561.5 people per sq km. Detached housing dominates at 86.0%, and 43.1% of homes carry a mortgage, giving the suburb a settled mortgage-belt profile. Household income sits at the 39.5th percentile, while university attainment is 5.5 percentage points below the national level. Compared with the wider Reynella and Morphett Vale suburban area, Old Reynella has a compact 2.21 sq km footprint and an established, house-led character.
Population
3,458
Median Age
42.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,387/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
54
Median House
$745K
First quarter 2026
The housing mix is strongly detached, with 86.0% separate houses and 14.0% semi-detached homes. Three-bedroom properties account for 57.9% of homes and 4-plus-bedroom dwellings for 25.9%, so the suburb suits families and buyers seeking conventional house formats. A $1,441 monthly mortgage figure and mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.0% indicate repayments are not flagged as stressed, although household income at the 39.5th percentile remains below the midpoint of the income distribution.
For Buyers
The housing mix is strongly detached, with 86.0% separate houses and 14.0% semi-detached homes. Three-bedroom properties account for 57.9% of homes and 4-plus-bedroom dwellings for 25.9%, so the suburb suits families and buyers seeking conventional house formats. A $1,441 monthly mortgage figure and mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.0% indicate repayments are not flagged as stressed, although household income at the 39.5th percentile remains below the midpoint of the income distribution.
For Investors
Old Reynella has a 19.9% renting share, a weekly rent of $330 and a vacancy rate of 4.1%, creating a tenant market that is meaningful but still smaller than the 43.1% mortgage-owner cohort. Compared with a heavily renter-oriented suburb, this owner-occupier base may support steadier local demand because more households have a long-term stake in the area. There were 54 development lodgements in the past 12 months, pointing to active renovation and property activity rather than a purely static market. Forecast migration is described as Balanced, while annual growth is 0.42%, so investors should prioritise rental appeal, dwelling condition and purchase price over assumptions of rapid capital growth.
Development Activity
Total DAs
304
Last 12 Months
54
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+14.9%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Old Reynella
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Reynella Primary School
Demographics
Old Reynella has a median age of 42, which is 2 years above the national comparison, and an average household size of 2.4 people, 0.1 below the national figure. The profile is more established than youthful, with couples with children forming 41.5% of families, couples without children 38.9% and one-parent families 17.9%. University attainment is 24.6%, or 5.5 percentage points below national, while the overseas-born share is 23.1%, 1.5 points above national. English ancestry is reported by 1,642 residents, followed by Scottish at 321, Irish at 262 and German at 243. Compared with the broader Reynella and Morphett Vale corridor, the suburb has a compact, Anglo-leaning demographic profile with gradual turnover, as 81.6% of residents stayed at the same address.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
86.0%
Houses
14.0%
Townhouse
0.0%
Apartment
Tenure
This short price history suggests buyers should treat the current median as a recent market point rather than a long-run trend. Housing is dominated by separate houses at 86.0%, with semi-detached dwellings accounting for 14.0%; 57.9% of homes have 3 bedrooms and 25.9% have 4 or more. Tenure is split between 32.4% outright ownership, 43.1% mortgages and 19.9% renting. The 24.0% mortgage-to-income ratio is below a typical stress threshold, while weekly rent of $330 remains lower than the monthly mortgage figure when viewed as a simple cash-flow measure, though the two figures cover different time periods.
Mortgage / mo
$1,441
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$330
Census 2021
HH Size
2.4
Personal Income / wk
$707
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.1%
Unoccupied
59
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.0%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
41.5%
Couples with children
38.9%
Couples, no children
17.9%
Single parent
965
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the leading industry at 27.2%, followed by education at 10.8%, construction at 7.8%, retail at 7.6% and public administration at 6.7%. That mix supports demand from care, education and public-sector workers, while the largest occupation groups are trades with 277 people, professionals with 269, clerical and administration with 253, community and personal services with 245, and sales with 179. Labour-force participation is 61.1%, full-time employment is 56.3% and unemployment is 5.3%. Compared with the national midpoint, household income at the 39.5th percentile and SEIFA IRSAD and IEO deciles of 3 indicate below-average socioeconomic advantage. The slightly higher IRSD and IER deciles of 4 suggest the disadvantage is present but not uniform across all measures.
Unemployment
5.3%
Labour Force
1,773
Unemployed
94
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
56.3%
Part-time
37.9%
Participation
61.1%
Employed
1,679
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
24.6%
Postgraduate
3.5%
Born Overseas
23.1%
Dwellings
1,380
Transport to Work
Daily travel is strongly car dependent: 80.3% of residents drive to work, compared with 4.5% using public transport and 1.7% walking or cycling. Work from home accounts for 8.9%, so access to a private vehicle remains more important than in a transit-led suburb. School access includes 1 local government primary school, Reynella Primary School, with enrolment zones worth checking against the exact address. Recorded crime totals 202 incidents, equal to 58.4 per 1,000 residents, so households should assess the specific street and property security rather than rely on a broad label. The IRSAD decile of 3 is below the national midpoint, while the suburb's 2.21 sq km area and density of 1,561.5 people per sq km create a compact suburban setting.
Drive
80.3%
Public Transport
4.5%
Walk / Cycle
1.7%
Work from Home
8.9%
Population Forecast
+0.42%/yr
(+46 people/yr)
EstablishedOld Reynella is on a slow-growth path, with forecast annual growth of 0.42% and population change across the wider area of 5.2% over 10 years. Migration is classified as Balanced, so expansion is less dependent on one strong inflow source than in a migration-led growth market. The shift trajectory is Aging, supported by a 5.4 percentage-point increase in the senior share and a 1.0-point decline in the young share. Rent growth of 22.6% is substantially higher than the annual population trend, which may reflect tighter rental conditions and rising housing costs rather than rapid resident growth. Gentrification is currently scored at 0 and described as Not gentrifying, despite an earlier shift score of 21 labelled Early signs, so change is more likely to come through gradual ageing, renovations and turnover than wholesale reinvention.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+51
Net Internal / yr
+34
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
202
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
58.4
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Old Reynella compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Old Reynella a good suburb to live in?
Old Reynella can suit households seeking detached homes, established streets and a compact southern suburban setting. About 86.0% of dwellings are separate houses, the median age is 42, and 81.6% of residents stayed at the same address, supporting a settled feel. Car access is important because 80.3% drive to work.
What schools are in Old Reynella?
Reynella Primary School is the local school in Old Reynella and is a government primary school. Families should check the enrolment zone for the exact address because school boundaries can differ from suburb boundaries. The suburb has 1 school listed locally, so nearby options may also matter.
Is Old Reynella safe?
Old Reynella recorded 202 crime incidents, equivalent to 58.4 incidents per 1,000 residents. Safety can vary by street, property type and time of day, so buyers and renters should inspect the immediate area, review current local conditions and consider lighting, parking and home security before committing.
Is Old Reynella good for property investment?
Old Reynella has a $330 weekly rent, 4.1% vacancy rate and 19.9% renting share. These figures indicate an established rental market, while 54 development lodgements in 12 months show active property improvements. Annual growth is forecast at 0.42%, so investors should focus on yield, dwelling condition and purchase price rather than expect rapid growth.
How is Old Reynella's population changing?
The suburb has 3,458 residents and an aging trajectory. Population change across the wider area is forecast at 5.2% over 10 years, while annual growth is 0.42% and migration is classified as Balanced. The senior share has risen by 5.4 percentage points and the young share has fallen by 1.0 point.
What development is occurring in Old Reynella?
There were 54 development lodgements in the past 12 months. Recent examples include alterations and additions to existing dwellings, verandah work and pylon signage. This pattern points more toward ongoing property upgrades and small-scale changes than a clearly identified large housing expansion.
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), SA Department for Housing and Urban Development (house prices), state education open registers (school locations), 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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