Onkaparinga Hills
Nearly every dwelling in Onkaparinga Hills is a separate house: 99.4% of stock is detached, while 62.7% has four or more bedrooms. That lower-density format helps explain the suburb's family and mortgage profile, with 2,610 residents, a median age of 45, and 55.0% of homes owned with a mortgage. Age is 5 years above the national figure, so this is an established, older-leaning market rather than a fast-turnover precinct. For buyers comparing it with Aberfoyle Park or Happy Valley, the detached, car-oriented format is the key distinction to weigh against daily travel needs.
Local council: Onkaparinga
Population
2,610
Median Age
45.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,078/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
39
Median House
$997K
First quarter 2026
Onkaparinga Hills suits buyers prioritising space over apartment variety. Stock is overwhelmingly detached at 99.4%, with 62.7% of dwellings having four or more bedrooms and 35.8% having three bedrooms. The 55.0% mortgage share versus 40.1% owned outright points to a strong owner-occupier and upgrader base. Mortgage costs are $1,625 monthly, while mortgage payments equal 18.1% of household income and are not flagged as stressed. Compared with smaller-home markets, the trade-off is a higher purchase price for more floor area, so buyers should stress-test rates, maintenance and commuting.
For Buyers
Onkaparinga Hills suits buyers prioritising space over apartment variety. Stock is overwhelmingly detached at 99.4%, with 62.7% of dwellings having four or more bedrooms and 35.8% having three bedrooms. The 55.0% mortgage share versus 40.1% owned outright points to a strong owner-occupier and upgrader base. Mortgage costs are $1,625 monthly, while mortgage payments equal 18.1% of household income and are not flagged as stressed. Compared with smaller-home markets, the trade-off is a higher purchase price for more floor area, so buyers should stress-test rates, maintenance and commuting.
For Investors
Investment conditions are shaped by a small rental pool and a predominantly owner-occupied base. Only 4.5% of dwellings are rented, compared with 55.0% mortgaged and 40.1% owned outright, so tenant demand can be thinner than in higher-rental suburbs. Weekly rent is $385 and vacancy is 3.9%, providing a starting point for yield and leasing-risk checks rather than a guarantee of performance. Development activity reached 38 applications in 12 months, giving investors a figure to compare with other established areas, although the examples include a verandah and ancillary accommodation rather than a wave of new housing. Internal migration is the primary growth driver, supporting demand for established homes.
Development Activity
Total DAs
221
Last 12 Months
39
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+11.4%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
Onkaparinga Hills has an older resident base than Australia overall: the median age is 45, or 5 years above the national figure. Its 21.5% university-educated share is 8.6 percentage points below national, while 19.3% were born overseas, 2.3 points below the national comparison. Household size is 2.9 people, 0.4 above national, reflecting a mix of 46.8% couples with children and 43.0% couples without children. English ancestry is recorded for 1,288 residents, followed by Scottish at 248, Irish at 210 and German at 192. No religion is the largest recorded affiliation at 1,456, compared with 1,009 identifying with Christianity. With 88.0% staying at the same address and 12.0% turnover, the profile is more settled than highly mobile.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
99.4%
Houses
0.6%
Townhouse
0.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing is concentrated in detached, larger-format stock, which limits dwelling diversity but supports family and long-term ownership. Separate houses account for 99.4% of homes, compared with just 0.6% semi-detached, and 62.7% have four or more bedrooms versus 35.8% with three. Tenure is unusual for a rental market: 40.1% are owned outright, 55.0% with a mortgage and only 4.5% rented. Mortgage payments equal 18.1% of household income and are not flagged as stressed, helping explain why the mortgage share remains high. Compared with apartment-oriented suburbs, buyers are paying for detached space but accepting fewer tenure and dwelling-type choices.
Mortgage / mo
$1,625
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$385
Census 2021
HH Size
2.9
Personal Income / wk
$825
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
3.9%
Unoccupied
35
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.5%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.1%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
46.8%
Couples with children
43.0%
Couples, no children
9.4%
Single parent
795
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the leading local employment industry at 21.3% or 195 workers, followed by construction at 13.7% or 125, education at 9.6% or 88, manufacturing at 8.6% or 79, and retail at 7.4% or 68. The occupation mix is similarly practical and professional: trades account for 255 people, professionals 218, clerical and administration 214, managers 189, and community and personal services 189. Labour-force participation is 66.4%, unemployment is 3.6%, and 57.3% work full time, indicating a working base tied to health, building, education and services. Socioeconomic measures are mixed: IEO decile 2 is below IER decile 5, while IRSD decile 3 and IRSAD decile 2 indicate lower relative advantage than the household income percentile of 78.2 might suggest. The contrast means income should not be treated as the whole economic picture.
Unemployment
3.6%
Labour Force
1,447
Unemployed
52
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
57.3%
Part-time
36.7%
Participation
66.4%
Employed
1,395
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
21.5%
Postgraduate
4.5%
Born Overseas
19.3%
Dwellings
868
Transport to Work
Onkaparinga Hills is spread across 25.04 square kilometres at 104.3 people per square kilometre, so daily life is likely to be organised around local roads and destinations rather than walking between dense services. Car dependence is pronounced: 81.7% drive to work, compared with 2.8% using public transport and 0.9% walking or cycling; 10.8% work from home. Recorded crime is 51 incidents, or 19.5 per 1,000 residents, a baseline to compare with nearby suburbs rather than a guarantee for every street. The suburb's IRSAD decile is 2, below its IER decile of 5, so access and affordability should be considered alongside the low crime-rate signal. Families should check the exact address for nearby school options, enrolment zones and travel times, because school access and commuting can vary across a 25.04 square kilometre area. The low 4.5% rental share may also make moving locally harder for tenants than in higher-rental areas.
Drive
81.7%
Public Transport
2.8%
Walk / Cycle
0.9%
Work from Home
10.8%
Growth Outlook
Growth is steady rather than explosive, with the forecast trend at 0.85% a year and population change across the wider area at 7.1% over 10 years. Internal migration is the primary driver, suggesting demand is being supported by people moving within the region or state rather than a sudden development cycle. The trajectory is labelled Aging: the senior share has risen 7.8 percentage points, while the young share has fallen 2.6 points and the working share 3.1 points. Gentrification remains at the Early signs stage, with a score of 30, and the shift measure also records 15.4% rent growth. Compared with the 0.85% annual trend, the 7.1% ten-year measure indicates accumulated change at a broader scale, while the age pattern points to established-home demand and future adaptation needs. New growth is more likely to come through household turnover, additions and selective redevelopment than wholesale greenfield expansion.
Population trend: Onkaparinga council area
Onkaparinga Hills sits in the Onkaparinga council area. These are the council area's residents, not Onkaparinga Hills's.
Residents 2025
184,827
Growth, 5 yr average
+1.1%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+0.9%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
51
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
19.5
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Onkaparinga Hills compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Onkaparinga Hills a good suburb to live in?
With a median age of 45, 99.4% detached housing and 81.7% car commuting, Onkaparinga Hills suits households seeking space and an established setting. Its crime rate is 19.5 per 1,000, while household income ranks at the 78.2nd percentile. Compared with denser suburbs, the main trade-off is less walkable daily convenience.
What schools are in Onkaparinga Hills?
For a reliable school search, use the exact property address and confirm current enrolment zones, nearby primary and secondary options, and travel times. Onkaparinga Hills covers 25.04 square kilometres, so the closest practical school may not match the suburb label. Compare routes using the 81.7% car-driver share and 2.8% public-transport share.
Is Onkaparinga Hills safe?
Recorded crime was 51 incidents, equal to 19.5 per 1,000 residents. That provides a useful baseline to compare with nearby suburbs, but safety can vary by street, property security and time of day. The suburb's 2,610 residents and 104.3 people per square kilometre indicate a spread-out setting, so inspect the immediate area rather than relying on a suburb-wide average.
How is Onkaparinga Hills's population changing?
Onkaparinga Hills has 2,610 residents today and an aging trajectory. Across the wider area, population change is 7.1% over 10 years, with an annual trend of 0.85% and internal migration as the primary driver. The senior share has increased 7.8 percentage points, while the young share has fallen 2.6 points. Compared with a younger-growth profile, demand is more likely to favour established homes and age-friendly services.
What development is happening in Onkaparinga Hills?
Development activity totalled 38 applications in the past 12 months. Examples include a transportable home for temporary residential use, an attached verandah and ancillary accommodation. This is a measure of ongoing property change, but it does not equal 38 new dwellings. Compare the activity with the suburb's 99.4% separate-house share and established forecast type when assessing likely character changes.
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).
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