Semaphore South
A median house price of $1,336,500 in a suburb of just 1,031 residents and 0.62 km2 signals a concentrated, high-value pocket on Adelaide's western coast. At 44 years, the median age sits 4 years above the national figure, and 77% of residents stayed put over the five years to census, pointing to an owner-occupier cohort that arrived and stayed. University qualifications reach 37.6%, which is 7.5 points above the national average, yet household income ranks at only the 58.2nd percentile nationally, a gap explained partly by the 61.7% participation rate and the number of established homeowners who are no longer in full-time work.
Population
1,031
Median Age
44.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,676/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
16
Median House
$1.3M
Median 1Q 2026
The median house price reached $1,336,500 in the first quarter of 2026, up 6.5% from $1,254,500 a year earlier, a rate that outpaces most Adelaide suburbs in the same period. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,842, and mortgage-to-income sits at 25.4%, below the 30% stress threshold despite the high purchase price because many buyers carry equity from earlier purchases. Separate houses make up 59.7% of the stock, with semi-detached dwellings at 33.5% and apartments at just 6.8%, giving buyers a predominantly house-and-semi market. Three-bedroom dwellings are the most common at 38.5%, followed by two-bedroom at 36.9%. Outright owners at 34.3% outnumber renters at 29.6%, consistent with a suburb where residents tend to stay for the long term.
For Buyers
The median house price reached $1,336,500 in the first quarter of 2026, up 6.5% from $1,254,500 a year earlier, a rate that outpaces most Adelaide suburbs in the same period. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,842, and mortgage-to-income sits at 25.4%, below the 30% stress threshold despite the high purchase price because many buyers carry equity from earlier purchases. Separate houses make up 59.7% of the stock, with semi-detached dwellings at 33.5% and apartments at just 6.8%, giving buyers a predominantly house-and-semi market. Three-bedroom dwellings are the most common at 38.5%, followed by two-bedroom at 36.9%. Outright owners at 34.3% outnumber renters at 29.6%, consistent with a suburb where residents tend to stay for the long term.
For Investors
Renters account for 29.6% of households and pay a median of $320 per week, which against the $1,336,500 median house price implies a gross yield below 1.3%, low compared to the broader Adelaide market. The 10.3% vacancy rate is the more important signal: it is elevated for an area of this price, suggesting the rental pool is not as tight as the purchase price might imply. Development activity recorded 14 applications in the past 12 months, a modest level for a 0.62 km2 suburb, with recent approvals spanning a two-storey dwelling, a verandah addition, and a spa pool, consistent with incremental improvement rather than large-scale supply growth. The 6.5% price gain over one year supports a capital-growth thesis more than a yield one, and the low turnover rate of 23% means opportunities to buy are infrequent.
Development Activity
Total DAs
84
Last 12 Months
16
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+14.3%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Semaphore South iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Le Fevre High School
U, 7-12 · 456 students
Demographics
The median age of 44 is 4 years above the national figure and reflects a suburb that has aged in place, with 77% of residents remaining at the same address for five years or more. Overseas-born residents stand at 20.4%, which is 1.2 points below the national average, and the ancestry profile is strongly Anglo-Celtic: English (440), Irish (146) and Scottish (144) are the top three ancestries, with German (84) the main continental European group. University qualifications at 37.6% run 7.5 points above the national rate, and the average household size of 2.2 is 0.3 below national, consistent with couples-without-children households at 31.5% of all families. Volunteering at 16.9% is comparatively active for a suburb of this size, and only 4.0% of residents need daily assistance.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
59.7%
Houses
33.5%
Townhouse
6.8%
Apartment
Tenure
House prices rose from $1,254,500 in the first quarter of 2025 to $1,336,500 in the first quarter of 2026, a 6.5% one-year gain. Tenure divides into 34.3% outright owners, 36.1% with a mortgage, and 29.6% renters, a pattern where mortgage holders are the largest group, indicating the suburb still attracts active buyers despite its premium price point. The stock is dominated by separate houses at 59.7% and semi-detached dwellings at 33.5%, with apartments making up just 6.8%. Bedroom sizes lean toward two and three bedrooms, which together account for 75.4% of dwellings, reflecting the couple-dominant household profile. Rent-to-income at 19.1% keeps tenants well below the 30% stress threshold, even though the $320 weekly rent is moderate compared to Adelaide's inner suburbs.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,842
Rent / wk
$320
HH Size
2.2
Personal Income / wk
$930
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
10.3%
Unoccupied
51
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.1%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.4%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
31.5%
Couples, no children
763
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the largest employing industry at 19.1% of local workers (70 people), followed by Education at 12.0% (44), Public Admin at 11.2% (41), and Construction and Professional/Tech each at 10.7% (39). This public-sector and knowledge-worker tilt is consistent with the Professionals (133) and Managers (89) being the two largest occupation groups. The unemployment rate is 4.1%, marginally above the low levels seen in more prosperous Adelaide suburbs, and the participation rate of 61.7% is below national norms because a large share of older homeowners are not in the labour force. Full-time employment runs at 63.5% of those employed, and weekly household income of $1,676 places the suburb at the 58.2nd percentile nationally, below what the house prices alone would suggest.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
63.5%
Part-time
32.4%
Participation
61.7%
Employed
515
Occupations
Top Industries
University
37.6%
Postgraduate
9.7%
Born Overseas
20.4%
Dwellings
439
Transport to Work
Car dependency is high at 87.1%, with only 8.0% of residents using public transport and 2.3% walking or cycling to work, which is typical for an outer coastal suburb not served by rail. No schools are recorded within the Semaphore South boundary, so families rely on nearby suburbs for education. The crime rate of 65 incidents per 1,000 residents gives a concrete safety reference point, though no category breakdown is available to assess whether this is concentrated in property or personal crime. Housing stress is low on both dimensions: rent-to-income sits at 19.1% and mortgage-to-income at 25.4%, both below the 30% threshold. Only 4.0% of residents need daily assistance despite the older median age of 44, and the 16.9% volunteering rate suggests a socially engaged community that is more connected than the small population count implies.
Drive
87.1%
Public Transport
8.0%
Walk / Cycle
2.3%
Work from Home
N/A
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
67
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
65.0
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Semaphore South compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Semaphore South a good suburb to live in?
Semaphore South suits owner-occupiers who value coastal amenity and a stable, established neighbourhood. The median age of 44 is 4 years above national, 77% of residents stayed put at the last census, and housing stress is low with mortgage-to-income at 25.4%. The main trade-offs are high car dependency at 87.1% and no schools recorded within the suburb boundary.
What is the median house price in Semaphore South?
The median house price is $1,336,500 as of the first quarter of 2026, up 6.5% from $1,254,500 a year earlier. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,842, and rent runs at $320 per week. Mortgage-to-income sits at 25.4%, below the 30% stress benchmark.
What schools are in Semaphore South?
No schools are recorded within the Semaphore South boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. Locally, 37.6% of residents hold university qualifications, which is 7.5 percentage points above the national average, reflecting an educationally engaged resident base.
Is Semaphore South safe?
The recorded crime rate is 65 incidents per 1,000 residents, based on 67 total incidents. No category breakdown is available in this data. As context, only 4.0% of the 1,031 residents need daily assistance, and housing stress indicators are well below national stress thresholds, both indirect signals of a stable area.
Is Semaphore South good for property investment?
The capital-growth case is stronger than the yield case. House prices rose 6.5% over one year to $1,336,500, but weekly rent of $320 implies a gross yield below 1.3% at that price, which is low compared to most Adelaide suburbs. The 10.3% vacancy rate adds caution on the rental side, while thin supply from only 14 development applications in 12 months supports price resilience.
How is Semaphore South's population changing?
The suburb has a population of 1,031 across just 0.62 km2, giving a density of 1,653 people per km2. The median age of 44 is 4 years above the national figure and the low turnover rate of 23% indicates the community is stable rather than growing rapidly. No multi-year population trend data is available in the current brief.
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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