Somerton Park
The disconnect makes sense once the resident profile is clear: the median age is 48, a full 8 years above national, and 42.9% of homes are owned outright, so much of the housing is held by established, debt-free owners rather than recent buyers stretching to incomes. The stock stays low-rise, with 62.7% separate houses against just 8.6% apartments. University qualifications reach 44.1%, 14 points above national, while crime runs at a low 23.7 per 1,000 residents across a compact 2.24 km2 footprint.
Population
5,811
Median Age
48.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,633/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
101
Median House
$2.5M
First quarter 2026
Buyers chase genuine houses here: 62.7% of dwellings are separate houses and only 8.6% are apartments, so detached supply is the prize. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 40.8%, with four-plus-bedroom stock at 25.8% and two-bedroom at 24.4%. Despite the steep median, monthly mortgage repayments average $2,058, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 29.1%, below the 30% stress threshold. That comfort is misleading, because the figure reflects long-held loans and the 42.9% of owners who hold outright rather than what a new buyer would face entering at today's prices.
For Buyers
Buyers chase genuine houses here: 62.7% of dwellings are separate houses and only 8.6% are apartments, so detached supply is the prize. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 40.8%, with four-plus-bedroom stock at 25.8% and two-bedroom at 24.4%. Despite the steep median, monthly mortgage repayments average $2,058, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 29.1%, below the 30% stress threshold. That comfort is misleading, because the figure reflects long-held loans and the 42.9% of owners who hold outright rather than what a new buyer would face entering at today's prices.
For Investors
A 25.5% renter share and weekly rent of $335 give landlords a modest tenant pool, but the yield math is unforgiving. The 11.9% vacancy rate signals soft rental demand for a beachside location, which weakens the case for buy-to-rent. Development activity is steady at 91 applications in 12 months, but the samples skew to verandahs, pools and fences rather than new dwellings, so little fresh supply is arriving. With separate houses at 62.7% of stock and limited apartment construction, the investment thesis rests on capital growth, supported by the 14.9% one-year price move, rather than rental income or volume.
Development Activity
Total DAs
588
Last 12 Months
101
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+5.2%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
The median age of 48 runs 8 years above the national figure, the clearest marker of an established, aging resident base. Overseas-born residents reach 20.0%, which is 1.6 points below national, so this is a more Anglo-leaning population than typical metro Adelaide. Ancestry confirms it, led by English (2,595), Scottish (668) and Irish (653), with the most common non-English languages being Mandarin (26 speakers) and Greek (24). University qualifications at 44.1% sit 14 points above national, pointing to a professional cohort. Average household size is 2.2, which is 0.3 below national, consistent with the high share of couples without children at 31.8% of families, a profile that fits the older age structure and the prevalence of empty-nest households near the coast.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
62.7%
Houses
28.7%
Townhouse
8.6%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure tilts heavily toward ownership: 42.9% own outright, 31.6% carry a mortgage and only 25.5% rent. The stock stays low-density, with 62.7% separate houses, 28.7% semi-detached and just 8.6% apartments. Three-bedroom homes lead at 40.8%, ahead of four-plus at 25.8% and two-bedroom at 24.4%. Mortgage-to-income at 29.1% and rent-to-income at 20.5% both sit below stress thresholds, a comfort driven by entrenched ownership rather than affordability for new entrants.
Mortgage / mo
$2,058
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$335
Census 2021
HH Size
2.2
Personal Income / wk
$908
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
11.9%
Unoccupied
329
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.5%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
29.1%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
41.9%
Couples with children
44.1%
Couples, no children
13.0%
Single parent
1,541
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local workforce concentrates in services rather than trades: Healthcare leads at 20.7% (422 workers), Education follows at 13.3% (271) and Professional/Tech at 11.3% (230), with Construction at 9.2% and Public Administration at 7.8%. By occupation, Professionals (818) and Managers (499) form the bulk of jobs, aligning with university qualifications 14 points above national. Unemployment is low at 3.2% and full-time employment runs at 59.3%. Participation reads 55.3%, below what the education profile would suggest, because the aging structure leaves 1,953 residents not in the labour force. The skew toward Healthcare and Education, both stable, recession-resistant sectors, underpins the steady incomes that sit in the 56.5th percentile despite the high property values.
Unemployment
3.0%
Labour Force
2,925
Unemployed
89
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
56.1%
Part-time
38.5%
Participation
58.3%
Employed
2,836
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
44.1%
Postgraduate
11.5%
Born Overseas
20.0%
Dwellings
2,419
Transport to Work
Daily life leans on the car, with 87.8% driving to work against just 4.1% taking public transport and 3.7% walking or cycling, well below the active-transport share of denser inner suburbs. Safety is a genuine draw: 138 recorded offences give a crime rate of 23.7 per 1,000 residents, low for a metro suburb and consistent with the settled, owner-occupied profile. Community engagement is solid, with a volunteering rate of 20.3%, while 6.5% of residents (367 people) need daily assistance, in line with the older median age of 48. No schools sit inside the 2.24 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs, a practical trade-off for the compact, low-density beachside setting.
Drive
72.3%
Public Transport
5.0%
Walk / Cycle
3.1%
Work from Home
16.0%
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
138
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
23.7
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Somerton Park compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
What schools are in Somerton Park?
No schools are recorded inside the 2.24 km2 Somerton Park boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The resident base is highly educated, with university qualifications at 44.1%, which is 14 points above the national figure.
Is Somerton Park safe?
Somerton Park records a low crime rate of 23.7 per 1,000 residents, with 138 total offences across its 5,811 residents. The figure is low for a metro Adelaide suburb and consistent with the settled, owner-occupied profile, where 42.9% of homes are owned outright.
How is Somerton Park's population changing?
The population of 5,811 is stable rather than fast-growing, with low resident turnover of 23.7% and 76.3% of residents having stayed put. The profile is aging, with a median age of 48, a full 8 years above the national figure, pointing to a settled, established base.
How much development is happening in Somerton Park?
There were 91 development applications lodged in the past 12 months across the 2.24 km2 suburb. Most are alterations such as verandahs, pools and fences rather than new dwellings, consistent with a built-out, low-density area where separate houses make up 62.7% of stock.
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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