West Lakes
A median age of 54 sits a full 14 years above the national figure, and that single number explains most of West Lakes. The $1,667,500 median house price rose 21.1% in one year from $1,377,500, yet household income lands only in the 49.2nd percentile nationally, so the wealth here is held rather than earned. Owners dominate: 54.4% own outright, well above the renter share of 16.9%, the signature of an established, debt-free older population. SEIFA scores read decile 6 across all four indexes, a comfortable middle tier rather than the top advantage band the price tag might suggest. The senior share has climbed 7.4 points over the decade while working-age residents fell 5.8 points.
Population
6,768
Median Age
54.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,548/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
139
Median House
$1.7M
Median 1Q 2026
The $1,667,500 median makes West Lakes one of Adelaide's premium markets, and the 21.1% jump from $1,377,500 across a single year shows demand outpacing the modest 0.53% population growth. Stock favours families: 58.0% are separate houses and 32.6% semi-detached, while apartments are just 9.4%. Three-bedroom homes lead at 43.1%, with four-plus at 27.2% and two-bedroom at 28.3%, so smaller buyers face thinner choice. Average monthly mortgage repayments of $1,788 give a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.7%, below the 30% stress line despite the high price, because 54.4% of owners hold their homes outright and recent mortgaged buyers are a minority at 28.7%. The waterfront character and detached-house scarcity sustain prices well above the Adelaide median.
For Buyers
The $1,667,500 median makes West Lakes one of Adelaide's premium markets, and the 21.1% jump from $1,377,500 across a single year shows demand outpacing the modest 0.53% population growth. Stock favours families: 58.0% are separate houses and 32.6% semi-detached, while apartments are just 9.4%. Three-bedroom homes lead at 43.1%, with four-plus at 27.2% and two-bedroom at 28.3%, so smaller buyers face thinner choice. Average monthly mortgage repayments of $1,788 give a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.7%, below the 30% stress line despite the high price, because 54.4% of owners hold their homes outright and recent mortgaged buyers are a minority at 28.7%. The waterfront character and detached-house scarcity sustain prices well above the Adelaide median.
For Investors
Renters make up only 16.9% of West Lakes, one of the lower shares you will find, so the tenant pool is shallow by design in an owner-occupier suburb. Weekly rent of $370 against the $1,667,500 median implies a gross yield near 1.2%, very low, which means the investment case rests on capital growth rather than income. The 7.1% vacancy rate is on the higher side and signals limited rental absorption. Demand support is thin: population grows 0.53% a year, driven mainly by overseas migration of 156 residents annually against net internal inflow of 78. Development ran to 112 applications in 12 months, almost entirely single detached dwellings rather than new rental supply. Rent grew 28.0% over the period, the clearest positive, but yield and a small renter base keep this a long-hold appreciation play.
Development Activity
Total DAs
645
Last 12 Months
139
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+39.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
The median age of 54 runs 14.0 years above the national figure, the defining trait, and the trajectory keeps aging as the senior share rose 7.4 points while working-age residents fell 5.8 points over the decade. Overseas-born residents reach 26.8%, which is 5.2 points above national, and ancestry leans Anglo-Italian, led by English (2,532), Italian (752) and Scottish (578). The top non-English languages are Greek (85 speakers), Italian (81) and Mandarin (51), a legacy of postwar European settlement. University qualifications at 35.5% sit 5.4 points above national. Average household size is 2.2, which is 0.3 below national, consistent with the older profile: couples without children account for 42.0% of the 5,289 families, far outnumbering couples with children.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
58.0%
Houses
32.6%
Townhouse
9.4%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure tilts decisively toward outright ownership: 54.4% own with no mortgage, 28.7% carry a mortgage and only 16.9% rent. Outright owners outnumbering mortgage holders nearly two to one points to long-held, debt-free wealth rather than a churn of recent buyers. The stock is 58.0% separate houses and 32.6% semi-detached, leaving apartments at just 9.4%, which keeps detached supply tight and prices elevated. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 43.1%, with four-plus at 27.2%. The median rose from $1,377,500 to $1,667,500 across 2025 to 2026, a 21.1% one-year move. Mortgage-to-income at 26.7% and rent-to-income at 23.9% both stay below the stress threshold, a comfortable position that reflects how much housing is already paid off rather than how affordable purchase prices are.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,788
Rent / wk
$370
HH Size
2.2
Personal Income / wk
$791
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
7.1%
Unoccupied
225
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.9%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.7%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
42.0%
Couples, no children
5,289
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce concentrates in services rather than trades: Healthcare leads at 15.2% (311 workers), Education follows at 13.0% (265) and Professional/Tech at 10.1% (206), with Public Admin at 9.5% and Construction at 8.5%. By occupation, Professionals (717) and Managers (517) top the list, ahead of Clerical/Admin (507). Unemployment is low at 3.8% and the full-time rate is 62.2%. Participation reads only 50.2%, well below what the housing wealth implies, because the aging profile leaves 2,666 residents not in the labour force. SEIFA is uniformly decile 6 across IEO, IER, IRSD and IRSAD, a solid middle tier; the index scores cluster near 1,003 to 1,027, showing none of the extreme advantage the $1,667,500 median might suggest, since high home values coexist with median-percentile incomes.
Unemployment
3.2%
Labour Force
8,235
Unemployed
260
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
62.2%
Part-time
34.0%
Participation
50.2%
Employed
2,901
Occupations
Top Industries
University
35.5%
Postgraduate
8.5%
Born Overseas
26.8%
Dwellings
2,934
Transport to Work
Car dependence is near-total: 89.4% drive to work while public transport carries just 3.9% and 2.4% walk or cycle, both below national norms, a function of the low-density waterfront layout at 1,534.7 residents per km2. The suburb scores decile 6 on IRSAD and IRSD, a comfortable middle tier where relative disadvantage is uncommon but not absent. Volunteering runs at 16.0% and 8.3% of residents (545 people) need daily assistance, higher than most areas because of the median age of 54. No schools are recorded inside the 4.41 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs. Crime totals 660 incidents, a rate of 97.5 per 1,000 residents, elevated against quieter suburbs and worth weighing for an otherwise settled, owner-occupied area.
Drive
89.4%
Public Transport
3.9%
Walk / Cycle
2.4%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.53%/yr
(+84 people/yr)
EstablishedWest Lakes is an established, slow-growth suburb: population rises 0.53% a year, about 84 residents, and grew 8.3% over the past decade. Overseas migration is the primary driver at 156 residents annually, supported by net internal inflow of 78, but neither figure points to rapid expansion. The gentrification stage reads early signs on one measure (score 25) and not gentrifying on another (score 13), a mixed picture for a suburb that is aging rather than turning over: the senior share rose 7.4 points while working-age residents fell 5.8 points. Affordability held stable, easing only from 43.2% in 2011 to 41.5% in 2021. Real incomes grew 8.3% over the decade, modest against the 21.1% one-year jump in house prices, a gap that explains why younger buyers are not flowing in.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+156
Net Internal / yr
+78
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Population +10% since 2011, Net internal migration +78/yr
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
660
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
97.5
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How West Lakes compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is West Lakes a good suburb to live in?
West Lakes scores decile 6 across all four SEIFA indexes, a comfortable middle tier, and 54.4% of residents own their homes outright. University qualifications reach 35.5%, 5.4 points above national. The main trade-offs are a high $1,667,500 median house price and a crime rate of 97.5 per 1,000 residents.
What is the median house price in West Lakes?
The median house price is $1,667,500, among Adelaide's highest, after rising 21.1% from $1,377,500 in one year. Weekly rent averages $370 and average monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,788, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.7%, below the 30% stress line.
What schools are in West Lakes?
No schools are recorded inside the 4.41 km2 West Lakes boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The local population is well educated, with university qualifications at 35.5%, which is 5.4 points above the national figure.
Is West Lakes safe?
West Lakes recorded 660 crime incidents, a rate of 97.5 per 1,000 residents, which is elevated against quieter suburbs. As a counterweight, the area scores decile 6 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, a middle tier where deprivation is uncommon.
Is West Lakes good for property investment?
Rent of $370 a week against a $1,667,500 median gives a gross yield near 1.2%, very low, and renters are just 16.9% of the suburb. Overseas migration of 156 residents a year supports demand, but 0.53% population growth means returns depend on capital growth rather than yield.
How is West Lakes's population changing?
Population grows about 0.53% a year, roughly 84 residents, and rose 8.3% over the past decade. The profile is aging, with the senior share up 7.4 points and the working-age share down 5.8 points. Overseas migration of 156 a year is the main growth driver.
What languages are spoken in West Lakes?
About 26.8% of residents were born overseas, 5.2 points above national. English dominates, with Greek (85 speakers), Italian (81), Mandarin (51) and Serbian (35) the most common non-English languages, a legacy of postwar European settlement reflected in 752 residents of Italian ancestry.
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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