Wattle Park
The 1,885-resident suburb has a median age of 46, which is 6 years above the national figure, and 51.8% of homes have four or more bedrooms. Compared with nearby Burnside and Kensington Gardens, Wattle Park presents a particularly established, detached-home profile: 87.3% of dwellings are separate houses and 47.7% are owned outright. Overseas-born residents make up 37.2%, 15.6 percentage points above national levels, supporting a well-qualified but aging community.
Local council: Burnside
Population
1,885
Median Age
46.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,305/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
26
Median House
$1.9M
First quarter 2026
The housing stock suits buyers seeking established family space, with 87.3% separate houses and 51.8% containing four or more bedrooms, compared with only 4.3% apartments. A typical mortgage is listed at $2,338 per month, and mortgage payments equal 23.4% of household income, higher than the 20.4% rent-to-income figure but not flagged as mortgage stress. With 47.7% owned outright and 38.4% mortgaged, competition is likely to centre on quality detached homes rather than entry-level units.
For Buyers
The housing stock suits buyers seeking established family space, with 87.3% separate houses and 51.8% containing four or more bedrooms, compared with only 4.3% apartments. A typical mortgage is listed at $2,338 per month, and mortgage payments equal 23.4% of household income, higher than the 20.4% rent-to-income figure but not flagged as mortgage stress. With 47.7% owned outright and 38.4% mortgaged, competition is likely to centre on quality detached homes rather than entry-level units.
For Investors
Investor appeal is constrained by the suburb's owner-heavy structure. Only 10.1% of dwellings are rented, below the 47.7% owned outright share, while weekly rent is $470 and vacancy is 7.2%. That vacancy level means investors should not assume immediate leasing pressure, so a purchase case depends more on long-term land value and tenant quality than on short-term yield. Development activity reached 27 applications in 12 months, with recent examples including verandahs rather than new dwellings. Rents have grown 20.0%, and overseas migration is the primary forecast growth driver, which could support demand, but the established detached-home market is less suited to high-density investment strategies.
Development Activity
Total DAs
149
Last 12 Months
26
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-21.2%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
Wattle Park's demographic profile is older and more university-qualified than Australia overall. Median age is 46, 6 years above the national figure, while 62.2% of residents have university qualifications, 32.1 percentage points above the national comparison. Overseas-born residents account for 37.2%, 15.6 points above national levels. English and Chinese are the leading ancestries at 577 and 334 people, followed by Scottish at 154 and Italian at 148; Mandarin is spoken by 93 residents and Cantonese by 35. No religion and Christianity are the largest affiliations, at 858 and 805. Compared with nearby Burnside and Kensington Gardens, Wattle Park's 2.7-person average household and 51.7% couples-with-children share point to a settled family base. That stability is reinforced by 85.6% staying at the same address.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
87.3%
Houses
8.4%
Townhouse
4.3%
Apartment
Tenure
The latest figure is also the recorded peak, so the peak-to-latest change is 0.0%. Tenure is strongly owner-led: 47.7% own outright, 38.4% have a mortgage and 10.1% rent. Detached homes dominate at 87.3%, compared with 4.3% apartments and 8.4% semi-detached dwellings, while 51.8% of homes have four or more bedrooms. Compared with nearby Burnside and Kensington Gardens, this combination points to a low-turnover, family-sized housing market, supported by 85.6% of residents staying at the same address.
Mortgage / mo
$2,338
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$470
Census 2021
HH Size
2.7
Personal Income / wk
$952
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
7.2%
Unoccupied
53
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.4%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.4%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
51.7%
Couples with children
35.5%
Couples, no children
12.8%
Single parent
563
Total families
Economy & Employment
High household earnings underpin Wattle Park's premium housing market: household income is $2,305 a week, at the 88.2nd percentile. Healthcare leads employment at 21.3% or 149 workers, followed by Professional/Tech at 14.9% or 104, Education at 13.6% or 95, Public Administration at 7.9% or 55, and Construction at 6.9% or 48. Professionals number 376 and managers 160, making the occupational mix more knowledge-led than trade-led. Participation is 61.2%, unemployment 3.9%, and full-time employment 57.8%. SEIFA ranks IEO, IRSD and IRSAD in decile 9, with IER in decile 8, above most Australian areas because skilled employment and high incomes are concentrated locally.
Unemployment
3.9%
Labour Force
949
Unemployed
37
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
57.8%
Part-time
38.5%
Participation
61.2%
Employed
912
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
62.2%
Postgraduate
18.6%
Born Overseas
37.2%
Dwellings
675
Transport to Work
Daily life is car-oriented: 71.7% of commuters drive, compared with 3.4% using public transport and 3.4% walking or cycling. Work-from-home participation is 17.1%, which may reduce peak commuting for some households. Recorded crime is 25 incidents, equal to 13.3 per 1,000 residents, supporting the suburb's low-crime profile. The compact 1.14 square kilometre footprint and density of 1,660.5 people per square kilometre help keep daily destinations relatively close, although the 2.7-person average household and 51.8% four-plus-bedroom share indicate a settled residential setting. An IRSAD decile of 9 is above the national midpoint, and volunteering reaches 23.5%, reinforcing local social capacity. Check exact transport routes and local services before buying, as convenience can vary across a small suburb.
Drive
71.7%
Public Transport
3.4%
Walk / Cycle
3.4%
Work from Home
17.1%
Growth Outlook
Wattle Park is forecast to follow an established, slow-growth path, with annual growth of 0.45% and population change across the wider area of 6.2% over 10 years. Overseas migration is the primary driver, which fits the suburb's 37.2% overseas-born share, but the shift trajectory is Aging: the senior share has risen 3.4 points while the working share has fallen 1.9 points. Compared with its 6.2% ten-year change, the 0.45% annual trend indicates gradual expansion. The current gentrification assessment is score 10, stage Not gentrifying, although a separate shift indicator records score 30 and Early signs. Affordability improved from 43.2 in 2011 to 37.6 in 2021, while real incomes rose 12.1%.
Population trend: Burnside council area
Wattle Park sits in the Burnside council area. These are the council area's residents, not Wattle Park's.
Residents 2025
48,257
Growth, 5 yr average
+0.8%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+0.7%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
25
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
13.3
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Wattle Park compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
What schools are in Wattle Park?
School choices should be checked against the exact address and current enrolment zones. Wattle Park covers 1.14 square kilometres, so nearby options may sit just outside the boundary; compare government, Catholic and independent locations before committing. Travel time can differ more than the suburb name suggests.
Is Wattle Park safe?
Recorded crime is 25 incidents, equal to 13.3 per 1,000 residents. That supports a relatively low-crime profile, but safety can vary by street, time and offence type. Buyers should inspect the immediate area and review current local alerts rather than relying on a suburb-wide rate alone.
Is Wattle Park good for property investment?
Investment can work for a long-term, land-focused strategy, but Wattle Park is not a high-rental-share market. Rent is $470 a week, vacancy is 7.2%, and only 10.1% of dwellings are rented. Development recorded 27 applications in 12 months, while rents grew 20.0%, so demand is supportive but yield and tenant depth need careful checking.
How is Wattle Park's population changing?
Population change is gradual and aging. The annual forecast trend is 0.45%, while change across the wider area is 6.2% over 10 years. Overseas migration is the primary driver, yet the shift trajectory is Aging, with the senior share up 3.4 points and the working share down 1.9 points.
What languages are spoken in Wattle Park?
English, Chinese, Scottish and Italian are prominent ancestries, with counts of 577, 334, 154 and 148 respectively. Mandarin is the leading listed non-English language at 93 speakers, followed by Cantonese at 35. Overseas-born residents represent 37.2%, above the national comparison by 15.6 points.
What development is occurring in Wattle Park?
Development activity reached 27 applications over 12 months, and recent examples include verandahs and a Stratco verandah installation. The activity points to incremental property improvement rather than evidence of a major new-housing pipeline. Check approval conditions for individual addresses before assuming development potential.
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).
Explore Wattle Park on the Map
View parcels, zoning overlays, DA applications, schools and more.
Open Interactive Map