Reynella East
At 45, Reynella East has a resident age profile 5 years above the national benchmark, and its 1,990 people live across only 1.35 square kilometres at 1,477.5 people per square kilometre. Housing is strongly detached, with 86.3% separate houses, while just 13.7% of households rent. Compared with nearby Reynella and Morphett Vale, it reads as a compact, low-turnover residential pocket, with 86.1% of residents staying at the same address. The result is a settled suburb suited to established households, but its slower growth and older profile matter more than a rapid-renewal story.
Local council: Onkaparinga
Population
1,990
Median Age
45.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,215/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
25
Median House
$857K
First quarter 2026
For buyers, the main trade-off is a high entry price against a conventional family-home format. Separate houses account for 86.3% of stock, and 3-bedroom homes make up 65.5%, favouring households seeking a standard family layout over apartment buyers. Mortgage repayments are $1,385 monthly, while mortgage costs equal 26.3% of household income, below common stress territory. Yet household income sits at the 26.1 percentile, below the national midpoint, so deposit size and borrowing capacity remain important. The 34.2% outright ownership share points to a settled base and limited bargain stock.
For Buyers
For buyers, the main trade-off is a high entry price against a conventional family-home format. Separate houses account for 86.3% of stock, and 3-bedroom homes make up 65.5%, favouring households seeking a standard family layout over apartment buyers. Mortgage repayments are $1,385 monthly, while mortgage costs equal 26.3% of household income, below common stress territory. Yet household income sits at the 26.1 percentile, below the national midpoint, so deposit size and borrowing capacity remain important. The 34.2% outright ownership share points to a settled base and limited bargain stock.
For Investors
Rental investors face a small but potentially resilient tenant pool. Only 13.7% of households rent, below a rental-led profile, while weekly rent is $315 and vacancy is 5.0%. Rent growth of 22.6% supports recent income momentum, but low renter penetration means demand is tied more to local households than a deep investor market. Development activity reached 24 applications in 12 months, creating future supply to monitor. The established forecast points to 0.42% annual growth, with migration labelled Balanced, so capital growth is lower than a fast-growth corridor. A gentrification score of 0, marked Not gentrifying, favours a stability strategy over rapid repricing.
Development Activity
Total DAs
79
Last 12 Months
25
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+92.3%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Reynella East
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Reynella East College
Demographics
Reynella East skews older and more settled than the national profile. Median age is 45, or 5 years above the national benchmark, while university attainment is 22.0%, 8.1 percentage points below national levels. Overseas-born residents account for 19.9%, 1.7 points below the national comparison, and average household size is 2.3, 0.2 below the national figure. English ancestry is the leading response at 988 people, followed by German 194, Scottish 190 and Irish 174. No religion is recorded for 1,074 residents versus 703 identifying with Christianity. With 86.1% staying at the same address and turnover of 13.9%, the profile is more stable than a high-churn growth suburb, which helps explain the older, family and downsizer mix.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
86.3%
Houses
12.1%
Townhouse
1.6%
Apartment
Tenure
Reynella East is a detached, three-bedroom market, with 86.3% separate houses, 12.1% semi-detached dwellings and only 1.6% apartments. Three-bedroom homes account for 65.5% of stock, while 4 or more bedrooms represent 19.9%, creating a clear family-home bias. Tenure is weighted toward owners, with 34.2% owning outright and 43.5% paying a mortgage, compared with 13.7% renting. Mortgage costs equal 26.3% of household income, while household income ranks at the 26.1 percentile, below the national midpoint. That mix makes the suburb less exposed to rental churn, but price growth has outpaced 4.8% real income growth over the latest period.
Mortgage / mo
$1,385
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$315
Census 2021
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$660
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.0%
Unoccupied
45
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.9%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.3%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
34.7%
Couples with children
44.4%
Couples, no children
19.6%
Single parent
577
Total families
Economy & Employment
Employment is anchored by essential and public-facing industries. Healthcare accounts for 24.4% of industry employment, followed by Public Administration and Education at 10.4% each, Construction at 9.7% and Manufacturing at 7.9%. Occupations include 161 Trades workers, 149 Professionals, 137 Community and Personal workers, 122 Clerical and Administration workers, and 80 Labourers. The labour force is 935, with 5.8% unemployment and 55.7% participation; 55.5% of employed residents work full time. Household income is $1,215 weekly and ranks at the 26.1 percentile, below the national midpoint. SEIFA is decile 3 for education and occupation, 4 for economic resources, 4 for disadvantage and 3 for advantage/disadvantage. This lower-ranked pattern fits a trades and service economy, while healthcare provides a broader base than construction alone.
Unemployment
5.8%
Labour Force
935
Unemployed
54
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
55.5%
Part-time
39.5%
Participation
55.7%
Employed
881
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
22.0%
Postgraduate
4.1%
Born Overseas
19.9%
Dwellings
852
Transport to Work
Daily life is car-oriented: 83.4% travel as car drivers, compared with 3.7% using public transport, 1.0% walking or cycling and 9.3% working from home. School access is anchored by Reynella East College, a government primary/secondary combined campus, giving families one local all-through option; enrolment zones should be checked against the exact address. Recorded crime is 80 incidents, or 40.2 per 1,000 residents, so current street-level conditions should be reviewed rather than inferred from the suburb label. Socioeconomic access is below the middle range, with IRSAD decile 3 and IRSD decile 4, while 8.0% report needing assistance. Compared with a transit-oriented suburb, the practical advantage is private-vehicle convenience, because public transport use is far lower than car dependence. It suits households prioritising space, routine and local schooling over a walkable town-centre lifestyle.
Drive
83.4%
Public Transport
3.7%
Walk / Cycle
1.0%
Work from Home
9.3%
Growth Outlook
Growth is likely to be measured rather than rapid. The annual trend is 0.42%, with migration classified as Balanced, placing Reynella East below a fast-expanding corridor. Across the wider area, population change is 5.2% over 10 years, while the shift trajectory is Aging: the senior share has risen 5.4 percentage points and the young share has fallen 1.0 point. Rent growth of 22.6% shows stronger housing-cost movement than the resident base, but the forecast gentrification score is 0 and the stage is Not gentrifying. A separate shift indicator records a score of 21 and Early signs, suggesting isolated change rather than a suburb-wide reset. The established classification fits a compact 1.35 square kilometre suburb where owner occupation and an older base slow renewal.
Population trend: Onkaparinga council area
Reynella East sits in the Onkaparinga council area. These are the council area's residents, not Reynella East's.
Residents 2025
184,827
Growth, 5 yr average
+1.1%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+0.9%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
80
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
40.2
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Reynella East compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Reynella East a good suburb to live in?
Reynella East can suit households seeking detached homes, established streets and a quieter routine. Median age is 45, 86.3% of dwellings are separate houses, and 83.4% commute by car, so it is better suited to space and driving than transit-led living.
What schools are in Reynella East?
Reynella East College is a government primary/secondary combined school serving the suburb. Families should check the exact address and current enrolment rules, since 1 local campus does not guarantee a place.
Is Reynella East safe?
Recorded crime is 40.2 incidents per 1,000 residents, with 80 incidents recorded. Treat this as a starting point and check recent police updates and the exact street before deciding, since conditions can vary across a suburb.
Is Reynella East good for property investment?
It can suit a stability-focused investor, but not necessarily a high-growth strategy. Weekly rent is $315, vacancy is 5.0%, only 13.7% of households rent, and forecast annual growth is 0.42% with Balanced migration. There were 24 development applications in 12 months.
How is Reynella East's population changing?
The resident base is ageing gradually rather than expanding quickly. Population change across the wider area is 5.2% over 10 years, the annual growth trend is 0.42%, and the senior share has increased 5.4 points while the young share fell 1.0 point. Migration is Balanced.
What development is occurring in Reynella East?
Development activity totalled 24 applications in 12 months, including detached dwelling proposals and safety-provision work. That is a notable pipeline for a 1.35 square kilometre suburb, so buyers should check proposal status, timing and possible effects on nearby streets.
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).
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