Para Hills
An $828,000 median house price now sits on a suburb where household income lands in just the 41.7th percentile nationally, a gap that defines Para Hills in 2026. Prices jumped 11.9% from $740,000 a year earlier, faster than incomes that grew 5.7% in real terms over a decade. The housing stock is overwhelmingly detached, with 97.5% separate houses on a compact 3.21 km2 footprint at 2,116 residents per km2. SEIFA places the area in decile 3 on IRSAD, IRSD and IEO, a below-average advantage band, yet 32.9% of residents were born overseas, 11.3 points above the national figure. The median age of 36 runs 4.0 years below national, keeping this a working, family suburb rather than a retirement one.
Population
6,793
Median Age
36.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,420/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
132
Median House
$828K
Median 1Q 2026
The $828,000 median is steep relative to local earnings, since household income at the 41.7th percentile sits below the national midpoint while prices rose 11.9% in a single year from $740,000. What makes the entry achievable is the dominance of three-bedroom homes, which account for 72.5% of dwellings, with four-plus bedroom houses a further 21.5% and two-bedroom stock only 5.5%. Almost everything is a separate house at 97.5%, so buyers compete for detached family homes rather than apartments. Mortgage holders make up 45.8% of households against 32.3% who own outright, a mortgage-belt profile typical of an aspirational buyer base. Despite the price run, the mortgage-to-income ratio reads 21.1%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold, because purchases here still cost far less than inner-Adelaide alternatives.
For Buyers
The $828,000 median is steep relative to local earnings, since household income at the 41.7th percentile sits below the national midpoint while prices rose 11.9% in a single year from $740,000. What makes the entry achievable is the dominance of three-bedroom homes, which account for 72.5% of dwellings, with four-plus bedroom houses a further 21.5% and two-bedroom stock only 5.5%. Almost everything is a separate house at 97.5%, so buyers compete for detached family homes rather than apartments. Mortgage holders make up 45.8% of households against 32.3% who own outright, a mortgage-belt profile typical of an aspirational buyer base. Despite the price run, the mortgage-to-income ratio reads 21.1%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold, because purchases here still cost far less than inner-Adelaide alternatives.
For Investors
Renters make up 21.9% of households, a smaller pool than the national average, and weekly rent of $325 against the $828,000 median implies a gross yield near 2.0%, modest for the price point. The 6.1% vacancy rate is healthier than inner-city apartment markets but signals no shortage of available stock. Demand support is mixed: overseas migration adds 138 residents a year while net internal migration removes 140, leaving population growth almost flat at 0.26% annually. Development activity is steady, with 119 applications lodged in 12 months, several of them land divisions splitting single allotments into two or three, which points to gradual infill rather than large new supply. Rent grew 24.0% over the measured period, so the case rests more on rent escalation and detached-house scarcity than on yield, which trails the 11.9% capital gain recorded this year.
Development Activity
Total DAs
522
Last 12 Months
132
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+63.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Para Hills iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
East Para Primary School
R-6 · 194 students
Para Hills School
U, R-6 · 269 students
Demographics
The median age of 36 sits 4.0 years below the national figure, marking Para Hills as younger than average despite an aging trajectory where the senior share rose 3.4 points and the working-age share slipped 1.5 points over the decade. Overseas-born residents reach 32.9%, which is 11.3 points above national and unusually high for an outer-Adelaide suburb. Ancestry leans Anglo-Celtic, led by English (2,454), German (438), Scottish (414) and Irish (403), but the language mix is more diverse, with Arabic (112 speakers), Punjabi (91), Gujarati (37) and Hindi (36) most common after English. Average household size is 2.6, marginally above national by 0.1, consistent with a family base in which couples with children (2,213 families) outnumber couples without children (1,357). Islam (616 residents) is a notable second religion behind Christianity (2,445), reflecting recent migrant settlement.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
97.5%
Houses
1.2%
Townhouse
1.2%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure tilts toward mortgaged owners: 45.8% carry a mortgage, 32.3% own outright and 21.9% rent, a classic mortgage-belt split where recent and mid-stage buyers dominate over debt-free owners. The stock is 97.5% separate houses, with apartments and semi-detached dwellings just 1.2% each, so detached supply effectively sets the market. Three-bedroom homes make up 72.5% of dwellings and four-plus bedroom houses 21.5%, leaving little compact stock for downsizers. The median house price climbed from $740,000 in early 2025 to $828,000 in early 2026, an 11.9% one-year move that outpaced real income growth of 5.7% over a decade. Both stress measures stay contained, with mortgage-to-income at 21.1% and rent-to-income at 22.9%, below the 30% threshold, which shows the suburb remains relatively affordable even as prices have run ahead of earnings.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,300
Rent / wk
$325
HH Size
2.6
Personal Income / wk
$686
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.1%
Unoccupied
164
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.9%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.1%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
24.4%
Couples, no children
5,555
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce concentrates in services and trades rather than knowledge sectors: Healthcare leads at 22.2% (433 workers), followed by Construction at 10.3% (202), Education at 9.5% (185), Manufacturing at 8.2% (160) and Retail at 7.4% (144). By occupation, Community and Personal Service workers (465) and Clerical and Administrative staff (438) top the list, with Labourers (429) close behind and Professionals only fourth at 418, a profile that fits the below-average IEO score of decile 3 for education and occupation. Unemployment is elevated at 7.8% and participation sits at 58.6%, both weaker than the income percentile of 41.7 would imply, partly because 1,896 residents are not in the labour force. SEIFA reads decile 3 on IRSAD and IRSD but a slightly higher decile 4 on IER for economic resources, because high owner-occupier rates lift household-asset measures even where incomes lag.
Unemployment
3.8%
Labour Force
8,270
Unemployed
311
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
61.1%
Part-time
31.1%
Participation
58.6%
Employed
2,949
Occupations
Top Industries
University
25.1%
Postgraduate
5.9%
Born Overseas
32.9%
Dwellings
2,502
Transport to Work
Para Hills is car-dependent, with 87.8% of commuters driving and only 5.9% using public transport, while active travel sits at 1.1%, well below denser inner suburbs. The crime rate of 57.3 incidents per 1,000 residents (389 total) is moderate for outer Adelaide and sits within the range expected for a decile 3 IRSD area. No schools fall inside the 3.21 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs, a practical trade-off for the compact footprint. Volunteering runs at 12.2% and 7.5% of residents (487 people) need daily assistance, slightly above what the younger median age of 36 would suggest. Housing costs stay manageable, with rent-to-income at 22.9% below the 30% stress line, which keeps the suburb accessible to the families and service workers who make up most of its population.
Drive
87.8%
Public Transport
5.9%
Walk / Cycle
1.1%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.26%/yr
(+41 people/yr)
EstablishedPara Hills is an established, slow-growth suburb: annual population growth registers just 0.26%, about 41 residents a year, and the 10-year change is a modest 4.4%. Medium forecasts edge the local area population from 15,450 in 2026 to 15,656 by 2031, so little expansion is expected. The only positive driver is overseas migration at 138 a year, offset almost exactly by net internal outflow of 140, which leaves natural change carrying most of the growth. The trajectory is aging, with the senior share up 3.4 points and the working-age share down 1.5 points over the decade. Gentrification reads not gentrifying, consistent with a decile 3 advantage band and flat internal migration, yet affordability improved from 46.6% in 2011 to 44.5% in 2021, a sign the area is holding rather than pricing out its existing residents.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+138
Net Internal / yr
-140
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Net internal outflow -140/yr
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
389
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
57.3
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Para Hills compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Para Hills a good suburb to live in?
Para Hills suits families seeking detached housing, with 97.5% separate houses and a median age of 36, which is 4.0 years below national. It scores decile 3 on IRSAD, a below-average advantage band, and household income sits in the 41.7th percentile, but housing stays affordable with mortgage-to-income at 21.1%.
What is the median house price in Para Hills?
The median house price is $828,000 as of early 2026, up 11.9% from $740,000 a year earlier. Weekly rent averages $325 and the mortgage-to-income ratio is 21.1%, below the 30% stress threshold, keeping the suburb relatively affordable despite the recent price rise.
What schools are in Para Hills?
No schools are recorded inside the 3.21 km2 Para Hills boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The resident base skews younger, with a median age of 36 and an average household size of 2.6, slightly above the national figure.
Is Para Hills safe?
Para Hills recorded 389 crime incidents, a rate of 57.3 per 1,000 residents, moderate for outer Adelaide. The suburb sits in decile 3 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, and 7.5% of its residents need daily assistance, both consistent with a working, mixed-income area.
Is Para Hills good for property investment?
Rent of $325 a week against an $828,000 median gives a gross yield near 2.0%, modest, with a 6.1% vacancy rate. Renters are 21.9% of households, below average, but rent grew 24.0% and prices rose 11.9% this year, so returns lean on capital growth more than yield.
How is Para Hills's population changing?
Population growth is 0.26% annually, about 41 residents a year, with a 4.4% rise over 10 years. The trend is aging, with the senior share up 3.4 points over the decade. Overseas migration adds 138 residents a year, offset by net internal outflow of 140.
What languages are spoken in Para Hills?
About 32.9% of residents were born overseas, 11.3 points above the national figure. English is dominant, with Arabic (112 speakers), Punjabi (91), Gujarati (37) and Hindi (36) the most common other languages, reflecting recent migrant settlement that also lifts Islam to 616 residents.
How much development is happening in Para Hills?
There were 119 development applications lodged in the past 12 months. Several are land divisions splitting single allotments into two or three, pointing to gradual infill rather than new supply, consistent with slow population growth of 0.26% a year in a 97.5% detached-house suburb.
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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