Rose Park
The 1,375 residents have a median age of 44, and household income sits at the 90.8th percentile nationally. Compared with nearby Norwood, Rose Park is more residential in character, with 57.0% separate houses and 26.6% semi-detached homes. Its 66.0% university attainment and 2.4-person average household size point to an affluent, educated pocket shaped more by professional households and established owners than by large families.
Local council: Burnside
Population
1,375
Median Age
44.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,411/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
13
Median House
$3.1M
First quarter 2026
The housing mix is broader than a pure detached-house market, with 57.0% separate houses, 26.6% semi-detached dwellings and 16.4% apartments. Three-bedroom homes account for 37.2%, while 4-plus-bedroom properties make up 30.0%. Outright ownership at 47.6% is higher than the 24.5% mortgage share, and mortgage repayments equal 24.9% of household income, below typical stress territory.
For Buyers
The housing mix is broader than a pure detached-house market, with 57.0% separate houses, 26.6% semi-detached dwellings and 16.4% apartments. Three-bedroom homes account for 37.2%, while 4-plus-bedroom properties make up 30.0%. Outright ownership at 47.6% is higher than the 24.5% mortgage share, and mortgage repayments equal 24.9% of household income, below typical stress territory.
For Investors
Rose Park presents a high-value but selective rental proposition. Renting accounts for 26.8% of occupied dwellings, with a weekly median rent of $365, while the 11.4% vacancy rate is higher than would suit investors relying on constant rental competition. Rent-to-income pressure is modest at 15.1%, lower than the 24.9% mortgage-to-income figure, which may support tenant stability even though the purchase price compresses yields. Fourteen development applications in 12 months point to ongoing property improvement, although the available examples are mainly fitouts, verandah work and tree removal rather than a clear wave of new dwellings. Compared with a lower-cost market, the investment case depends more on long-term land value than immediate income.
Development Activity
Total DAs
47
Last 12 Months
13
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+44.4%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Rose Park
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Rose Park Primary School
Demographics
Rose Park has an older and more highly educated profile than Australia overall: the median age of 44 is 4.0 years above the national figure, while university attainment is 35.9 percentage points higher. The overseas-born share is 26.3%, or 4.7 points above the national comparison, with English, Scottish, Irish and Italian ancestry prominent at 534, 155, 153 and 116 people respectively. Christianity accounts for 606 residents and no religion for 596. Average household size is 2.4 people, only 0.1 below the national comparison. Compared with nearby Norwood, the suburb has a quieter residential identity, supported by 47.3% couples without children and 82.9% of residents staying at the same address.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
57.0%
Houses
26.6%
Townhouse
16.4%
Apartment
Tenure
The latest figure is also the recorded peak, so the peak-to-latest change is 0.0%. Housing tenure is owner-oriented: 47.6% of homes are owned outright, compared with 24.5% under mortgage and 26.8% rented. Three-bedroom dwellings are more common than 4-plus-bedroom homes at 37.2% versus 30.0%, while 11.6% have 0 or 1 bedroom and 21.3% have 2 bedrooms. Compared with nearby Norwood, Rose Park's 57.0% separate-house share and 26.6% semi-detached share give it a more established residential form, despite a 16.4% apartment component.
Mortgage / mo
$2,600
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$365
Census 2021
HH Size
2.4
Personal Income / wk
$1,132
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
11.4%
Unoccupied
68
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
15.1%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.9%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
43.6%
Couples with children
47.3%
Couples, no children
8.4%
Single parent
383
Total families
Economy & Employment
Rose Park's employment base is led by Professional/Tech at 20.6%, narrowly above Healthcare at 19.5%, followed by Education at 12.3%, Public Administration at 6.0% and Construction at 5.7%. This pattern aligns with 327 professionals and 117 managers, because higher-skilled occupations tend to support the suburb's strong income profile. Personal weekly income is $1,132, household income is $2,411 and the household income percentile is 90.8 nationally. Labour-force participation is 65.2%, unemployment is 4.9%, and 51.9% of employed residents work full time. Compared with a lower-income suburban economy, Rose Park has a stronger professional and managerial base, although 320 residents work part time.
Unemployment
4.9%
Labour Force
758
Unemployed
37
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
51.9%
Part-time
44.4%
Participation
65.2%
Employed
721
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
66.0%
Postgraduate
20.1%
Born Overseas
26.3%
Dwellings
537
Transport to Work
Rose Park combines a compact 0.54 square kilometre footprint with a density of 2,523.9 people per square kilometre, making daily access more practical than in a spread-out outer suburb. One government primary school, Rose Park Primary School, provides local primary access; families should check enrolment zones and nearby secondary options against the exact address. Car driving is the main commuting mode at 57.1%, well above public transport use at 5.5%, while 11.8% walk or cycle and 18.9% work from home. The recorded crime rate is 28.4 incidents per 1,000 people across 39 incidents, supporting a low-crime profile. Volunteering reaches 25.1%, higher than the 2.4% share needing assistance.
Drive
57.1%
Public Transport
5.5%
Walk / Cycle
11.8%
Work from Home
18.9%
Growth Outlook
Population stability is also notable, with 82.9% of residents staying at the same address and turnover at 17.1%, suggesting that change is more likely to come through prices, renovations and household transitions than rapid churn. Fourteen development applications in 12 months indicate continuing property activity, but the examples are mostly small-scale works rather than major dwelling additions. Compared with a fast-expanding greenfield suburb, Rose Park's growth is more established and value-led, with its 0.54 square kilometre footprint limiting large-scale redevelopment.
Population trend: Burnside council area
Rose Park sits in the Burnside council area. These are the council area's residents, not Rose Park's.
Residents 2025
48,257
Growth, 5 yr average
+0.8%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+0.7%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
39
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
28.4
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Rose Park compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
What schools are in Rose Park?
Rose Park Primary School is the local government primary school. It provides primary education within the suburb, while families seeking other options should check the exact enrolment zone and nearby school locations. The suburb has 1,375 residents, so school access can be address-sensitive.
Is Rose Park safe?
Rose Park has a recorded crime rate of 28.4 incidents per 1,000 people, with 39 total incidents. That supports a relatively low-crime profile for the suburb. Residents should still compare street-level conditions and apply normal precautions, particularly around shared areas and transport routes.
How is Rose Park's population changing?
Rose Park has 1,375 residents and a median age of 44. Population movement appears relatively stable because 82.9% stayed at the same address, while turnover was 17.1%. Household size is 2.4 people, with couples without children representing 47.3% of families, so change is more gradual than in a high-churn growth suburb.
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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