Tennyson
At a median house price of $3,720,000, Tennyson sits among Adelaide's most expensive beachside markets, yet its 1,137 residents make it one of the smallest suburbs by population in the city. The median age of 55 is 15 years above the national figure, and 47% of dwellings are owned outright, a pattern consistent with long-held, debt-free wealth rather than active churn. Vacancy runs at 14%, high for a suburb this small, partly because the aging owner base reduces turnover: 81.4% of residents stayed at the same address over the past five years.
Population
1,137
Median Age
55.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,061/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
17
Median House
$3.7M
Median 1Q 2026
The $3,720,000 median house price represents a 28.3% rise from $2,900,000 just one year earlier in 1Q 2025, an extraordinary single-year move by any measure. Stock splits between 61.3% separate houses and 38.7% semi-detached, with no apartments recorded, so buyers compete in a low-supply detached and semi-detached market. Three-bedroom homes account for 37.3% of stock and 4-plus bedroom homes 33.1%, tilting toward larger family configurations than the couples-without-children demographic might suggest. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,167, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.3%, well below the 30% stress threshold despite the high price point, because incomes sit in the 77.2nd percentile nationally.
For Buyers
The $3,720,000 median house price represents a 28.3% rise from $2,900,000 just one year earlier in 1Q 2025, an extraordinary single-year move by any measure. Stock splits between 61.3% separate houses and 38.7% semi-detached, with no apartments recorded, so buyers compete in a low-supply detached and semi-detached market. Three-bedroom homes account for 37.3% of stock and 4-plus bedroom homes 33.1%, tilting toward larger family configurations than the couples-without-children demographic might suggest. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,167, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.3%, well below the 30% stress threshold despite the high price point, because incomes sit in the 77.2nd percentile nationally.
For Investors
Tennyson's investment profile is polarised. Weekly rent of $340 against a $3,720,000 median implies a gross yield below 0.5%, one of the lowest in metro Adelaide, so income returns are negligible. The 19.3% renter share is below the national average, and a 14% vacancy rate signals real softness in rental demand relative to supply for this small, 0.69 km2 suburb. Development activity is modest at 16 applications in 12 months, mostly alterations and additions to existing luxury homes rather than new supply. The investment case rests entirely on capital growth: the 28.3% price rise over a single year shows the suburb can move sharply, though a sample this small (limited transactions) means percentage swings can exaggerate trend.
Development Activity
Total DAs
126
Last 12 Months
17
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-15.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
The median age of 55 sits 15 years above the national figure, the clearest signal of Tennyson's character as an established, mature-resident suburb. University qualifications reach 41.5%, which is 11.4 points above the national rate, and the occupational mix reflects this: Professionals (157) and Managers (148) are the two largest groups. Overseas-born residents at 24.3% sit 2.7 points above national, with English (414), Scottish (140) and Italian (115) ancestry leading. Average household size is 2.2, marginally below the national average, consistent with the high share of couples without children at 44.8% of all families. The volunteering rate of 17.8% is notable for a suburb of 1,137 people.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
61.3%
Houses
38.7%
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is skewed toward long-term ownership: 47% of dwellings are held outright and 33.6% carry a mortgage, leaving only 19.3% renting. This outright-ownership majority typically points to residents who bought decades ago and have since paid down debt. The stock is entirely houses and semi-detached, with separate houses at 61.3% and semi-detached at 38.7%. Bedroom sizes lean larger, with 4-plus bedroom homes at 33.1% and 3-bedroom at 37.3%. The price moved from $2,900,000 in 1Q 2025 to $3,720,000 in 1Q 2026, a 28.3% gain in one year. Rent-to-income at 16.5% is well below the 30% stress threshold, suggesting current renters face comfortable housing costs compared to their incomes.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,167
Rent / wk
$340
HH Size
2.2
Personal Income / wk
$1,032
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
14.0%
Unoccupied
80
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
16.5%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.3%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
44.8%
Couples, no children
884
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads local employment at 13.7% (62 workers), followed by Education at 10.4% (47) and Professional/Technical services at 9.8% (44). Construction at 9.5% and Public Administration at 8.2% complete the top five. The occupational profile is dominated by Professionals and Managers, who together account for 305 of the employed workforce, well above what share alone would suggest given the suburb's size. Unemployment is low at 2.7%, and the full-time employment rate of 63.4% is solid. However, participation at 60.2% is below typical working-age norms, consistent with a 55-year median age where a large share of the 371 residents not in the labour force are retirees rather than discouraged workers.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
63.4%
Part-time
33.9%
Participation
60.2%
Employed
612
Occupations
Top Industries
University
41.5%
Postgraduate
10.2%
Born Overseas
24.3%
Dwellings
499
Transport to Work
Car dependence is pronounced: 88.6% of residents drive to work, compared to the national rate, while only 5.7% use public transport and 1.3% walk or cycle. This reflects Tennyson's compact, low-density coastal footprint with limited transit connections. Crime is low at 29.0 incidents per 1,000 residents, which on 33 total reported incidents across a population of 1,137 suggests minimal local crime activity. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs. Mortgage and rent stress are both absent: mortgage-to-income sits at 24.3% and rent-to-income at 16.5%, both below the 30% threshold, pointing to financially comfortable residents relative to their housing costs.
Drive
88.6%
Public Transport
5.7%
Walk / Cycle
1.3%
Work from Home
N/A
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
33
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
29.0
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Tennyson compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tennyson a good suburb to live in?
Tennyson offers a compact coastal setting with low crime (29.0 incidents per 1,000 residents), high household incomes in the 77.2nd percentile nationally, and minimal housing stress with mortgage-to-income at 24.3%. The trade-off is limited public transport, no schools within the suburb, and a $3,720,000 median house price that makes entry expensive.
What is the median house price in Tennyson?
The median house price is $3,720,000 as of 1Q 2026, up 28.3% from $2,900,000 in 1Q 2025. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,167. Weekly rent averages $340, which against the purchase price implies a gross yield below 0.5%.
What schools are in Tennyson?
No schools are recorded inside the Tennyson suburb boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The local adult population is highly educated, with 41.5% holding university qualifications, which is 11.4 percentage points above the national rate.
Is Tennyson safe?
Tennyson recorded 33 total crime incidents, giving a rate of 29.0 per 1,000 residents. Across a population of only 1,137, this is a very small absolute number. The identity signals for the suburb include low-crime-rate, consistent with its affluent, stable resident base where 81.4% of residents stayed at the same address year-on-year.
Is Tennyson good for property investment?
Capital growth is strong: the median rose 28.3% in a single year from $2,900,000 to $3,720,000. However, rental yield is extremely low, with $340 weekly rent against a $3,720,000 price. The 14% vacancy rate and 19.3% renter share also indicate limited rental demand. Investment is a capital-growth play, not an income play.
How is Tennyson's population changing?
Tennyson has a population of 1,137 with a median age of 55, which is 15 years above the national figure. Residential stability is high: 81.4% of residents stayed at the same address over the past year. The aging demographic profile and low turnover rate of 18.6% suggest slow organic population growth going forward.
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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