Parafield Gardens
With 89.5% separate houses and 41.9% of homes carrying a mortgage, Parafield Gardens reads as a northern Adelaide family mortgage belt rather than a small infill pocket. The suburb holds 18,467 residents at 2,627.9 people per sq km, with median age 36, 4 years below the national benchmark. Compared with nearby Salisbury and Mawson Lakes, buyers are mostly reading a family-house market here: 3-bedroom homes make up 62.4% and apartments only 2.1%. The trade-off is income pressure, because household income sits at the 39.4 percentile and IRSAD is decile 1.
Population
18,467
Median Age
36.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,384/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
168
Median House
$876K
Median 1Q 2026
Homebuyers get a stock profile tilted strongly to conventional houses: 89.5% separate dwellings, 8.4% semi-detached and only 2.1% apartments. The median house price is $875,500 in 1Q 2026, so entry is higher than older expectations but the mortgage burden is not extreme because mortgage costs sit at 23.1% of income and the typical monthly mortgage is $1,382. Families needing rooms have depth, with 62.4% of dwellings at 3 bedrooms and 27.4% at 4 or more. That suits upgraders more than apartment-first buyers.
For Buyers
Homebuyers get a stock profile tilted strongly to conventional houses: 89.5% separate dwellings, 8.4% semi-detached and only 2.1% apartments. The median house price is $875,500 in 1Q 2026, so entry is higher than older expectations but the mortgage burden is not extreme because mortgage costs sit at 23.1% of income and the typical monthly mortgage is $1,382. Families needing rooms have depth, with 62.4% of dwellings at 3 bedrooms and 27.4% at 4 or more. That suits upgraders more than apartment-first buyers.
For Investors
Investors are buying into a renter base of 29.3%, supported by a $300 weekly rent and a forecast rent-growth signal of 36.4%. The 4.0% vacancy rate is higher than a tight-market setting, so yield planning should allow for leasing time rather than assume instant occupancy. Development is active, with 153 applications in 12 months, because detached blocks can still be recycled into new dwellings. Demand is migration-linked: overseas inflow is +228 people a year, while internal movement is -359.
Development Activity
Total DAs
781
Last 12 Months
168
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+21.7%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Parafield Gardens iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Garden College
R-12 · 351 students
Holy Family Catholic School
R-6 · 539 students
Parafield Gardens Primary School
U, R-6 · 575 students
The Pines School
U, R-6 · 671 students
Karrendi Primary School
U, R-6 · 259 students
Demographics
Parafield Gardens is younger and more internationally shaped than the national profile. Median age is 36, 4 years below national, while 42.5% of residents were born overseas, 20.9 percentage points above national. University attainment is 31.4%, only 1.3 points above national, so the suburb is not just a graduate enclave. Larger households matter because average size is 2.9, 0.4 above national. English, Indian and Vietnamese ancestry counts are prominent, alongside 6,335 Christianity, 1,918 Islam and 1,328 Buddhism responses.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
89.5%
Houses
8.4%
Townhouse
2.1%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing is broad but not cheap by recent history. The median house price rose from $700,000 in 1Q 2025 to $875,500 in 1Q 2026, a 25.1% one-year lift, and the latest value is also the peak with 0.0% fall from peak to latest. Ownership is mortgage-heavy compared with outright ownership: 41.9% have a mortgage, 28.8% own outright and 29.3% rent. This supports a stable family base because 89.5% of dwellings are separate houses, but it also concentrates affordability risk around households on $1,384 a week.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,382
Rent / wk
$300
HH Size
2.9
Personal Income / wk
$585
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.0%
Unoccupied
259
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.7%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.1%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
19.1%
Couples, no children
15,497
Total families
Economy & Employment
The employment base is practical and service-led. Healthcare is the largest industry at 23.4% or 1,039 workers, well above manufacturing at 8.8%, construction at 8.2%, education at 8.2% and retail at 7.8%. Labourers number 1,296 and community or personal service workers 1,239, which explains why incomes sit lower even with 942 professionals. Unemployment is 8.6% and participation 54.4%. SEIFA ranks are low: IRSD decile 1, IRSAD decile 1, IEO decile 2 and IER decile 3, pointing to disadvantage rather than resource wealth.
Unemployment
5.7%
Labour Force
8,922
Unemployed
510
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
59.9%
Part-time
31.5%
Participation
54.4%
Employed
7,273
Occupations
Top Industries
University
31.4%
Postgraduate
7.8%
Born Overseas
42.5%
Dwellings
6,126
Transport to Work
Daily life is car-oriented because 88.9% of commuters drive, while public transport is 3.6% and walking or cycling is 0.8%. Families have 6 local schools across Government, Catholic and Independent sectors, with ICSEA ranging from 928 to 1029. Garden College leads at 1029, Holy Family Catholic School is 1000, and Parafield Gardens High adds a 1,277-enrolment secondary option. Safety needs local checking: 880 offences equal 47.7 per 1,000 residents. IRSAD decile 1 sits below advantaged suburbs, but school choice is still practical.
Drive
88.9%
Public Transport
3.6%
Walk / Cycle
0.8%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+1.02%/yr
(+190 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth looks steady rather than speculative. The trend forecast is +1.02% a year, about 190 people annually, taking the medium scenario from 19,231 in 2026 to 20,180 in 2031. The driver is overseas migration, with +228 people a year, but that is offset by -359 internal movement, so turnover out of the area remains a drag. The suburb is aging, with senior share up 3.4 points and working share down 1.5. Gentrification is scored 16 and labelled Not gentrifying, lower than an early-redevelopment suburb.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+228
Net Internal / yr
-359
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Population +18% since 2011, Net internal outflow -359/yr, Strong overseas inflow +228/yr
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
880
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
47.7
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Parafield Gardens compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Parafield Gardens a good suburb to live in?
Parafield Gardens can suit buyers wanting houses, schools and northern Adelaide access, with 89.5% separate dwellings and 6 local schools. Car reliance is high at 88.9%, so it works best for households comfortable driving.
What is the median house price in Parafield Gardens?
The median house price is $875,500 in 1Q 2026. That is up from $700,000 in 1Q 2025, a 25.1% rise, and the latest price is also the recorded peak with a 0.0% fall from peak.
What schools are in Parafield Gardens?
There are 6 local schools. Garden College has ICSEA 1029, Holy Family Catholic School is 1000, Parafield Gardens Primary is 968, and Parafield Gardens High has 1,277 enrolments.
Is Parafield Gardens safe?
Parafield Gardens recorded 880 offences, equal to 47.7 per 1,000 residents. That suburb-wide rate is useful for screening, but buyers should still check the exact street and property type.
Is Parafield Gardens good for property investment?
It has investor appeal through a 29.3% renter base, $300 weekly rent and 153 development applications in 12 months. The 4.0% vacancy rate means leasing risk is higher than in a very tight market.
How is Parafield Gardens's population changing?
Population is forecast to grow at 1.02% a year, or about 190 people annually. The medium scenario reaches 20,180 by 2031, with overseas migration adding +228 people a year and internal movement at -359.
What languages are spoken in Parafield Gardens?
With 42.5% of residents born overseas, language depth is clear. Non-English language counts include Punjabi 441, Guj 328, Khmer 283, Arabic 140 and Hindi 94 speakers.
Is there much development in Parafield Gardens?
Yes. There were 153 development applications in 12 months, including single-storey dwellings and a 2-dwelling South Australian Housing Trust example. That activity reflects ongoing renewal of detached blocks.
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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