Taperoo
At 128.9 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents, Taperoo sits well above the state average, yet median house prices jumped 13.2% to $857,000 in just 12 months from 1Q 2025 to 1Q 2026, a pairing that signals buyers are pricing location over safety credentials. Household income registers in the 14.4th percentile nationally, placing this among Australia's lower-income suburbs, while university qualifications at 19.1% are 11 percentage points below the national figure. With 58% separate houses on a 2.3 sq km footprint and 42.9% of residents renting, Taperoo reads as a working-class coastal suburb where price growth has outrun income growth.
Population
3,250
Median Age
39.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,041/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
44
Median House
$857K
Median 1Q 2026
The median house price reached $857,000 in 1Q 2026, up 13.2% from $756,750 a year earlier, one of the stronger single-year moves in metro Adelaide. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,359, but with household income in the 14.4th percentile nationally, the mortgage-to-income ratio hits 30.1%, above the standard stress threshold of 30%. Separate houses make up 58% of stock and three-bedroom dwellings account for 64.8% of all homes, so supply is relatively uniform. Semi-detached properties at 33.5% and apartments at 8.5% offer lower entry points compared to the house median. Outright owners at 23.9% are a small share compared to renters at 42.9%, suggesting the suburb is not yet a deep owner-occupier market despite the price run.
For Buyers
The median house price reached $857,000 in 1Q 2026, up 13.2% from $756,750 a year earlier, one of the stronger single-year moves in metro Adelaide. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,359, but with household income in the 14.4th percentile nationally, the mortgage-to-income ratio hits 30.1%, above the standard stress threshold of 30%. Separate houses make up 58% of stock and three-bedroom dwellings account for 64.8% of all homes, so supply is relatively uniform. Semi-detached properties at 33.5% and apartments at 8.5% offer lower entry points compared to the house median. Outright owners at 23.9% are a small share compared to renters at 42.9%, suggesting the suburb is not yet a deep owner-occupier market despite the price run.
For Investors
A renter share of 42.9% provides landlords with a large tenant pool, though weekly rent of $250 is modest compared to the $857,000 median house price, implying a gross yield around 1.5% before costs. The vacancy rate of 8.1% is elevated, pointing to softer rental demand than the renter share alone suggests. Development activity is solid at 42 applications in the past 12 months, including land division creating new allotments, which indicates incremental supply growth. The price-to-rent ratio is high, so the investment case rests on continued capital growth rather than current income. The 13.2% price rise over one year is well above the national average, though only 2 quarters of data are available, making trend confirmation limited.
Development Activity
Total DAs
357
Last 12 Months
44
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-20.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Taperoo iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Our Lady of the Visitation School
R-6 · 320 students
Ocean View P-12 College
U, R-12 · 629 students
Demographics
The median age of 39 is 1 year below the national figure, placing Taperoo slightly younger than average. Overseas-born residents at 17.2% are 4.4 percentage points below the national rate, consistent with the Anglo-leaning ancestry pattern: English (1,308), Scottish (313) and Irish (256) are the top three ancestries. University qualifications reach only 19.1%, which is 11 points below the national figure, reflecting the suburb's working-class occupational profile. Average household size of 2.3 is slightly below national. Couples with children (772 families) outnumber couples without children (549), suggesting a family-oriented mix. Community stability is high, with 81.5% of residents having lived at the same address for five or more years.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
58.0%
Houses
33.5%
Townhouse
8.5%
Apartment
Tenure
The 13.2% price rise from $756,750 to $857,000 between 1Q 2025 and 1Q 2026 is the only historical comparison available, so the trend is promising but not yet confirmed over multiple cycles. Tenure leans heavily toward renting at 42.9%, while mortgage holders at 33.2% and outright owners at 23.9% are both lower than national norms. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 64.8% of stock, with two-bedroom homes at 19.2% and four-plus bedroom at 13.1%. Separate houses account for 58% of dwellings and semi-detached at 33.5% is relatively high compared to most suburbs, reflecting the older housing stock typical of coastal Adelaide. Monthly mortgage repayments of $1,359 are moderate in absolute terms, but the mortgage-to-income stress flag is triggered at 30.1% of income.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,359
Rent / wk
$250
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$585
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
8.1%
Unoccupied
119
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
30.1% stressed
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
23.0%
Couples, no children
2,391
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads the local industry base at 21.2% of workers (162 people), above the typical suburban share, followed by Manufacturing at 9.7%, Education at 9.3%, Construction at 8.8% and Retail at 8.5%. By occupation, Labourers (199) and Community/Personal service workers (179) outnumber Professionals (165), which is consistent with household income sitting in the 14.4th percentile nationally. The unemployment rate of 8.5% is high compared to the national average of around 4%, with 109 people actively seeking work from a participation rate of only 48.1%. Full-time employment runs at 61.9% of those employed. The high Healthcare sector share likely links to proximity to Port Adelaide aged care and hospital services rather than highly paid specialist roles.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
61.9%
Part-time
29.6%
Participation
48.1%
Employed
1,177
Occupations
Top Industries
University
19.1%
Postgraduate
4.4%
Born Overseas
17.2%
Dwellings
1,351
Transport to Work
Car dependence is very high at 86.7% of commuters driving, while public transport use at 5.2% is below the SA metropolitan average, reflecting limited rail and bus frequency in the area. Walkability and cycling are minimal at 1.6% combined. The crime rate of 128.9 per 1,000 residents is elevated compared to lower-crime Adelaide suburbs, which is a practical factor for residents and buyers to weigh. No schools are recorded inside the Taperoo boundary, so families draw on schools in neighbouring suburbs such as Semaphore and Port Adelaide. Volunteering runs at 11.2% of residents, and 9.8% of the population (298 people) require daily assistance, a share higher than average given the median age of 39.
Drive
86.7%
Public Transport
5.2%
Walk / Cycle
1.6%
Work from Home
N/A
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
419
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
128.9
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Taperoo compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Taperoo a good suburb to live in?
Taperoo offers affordable housing relative to inner Adelaide, with a 13.2% price rise to $857,000 in one year showing market interest. Community stability is high with 81.5% of residents long-term, but the crime rate of 128.9 per 1,000 and unemployment of 8.5% are both above national averages, which are trade-offs buyers should consider.
What is the median house price in Taperoo?
The median house price is $857,000 as of 1Q 2026, up 13.2% from $756,750 in 1Q 2025. Weekly rent averages $250 and monthly mortgage repayments are around $1,359, though the mortgage-to-income ratio of 30.1% exceeds the standard stress threshold given household incomes in the 14.4th percentile nationally.
What schools are in Taperoo?
No schools are recorded inside the Taperoo boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The local university qualification rate is 19.1%, which is 11 percentage points below the national figure, reflecting the suburb's working-class demographic profile.
Is Taperoo safe?
Taperoo records 128.9 crimes per 1,000 residents, which is elevated compared to lower-crime Adelaide suburbs. This high-crime-rate signal is one of the suburb's identity characteristics, and it is a practical factor for prospective residents to weigh when comparing Taperoo to nearby coastal suburbs with lower crime rates.
Is Taperoo good for property investment?
The 13.2% price growth to $857,000 over one year is well above the national average, and the 42.9% renter share ensures a steady tenant pool. However, weekly rent of $250 against the $857,000 median implies a gross yield around 1.5%, and the 8.1% vacancy rate signals softer rental demand. Returns rely more on capital growth than income.
How is Taperoo's population changing?
Taperoo has 3,250 residents at a density of 1,416 per sq km across 2.3 sq km. Community turnover is low at 18.5% annually, meaning 81.5% of residents are long-term. The suburb's development pipeline of 42 applications in 12 months, including land division creating new allotments, suggests gradual densification is underway.
How much development is happening in Taperoo?
There were 42 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, above the threshold that indicates active suburban change. Applications include conventional land division creating new allotments from existing ones, pool and safety fence installations, and tree removal works on council reserves, suggesting a mix of infill and lifestyle improvements rather than large-scale new supply.
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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