Plympton Park
The suburb packs 3,881 residents into 1.2 square kilometres, with a density of 3,237.1 people per square kilometre and a 70.1% separate-house share. Its median age of 36 is 4 years below the national figure, while the overseas-born share of 30.7% is 9.1 percentage points above national levels. Buyers comparing Plympton Park with nearby Plympton or Marion should focus on its compact, detached-dominant housing profile.
Population
3,881
Median Age
36.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,667/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
31
Median House
$1.2M
First quarter 2026
Separate houses account for 70.1% of dwellings, compared with 18.1% semi-detached homes and 11.9% apartments, so buyers have a narrower apartment choice than house choice. Three-bedroom properties dominate at 55.9%, supporting family demand. A recorded mortgage cost of $1,820 per month represents 25.2% of household income, below common mortgage-stress thresholds, although the upfront price is higher than the previous year.
For Buyers
Separate houses account for 70.1% of dwellings, compared with 18.1% semi-detached homes and 11.9% apartments, so buyers have a narrower apartment choice than house choice. Three-bedroom properties dominate at 55.9%, supporting family demand. A recorded mortgage cost of $1,820 per month represents 25.2% of household income, below common mortgage-stress thresholds, although the upfront price is higher than the previous year.
For Investors
The rental market has a sizeable tenant base, with 39.6% of households renting compared with 23.7% owning outright. Weekly rent is $320 and vacancy is 6.1%, so investors should test achievable rent and local competition rather than assume tight conditions. Overseas migration is identified as the primary growth driver, which may support tenant turnover and demand because new arrivals often rent before buying. Development activity is also notable, with 33 applications in 12 months, including land division and new detached dwellings. That pipeline could improve stock choice, but it may also create additional competition for older properties.
Development Activity
Total DAs
181
Last 12 Months
31
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-3.1%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
Plympton Park has a relatively young profile, with a median age of 36, which is 4 years below the national figure. University qualification attainment is 45.4%, or 15.3 percentage points above national levels, while 30.7% of residents were born overseas, 9.1 points above the national share. English ancestry is recorded for 1,304 people and Chinese ancestry for 276, alongside Mandarin, Punjabi and Nepali language groups of 73, 64 and 50 people. Average household size is 2.4, slightly below the national figure by 0.1. When comparing the suburb with nearby Plympton or Marion, household composition and address-level housing should be considered because 43.5% of families have children.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
70.1%
Houses
18.1%
Townhouse
11.9%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing is led by three-bedroom dwellings, which represent 55.9% of homes, while 14.3% have 4 or more bedrooms and 26.4% have 2 bedrooms. The tenure mix is relatively renter-heavy: 39.6% rent, compared with 35.4% paying a mortgage and 23.7% owning outright. Household income of $1,667 per week sits at the 58th percentile, above the midpoint but not enough to remove the affordability challenge created by the latest price level. Compared with nearby Plympton or Marion, buyers should assess dwelling type and land size separately rather than compare suburb medians alone.
Mortgage / mo
$1,820
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$320
Census 2021
HH Size
2.4
Personal Income / wk
$831
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.1%
Unoccupied
102
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.2%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.2%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
43.5%
Couples with children
37.5%
Couples, no children
15.5%
Single parent
1,030
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the largest employment industry at 23.3%, representing 346 workers, followed by education at 10.8% and professional or technical services at 10.4%. The occupational profile is led by 540 professionals, higher than the 221 managers, with community and personal service roles at 305 and clerical or administrative roles at 273. Labour-force participation is 66.9%, unemployment is 5.0% and the full-time employment rate is 58.3%. The SEIFA pattern is mixed: education and occupation sits in decile 7, above the economic resources decile of 3, while disadvantage and advantage both sit at decile 6. This gap may reflect stronger qualifications and professional work than household resources alone would suggest.
Unemployment
5.0%
Labour Force
2,163
Unemployed
109
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
58.3%
Part-time
35.5%
Participation
66.9%
Employed
2,054
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
45.4%
Postgraduate
10.7%
Born Overseas
30.7%
Dwellings
1,566
Transport to Work
Daily travel is strongly car-oriented: 71.1% of residents drive, compared with 9.9% using public transport and 2.9% walking or cycling, because the suburb's compact footprint does not translate into high active-transport use. Working from home accounts for 10.6%. Reported crime totals 200 incidents, equivalent to 51.5 per 1,000 residents, so safety should be compared with current state or council benchmarks before drawing conclusions. The IRSAD decile is 6, above the economic resources decile of 3, indicating a middle-range advantage profile with uneven household capacity. Families should check nearby school enrolment zones against the exact address, since catchments can cross the 1.2 square kilometre suburb boundary.
Drive
71.1%
Public Transport
9.9%
Walk / Cycle
2.9%
Work from Home
10.6%
Population Forecast
+1.22%/yr
(+349 people/yr)
EstablishedPlympton Park has an established-area forecast with annual growth of 1.22%, driven primarily by overseas migration. Population change across the wider area is 16.3% over 10 years, while the gentrification score is 32 at the Early signs stage. The shift trajectory is Mixed, so growth is more likely to be gradual and uneven than uniform across every street. Rent growth of 25.0% is slightly below the 27.6% house-price increase recorded from 1Q 2025 to 1Q 2026, highlighting stronger recent capital movement than rental movement. With 33 development applications in 12 months, infill activity may add supply while reinforcing the suburb's detached housing pattern.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+773
Net Internal / yr
-368
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +22% since 2011, Net internal outflow -368/yr, Strong overseas inflow +773/yr, Accelerating: 5% → 15%
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
200
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
51.5
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Plympton Park compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
What schools are in Plympton Park?
School options should be checked by exact address because enrolment zones can extend beyond the 1.2 square kilometre suburb boundary. Families should confirm current catchments, transport requirements and sector availability before purchasing or renting. The suburb's 2.4-person average household size and 43.5% share of couples with children indicate a meaningful family housing market.
Is Plympton Park safe?
Plympton Park recorded 200 crimes, equal to 51.5 incidents per 1,000 residents. That figure should be compared with current South Australian and council-area benchmarks because a single rate does not describe street-level conditions. Buyers and renters should also inspect the immediate address, lighting, parking and travel routes at different times of day.
How is Plympton Park's population changing?
Growth is forecast at 1.22% annually, with overseas migration the primary driver. Population change across the wider area is 16.3% over 10 years, and the gentrification score is 32 at the Early signs stage. The trajectory is Mixed, suggesting gradual change rather than a uniform shift across all housing types.
How do people travel from Plympton Park?
Car commuting dominates, with 71.1% driving compared with 9.9% using public transport and 2.9% walking or cycling. Working from home accounts for 10.6%. The figures point to a more car-dependent pattern than active travel, so buyers should compare parking, route times and public transport access against their weekly commute.
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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