Wayville
University qualifications reach 59.8%, which is 29.7 percentage points above the national figure, and household income lands in the 76.1st percentile nationally. The suburb's crime rate of 149.3 per 1,000 residents is elevated compared to typical inner-suburban norms, a trade-off residents accept for proximity to the CBD and employment hubs in healthcare and professional services.
Local council: Unley
Population
1,922
Median Age
38.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,035/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
30
Median House
$1.4M
First quarter 2026
The stock leans heavily apartment, with 50.7% of dwellings in that category versus only 39.0% separate houses, so buyers seeking a detached home compete for a minority of listings. Two-bedroom dwellings dominate at 39.0% and three-bedroom at 36.7%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,123, and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 24.1%, below the 30% stress threshold despite premium pricing.
For Buyers
The stock leans heavily apartment, with 50.7% of dwellings in that category versus only 39.0% separate houses, so buyers seeking a detached home compete for a minority of listings. Two-bedroom dwellings dominate at 39.0% and three-bedroom at 36.7%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,123, and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 24.1%, below the 30% stress threshold despite premium pricing.
For Investors
A 46.6% renter share, higher than state and national averages, gives landlords a substantial tenant pool, and weekly rent of $350 is moderate relative to the purchase price. The 10.2% vacancy rate is elevated compared to a healthy sub-3% benchmark, signalling some oversupply in the apartment segment that makes up 50.7% of dwellings. Development activity shows 28 applications in the past 12 months, mostly alterations rather than new supply additions. Rent-to-income for tenants sits at just 17.2%, meaning renters are not under stress, which supports tenant retention. The suburb's high 59.8% university qualification rate and strong healthcare and professional employment base create durable rental demand from a skilled workforce.
Development Activity
Total DAs
195
Last 12 Months
30
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-31.8%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
The median age of 38 is 2.0 years below the national figure, pointing to a younger-than-average resident mix drawn by proximity to employment. University qualifications at 59.8% run 29.7 percentage points above the national average, among the highest in South Australia. Overseas-born residents make up 29.0%, which is 7.4 points above the national rate, with Mandarin (28 speakers), Hindi (21) and Greek (20) the leading non-English languages. Ancestry is strongly Anglo-Celtic, led by English (685), Irish (198) and Scottish (187), alongside a notable German heritage group (143). Average household size of 2.3 is marginally below the national figure, consistent with the apartment-dominant stock and couples-dominated household composition.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
39.0%
Houses
10.3%
Townhouse
50.7%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure splits with 46.6% renting, 29.2% owned outright and 24.2% carrying a mortgage, a renter-majority pattern driven by the 50.7% apartment share. Outright owners outnumbering mortgage holders suggests a subset of long-held investment properties held debt-free. Two-bedroom dwellings account for 39.0% of stock and three-bedroom 36.7%, with 4-plus bedroom homes at 18.5%, a balanced spread that serves both renters and owner-occupiers. Rent-to-income at 17.2% and mortgage-to-income at 24.1% both sit below standard stress thresholds.
Mortgage / mo
$2,123
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$350
Census 2021
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$979
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
10.2%
Unoccupied
85
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
17.2%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.1%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
40.1%
Couples with children
46.1%
Couples, no children
12.5%
Single parent
479
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads local employment at 19.4% (167 workers), followed by Professional/Tech at 15.7% (135) and Education at 13.0% (112), together accounting for nearly half the resident workforce. Public Administration (8.4%) and Hospitality (5.2%) round out the top five. By occupation, Professionals dominate at 421, well above Managers (168) and Clerical/Admin (126), consistent with the suburb's 59.8% university qualification rate, which is well above national averages. The full-time employment rate is 61.6% and unemployment stands at 4.8%, close to the national rate. Personal weekly income averages $979 and family weekly income $2,639, with household income in the 76.1st percentile nationally.
Unemployment
4.5%
Labour Force
1,121
Unemployed
51
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
58.5%
Part-time
36.4%
Participation
67.4%
Employed
1,070
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
59.8%
Postgraduate
18.9%
Born Overseas
29.0%
Dwellings
738
Transport to Work
Active transport is used by 15.3% of residents for walking or cycling, higher than most suburban benchmarks, reflecting the compact 1.0 km2 layout and central location. Public transport use sits at 7.4% and 71.7% drive, consistent with broader Adelaide patterns. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary, so families rely on neighbouring schools. Crime is a notable factor: the rate of 149.3 incidents per 1,000 residents is elevated compared to low-crime inner-suburban norms, and the brief flags high-crime-rate as an identity signal. On the positive side, rent-to-income at 17.2% means tenants face below-stress housing costs, volunteering participation is solid at 20.8%, and housing stress flags are clear on both mortgage and rental measures.
Drive
53.5%
Public Transport
12.9%
Walk / Cycle
11.4%
Work from Home
18.0%
Growth Outlook
Wayville's small footprint of 1.0 km2 and current population of 1,922 leave limited scope for large-scale residential expansion. The turnover rate of 33.5% indicates that roughly one in three residents moved within the previous five years, higher than a typical settled suburb, reflecting the rental-majority composition rather than speculative churn. The suburb's identity as apartment-dominant with high vacancy (10.2%) suggests that recent stock additions have outpaced absorption. No forecast data is available from this dataset, but the combination of younger-than-national median age, high professional employment and proximity to Adelaide CBD positions the suburb to track Adelaide's broader growth trajectory. Development applications totalled 28 in the past 12 months, concentrated in alterations rather than new dwelling construction.
Population trend: Unley council area
Wayville sits in the Unley council area. These are the council area's residents, not Wayville's.
Residents 2025
40,731
Growth, 5 yr average
+0.6%/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
287
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
149.3
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Wayville compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Wayville a good suburb to live in?
Wayville suits professionals and renters seeking inner-Adelaide access. Household income sits in the 76.1st percentile nationally and university qualifications reach 59.8%, well above average. The main trade-offs are a crime rate of 149.3 per 1,000 residents (elevated compared to typical inner suburbs) and a 10.2% vacancy rate reflecting excess apartment supply.
What schools are in Wayville?
No schools are recorded within the Wayville boundary (postcode 5034) in this dataset. Families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. Locally, residents are highly educated: 59.8% hold university qualifications, which is 29.7 percentage points above the national figure.
Is Wayville safe?
Wayville's crime rate is 149.3 incidents per 1,000 residents across 287 recorded offences, which the suburb profile flags as elevated relative to comparable inner-suburban areas. This is a material consideration for prospective residents, particularly given the dense 1,917 people per km2 and 46.6% renter composition.
How is Wayville's population changing?
Wayville has a population of 1,922 within a compact 1.0 km2 area, giving a density of 1,917 people per km2. The turnover rate of 33.5% indicates significant resident mobility, with 66.5% of current residents having remained in place over the reference period. No multi-year population growth forecast is available in this dataset.
How much development is happening in Wayville?
There were 28 development applications lodged in the past 12 months. Recent samples include a verandah and double-storey outbuilding (May 2026) and alterations and additions to existing dwellings, consistent with an established suburb where activity concentrates on upgrading existing stock rather than adding large numbers of new dwellings.
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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