SA 5161 Census 2021 + Live DA Data

Reynella

Reynella runs against the usual Adobe-fringe pattern: a median house price of $831,050 paired with household income in just the 34.5th percentile nationally, a gap that explains why 48.1% of dwellings carry a mortgage. The suburb is overwhelmingly detached, with 91.3% separate houses and only 8.7% semi-detached, and three-bedroom homes dominate at 69.2% of stock. SEIFA reads decile 3 on IRSAD and decile 4 on IRSD, below the national midpoint, while the median age of 38 sits 2.0 years below national. Prices jumped 13.8% in a single year, from $730,000 to $831,050, far steeper than incomes that grew 4.8% in real terms over a decade.

Reynella urban fabric map

Population

4,836

Median Age

38.0

Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)

$1,346/wk

DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year

61

Median House

$831K

Median 1Q 2026

4.14 km²· 1,167 people/km²· Family income $1,727/wk

The $831,050 median climbed 13.8% from $730,000 a year earlier, a sharp move for a suburb where household income sits in the 34.5th percentile nationally. Buyers get space rather than scarcity: 91.3% of dwellings are separate houses and three-bedroom homes make up 69.2% of stock, with 4-plus bedroom homes at 20.9%, so family-sized housing is the norm here. Despite the price jump, the mortgage-to-income ratio is a manageable 22.3%, below the 30% stress threshold, because average monthly repayments of $1,300 reflect long-held loans rather than current purchase costs. The market suits owner-occupiers chasing detached homes on a budget, with 48.1% of residents already carrying a mortgage and 32.3% owning outright, a profile weighted toward established families rather than first-time entrants.

For Buyers

The $831,050 median climbed 13.8% from $730,000 a year earlier, a sharp move for a suburb where household income sits in the 34.5th percentile nationally. Buyers get space rather than scarcity: 91.3% of dwellings are separate houses and three-bedroom homes make up 69.2% of stock, with 4-plus bedroom homes at 20.9%, so family-sized housing is the norm here. Despite the price jump, the mortgage-to-income ratio is a manageable 22.3%, below the 30% stress threshold, because average monthly repayments of $1,300 reflect long-held loans rather than current purchase costs. The market suits owner-occupiers chasing detached homes on a budget, with 48.1% of residents already carrying a mortgage and 32.3% owning outright, a profile weighted toward established families rather than first-time entrants.

For Investors

Renters make up only 19.6% of households, a thin tenant pool compared with renter-heavy inner suburbs, and weekly rent averages $320. Against the $831,050 median that implies a gross yield near 2.0%, modest, so the case leans on capital growth after the 13.8% one-year price rise rather than income. The 4.2% vacancy rate is higher than tight metro markets, signalling adequate supply rather than scarcity-driven competition. Demand support is steady but not strong: net overseas migration adds about 51 residents a year and net internal migration adds 34, a balanced driver profile. Development activity is moderate at 60 applications in 12 months, mostly verandahs, garages and tree works on existing homes rather than new dwellings, so investors should expect a stable, owner-occupier-dominated market with limited new supply.

Development Activity

Total DAs

304

Last 12 Months

61

YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements

+32.6%

Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year

N/A

Monthly DA Lodgements

DA Categories

Subdivision
25
Deck / Pergola / Patio
21
Renovation / Extension
11
Multi-Dwelling / Townhouse
11
New Dwelling
10
Garage / Carport / Shed
9
Swimming Pool / Spa
5
Tree Removal
5

Schools in Reynella iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged

Reynella South Primary School

ICSEA 969 Primary Government

R-6 · 150 students

Demographics

The median age of 38 is 2.0 years below national, and the household profile leans toward families: average household size is 2.4, just 0.1 below national, with couples-with-children outnumbering couples-without at 1,505 to 1,048 across 3,852 families. Ancestry is strongly Anglo, led by English (2,308), Scottish (455) and Irish (401), and only 19.3% of residents were born overseas, 2.3 points below the national figure. University qualifications reach 23.3%, which is 6.8 points below national, consistent with a trades and services workforce. The most common non-English languages are Urdu (23 speakers), Mandarin (16) and Punjabi (14), a small migrant footprint. The trajectory is aging, with the senior share up 5.4 points and the working-age share down 3.2 points over the decade.

Age Distribution

0-14
18.1%
15-24
10.8%
25-44
30.6%
45-64
22.4%
65+
18.2%

Bedrooms

Studio/1br
0.6%
2 bed
9.4%
3 bed
69.2%
4+ bed
20.9%

Dwelling Structure

91.3%

Houses

8.7%

Townhouse

N/A

Apartment

Tenure

Own 32.3% Mortgage 48.1% Rent 19.6%

Tenure tilts toward mortgaged owners: 48.1% carry a mortgage, 32.3% own outright and only 19.6% rent, a mix typical of a family-buying belt rather than an investor market. The stock is 91.3% separate houses and just 8.7% semi-detached, with three-bedroom homes at 69.2% and 4-plus bedroom at 20.9%, so detached family housing defines the suburb. The median rose from $730,000 to $831,050 across 2025-2026, a 13.8% one-year gain that outpaced the 4.8% real income growth of the past decade. That divergence pushes the price-to-income gap wider, yet the mortgage-to-income ratio holds at 22.3% and rent-to-income at 23.8%, both below the 30% stress line, because existing loans predate the recent price surge.

Median House Price Trend

Source: State Valuer-General

Mortgage / mo

$1,300

Rent / wk

$320

HH Size

2.4

Personal Income / wk

$718

Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)

4.2%

Unoccupied

86

Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress

23.8%

Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress

22.3%

Community Profile

Languages Spoken at Home

Urdu
23
Mandarin
16
Punjabi
14
Greek
11

Ancestry

English
2,308
Scottish
455
Irish
401
Other
372
German
310
Italian
206

Household Composition

27.2%

Couples, no children

3,852

Total families

Economy & Employment

The workforce concentrates in services rather than knowledge sectors: Healthcare leads at 23.5% of workers (354 people), Construction follows at 12.3% (185) and Education at 9.2% (138), with Retail at 8.0% and Public Admin at 6.8%. By occupation the spread is even across Professionals (347), Community and Personal Service (341), Clerical and Admin (315) and Labourers (289), a broad blue-and-white-collar mix. Unemployment sits at 6.1%, above the typical metro rate, and the full-time employment rate is 61.0% with participation at 58.8%, held down by 1,351 residents not in the labour force. SEIFA confirms the picture: IEO scores decile 3 for education and occupation and IER decile 4 for economic resources, both below the national midpoint, reflecting the lower-income, trades-weighted base.

Unemployment

3.8%

Labour Force

5,936

Unemployed

225

Quarterly Trend

Mar-24 Dec-25

Source: SALM Dec-25

Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)

Overall advantage
3
Disadvantage
4
Economic resources
4
Education & occupation
3

Full-time

61.0%

Part-time

32.9%

Participation

58.8%

Employed

2,190

Occupations

Professionals 347
Community/Personal 341
Clerical/Admin 315
Labourers 289
Sales 241
Managers 200
Machinery/Drivers 151

Top Industries

Healthcare 23.5%
Construction 12.3%
Education 9.2%
Retail 8.0%
Public Admin 6.8%

University

23.3%

Postgraduate

4.2%

Born Overseas

19.3%

Dwellings

1,969

Transport to Work

Reynella is car-dependent: 90.3% of residents drive to work while just 3.4% use public transport and 1.0% walk or cycle, above the national reliance on cars and reflecting an outer-suburban layout. No schools are recorded inside the 4.14 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs, a practical trade-off for a low-density area at 1,167 residents per km2. The crime rate is 49.0 incidents per 1,000 residents from 237 recorded offences, a moderate level. SEIFA places the suburb at decile 4 on IRSD for relative disadvantage, below the national midpoint, and 6.8% of residents (314 people) need daily assistance, consistent with the aging trajectory where the senior share rose 5.4 points over the decade.

Drive

90.3%

Public Transport

3.4%

Walk / Cycle

1.0%

Work from Home

N/A

Population Forecast

+0.42%/yr

(+46 people/yr)

Established

Reynella is an established, slow-growth suburb, with population rising 5.2% over the past decade and the trend forecast at 0.42% a year, about 46 residents annually. Migration is the only real driver and it is balanced: net overseas adds around 51 a year and net internal adds 34, modest inflows that keep the suburb stable rather than expanding. The gentrification reading is early signs at a score of 21, supported by rent growth of 22.6% and improving affordability that fell from 48.5% of income in 2011 to 46.2% in 2021. Real incomes grew just 4.8% over the decade, well below the 13.8% one-year price jump, so the affordability gain comes from rising incomes lagging rather than falling prices, a fragile improvement.

Historical + Forecast

Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025

Age Cohort Forecast

Primary Driver

Balanced

Net Overseas / yr

+51

Net Internal / yr

+34

0

Gentrification Signal

Not gentrifying

Safety & Crime

Total Offences

237

Year ending June 2024

Rate per 1,000 People

49.0

Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police

National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs

How Reynella compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs

Population
Top 12%
Household Income
Bottom 34%
Rent Level
Top 34%
Renters
Bottom 48%
Uni Educated
Bottom 48%
Public Transport
Top 48%
Born Overseas
Top 32%
Density
Top 14%

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Reynella a good suburb to live in?

Reynella suits families wanting detached homes, with 91.3% separate houses and three-bedroom stock at 69.2%. It scores SEIFA decile 3 on IRSAD, below the national midpoint, and the median age of 38 is 2.0 years below national. The main trade-off is a $831,050 median that rose 13.8% in a year against incomes in the 34.5th percentile.

What is the median house price in Reynella?

The median house price is $831,050 as of 1Q 2026, up 13.8% from $730,000 a year earlier. Weekly rent averages $320, and average monthly mortgage repayments of $1,300 give a mortgage-to-income ratio of 22.3%, below the 30% stress threshold.

What schools are in Reynella?

No schools are recorded inside the 4.14 km2 Reynella boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The local university qualification rate is 23.3%, which is 6.8 points below the national figure, reflecting a trades and services workforce.

Is Reynella safe?

Reynella recorded 237 offences for a crime rate of 49.0 per 1,000 residents, a moderate level. The suburb scores SEIFA decile 4 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, below the national midpoint, and 6.8% of its residents need daily assistance.

Is Reynella good for property investment?

Rent of $320 a week against a $831,050 median gives a gross yield near 2.0%, modest, and renters are only 19.6% of households. The 13.8% one-year price rise favours capital growth, but the 4.2% vacancy rate signals adequate supply rather than scarcity-driven demand.

How is Reynella's population changing?

Population grew 5.2% over the past decade and is forecast to rise about 0.42% a year, roughly 46 residents annually. Growth is migration-led, with net overseas adding 51 and net internal 34 a year. The profile is aging, with the senior share up 5.4 points over the decade.

What is the demographic profile of Reynella?

The median age is 38, which is 2.0 years below national, and households average 2.4 people. Ancestry is strongly Anglo, led by English (2,308), Scottish (455) and Irish (401), with only 19.3% of residents born overseas, 2.3 points below national.

How much development is happening in Reynella?

There were 60 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, moderate for a 4.14 km2 suburb. Most are verandahs, garages and tree works on existing homes rather than new dwellings, consistent with an established, slow-growth area expanding about 0.42% a year.

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.

Explore Reynella on the Map

View parcels, zoning overlays, DA applications, schools and more.

Open Interactive Map

More Suburbs in SA