Osborne
With a median house price of $880,000 yet household income sitting in the 33.9th percentile nationally, Osborne carries a notable affordability tension for a working-class northern suburb. The suburb is strikingly car-dependent, with 87.5% of residents commuting by car compared to just 4.3% using public transport, which reflects its industrial fringe location near the Osborne naval shipyard precinct. Separate houses dominate at 84.7% of dwellings and 82.3% of residents stayed put over the prior year, pointing to an established, low-turnover community where long-term ownership is the norm rather than speculative churn.
Population
1,951
Median Age
41.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,336/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
34
Median House
$880K
Median 1Q 2026
The median house price reached $880,000 in the first quarter of 2026, up 15.4% from $762,500 just one year earlier, a sharp gain for a suburb with household incomes in the 33.9th percentile nationally. Mortgage repayments average $1,468 per month, and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 25.4%, below the 30% stress threshold, meaning most buyers are stretching but not breaking. Separate houses make up 84.7% of stock, with three-bedroom homes the clear majority at 66.5% of all dwellings, giving buyers a predictable and relatively uniform market. The 40.1% mortgage rate is higher than the 27.4% who own outright, pointing to a suburb still in an active buying phase rather than settled long-term ownership.
For Buyers
The median house price reached $880,000 in the first quarter of 2026, up 15.4% from $762,500 just one year earlier, a sharp gain for a suburb with household incomes in the 33.9th percentile nationally. Mortgage repayments average $1,468 per month, and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 25.4%, below the 30% stress threshold, meaning most buyers are stretching but not breaking. Separate houses make up 84.7% of stock, with three-bedroom homes the clear majority at 66.5% of all dwellings, giving buyers a predictable and relatively uniform market. The 40.1% mortgage rate is higher than the 27.4% who own outright, pointing to a suburb still in an active buying phase rather than settled long-term ownership.
For Investors
Rental demand is supported by a 32.4% renter share and a low weekly rent of $300, which is well below the national median and implies a gross yield around 1.8% against the $880,000 median. The 5.4% vacancy rate is elevated compared to the SA state average, suggesting some softness in rental absorption. Development activity recorded 33 applications over the past 12 months, with recent lodgements including new detached dwellings and dwelling additions, showing steady incremental supply rather than large-scale infill. Mortgage-to-income at 25.4% and rent-to-income at 22.5% both sit below stress thresholds, which limits forced-sale pressure and supports price stability. Price growth of 15.4% in one year is strong, though two data points are insufficient to confirm a sustained trend.
Development Activity
Total DAs
144
Last 12 Months
34
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 median age of 41 is 1 year above the national figure, placing Osborne slightly older than average Australia. University qualifications reach 19.6%, which is 10.5 percentage points below the national average, consistent with a workforce concentrated in trades and service roles rather than knowledge professions. Overseas-born residents account for 17.1%, sitting 4.5 points below the national share, and ancestry is heavily Anglo-Celtic: English (887), Scottish (191), Irish (179) and German (147) lead the count. Average household size is 2.3, modestly below the national figure of 2.5, and 25.9% of families are couples with no children. Volunteering reaches 13.3% of residents, and 8.4% need daily assistance, both broadly in line with the suburb's older and settled demographic profile.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
84.7%
Houses
10.1%
Townhouse
5.1%
Apartment
Tenure
Osborne's stock is overwhelmingly owner-occupier territory, with 84.7% separate houses and 66.5% of dwellings having three bedrooms. The price moved from $762,500 in the first quarter of 2025 to $880,000 in the first quarter of 2026, a 15.4% rise in 12 months, reaching a new peak. Tenure splits into 40.1% carrying a mortgage, 27.4% owning outright and 32.4% renting, a profile typical of a mortgage-belt suburb where purchase is aspirational but not yet fully paid off. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,468 and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 25.4% stays below the stress benchmark. Semi-detached and apartment stock is thin at 10.1% and 5.1% respectively, leaving very little choice outside the freestanding house market.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,468
Rent / wk
$300
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$647
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.4%
Unoccupied
47
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.5%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.4%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
25.9%
Couples, no children
1,533
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the dominant employer at 20.3% of local workers (109 people), followed by Education at 10.6% (57) and Manufacturing at 9.7% (52), with Public Administration at 9.5% and Construction at 8.6% rounding out the top five industries. The Manufacturing and Public Admin shares, together roughly 19%, reflect Osborne's proximity to the ASC submarine and naval shipbuilding precinct, a strategically significant employer in the northern Adelaide corridor. The unemployment rate is 8.4%, above the national average, and the participation rate of 55.9% is low, with 621 residents not in the labour force. Household weekly income of $1,336 sits at the 33.9th percentile nationally, well below the national median, partly because of lower full-time participation relative to national norms.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
65.0%
Part-time
26.6%
Participation
55.9%
Employed
824
Occupations
Top Industries
University
19.6%
Postgraduate
3.4%
Born Overseas
17.1%
Dwellings
818
Transport to Work
Car dependency is high: 87.5% of residents drive to work compared to just 4.3% who use public transport, lower than the national public-transport share. No schools are recorded within the Osborne boundary, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs. The crime rate of 72.3 incidents per 1,000 residents is a relevant consideration. Rent-to-income at 22.5% and mortgage-to-income at 25.4% both sit below stress thresholds, meaning housing costs are manageable relative to local incomes. Density is 1,371.7 residents per square kilometre, moderate for an inner-northern suburb, and the housing mix is almost entirely freestanding houses, which suits families with outdoor-space preferences.
Drive
87.5%
Public Transport
4.3%
Walk / Cycle
2.2%
Work from Home
N/A
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
141
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
72.3
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Osborne compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Osborne a good suburb to live in?
Osborne suits owner-occupiers who value a freestanding house in a stable, established community. Housing stress is low, with mortgage-to-income at 25.4% and rent-to-income at 22.5%, both below stress thresholds. The trade-offs are an 8.4% unemployment rate above the national average, limited public transport at 4.3% usage, and no schools recorded within the suburb boundary.
What is the median house price in Osborne?
The median house price reached $880,000 in the first quarter of 2026, up 15.4% from $762,500 in the first quarter of 2025. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,468, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 25.4% against a household income in the 33.9th percentile nationally.
What schools are in Osborne?
No schools are recorded within the Osborne suburb boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The local university qualification rate is 19.6%, which is 10.5 percentage points below the national average, reflecting a workforce oriented toward trades and services rather than degree-intensive roles.
Is Osborne safe?
Osborne recorded a crime rate of 72.3 incidents per 1,000 residents based on available data, which is a factor worth weighing. As a broader indicator, 82.3% of residents stayed in the suburb over the prior year, reflecting a stable and established community rather than high-churn transient population.
Is Osborne good for property investment?
Osborne returned 15.4% house price growth in one year, from $762,500 to $880,000. However, the 5.4% vacancy rate is elevated compared to state norms, and weekly rent of $300 against the $880,000 median implies a gross yield near 1.8%, low for the price point. The 32.4% renter share provides a reasonable tenant pool, but demand-side fundamentals are modest given the 33.9th-percentile household income.
How is Osborne's population changing?
Osborne has a population of 1,951 across 1.42 square kilometres, with 82.3% of residents remaining in the suburb year-on-year, well above typical national mobility rates. The stable turnover of 17.7% suggests limited population growth through new arrivals, with the suburb's trajectory more likely linked to defence industry employment in the adjacent Osborne naval precinct than broader demographic expansion.
How much development is happening in Osborne?
There were 33 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, including new detached dwellings, carports and dwelling additions assessed under Performance Assessed pathways. This level of activity is moderate for a 1.42 square kilometre suburb and points to incremental residential improvement rather than large-scale redevelopment.
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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