Surrey Downs
The 1.63 sq km suburb holds 3,358 residents, almost entirely in detached houses, which make up 95.6% of the dwelling stock. Household income sits at the 58.1st percentile nationally, and median age is 38, two years below the national figure, pointing to a younger owner-occupier base still building equity. At 49.7%, mortgage holders outnumber outright owners (30.5%) by a wide margin, reflecting how recently much of this stock was purchased.
Population
3,358
Median Age
38.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,674/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
49
Median House
$868K
First quarter 2026
That pace significantly outpaces typical SA growth benchmarks, though buyers should note this is based on two data points rather than a longer trend. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,473, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 20.3%, below the 30% stress threshold, which means the median buyer carries a manageable load relative to income. Bedrooms skew toward family sizes: 72.1% of homes have 3 bedrooms and 21.6% have 4 or more. The stock is almost entirely separate houses at 95.6%, so buyers seeking an apartment here will find almost no options. Semi-detached homes account for the remaining 4.4%.
For Buyers
That pace significantly outpaces typical SA growth benchmarks, though buyers should note this is based on two data points rather than a longer trend. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,473, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 20.3%, below the 30% stress threshold, which means the median buyer carries a manageable load relative to income. Bedrooms skew toward family sizes: 72.1% of homes have 3 bedrooms and 21.6% have 4 or more. The stock is almost entirely separate houses at 95.6%, so buyers seeking an apartment here will find almost no options. Semi-detached homes account for the remaining 4.4%.
For Investors
Investors face a mixed picture. The vacancy rate of 4.3% is elevated, suggesting rental supply is adequate and tenants have choice. The renter share is 19.8%, below the national average, meaning this is primarily an owner-occupier suburb rather than a tenant-driven rental market. Development activity is moderate at 39 applications in the past 12 months, with recent samples including multi-dwelling Performance Assessed applications and dwelling alterations, indicating ongoing infill activity. The 24.8% annual price appreciation signals strong capital growth, which is where the investment case rests rather than yield.
Development Activity
Total DAs
184
Last 12 Months
49
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+104.2%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Surrey Downs
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Surrey Downs Primary School
Demographics
The median age of 38 is 2 years below the national figure, consistent with a suburb attracting younger families rather than retirees. Overseas-born residents account for 19.3%, which is 2.3 percentage points below the national average, and ancestry leans strongly Anglo-Celtic: English ancestry is recorded for 1,628 residents, followed by Scottish (324) and German (294). University qualifications reach 22.1%, which is 8 percentage points below the national rate of approximately 30%, reflecting a workforce concentrated in trades, healthcare and community services rather than professional-sector roles. The household composition confirms the family orientation: 1,174 couples with children compared to 733 couples without, and average household size of 2.5 matches the national figure.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
95.6%
Houses
4.4%
Townhouse
0.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Surrey Downs is defined by detached houses, which account for 95.6% of dwellings, with semi-detached at 4.4% and no recorded apartment stock. Tenure splits across three groups: 49.7% hold mortgages, 30.5% own outright, and 19.8% rent, a distribution that places mortgage holders as the dominant tenure type by a wide margin compared to suburbs with higher outright ownership. The 3-bedroom configuration dominates at 72.1%, and 4-plus bedroom homes represent 21.6%, so family-sized housing is the clear majority. Rent-to-income sits at 19.7%, below the 30% stress benchmark, and mortgage-to-income at 20.3% likewise stays comfortable.
Mortgage / mo
$1,473
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$330
Census 2021
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$828
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.3%
Unoccupied
58
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.7%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.3%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
43.2%
Couples with children
37.0%
Couples, no children
18.8%
Single parent
987
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local workforce is led by Healthcare at 18.9% (213 workers), the highest single sector, followed by Education at 12.9% (145) and Construction at 12.5% (141). Public Administration contributes 8.9% and Retail 7.8%. By occupation, Clerical and Admin (291) and Professionals (282) are the two largest groups, with Community and Personal services (250) reflecting the healthcare and education sector concentration. Unemployment stands at 3.6% and the full-time employment rate is 62.9%, with 63.5% labour force participation. Household income is at the 58.1st percentile nationally, above the median but not at the top, consistent with a workforce mix of service-sector and trades employment rather than high-earning professional roles. SEIFA data is unavailable for this suburb in the current dataset.
Unemployment
3.4%
Labour Force
1,804
Unemployed
62
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
60.0%
Part-time
35.4%
Participation
66.5%
Employed
1,742
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
22.1%
Postgraduate
3.4%
Born Overseas
19.3%
Dwellings
1,303
Transport to Work
Car reliance is high: 86.9% of residents drive to work, and only 6.8% use public transport, pointing to limited transit access relative to inner Adelaide suburbs. Walking and cycling account for 1.6%. No schools are recorded inside the Surrey Downs boundary in this dataset, so families depend on schools in adjacent suburbs. The crime rate is 140 recorded offences for a population of 3,358, producing a rate of 41.7 per 1,000 residents. Rent stress affects 19.7% of household income, and mortgage stress at 20.3% keeps both tenure groups below the 30% threshold. The volunteering rate of 13.9% and 5.1% of residents requiring assistance (165 people) suggest a relatively self-sufficient community compared to higher-disadvantage areas.
Drive
77.8%
Public Transport
6.1%
Walk / Cycle
1.4%
Work from Home
10.4%
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
140
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
41.7
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Surrey Downs compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Surrey Downs a good suburb to live in?
Surrey Downs suits younger families buying detached houses, with a median age of 38, which is 2 years below the national figure. Mortgage stress at 20.3% of income and rent stress at 19.7% both sit below the 30% threshold, so housing costs are manageable relative to local incomes. The suburb is car-dependent, with 86.9% of residents driving to work and only 6.8% using public transport.
What schools are in Surrey Downs?
No schools are recorded inside the Surrey Downs boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. Locally, 22.1% of residents hold university qualifications, which is 8 percentage points below the national rate, reflecting a workforce oriented toward trades, healthcare and community services.
Is Surrey Downs safe?
Surrey Downs recorded 140 offences for a population of 3,358, giving a crime rate of 41.7 per 1,000 residents. Detailed crime category breakdowns are not available in the current dataset. The suburb's stable population, with 83.8% of residents remaining over the survey period, is consistent with a settled, low-turnover community.
How is Surrey Downs's population changing?
Surrey Downs has a population of 3,358 across 1.63 sq km, giving a density of 2,064 residents per sq km. The mobility data shows 83.8% of residents stayed in the suburb over the survey period, a turnover rate of 16.2%, suggesting a stable base. No detailed population forecast is available in the current dataset.
How much development is happening in Surrey Downs?
There were 39 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, including Performance Assessed multi-dwelling applications and dwelling alterations. This level of activity is moderate for a 1.63 sq km suburb and indicates ongoing infill rather than large-scale subdivision, consistent with a mostly established housing stock where 95.6% of homes are detached houses.
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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