Pennington
At 3,773 residents packed into 1.38 km2, Pennington's density of 2,726 people per km2 tells the first part of its story. Overseas-born residents make up 37.5% of the population, which is 15.9 percentage points above the national figure, and the crime rate runs at 91.2 incidents per 1,000 residents, a signal the suburb carries above-average public safety pressure.
Population
3,773
Median Age
41.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,276/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
38
Median House
$858K
First quarter 2026
Stock is detached-dominant, with 70.4% separate houses and only 0.9% apartments, so buyers are largely competing for houses rather than units. Three-bedroom homes account for 54.4% of dwellings, with 4-plus bedroom homes at 16.7%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,517, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 27.5%, which sits below the 30% stress threshold even though household income is in the 29.2nd percentile nationally. The spread between income rank and purchase price means buyers are stretching further than they would in most comparable-income suburbs, making pre-purchase cash flow analysis important before committing.
For Buyers
Stock is detached-dominant, with 70.4% separate houses and only 0.9% apartments, so buyers are largely competing for houses rather than units. Three-bedroom homes account for 54.4% of dwellings, with 4-plus bedroom homes at 16.7%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,517, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 27.5%, which sits below the 30% stress threshold even though household income is in the 29.2nd percentile nationally. The spread between income rank and purchase price means buyers are stretching further than they would in most comparable-income suburbs, making pre-purchase cash flow analysis important before committing.
For Investors
Pennington's 39.7% renter share is well above the national average, pointing to a large tenant base, but weekly rent of $250 sets an unambitious yield floor. Vacancy sits at 7.3%, elevated compared to the state average, indicating supply is ahead of current demand. Development activity is active at 36 applications in the past 12 months, including land division and multi-dwelling proposals by the South Australian Housing Trust, which signals ongoing government-led supply additions. The 5.7% price growth over the past year and a 7.3% unemployment rate point to a market in transition rather than stable growth.
Development Activity
Total DAs
212
Last 12 Months
38
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+35.7%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Pennington
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Pennington School R-6
Demographics
The median age of 41 matches the national figure almost exactly, a contrast to Pennington's other demographic signals. Overseas-born residents reach 37.5%, which is 15.9 percentage points above the national figure, with the largest ancestry groups being English (921), Vietnamese (505) and Scottish (212). The top non-English languages spoken at home are Greek (33), Serbian (32), Arabic (31) and Punjabi (26). University qualifications reach 27.6%, which is 2.5 percentage points below the national rate, consistent with a workforce concentrated in trades and services. The household composition skews toward couples with children (1,035 families) and couples without children (543 families), with an average household size of 2.5 matching the national average.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
70.4%
Houses
28.0%
Townhouse
0.9%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure divides into three unequal bands: 34.7% carry mortgages, 39.7% rent and 25.6% own outright, a renter-majority profile that is higher than the state average. The stock is 70.4% separate houses, 28.0% semi-detached and just 0.9% apartments. Three-bedroom homes are the modal type at 54.4%, followed by 2-bedroom at 26.0% and 4-plus bedroom at 16.7%. With housing stress measures sitting below the stress threshold (mortgage-to-income 27.5%, rent-to-income 19.6%), most current owners and renters are not in acute financial strain despite incomes ranked at only the 29.2nd percentile nationally.
Mortgage / mo
$1,517
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$250
Census 2021
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$568
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
7.3%
Unoccupied
111
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.6%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
27.5%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
43.1%
Couples with children
29.5%
Couples, no children
24.4%
Single parent
919
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare dominates Pennington's employment base at 22.2% of workers (218 people), well ahead of Education at 10.8% (106) and Manufacturing at 8.9% (87). Construction follows at 8.7% (85) and Retail at 6.4% (63). By occupation, Professionals lead at 288, followed by Community and Personal Service Workers (233) and Labourers (222), a mix that reflects service and trades activity rather than a knowledge-economy concentration. The unemployment rate is 7.3%, and the participation rate of 51.7% is low, with 1,281 residents not in the labour force. Personal weekly income averages $568, below state and national medians, which explains why household income ranks at the 29.2nd percentile nationally despite the cost of housing.
Unemployment
6.9%
Labour Force
1,720
Unemployed
119
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
56.5%
Part-time
38.5%
Participation
54.2%
Employed
1,601
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
27.6%
Postgraduate
5.2%
Born Overseas
37.5%
Dwellings
1,398
Transport to Work
Car dependency is high, with 85.2% of workers driving to work, compared to only 5.7% using public transport and 2.5% walking or cycling. No schools are recorded inside the Pennington boundary, so families depend on institutions in surrounding suburbs. The crime rate of 91.2 incidents per 1,000 residents is elevated relative to suburban norms and is consistent with the high-crime-rate identity signal in the data. About 12.2% of residents (435 people) need daily assistance with core activities, higher than average, and the volunteering rate of 10.8% is moderate. Rent-to-income at 19.6% keeps renters below the 30% stress threshold, while mortgage-to-income at 27.5% is also below the stress line, giving current occupants reasonable room before financial pressure bites.
Drive
78.4%
Public Transport
5.5%
Walk / Cycle
2.3%
Work from Home
7.7%
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
344
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
91.2
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Pennington compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
What schools are in Pennington?
No schools are recorded within the Pennington boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. About 27.6% of residents hold university qualifications, which is 2.5 percentage points below the national figure, reflecting a workforce concentrated more in trades, healthcare and community services.
Is Pennington safe?
Pennington's crime rate is 91.2 incidents per 1,000 residents, based on 344 recorded incidents across a population of 3,773, which is above average for Adelaide suburbs. This high-crime-rate signal means buyers and renters should factor safety into their assessment, particularly for families.
How is Pennington's population changing?
Pennington's current population is 3,773 across 1.38 km2, giving a density of 2,726 people per km2. Residential turnover is low, with 83.7% of residents remaining at the same address, suggesting a stable base. Government-led development including South Australian Housing Trust multi-dwelling projects indicates incremental densification is underway rather than large-scale expansion.
What languages are spoken in Pennington?
About 37.5% of Pennington residents were born overseas, which is 15.9 percentage points above the national average. The top non-English languages spoken at home are Greek (33 speakers), Serbian (32), Arabic (31) and Punjabi (26), while English, Vietnamese and Scottish ancestry groups are prominent in the wider community.
How much development is happening in Pennington?
There were 36 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, including land divisions into battle-axe allotments and multi-dwelling projects by the South Australian Housing Trust. This level of activity is notable for a suburb of 1.38 km2, suggesting gradual infill and densification rather than large greenfield development.
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). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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