Peterborough
With a median age of 55, Peterborough sits 15 years above the national figure, making it one of South Australia's most distinctly aged rural communities. Household income ranks in just the 2.2nd percentile nationally, and the SEIFA IRSAD score places the suburb in decile 2 out of 10, indicating deep socioeconomic disadvantage relative to the rest of Australia. The 21.8% vacancy rate is unusually high and reflects population decline rather than investor turnover: 52.4% of households own their home outright, suggesting long-term residents rather than transient renters. At 1,490 residents spread across 37 square kilometres, density sits at just 40 residents per square kilometre.
Population
1,490
Median Age
55.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$706/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
21
Median house price data is not available for Peterborough, but the cost signals present elsewhere paint a picture of affordability. Monthly mortgage repayments average $569, among the lowest you will find in South Australia, and mortgage-to-income sits at 18.6%, well below the 30% stress threshold. Some 95.5% of dwellings are separate houses, so buyers get detached homes rather than units. The 52.4% outright ownership rate, compared to just 23.5% carrying a mortgage, points to a long-settled population with paid-off debt rather than active buyers competing for stock. The 21.8% vacancy rate means supply is plentiful; the challenge is limited resale liquidity due to the small buyer pool.
For Buyers
Median house price data is not available for Peterborough, but the cost signals present elsewhere paint a picture of affordability. Monthly mortgage repayments average $569, among the lowest you will find in South Australia, and mortgage-to-income sits at 18.6%, well below the 30% stress threshold. Some 95.5% of dwellings are separate houses, so buyers get detached homes rather than units. The 52.4% outright ownership rate, compared to just 23.5% carrying a mortgage, points to a long-settled population with paid-off debt rather than active buyers competing for stock. The 21.8% vacancy rate means supply is plentiful; the challenge is limited resale liquidity due to the small buyer pool.
For Investors
The investment case in Peterborough is constrained by two numbers: weekly rent of $160 and a vacancy rate of 21.8%. The vacancy figure is far above the 3-5% typically associated with a balanced rental market, signalling ongoing structural oversupply as the population ages and shrinks. Rent-to-income at 22.7% means tenants are not under stress, but yields are thin given the low rent base. Development activity shows 18 applications in the past 12 months, mostly smaller works rather than new dwellings, consistent with a town maintaining rather than growing. The IRSAD decile 2 rating and unemployment rate of 14.7% further limit rental demand growth. Investment here suits those seeking very low entry prices with full awareness of the liquidity constraints.
Development Activity
Total DAs
102
Last 12 Months
21
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+110.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Peterborough iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Peterborough High School
U, 7-12 · 53 students
Peterborough Primary School
U, R-6 · 40 students
St Joseph's School
R-9 · 62 students
Demographics
The median age of 55 is 15 years above the national average, making Peterborough one of the most senior-skewed communities in regional South Australia. University qualifications reach just 9.9% of residents, which is 20.2 percentage points below the national figure, reflecting the trade and labour heritage of a rural service town. Overseas-born residents represent 11%, which is 10.6 points below the national rate, and ancestry is heavily Anglo-Celtic, led by English (591), Scottish (117) and Irish (116). The average household size of 1.8 is 0.7 below the national figure, consistent with older couples and single-person households rather than families with children. Just 177 couples with children are recorded against 363 couples without children.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
95.5%
Houses
3.3%
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
Separate houses account for 95.5% of Peterborough's stock, one of the most detached-dominant profiles in South Australia, with semi-detached dwellings at 3.3% and no meaningful apartment supply. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 64.6% of dwellings, with 4-plus bedroom homes at 13.3% and two-bedroom at 18.7%. Tenure structure reflects a settled, debt-free population: 52.4% own outright, compared to 23.5% with a mortgage and 24.1% renting. Monthly mortgage repayments average $569 and mortgage-to-income sits at 18.6%, both below national benchmarks. The 21.8% vacancy rate is the most significant housing characteristic, suggesting a persistent surplus of stock relative to population, which suppresses prices even as ownership costs remain low.
Mortgage / mo
$569
Rent / wk
$160
HH Size
1.8
Personal Income / wk
$456
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
21.8%
Unoccupied
187
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.7%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.6%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
43.1%
Couples, no children
842
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the single largest employer at 18.1% of the local workforce, followed equally by Retail and Education at 12.7% each, then Hospitality at 10.3% and Construction at 7.4%. This public-sector-heavy mix is typical of a regional service centre where the hospital and school anchor employment. By occupation, Labourers (80) are the most common, ahead of Community and Personal Service workers (71) and Managers (59). The unemployment rate of 14.7% is well above the national average, and the labour force participation rate of 32.6% is low, largely because 658 residents are not in the labour force, which is consistent with the high median age of 55. The SEIFA IRSAD decile 2 rating confirms the depth of economic disadvantage relative to national benchmarks.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
50.1%
Part-time
35.2%
Participation
32.6%
Employed
361
Occupations
Top Industries
University
9.9%
Postgraduate
1.3%
Born Overseas
11.0%
Dwellings
664
Transport to Work
Transport in Peterborough is overwhelmingly car-dependent, with 82.4% of residents driving to work, compared to just 1.4% using public transport. Walking and cycling account for 11.1%, relatively high for a low-density rural town, reflecting the compact walkable core of a small service centre. Crime sits at 45.0 offences per 1,000 residents, which is a material figure for a population of 1,490. Peterborough ranks in IRSAD decile 2, placing it in the bottom 20% for relative socioeconomic advantage nationally. Some 12.1% of residents, or 153 people, need assistance with daily activities, above the typical figure for communities of this size. No schools are recorded in the suburb dataset, so families rely on facilities in nearby centres. Volunteering is active at 22.4% of the population, above typical national rates.
Drive
82.4%
Public Transport
1.4%
Walk / Cycle
11.1%
Work from Home
N/A
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
67
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
45.0
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Peterborough compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Peterborough a good suburb to live in?
Peterborough suits residents who value affordable, low-debt rural living. Over 52.4% of households own outright and monthly mortgage repayments average just $569. Trade-offs include an IRSAD decile 2 ranking, placing it in the bottom 20% nationally for socioeconomic advantage, and limited public transport with 82.4% of residents car-dependent.
What is the median house price in Peterborough?
A specific median house price figure is not available in current data for Peterborough. However, monthly mortgage repayments average $569, one of the lowest in South Australia, and 52.4% of households own their home outright, indicating a very affordable market with low debt levels.
What schools are in Peterborough?
No schools are recorded inside the Peterborough suburb boundary in this dataset. Families in the town of 1,490 residents typically access educational facilities either locally or in nearby regional centres. Education is the third-largest employment sector at 12.7% of the local workforce, suggesting teaching staff commute in from surrounding areas.
Is Peterborough safe?
Peterborough records a crime rate of 45.0 offences per 1,000 residents, which is a moderate-to-elevated figure relative to South Australian community benchmarks. The IRSAD decile 2 ranking places the suburb in the bottom 20% nationally for socioeconomic advantage, and higher disadvantage is generally correlated with elevated offence rates.
Is Peterborough good for property investment?
The 21.8% vacancy rate is the key challenge for investors, signalling structural oversupply far above the 3-5% balanced market threshold. Weekly rent sits at $160 and unemployment is 14.7%, limiting demand growth. Entry prices are very low by national standards, so investors willing to accept low yields and limited liquidity may find opportunities, but the numbers favour caution.
How is Peterborough's population changing?
Peterborough shows signs of gradual population decline rather than growth. The median age of 55 is 15 years above the national average, household size of 1.8 is below the national figure, and the 21.8% vacancy rate indicates more housing stock than current demand requires. Labour force participation at 32.6% is low, consistent with a large retired share of the population.
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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