Royal Park
The 3,453-resident suburb has a median age of 37, which is 3 years below the national comparison, while 27.4% of residents were born overseas, 5.8 percentage points above the national share. Housing is dominated by separate houses at 76.5%, with 58.7% of dwellings containing 3 bedrooms. Compared with nearby Hendon and Albert Park, Royal Park's clearest distinction is its detached-home focus. A 6.4% vacancy rate and 31.6% renting share still give the suburb a meaningful rental market.
Population
3,453
Median Age
37.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,414/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
38
Median House
$1.0M
First quarter 2026
Royal Park is primarily a detached-house market, with 76.5% of homes separate houses, 20.5% semi-detached and only 3.0% apartments. The typical purchase is a 3-bedroom home, representing 58.7% of dwellings, while 4-bedroom-plus properties account for 13.9%. Monthly mortgage costs are listed at $1,560, equal to 25.5% of household income, compared with rent at 23.3% of income. That relatively close financing gap means buyers should compare deposit size, repayments and property condition rather than relying on the suburb's house-heavy appeal alone.
For Buyers
Royal Park is primarily a detached-house market, with 76.5% of homes separate houses, 20.5% semi-detached and only 3.0% apartments. The typical purchase is a 3-bedroom home, representing 58.7% of dwellings, while 4-bedroom-plus properties account for 13.9%. Monthly mortgage costs are listed at $1,560, equal to 25.5% of household income, compared with rent at 23.3% of income. That relatively close financing gap means buyers should compare deposit size, repayments and property condition rather than relying on the suburb's house-heavy appeal alone.
For Investors
Royal Park has a sizeable tenant base, with 31.6% of households renting, a higher share than the 29.2% owning outright. Weekly rent is $330 and vacancy is 6.4%, indicating tenant demand exists but is less constrained than in a very tight rental market. A total of 41 development applications were recorded over 12 months, including verandah work, boundary changes and additional allotments. Compared with a lower-activity market, that level of small-scale change may create both renovation opportunities and future competition for tenants. Forecast growth is 1.0% annually with Balanced migration.
Development Activity
Total DAs
213
Last 12 Months
38
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+11.8%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Royal Park
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Hendon Primary School
Demographics
Royal Park has a median age of 37, 3 years below the national comparison, and an average household size of 2.3 people, 0.2 below the national figure. Couples without children represent 38.2% of households, while couples with children account for 37.1% and one-parent families 23.6%, creating a mixed household profile rather than a single family pattern. Overseas-born residents comprise 27.4%, 5.8 percentage points above the national share. English ancestry is recorded for 1,043 people, alongside Italian at 358, Scottish at 217 and German at 215. Serbian, Italian and Greek are the leading listed non-English languages, with 86, 45 and 31 speakers respectively. University attainment is 28.4%, 1.7 points below the national comparison, while 79.3% stayed at the same address, higher than the 20.7% turnover rate.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
76.5%
Houses
20.5%
Townhouse
3.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Royal Park's housing profile is more house-led than apartment-led, with 76.5% separate houses, 20.5% semi-detached homes and 3.0% apartments. Three-bedroom dwellings account for 58.7%, compared with 25.8% for 2-bedroom homes and 13.9% for 4-bedroom-plus properties. Tenure is split between 38.1% mortgaged, 29.2% owned outright and 31.6% renting. Compared with outright ownership, renting is higher by 2.4 percentage points, which supports a mixed owner and tenant base. Mortgage costs absorb 25.5% of household income, only slightly higher than the 23.3% rent-to-income share.
Mortgage / mo
$1,560
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$330
Census 2021
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$751
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.4%
Unoccupied
98
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.3%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.5%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
37.1%
Couples with children
38.2%
Couples, no children
23.6%
Single parent
976
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is Royal Park's largest listed industry, employing 225 people or 20.1%, followed by construction with 119 people, public administration with 108, education with 107 and manufacturing with 82. The occupational mix is similarly broad, led by 311 professionals, 288 trades workers, 250 community and personal service workers, 234 clerical and administrative workers and 196 labourers. Labour-force participation is 63.3%, with unemployment at 6.1% and full-time employment at 61.0%. Weekly personal income is $751, family income $1,832 and household income $1,414, with household income at the 41st percentile. Compared with the IEO decile of 4, the IER decile of 2 is lower, while IRSD and IRSAD both sit at decile 3. That gap suggests economic resources are uneven despite employment across several service and trade sectors.
Unemployment
6.1%
Labour Force
1,831
Unemployed
112
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
61.0%
Part-time
33.8%
Participation
63.3%
Employed
1,719
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
28.4%
Postgraduate
5.8%
Born Overseas
27.4%
Dwellings
1,427
Transport to Work
Royal Park is strongly car-oriented: 80.4% of residents travel as car drivers, compared with 4.3% using public transport and 2.5% walking or cycling. That makes private vehicle access more important than transit reliance, while 7.1% work from home. Families have access to Hendon Primary School, a government primary education option, and should confirm enrolment zones against the exact address because boundaries can cut across suburb edges. Recorded crime totals 230 incidents, or 66.6 per 1,000 residents, so safety should be considered alongside the specific street and property. Compared with public transport use, car dependence is substantially higher. Socioeconomic advantage is below higher-decile areas, with IRSAD and IRSD both at decile 3, while 7.9% of residents need assistance and volunteering is 11.6%.
Drive
80.4%
Public Transport
4.3%
Walk / Cycle
2.5%
Work from Home
7.1%
Population Forecast
+1.0%/yr
(+69 people/yr)
EstablishedRoyal Park is forecast to grow at 1.0% annually, with Balanced migration rather than a single dominant inflow source. The wider-area population change is 13.9% over 10 years, while the shift trajectory is labelled Mixed, so growth is likely to be uneven across household types and locations. Gentrification is rated 21 at the Early signs stage, although a separate shift measure records a score of 69 and an Active stage, pointing to selective change rather than a uniform transformation. Rents have grown 57.0%, higher than the 26.3% increase in real incomes, which can support investor interest but also pressure tenants. Affordability is described as Stable, moving from 42.1 in 2011 to 42.5 in 2021. The working-age share rose 2.7 points, while the young and senior shares fell 1.5 and 1.9 points.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+53
Net Internal / yr
+8
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +18% since 2011, Accelerating: 3% → 15%
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
230
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
66.6
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Royal Park compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Royal Park a good suburb to live in?
Royal Park can suit households wanting detached housing, established services and a car-oriented lifestyle. The suburb has 3,453 residents, a median age of 37 and 76.5% separate houses. Compared with a transit-led area, its 80.4% car-driver share and 4.3% public transport share make vehicle access more important.
What schools are in Royal Park?
Hendon Primary School is the listed government primary education option associated with Royal Park. Families should check the enrolment zone for the exact address and confirm current arrangements directly with the school. The suburb's housing mix includes 58.7% 3-bedroom dwellings, which may suit established family households.
Is Royal Park safe?
Royal Park recorded 230 reported crime incidents, equivalent to 66.6 incidents per 1,000 residents. That figure is a useful baseline rather than a guarantee for every street. Compare individual properties by location, lighting, parking and nearby activity, and review the most recent local safety information before deciding.
How is Royal Park's population changing?
Royal Park has 3,453 residents today. Across the wider area, population change is forecast at 13.9% over 10 years and the annual trend is 1.0%. Migration is labelled Balanced and the trajectory Mixed, so change is likely to be gradual and uneven rather than driven by one clearly dominant source.
What development is occurring in Royal Park?
There were 41 development applications over the latest 12-month period. Examples include a rear verandah, boundary realignment and a community division creating 2 additional allotments. Compared with a suburb with little application activity, this indicates ongoing small-scale change, although individual projects should be checked for their exact status and effect.
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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