Para Vista
Yet household income sits in the 29.2nd percentile nationally, meaning the price surge has outrun local earnings by a wide margin. The suburb is compact at 1.46 km2 with 3,023 residents and a density of 2,066 people per km2, dominated by separate houses at 82.3%. Healthcare employs 23.4% of workers, the highest of any sector, giving the local economy a service-sector foundation rather than a professional or knowledge base.
Local council: Salisbury
Population
3,023
Median Age
40.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,276/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
44
Median House
$870K
First quarter 2026
Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,300, and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 23.5%, below the 30% stress threshold. Separate houses make up 82.3% of dwellings, with 3-bedroom homes the clear majority at 68.1% of stock. Four-plus bedroom homes are relatively rare at 16.3%, and apartments account for just 4.0% of the mix. For buyers who want detached, family-sized housing, Para Vista delivers, but the rapid price growth means entry costs have risen faster than local wages, with household income in the 29.2nd percentile nationally.
For Buyers
Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,300, and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 23.5%, below the 30% stress threshold. Separate houses make up 82.3% of dwellings, with 3-bedroom homes the clear majority at 68.1% of stock. Four-plus bedroom homes are relatively rare at 16.3%, and apartments account for just 4.0% of the mix. For buyers who want detached, family-sized housing, Para Vista delivers, but the rapid price growth means entry costs have risen faster than local wages, with household income in the 29.2nd percentile nationally.
For Investors
A 31.4% renter share provides a solid tenant base, and weekly rent of $285 sits at a level that keeps rent-to-income at 22.3%, below stress thresholds. The vacancy rate of 4.8% is above a tight market threshold, suggesting tenants have choice. Development activity is active with 34 applications lodged in the past 12 months, including multiple terrace dwellings, which may add supply over the medium term. Price growth of 20.2% over one year is the most compelling case for capital-gains investors, though whether that pace continues depends on broader Adelaide demand.
Development Activity
Total DAs
162
Last 12 Months
44
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+120.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Para Vista
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Para Vista Primary School
Valley View Secondary School
Demographics
The median age is 40, equal to the national figure, placing Para Vista in a mid-life bracket. Overseas-born residents make up 30.0% of the population, which is 8.4 percentage points above the national average, driven by communities speaking Punjabi (40 speakers), Arabic (39), Gujarati (24) and Hindi (19). The ancestry breakdown is led by English (1,026), Scottish (205), German (202) and Irish (198), indicating a mixed Anglo-European base alongside more recent arrivals. University qualifications reach 26.2%, which is 3.9 points below the national figure. Average household size is 2.4, marginally below national, and couples with children (883 families) outnumber couples without children (624).
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
82.3%
Houses
13.7%
Townhouse
4.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Owner-occupiers dominate: 31.0% own outright and 37.6% hold a mortgage, leaving 31.4% renting. The stock is heavily weighted toward separate houses at 82.3%, with semi-detached at 13.7% and apartments at just 4.0%. Three-bedroom homes account for 68.1% of all dwellings, making Para Vista one of the more uniformly family-sized suburbs in Adelaide's northeast. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,300, and with household income in the 29.2nd percentile nationally, the ratio of price to income is stretching for new buyers entering the market.
Mortgage / mo
$1,300
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$285
Census 2021
HH Size
2.4
Personal Income / wk
$642
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.8%
Unoccupied
60
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.3%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.5%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
39.9%
Couples with children
38.6%
Couples, no children
20.4%
Single parent
809
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the standout employer at 23.4% of workers (193 residents), nearly double the next sectors of Manufacturing at 9.5% (78) and Education at 9.1% (75). Construction accounts for 8.9% and Retail for 8.1%, reflecting a blue-collar and service worker profile. By occupation, Professionals lead at 197, closely followed by Community and Personal Service workers at 193 and Clerical and Administrative staff at 188, with Labourers at 164. The unemployment rate is 7.9%, above the national average, and the participation rate of 53.6% is low, with 971 residents not in the labour force. Weekly household income of $1,276 places the suburb in the 29.2nd percentile nationally, consistent with the concentration of healthcare, trade and retail roles rather than high-income professional industries.
Unemployment
7.4%
Labour Force
1,410
Unemployed
105
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
57.2%
Part-time
36.7%
Participation
56.8%
Employed
1,305
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
26.2%
Postgraduate
5.6%
Born Overseas
30.0%
Dwellings
1,190
Transport to Work
Car dependence is high: 87.0% of residents drive to work, compared to the national average, and only 6.6% use public transport, with 1.7% walking or cycling. The crime rate is 52.9 incidents per 1,000 residents, a figure that gives context for neighbourhood safety assessments relative to broader SA statistics. Rent-to-income at 22.3% and mortgage-to-income at 23.5% both sit below the 30% financial stress threshold, meaning housing costs are manageable relative to local incomes. The volunteering rate of 12.4% reflects moderate community participation. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary, so families rely on neighbouring areas for primary and secondary education. With 7.1% of residents needing daily assistance, Para Vista's support needs are moderate.
Drive
80.5%
Public Transport
6.1%
Walk / Cycle
1.5%
Work from Home
7.5%
Growth Outlook
Community stability is high, with 80.3% of residents remaining in the same address over the measured period and a turnover rate of just 19.7%, below typical suburban averages. Development activity is moderate, with 34 applications in 12 months including new terrace dwellings and commercial fitouts, suggesting incremental densification rather than large-scale redevelopment. Population data shows a compact suburb of 3,023 residents in 1.46 km2, and the combination of high retention rates and rising prices points to genuine demand pressure rather than speculative churn.
Population trend: Salisbury council area
Para Vista sits in the Salisbury council area. These are the council area's residents, not Para Vista's.
Residents 2025
151,019
Growth, 5 yr average
+0.5%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+0.2%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
160
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
52.9
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Para Vista compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Para Vista a good suburb to live in?
Para Vista suits families and owner-occupiers who want detached housing at a mid-range price. Separate houses make up 82.3% of dwellings, mortgage-to-income sits at a manageable 23.5%, and 80.3% of residents stay long-term, indicating satisfaction. The main trade-offs are limited public transport at 6.6% usage and an unemployment rate of 7.9%, above national levels.
What schools are in Para Vista?
No schools are recorded inside the Para Vista boundary in this dataset. Families in the suburb's 3,023 residents draw on schools in surrounding northeast Adelaide areas. Locally, 26.2% of residents hold university qualifications, which is 3.9 percentage points below the national average.
Is Para Vista safe?
The recorded crime rate is 52.9 incidents per 1,000 residents. Detailed crime category breakdowns are not available in this dataset. As a broader indicator, community stability is high, with 80.3% of residents remaining at the same address over the survey period, and the volunteering rate is 12.4%.
How is Para Vista's population changing?
Para Vista has 3,023 residents across 1.46 km2, with a density of 2,066 people per km2. Community turnover is low at 19.7%, with 80.3% of residents remaining in place, pointing to a stable, settled population rather than rapid demographic change. Development of new terrace dwellings suggests gradual densification may add residents over coming years.
What languages are spoken in Para Vista?
Around 30.0% of Para Vista residents were born overseas, which is 8.4 percentage points above the national average. The most common non-English languages are Punjabi (40 speakers), Arabic (39), Gujarati (24), Hindi (19) and Italian (19), reflecting South Asian and Middle Eastern communities alongside the established Anglo-European population of 3,023 residents.
How much development is happening in Para Vista?
There were 34 development applications lodged in the past 12 months. Recent examples include multiple terrace-arrangement detached dwellings and a commercial tenancy fitout, indicating both residential infill and local business activity. This level of activity is consistent with a suburb experiencing price pressure, with the median rising 20.2% in one year.
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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