Seaford Heights
With a median age of 29, Seaford Heights runs 11 years below the national figure, making it one of southern Adelaide's youngest suburbs by resident profile. Almost 95% of dwellings are separate houses, 67.1% carry a mortgage, and 26 development applications were lodged in the past year, all pointing to an active, growing community rather than a mature settled one.
Local council: Onkaparinga
Population
1,079
Median Age
29.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,170/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
54
Median House
$660K
First quarter 2026
Mortgage repayments average $1,733 per month, and with household income at the 82.7th percentile nationally, the mortgage-to-income ratio is 18.4%, well below the 30% stress threshold. Separate houses account for 94.9% of the stock, with 62% having three bedrooms and 36.7% having four or more, which suits families. The high 44.5% turnover rate signals that many buyers are still setting down roots rather than holding long-term, so competition at open homes can be active.
For Buyers
Mortgage repayments average $1,733 per month, and with household income at the 82.7th percentile nationally, the mortgage-to-income ratio is 18.4%, well below the 30% stress threshold. Separate houses account for 94.9% of the stock, with 62% having three bedrooms and 36.7% having four or more, which suits families. The high 44.5% turnover rate signals that many buyers are still setting down roots rather than holding long-term, so competition at open homes can be active.
For Investors
The vacancy rate is a tight 1.5%, which means rental properties do not sit empty long, a positive signal for landlords. Development activity ran at 26 applications over 12 months, indicating that the suburb is still absorbing new dwelling completions. The rent-to-income ratio for current tenants is 17.5%, well below stress levels, suggesting the tenant pool is stable and low default risk.
Development Activity
Total DAs
479
Last 12 Months
54
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+107.7%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
The median age of 29 sits 11 years below the national figure, the clearest signal that Seaford Heights is drawing younger household formations rather than retirees. Overseas-born residents account for 26.6% of the population, 5 percentage points above the national share, with English, Scottish and Irish ancestries dominant alongside a smaller German component. University-qualified residents reach 31.7%, 1.6 percentage points above the national average, while the full-time employment rate of 68.1% reflects a workforce-age population. Couples with children make up 51.5% of all families, compared to 28.7% for couples without children, confirming a family-formation profile rather than an empty-nester one.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
94.9%
Houses
5.1%
Townhouse
0.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Seaford Heights is an overwhelmingly owner-occupier and mortgage suburb: 67.1% carry a mortgage, 10.0% own outright, and only 22.9% rent, compared to higher renter shares in more established inner suburbs. The stock is 94.9% separate houses, with just 5.1% semi-detached and no apartments recorded. Three-bedroom homes lead at 62% of dwellings, followed by four-or-more bedroom homes at 36.7%, catering clearly to family buyers. That correction brings the mortgage-to-income ratio to 18.4%, below the stress threshold, making ownership more accessible than at the peak.
Mortgage / mo
$1,733
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$380
Census 2021
HH Size
2.6
Personal Income / wk
$1,081
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
1.5%
Unoccupied
6
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
17.5%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.4%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
46.0%
Couples with children
41.7%
Couples, no children
12.3%
Single parent
326
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads local employment at 21.7% of workers, followed by Construction at 14.0% and Education at 9.8%, a mix that reflects both the suburb's young family profile and its proximity to Onkaparinga's service centres. By occupation, Professionals are the largest group at 135 workers, with Community and Personal service workers second at 87, and Clerical and Admin at 85. The unemployment rate is low at 2.5%, and the participation rate is 78.7%, both higher than would be expected from a population this young, suggesting the workforce is engaged rather than in education or caring roles. Household income at the 82.7th percentile nationally is strong relative to the 1,079-person suburb size.
Unemployment
2.3%
Labour Force
693
Unemployed
16
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
64.0%
Part-time
30.0%
Participation
83.7%
Employed
677
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
31.7%
Postgraduate
6.7%
Born Overseas
26.6%
Dwellings
394
Transport to Work
Transport in Seaford Heights is car-dominated: 92.1% of workers drive, and only 4.4% use public transport, lower than the average for metropolitan Adelaide and reflecting the suburb's outer-fringe position. Crime totalled 46 incidents recorded over the reference period, giving a rate of 42.6 per 1,000 residents. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring Seaford and Morphett Vale. The rent-to-income ratio of 17.5% keeps housing costs manageable for the 22.9% of households who rent, and the volunteering rate of 9.2% reflects some community participation. Average household size of 2.6 is 0.1 above the national figure, consistent with the family-age profile.
Drive
83.0%
Public Transport
3.9%
Walk / Cycle
N/A
Work from Home
9.8%
Growth Outlook
Seaford Heights is in an active development phase with 26 applications lodged in the prior 12 months, including new single-storey detached dwellings and staged civil works for Vista Stage 4, indicating that the suburb boundary is still absorbing new housing completions. The high turnover rate of 44.5% means nearly half the population moved within the previous five years, characteristic of a suburb in early maturity rather than a settled one. The 1.5% vacancy rate and 22.9% renter share are consistent with a population growing faster than rental supply. Price data covers only two quarters, making trend extrapolation unreliable, but the 21.6% median price decline from 1Q 2025 to 1Q 2026 implies recent buyers entered at elevated prices compared to current market values.
Population trend: Onkaparinga council area
Seaford Heights sits in the Onkaparinga council area. These are the council area's residents, not Seaford Heights'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
46
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
42.6
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Seaford Heights compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Seaford Heights a good suburb to live in?
Seaford Heights suits families and younger buyers. Household income sits at the 82.7th percentile nationally, the mortgage-to-income ratio is a manageable 18.4%, and 94.9% of dwellings are separate houses with three or four bedrooms. The main trade-offs are strong car dependency at 92.1% and no schools recorded within the suburb boundary.
What schools are in Seaford Heights?
No schools are recorded within the Seaford Heights suburb boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in adjacent suburbs such as Seaford and Morphett Vale. The suburb has a university qualification rate of 31.7%, which is 1.6 percentage points above the national average.
Is Seaford Heights safe?
Recorded crime totalled 46 incidents over the reference period, giving a rate of 42.6 per 1,000 residents. Only 2.3% of residents (24 people) require daily assistance, and the unemployment rate is low at 2.5%, both indicators associated with lower-disadvantage, stable communities.
How is Seaford Heights's population changing?
Seaford Heights has a population of 1,079 and a high turnover rate of 44.5%, meaning nearly half of residents moved within the past five years. The suburb is still receiving new dwellings via staged development such as Vista Stage 4. The young median age of 29 is 11 years below the national figure, pointing to ongoing family-formation rather than population ageing.
How much development is happening in Seaford Heights?
26 development applications were lodged in the past 12 months, including new single-storey detached dwellings and retaining wall works for the Vista staged subdivision. This level of activity is notable for a suburb of only 1.73 square kilometres and 1,079 residents, confirming that land release and construction are still ongoing.
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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