SA 5158 Census 2021 + Live DA Data

Sheidow Park

A 99.4% separate-house share defines Sheidow Park, where 6,731 residents live at a density of 1,874.4 people per square kilometre. The suburb is mortgage-led: 59.7% of homes are owned with a mortgage, while household income sits at the 75.7th percentile nationally. Compared with the national profile, median age is 2.0 years lower and university attainment is 2.3 percentage points higher. Its 18.1 crimes per 1,000 residents is a low-crime signal, supporting family demand, while the 0.59% annual growth trend points to measured expansion. Sheidow Park sits between nearby Hallett Cove and Morphett Vale in southern Adelaide, but its detached-house stock gives it a more uniform housing profile.

Sheidow Park urban fabric map

Population

6,731

Median Age

38.0

Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)

$2,024/wk

DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year

67

Median House

$1.0M

First quarter 2026

3.59 km²· 1,874.4 people/km²· Family income $2,218/wk

The market is built for households needing space: 52.1% of dwellings have 3 bedrooms and 45.6% have 4 or more, while 99.4% are separate houses. The reported mortgage payment is $1,560 per month and the mortgage-to-income ratio is 17.8%, below the 18.8% rent-to-income figure. With 59.7% of homes mortgaged and only 0.1% apartments, buyers should compare recent detached-house sales carefully because the small dwelling mix makes like-for-like evidence more useful than suburb-wide averages.

For Buyers

The market is built for households needing space: 52.1% of dwellings have 3 bedrooms and 45.6% have 4 or more, while 99.4% are separate houses. The reported mortgage payment is $1,560 per month and the mortgage-to-income ratio is 17.8%, below the 18.8% rent-to-income figure. With 59.7% of homes mortgaged and only 0.1% apartments, buyers should compare recent detached-house sales carefully because the small dwelling mix makes like-for-like evidence more useful than suburb-wide averages.

For Investors

Sheidow Park is primarily an owner-occupier market, with 11.6% of dwellings rented compared with 59.7% owned with a mortgage. The $380 weekly rent and 3.0% vacancy rate indicate an established rental market, while limited apartment stock means detached homes dominate the potential investment pool. Development activity is notable, with 69 applications recorded over 12 months, including a community-title division from 1 allotment into 21. Overseas migration is the primary forecast growth driver, but the 0.59% annual trend and a gentrification score of 0, classified as not gentrifying, point to a steadier strategy than a short-term redevelopment play.

Development Activity

Total DAs

350

Last 12 Months

67

YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements

+28.8%

Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year

N/A

Monthly DA Lodgements

DA Categories

Deck / Pergola / Patio
38
Garage / Carport / Shed
17
Renovation / Extension
17
Swimming Pool / Spa
15
New Dwelling
8
Tree Removal
6
Fencing
5
Commercial / Industrial
3

Schools in Sheidow Park

Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.

Sheidow Park Primary School

Primary Education Government

Woodend Primary School

Primary Education Government

Demographics

Sheidow Park has a median age of 38, which is 2.0 years below the national figure, while 32.4% of residents have university qualifications, 2.3 percentage points above the national level. Overseas-born residents account for 23.9%, also 2.3 points above the national comparison, and average household size is 2.8 people, or 0.3 above national average. English ancestry is prominent at 2,978 people, followed by Scottish at 669, Irish at 580 and German at 445. No religion is recorded for 3,426 residents versus 2,724 identifying with Christianity. Residential stability is high, with 87.7% staying in the same address and turnover at 12.3%, helping explain the suburb's settled character compared with more mobile areas.

Age Distribution

0-14
21.5%
15-24
11.9%
25-44
27.6%
45-64
27.6%
65+
11.5%

Bedrooms

Studio/1br
0.2%
2 bed
2.2%
3 bed
52.1%
4+ bed
45.6%

Dwelling Structure

99.4%

Houses

0.5%

Townhouse

0.1%

Apartment

Tenure

Own 28.2% Mortgage 59.7% Rent 11.6% Other 0.5%

Housing is unusually concentrated in detached family stock: 99.4% of dwellings are separate houses, compared with 0.1% apartments and 0.5% semi-detached homes. Three-bedroom properties account for 52.1% and homes with 4 or more bedrooms for 45.6%, which suits the 53.5% of families who are couples with children. Tenure is more mortgage-based than outright-owned, at 59.7% versus 28.2%, while renting accounts for 11.6%. Compared with apartment-oriented markets, buyers here are paying for land and household space.

Mortgage / mo

$1,560

Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.

$380

Census 2021

HH Size

2.8

Personal Income / wk

$905

Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)

3.0%

Unoccupied

73

Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress

18.8%

Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress

17.8%

Community Profile

Languages Spoken at Home

Polish
37
Hindi
32
Punjabi
28
Arabic
26
Persian ED
22
Mandarin
20

Ancestry

English
2,978
Scottish
669
Other
600
Irish
580
German
445
Italian
271

Household Composition

53.5%

Couples with children

31.8%

Couples, no children

13.8%

Single parent

1,991

Total families

Economy & Employment

The local economy has a strong public-service and essential-services base. Healthcare is the largest industry at 23.2% with 601 workers, followed by Education at 11.6% and 299, Construction at 10.4% and 268, Public Administration at 9.0% and 232, and Professional and Technical Services at 6.9% and 179. Leading occupations include 754 professionals, 607 clerical and administrative workers, 578 trades workers, 531 community and personal service workers, and 405 managers. Labour-force participation is 74.5%, unemployment is 3.8% and full-time employment is 57.5%. SEIFA is mixed: IEO is decile 5, while IER and IRSD are both decile 8 and IRSAD is decile 6. The higher IER and IRSD positions than IEO help explain why household income ranks at the 75.7th percentile without every socioeconomic measure sitting in the top deciles.

Unemployment

3.8%

Labour Force

3,931

Unemployed

148

Source: ABS Census 2021

Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)

Overall advantage
6
Disadvantage
8
Economic resources
8
Education & occupation
5

Full-time

57.5%

Part-time

38.0%

Participation

74.5%

Employed

3,783

Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021

Occupations

Professionals 754
Clerical/Admin 607
Trades 578
Community/Personal 531
Managers 405
Sales 340
Labourers 317
Machinery/Drivers 185

Top Industries

Healthcare 23.2%
Education 11.6%
Construction 10.4%
Public Admin 9.0%
Professional/Tech 6.9%

University

32.4%

Postgraduate

6.4%

Born Overseas

23.9%

Dwellings

2,347

Transport to Work

Daily movement is strongly car-led, with 81.4% of commuters driving compared with 2.9% using public transport and only 0.4% walking or cycling. A further 10.9% work from home, so transport needs vary between local households and longer-distance workers. Families have access to 2 government primary schools within the suburb, but enrolment zones should be checked against the exact address because school boundaries can cross suburb lines. Recorded crime totals 122 incidents, or 18.1 per 1,000 residents, which is a low-crime signal. Sheidow Park's IRSAD is decile 6 and IRSD is decile 8, while its compact 3.59 square kilometre area and density of 1,874.4 people per square kilometre support a settled suburban layout. Car dependence is substantially higher than public transport use, shaping everyday convenience.

Drive

81.4%

Public Transport

2.9%

Walk / Cycle

0.4%

Work from Home

10.9%

Population Forecast

+0.59%/yr

(+62 people/yr)

Established

Growth is measured rather than rapid. Compared with rent growth of 21.7%, the population trend is restrained at 0.59% a year, while population change across the wider area is 6.8% over 10 years. Overseas migration is the primary forecast driver, adding a different demand source from purely local household turnover. The trajectory is classified as Aging: the senior share has increased by 7.3 percentage points, while the young share has fallen by 1.2 points and the working share by 3.7 points. Signals are mixed on neighbourhood change, with a shift score of 20 and an early-signs classification, but the current gentrification score is 0 and classified as not gentrifying. This supports gradual renewal rather than a sudden transformation.

Historical + Forecast

Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025

Age Cohort Forecast

Primary Driver

Overseas Migration

Net Overseas / yr

+77

Net Internal / yr

-71

0

Gentrification Signal

Not gentrifying

Safety & Crime

Total Offences

122

Year ending June 2024

Rate per 1,000 People

18.1

Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police

National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs

How Sheidow Park compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs

Population
Top 8%
Household Income
Top 24%
Rent Level
Top 21%
Apartments
Top 26%
Renters
Bottom 40%
Uni Educated
Top 30%
Public Transport
Top 45%
Born Overseas
Top 22%
Density
Top 9%

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Sheidow Park a good suburb to live in?

It suits buyers wanting detached housing, with 99.4% separate houses, 2 government primary schools and a crime rate of 18.1 per 1,000 residents. Car use is high at 81.4%, so daily life is more vehicle-oriented than public-transport-oriented.

What schools are in Sheidow Park?

Sheidow Park has 2 government primary schools: Sheidow Park Primary School and Woodend Primary School. Families should check the current enrolment zone against the exact property address, as school access can depend on boundary details rather than suburb name alone.

Is Sheidow Park safe?

Recorded crime was 122 incidents, equal to 18.1 per 1,000 residents. That rate is a low-crime signal compared with a high-crime setting, although households should still check current street-level conditions and local reporting before deciding.

Is Sheidow Park good for property investment?

It may suit a long-term investor seeking detached housing, with weekly rent of $380, vacancy of 3.0% and only 11.6% of dwellings rented. However, 69 development applications in 12 months and a gentrification score of 0 point to an established market rather than a rapid transformation story.

How is Sheidow Park's population changing?

The suburb has 6,731 residents today, while population change across the wider area is forecast at 6.8% over 10 years. Growth runs at 0.59% annually and is primarily driven by overseas migration, but the trajectory is Aging, with the senior share up 7.3 percentage points.

What development is occurring in Sheidow Park?

There were 69 development applications over 12 months. Examples include a community-title land division from 1 allotment into 21 allotments, along with single-storey dwelling additions and domestic patio work, indicating both subdivision activity and ongoing home improvement.

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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