Riverton
With a median age of 57, Riverton's population skews 17 years older than the national average, making it one of South Australia's most distinctly senior rural communities. Spanning 152.79 sqkm at a density of just 6.7 residents per square kilometre, the area houses 1,029 people across a detached-dominant stock where 94.2% of dwellings are separate houses. Household income sits at the 13.6th percentile nationally, yet 49.4% of residents own their homes outright, a figure well above the national average, because the aging cohort has had decades to pay off mortgages. The low-crime rate of 17.5 incidents per 1,000 residents and an 82.4% residential stability rate reinforce the profile of a settled, long-established regional community.
Population
1,029
Median Age
57.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,023/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
22
Median house price data is not available for Riverton due to thin transaction volumes, which is common in rural SA localities with fewer than 1,100 residents. What the data does show is affordability: monthly mortgage repayments average $959, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 21.6%, well below the 30% stress threshold and lower than many metropolitan benchmarks. The stock is overwhelmingly detached, with 94.2% separate houses, and 54.6% of dwellings have 3 bedrooms while 25.8% have 4 or more, suiting buyers who want space. Outright ownership at 49.4% is significantly above the national average, which means a large share of sales are likely debt-free transactions. Semi-detached homes account for just 5.1% of dwellings, so buyers seeking house-and-land rather than attached product will find limited competition.
For Buyers
Median house price data is not available for Riverton due to thin transaction volumes, which is common in rural SA localities with fewer than 1,100 residents. What the data does show is affordability: monthly mortgage repayments average $959, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 21.6%, well below the 30% stress threshold and lower than many metropolitan benchmarks. The stock is overwhelmingly detached, with 94.2% separate houses, and 54.6% of dwellings have 3 bedrooms while 25.8% have 4 or more, suiting buyers who want space. Outright ownership at 49.4% is significantly above the national average, which means a large share of sales are likely debt-free transactions. Semi-detached homes account for just 5.1% of dwellings, so buyers seeking house-and-land rather than attached product will find limited competition.
For Investors
Rental demand in Riverton is modest, with only 21.0% of dwellings rented compared to higher proportions in metropolitan markets. Weekly rent averages $230, and rent-to-income at 22.5% avoids stress territory, suggesting tenants are financially stable. The vacancy rate of 10.4% is elevated, indicating more supply than demand in the rental market and cautioning against speculative purchases. Development activity totalled 22 applications in the past 12 months, mostly residential additions rather than new supply, suggesting the market is more about improving existing stock than building new. The aging population profile and low household turnover rate of 17.6% mean long-term tenants are plausible but total rental demand remains limited by the small population of 1,029.
Development Activity
Total DAs
109
Last 12 Months
22
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-4.3%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Riverton iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Riverton Primary School
R-6 · 81 students
Riverton and District High School
7-12 · 184 students
Demographics
The median age of 57 places Riverton's population 17 years above the national figure, the clearest signal in the data. The workforce participation rate is just 41.3%, lower than most SA benchmarks, because a large proportion of residents are retired or semi-retired. University qualifications reach 20.4%, which is 9.7 percentage points below the national average, reflecting a blue-collar and agricultural heritage rather than knowledge-economy concentration. Overseas-born residents are 12.9%, which is 8.7 points below national, and ancestry leans strongly Anglo-Celtic, led by English (450 residents), Scottish (112), German (105) and Irish (104). Volunteering runs at a high 29.1%, consistent with tight community engagement in regional areas. Couples without children make up 44.3% of family households, matching the older age profile.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
94.2%
Houses
5.1%
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
Riverton's housing stock is almost entirely detached houses at 94.2%, with semi-detached homes at 5.1% and no meaningful apartment segment. The bedroom mix favours larger homes: 54.6% have 3 bedrooms and 25.8% have 4 or more, which is generous by national standards and reflects rural lot sizes. Outright ownership at 49.4% outnumbers mortgaged households (29.6%) by a wide margin, and mortgage-to-income sits at 21.6%, below the stress threshold compared to capital city averages. Average household size is 2.1, below the national figure, consistent with older couples whose children have left home. Rent-to-income at 22.5% is affordable, and weekly rent of $230 is substantially below state capital medians, positioning Riverton as genuinely low-cost for renters.
Mortgage / mo
$959
Rent / wk
$230
HH Size
2.1
Personal Income / wk
$536
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
10.4%
Unoccupied
50
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.5%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.6%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
44.3%
Couples, no children
691
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the largest employment sector at 21.8% (43 workers), followed by Agriculture at 17.3% (34 workers) and Education at 12.7% (25 workers), with Public Admin at 8.1% and Manufacturing at 7.1% rounding out the top five. By occupation, Managers lead with 67 workers, followed by Labourers (63), Professionals (51) and Community/Personal service workers (47). The agricultural component explains why Labourers are so prominent relative to what you would see in a metropolitan suburb of the same size. Household income at the 13.6th percentile nationally reflects the rural economy and significant retirement income share rather than a high-earning workforce. Full-time employment is 55.7% among the employed, with 20 unemployed residents giving an unemployment rate of 5.4%.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
55.7%
Part-time
38.9%
Participation
41.3%
Employed
348
Occupations
Top Industries
University
20.4%
Postgraduate
3.1%
Born Overseas
12.9%
Dwellings
433
Transport to Work
Car dependence is high at 87.3% of commuters driving, which is expected in a rural area spanning 152.79 sqkm where public transport options are limited. Walking and cycling account for 10.9% of trips, a meaningful figure for a low-density environment. Crime is low, with just 18 incidents recorded in the reference period, producing a rate of 17.5 per 1,000 residents, below most metropolitan benchmarks. No schools are recorded in the suburb boundary in this dataset, so families with children rely on nearby regional centres. The volunteering rate of 29.1% is notably high compared to state averages, pointing to a community where civic participation remains strong. Housing stress is absent on both measures, with mortgage-to-income at 21.6% and rent-to-income at 22.5% both sitting comfortably below the 30% threshold.
Drive
87.3%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
10.9%
Work from Home
N/A
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
18
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
17.5
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Riverton compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Riverton a good suburb to live in?
Riverton suits buyers seeking quiet, low-density rural living with affordable housing costs. Mortgage-to-income sits at 21.6% and rent-to-income at 22.5%, both well below the 30% stress threshold. The crime rate of 17.5 per 1,000 residents is low, and 82.4% of residents stay year to year, indicating genuine community stability. The trade-off is limited services and car dependence across 152.79 sqkm.
What is the median house price in Riverton?
A published median house price is not available for Riverton due to low transaction volumes in this small rural locality of 1,029 residents. Affordability indicators suggest prices are accessible: average monthly mortgage repayments are $959, and mortgage-to-income sits at 21.6%, well below metropolitan averages. Weekly rent is $230.
What schools are in Riverton?
No schools are recorded within the Riverton suburb boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in nearby regional centres. The local population has a university qualification rate of 20.4%, which is 9.7 percentage points below the national average, reflecting the area's agricultural and blue-collar employment base.
Is Riverton safe?
Riverton recorded 18 incidents in the reference period, giving a crime rate of 17.5 per 1,000 residents. This is a low figure compared to most metropolitan suburbs and consistent with the suburb's identity as a stable, low-turnover rural community where 82.4% of residents have lived there for at least 5 years.
Is Riverton good for property investment?
Investment fundamentals are mixed. Weekly rent of $230 is affordable for tenants but produces modest gross yields, and the vacancy rate of 10.4% is elevated compared to tighter metropolitan markets. The small population of 1,029 and low rental demand (21.0% renting) limit total tenancy volume. Development activity of 22 applications in 12 months is mostly alterations, not new supply, which reduces oversupply risk but also signals limited capital growth drivers.
How is Riverton's population changing?
Published forecasts are not available, but Riverton's structural indicators suggest flat to slight decline. The median age of 57 is 17 years above the national average, workforce participation is just 41.3%, and household income sits at the 13.6th percentile nationally. Residential turnover is low at 17.6%, meaning few new residents are arriving to offset the naturally aging population base.
How much development is happening in Riverton?
There were 22 development applications lodged in Riverton in the past 12 months. Recent approvals include verandah additions and alterations to existing dwellings, reflecting a pattern of homeowners improving their properties rather than new residential supply entering the market. This is consistent with a stable, established rural community where 49.4% of residents own their homes outright.
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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