Paralowie
Detached family housing defines Paralowie: 94.3% of dwellings are separate houses and 50.6% of homes carry a mortgage, giving it a clearly mortgaged family-suburb character. The suburb's 17,504 residents are younger than the national norm, with a median age of 35, while 31.4% were born overseas, 9.8 percentage points above national. Compared with nearby Salisbury and Parafield Gardens, its identity is less about apartments and more about 3-bedroom and 4-plus bedroom family stock, because apartments are only 0.9%.
Population
17,504
Median Age
35.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,479/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
149
Median House
$780K
Median 1Q 2026
For homebuyers, Paralowie is mainly a detached-house market, with 94.3% separate houses and 64.2% of homes having 3 bedrooms. The median house price is $780,000 in 1Q 2026, up 14.7% from $680,000 in 1Q 2025 and sitting at the recorded peak, so buyers are paying above last year's level rather than after a pullback. Mortgage costs use 20.3% of income, below many stress thresholds, because the typical monthly mortgage is $1,300 against household income of $1,479 a week.
For Buyers
For homebuyers, Paralowie is mainly a detached-house market, with 94.3% separate houses and 64.2% of homes having 3 bedrooms. The median house price is $780,000 in 1Q 2026, up 14.7% from $680,000 in 1Q 2025 and sitting at the recorded peak, so buyers are paying above last year's level rather than after a pullback. Mortgage costs use 20.3% of income, below many stress thresholds, because the typical monthly mortgage is $1,300 against household income of $1,479 a week.
For Investors
Investors get a mixed signal: 24.8% of households rent and the weekly rent is $305, but the 3.7% vacancy rate is higher than a very tight rental market would show. Demand is supported by overseas migration averaging +175 people a year, yet internal migration averages -187, so tenant growth is not one-way. The 129 development applications in 12 months add supply risk, while 20.0% rent growth points to recent rental pressure because lower income households still need family-sized stock.
Development Activity
Total DAs
728
Last 12 Months
149
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+26.3%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Paralowie iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Bethany Christian School Incorporated
R-6 · 531 students
Settlers Farm Campus R-6
R-6 · 597 students
Paralowie School
R-12 · 1373 students
Demographics
Paralowie's 17,504 residents have a median age of 35, which is 5.0 years below the national benchmark, but the age path is tilting older. Overseas-born residents make up 31.4%, 9.8 points above national, and average household size is 2.9, 0.4 higher than national. University attainment is 19.2%, 10.9 points lower, which aligns with a workforce led more by trades, care and service jobs. English ancestry counts 5,496 people, with Vietnamese 866, Buddhism 1,367 and Islam 1,323 adding cultural depth.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
94.3%
Houses
4.7%
Townhouse
0.9%
Apartment
Tenure
The housing base is owner-occupier led: 24.6% own outright, 50.6% are mortgaged and 24.8% rent, so ownership is higher than renting by a wide margin. Prices moved from $680,000 in 1Q 2025 to $780,000 in 1Q 2026, a 14.7% rise over 1 year, with the latest quarter also the peak and 0.0% below that peak. Family houses dominate because 94.3% are separate dwellings, 64.2% have 3 bedrooms and 29.9% have 4 or more, while apartments are only 0.9%.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,300
Rent / wk
$305
HH Size
2.9
Personal Income / wk
$678
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
3.7%
Unoccupied
224
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.6%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.3%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
19.0%
Couples, no children
14,741
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the main employment base at 22.5% and 929 workers, higher than manufacturing at 9.8%, education at 8.5%, construction at 8.4% and retail at 8.0%. Occupations skew practical and service-based, led by 1,363 labourers, 1,163 community and personal service workers and 1,014 clerical staff. Unemployment is 8.4% with participation at 59.7%. SEIFA is low: IEO decile 1, IRSD 1 and IRSAD 1, while IER decile 3 sits slightly higher because many households hold mortgages despite modest qualifications and incomes.
Unemployment
5.6%
Labour Force
9,743
Unemployed
546
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
63.1%
Part-time
28.5%
Participation
59.7%
Employed
7,545
Occupations
Top Industries
University
19.2%
Postgraduate
3.5%
Born Overseas
31.4%
Dwellings
5,884
Transport to Work
Livability is car-oriented: 90.2% drive to work compared with 2.2% using public transport and 1.2% walking or cycling, so households benefit from having a vehicle. Education options are practical, with 3 local schools across Independent and Government sectors; ICSEA ranges from 909 to 996, led by Bethany Christian School at 996 and Settlers Farm Campus R-6 at 951, while the larger combined campus enrols 1,373. Safety needs due diligence because recorded crime is 54.0 per 1,000, and IRSAD decile 1 signals lower advantage nationally.
Drive
90.2%
Public Transport
2.2%
Walk / Cycle
1.2%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.81%/yr
(+150 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is steady rather than rapid, with the forecast trend adding 0.81% or about 150 people a year. The medium scenario moves population from 18,720 in 2026 to 19,472 in 2031, so expansion is incremental rather than transformational. Migration is split: overseas migration averages +175 a year, but internal migration averages -187 and is the drag. The shift is ageing, with seniors up 4.9 points and young share down 2.6; a gentrification score of 4 and stage of Not gentrifying point to gradual renewal, not a high-income reset.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+175
Net Internal / yr
-187
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Population +12% since 2011, Net internal outflow -187/yr
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
946
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
54.0
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Paralowie compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Paralowie a good suburb to live in?
Paralowie can suit households wanting detached family housing, with 94.3% separate houses and an average household size of 2.9. It is more car-reliant than transit-led suburbs, as 90.2% drive to work.
What is the median house price in Paralowie?
The median house price in Paralowie is $780,000 in 1Q 2026. That is 14.7% higher than the $680,000 recorded in 1Q 2025, with the latest figure also matching the recorded peak.
What schools are in Paralowie?
Paralowie has 3 local schools. Bethany Christian School is Independent with ICSEA 996 and 531 enrolments, Settlers Farm Campus R-6 has ICSEA 951, and Paralowie School enrols 1,373 students.
Is Paralowie safe?
Paralowie recorded 946 offences, equal to 54.0 per 1,000 residents. Buyers should compare streets and property types carefully, because suburb-wide rates can sit higher or lower than individual pockets.
Is Paralowie good for property investment?
Paralowie has investor appeal through a $305 weekly rent, 24.8% renting share and 20.0% rent growth, but the 3.7% vacancy rate and 129 development applications mean supply should be watched.
How is Paralowie's population changing?
Paralowie is forecast to grow by 0.81% a year, or about 150 people annually. The medium path rises from 18,720 in 2026 to 19,472 in 2031, with overseas migration the primary driver.
What languages are spoken in Paralowie?
Paralowie has 31.4% overseas-born residents, 9.8 points above national. Spoken languages include Khmer with 329 speakers, Punjabi with 135, Arabic with 115, Polish with 64 and Greek with 62.
Is there much development in Paralowie?
Yes. Paralowie recorded 129 development applications in the past 12 months, including detached dwellings and sheds. That activity is high enough to matter for buyers comparing older stock with newer infill.
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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