Sturt
A suburb where house prices rose 19.2% in a single year yet household incomes sit in just the 26.6th percentile nationally signals something unusual: Sturt's buyers are stretching hard, and mortgage repayments at 30.5% of income confirm the stress. The 2,787 residents are younger than national at a median age of 38 and notably more educated, with 42.5% holding university qualifications, which is 12.4 points above the national figure. Overseas-born residents make up 35.6%, some 14 points above national, reflecting an internationally mobile population drawn to a compact 0.99 sqkm suburb with a density of 2,808 per sqkm.
Local council: Marion
Population
2,787
Median Age
38.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,222/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
44
Median House
$1.0M
First quarter 2026
Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,616, which produces a mortgage-to-income ratio of 30.5%, above the standard 30% stress threshold given that household incomes sit in the 26.6th percentile nationally. Stock is mostly separate houses at 67%, with semi-detached dwellings filling 32.7% of the remainder and apartments barely present at 0.3%. Three-bedroom dwellings dominate at 66%, so families seeking space have clear options, though the limited apartment supply means buyers looking to enter below the median have few alternatives within the suburb boundary.
For Buyers
Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,616, which produces a mortgage-to-income ratio of 30.5%, above the standard 30% stress threshold given that household incomes sit in the 26.6th percentile nationally. Stock is mostly separate houses at 67%, with semi-detached dwellings filling 32.7% of the remainder and apartments barely present at 0.3%. Three-bedroom dwellings dominate at 66%, so families seeking space have clear options, though the limited apartment supply means buyers looking to enter below the median have few alternatives within the suburb boundary.
For Investors
The vacancy rate of 6.1% is elevated and warrants attention before committing capital. Development activity is solid, with 43 applications lodged in the past 12 months including new detached dwellings, suggesting continued demand for new stock. The 19.2% price gain from 1Q 2025 to 1Q 2026 is the standout case for investors, though that pace is unlikely to be sustained given that incomes sit in the 26.6th income percentile nationally and mortgage stress is already flagged.
Development Activity
Total DAs
198
Last 12 Months
44
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+33.3%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
The median age of 38 sits 2 years below the national figure, consistent with the above-average share of overseas-born residents at 35.6%, some 14 points higher than national. English ancestry leads at 892 residents, followed by Scottish (227) and Chinese (191). Non-English languages are diverse, with Mandarin (44), Punjabi (40) and Arabic (22) among the most spoken. University qualifications at 42.5% are 12.4 percentage points above national, and the population leans toward professionals and community workers. Average household size of 2.3 is slightly below the national figure. Christianity is the largest religious group (1,014 residents), with Hinduism (150) and Islam (147) also represented.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
67.0%
Houses
32.7%
Townhouse
0.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is split roughly into thirds: 41% rent, 29.9% own outright and 29.1% carry a mortgage. The relatively high outright ownership share suggests an established cohort sitting alongside a large renting population. Separate houses dominate at 67%, with semi-detached dwellings at 32.7% making up almost all the remainder, so apartment buyers will find very little supply here. Three-bedroom dwellings account for 66% of stock, with four-plus bedrooms at 13.4% and two-bedroom at 14.2%. Mortgage-to-income at 30.5% exceeds the stress threshold, compared to rent-to-income at 24.1%, which stays just below the 30% pressure line.
Mortgage / mo
$1,616
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$295
Census 2021
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$635
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.1%
Unoccupied
77
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.1%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
30.5% stressed
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
34.3%
Couples with children
40.7%
Couples, no children
22.4%
Single parent
727
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare dominates the local workforce at 28.8% of employed residents, far above the share of any other sector, reflecting proximity to medical facilities in the southern Adelaide corridor. Education follows at 10.5% and Professional/Technical services at 9%. By occupation, Professionals (313) are the largest group, ahead of Community and Personal Service Workers (216) and Clerical/Administrative workers (151). The unemployment rate of 7.2% is elevated compared to national norms, and the participation rate of 53.5% is low, with 925 residents not in the labour force. Full-time employment accounts for 56.1% of those employed. Income sits in the 26.6th household income percentile nationally, which explains why rapid price growth translates so directly into mortgage stress.
Unemployment
6.8%
Labour Force
1,342
Unemployed
91
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
52.4%
Part-time
41.0%
Participation
57.0%
Employed
1,251
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
42.5%
Postgraduate
10.6%
Born Overseas
35.6%
Dwellings
1,181
Transport to Work
Sturt relies heavily on cars, with 84% of residents commuting by vehicle compared to just 7.1% using public transport and 3.8% walking or cycling. The crime rate of 55.3 incidents per 1,000 residents represents 154 total offences, and without SEIFA data for comparison, the national context is limited. The volunteering rate of 14.3% is reasonable, and 7.4% of residents need daily assistance, a figure that warrants monitoring as the suburb ages. Rent-to-income at 24.1% sits below the 30% stress threshold, offering some stability for renters. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary, so families rely on institutions in adjacent suburbs, a practical constraint in a 0.99 sqkm area with high residential density of 2,808 people per sqkm.
Drive
75.5%
Public Transport
6.4%
Walk / Cycle
3.4%
Work from Home
10.2%
Growth Outlook
The suburb's 2,787 residents occupy a 0.99 sqkm footprint, leaving limited land for expansion, so new supply comes primarily through infill development. The 43 development applications in the past year include new detached dwellings, indicating continued build activity in a constrained area. Turnover is moderate, with 24.9% of residents having moved in recent years, against 75.1% who stayed, suggesting a relatively stable base. Population-level forecasts are not available for this suburb, but the combination of a younger median age of 38, high overseas-born share and active DA pipeline points to ongoing demand.
Population trend: Marion council area
Sturt sits in the Marion council area. These are the council area's residents, not Sturt's.
Residents 2025
101,229
Growth, 5 yr average
+1.2%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+1.2%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
154
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
55.3
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Sturt compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
What schools are in Sturt?
No schools are recorded within the Sturt suburb boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The local adult population is highly educated by national standards, with 42.5% holding university qualifications, which is 12.4 percentage points above the national figure.
Is Sturt safe?
Sturt recorded 154 total crimes in the reference period, giving a rate of 55.3 per 1,000 residents. No SEIFA disadvantage data is available for additional context. The volunteering rate of 14.3% and the relatively stable population turnover of 24.9% are indirect signs of a reasonably settled community.
How is Sturt's population changing?
Detailed population growth forecasts are not available for Sturt, but the suburb shows 24.9% turnover in recent years with 75.1% of residents staying put. The median age of 38 is 2 years below national, the overseas-born share of 35.6% is 14 points above national, and active development at 43 applications in 12 months suggests ongoing housing demand.
What languages are spoken in Sturt?
About 35.6% of Sturt residents were born overseas, which is 14 percentage points above the national figure. Mandarin (44 speakers), Punjabi (40), Arabic (22), Nepali (21) and Persian (21) are the most common non-English languages, reflecting a notable international mix in a suburb of 2,787 residents.
How much development is happening in Sturt?
Sturt had 43 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, active for a suburb of only 0.99 sqkm. Recent applications include new single-storey detached dwellings and a two-storey supported accommodation building, indicating both residential infill and community housing investment in a high-density area with 2,808 residents per sqkm.
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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