SA 5162 Census 2021 + Live DA Data

Woodcroft

The suburb has 11,326 residents, a median age of 42 that is 2.0 years above the national average, and an 88.6% separate-house share. Compared with nearby Morphett Vale, Woodcroft reads as a more detached, established address, with 47.0% of homes carrying a mortgage and 32.0% owned outright. Household income sits at the 57.6th percentile, supporting an owner-occupier profile, while the 0.96% annual trend points to measured rather than explosive growth.

Woodcroft urban fabric map

Population

11,326

Median Age

42.0

Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)

$1,664/wk

DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year

90

Median House

$922K

First quarter 2026

6.93 km²· 1,635.5 people/km²· Family income $2,020/wk

Three-bedroom homes account for 49.4% and four-bedroom-plus homes 38.1%, while separate houses make up 88.6%, so the stock is more family-oriented than apartment-led. The listed mortgage cost is $1,517 monthly, and mortgage repayments equal 21.1% of household income, just above rent-to-income at 21.0%. With 47.0% of homes mortgaged and 32.0% owned outright, buyers should compare loan capacity, maintenance and commute costs before stretching for a detached home.

For Buyers

Three-bedroom homes account for 49.4% and four-bedroom-plus homes 38.1%, while separate houses make up 88.6%, so the stock is more family-oriented than apartment-led. The listed mortgage cost is $1,517 monthly, and mortgage repayments equal 21.1% of household income, just above rent-to-income at 21.0%. With 47.0% of homes mortgaged and 32.0% owned outright, buyers should compare loan capacity, maintenance and commute costs before stretching for a detached home.

For Investors

Woodcroft presents a low-turnover, owner-heavy investment setting rather than a high-rental-share market. Only 15.2% of households rent, while the weekly rent is $350 and vacancy is 3.4%, so tenant demand should be tested property by property rather than assumed. The 87 development applications in 12 months may create local competition or improve existing stock, depending on scale; recent examples include pool and verandah work. Rent growth of 55.1% is much higher than the 0.96% annual growth trend, so rental pricing has moved faster than underlying growth. Overseas migration is the primary forecast driver, which may support demand, but the renter share remains below the combined owner and mortgage base.

Development Activity

Total DAs

521

Last 12 Months

90

YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements

+16.9%

Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year

N/A

Monthly DA Lodgements

DA Categories

Deck / Pergola / Patio
73
Garage / Carport / Shed
42
Swimming Pool / Spa
21
Renovation / Extension
9
Tree Removal
5
Landscaping / Retaining Wall
3
New Dwelling
3
Other
2

Schools in Woodcroft

Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.

Woodcroft Primary School

Primary Education Government

Demographics

Woodcroft's median age of 42 is 2.0 years above the national average, and its aging trajectory is visible in a 4.5% rise in the senior share alongside a 1.5% fall in the young share. Couples with children make up 45.8% of families, couples without children 37.6%, and average household size is 2.6, or 0.1 above the national figure. Overseas-born residents account for 21.6%, equal to the national comparison, while university attainment is 23.7%, 6.4 percentage points below national. English, Scottish and Irish ancestry counts are 5,388, 1,029 and 856, reinforcing an established local identity; 85.2% stayed at the same address, supporting demographic stability.

Age Distribution

0-14
17.4%
15-24
12.9%
25-44
23.2%
45-64
27.1%
65+
19.4%

Bedrooms

Studio/1br
1.3%
2 bed
11.2%
3 bed
49.4%
4+ bed
38.1%

Dwelling Structure

88.6%

Houses

7.3%

Townhouse

0.9%

Apartment

Tenure

Own 32.0% Mortgage 47.0% Rent 15.2% Other 5.7%

Housing is overwhelmingly detached: 88.6% separate houses, 7.3% semi-detached and 0.9% apartments. Tenure is split between 47.0% mortgaged, 32.0% owned outright and 15.2% renting, with 5.7% other. The 49.4% three-bedroom and 38.1% four-bedroom-plus shares explain the family orientation, while mortgage repayments at 21.1% of household income sit just above rent-to-income at 21.0%. Compared with an apartment-led market, Woodcroft's price exposure is concentrated in land, maintenance and detached-house demand.

Mortgage / mo

$1,517

Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.

$350

Census 2021

HH Size

2.6

Personal Income / wk

$771

Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)

3.4%

Unoccupied

150

Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress

21.0%

Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress

21.1%

Community Profile

Languages Spoken at Home

Urdu
49
Arabic
47
Malayalam
36
Punjabi
32
Polish
32
Mandarin
30

Ancestry

English
5,388
Scottish
1,029
Irish
856
Other
806
German
779
Italian
308

Household Composition

45.8%

Couples with children

37.6%

Couples, no children

15.6%

Single parent

3,276

Total families

Economy & Employment

Woodcroft's economy is anchored by healthcare, which employs 841 people or 22.7% of workers, followed by construction at 400 and education at 393. Public administration accounts for 310 and retail 282. The occupation mix is similarly practical and service-based: trades lead with 963, ahead of professionals at 954, clerical and administration at 952, community and personal services at 790, and sales at 617. Unemployment is 3.8% within a labour force of 6,023, with participation at 64.4%; 3,309 work full time and 2,190 part time. SEIFA results are mixed: IEO decile 4 is below IER and IRSD decile 7, while IRSAD is decile 5. That spread suggests economic resources and relatively low disadvantage rank higher than education and occupation. Household income at the 57.6th percentile is above the midpoint, but not a top-decile result.

Unemployment

3.8%

Labour Force

6,023

Unemployed

228

Source: ABS Census 2021

Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)

Overall advantage
5
Disadvantage
7
Economic resources
7
Education & occupation
4

Full-time

57.1%

Part-time

37.8%

Participation

64.4%

Employed

5,795

Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021

Occupations

Trades 963
Professionals 954
Clerical/Admin 952
Community/Personal 790
Sales 617
Managers 615
Labourers 524
Machinery/Drivers 305

Top Industries

Healthcare 22.7%
Construction 10.8%
Education 10.6%
Public Admin 8.4%
Retail 7.6%

University

23.7%

Postgraduate

4.0%

Born Overseas

21.6%

Dwellings

4,271

Transport to Work

Woodcroft is practical for car-based households: 82.4% of commuters drive, compared with 3.0% using public transport, 0.8% walking or cycling and 9.6% working from home. The suburb has 1 local government primary school, Woodcroft Primary School, so families should check enrolment zones and secondary-school options against the exact address. Safety is a relative strength, with 259 recorded offences and a crime rate of 22.9 per 1,000; street conditions and incident patterns can still vary. IRSAD sits at decile 5 and IRSD at decile 7, while the 6.93 square kilometre area supports a density of 1,635.5 people per square kilometre. Compared with public transport access, the driving share is the defining daily trade-off.

Drive

82.4%

Public Transport

3.0%

Walk / Cycle

0.8%

Work from Home

9.6%

Population Forecast

+0.96%/yr

(+229 people/yr)

Established

Woodcroft's forecast annual growth rate is 0.96%, with overseas migration named as the primary driver. Across the wider area, population change is 19.9% over 10 years, but the trajectory is Aging: the senior share has risen 4.5% while the young share has fallen 1.5%. Affordability is labelled Worsening, moving from 47.0 in 2011 to 50.9 in 2021, which matters as prices climbed 18.2% in the latest year of recorded history. The gentrification stage is Not gentrifying at score 16, even though the shift profile records Active at 54. That combination points to established-suburb change driven more by migration and ageing than a wholesale tenure reset.

Historical + Forecast

Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025

Age Cohort Forecast

Primary Driver

Overseas Migration

Net Overseas / yr

+342

Net Internal / yr

-417

16

Gentrification Signal

Not gentrifying

Population +17% since 2011, Net internal outflow -417/yr, Strong overseas inflow +342/yr

Safety & Crime

Total Offences

259

Year ending June 2024

Rate per 1,000 People

22.9

Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police

National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs

How Woodcroft compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs

Population
Top 4%
Household Income
Top 42%
Rent Level
Top 28%
Apartments
Top 21%
Renters
Top 50%
Uni Educated
Bottom 50%
Public Transport
Top 44%
Born Overseas
Top 26%
Density
Top 11%

Frequently Asked Questions

What schools are in Woodcroft?

Woodcroft has 1 local government primary school identified: Woodcroft Primary School. Families should check the exact enrolment zone, year-level availability and secondary options before buying, because school access can change by address.

Is Woodcroft safe?

Woodcroft records 259 offences, equal to 22.9 per 1,000 residents, supporting its low-crime profile. Safety can vary by street and incident type, so buyers and renters should check recent local patterns, lighting, parking and the exact address rather than relying on a suburb-wide rate alone.

Is Woodcroft good for property investment?

It can suit a long-term investor who values established detached housing, but the numbers call for selectivity. Weekly rent is $350, vacancy is 3.4%, renting is 15.2%, and 87 development applications were recorded over 12 months. Overseas migration is the primary growth driver, yet rental depth is below the owner and mortgage base.

How is Woodcroft's population changing?

Woodcroft's wider-area growth outlook is 0.96% annually, with overseas migration the primary driver. Population change across the wider area is 19.9% over 10 years, while the trajectory is Aging: the senior share is up 4.5% and the young share is down 1.5%. That points to steady growth with an older household profile.

What development is happening in Woodcroft?

Development activity reached 87 applications over 12 months. Recent examples include removing a swimming pool for a fibreglass replacement and adding verandahs, indicating property upgrades among the latest applications. Buyers should check individual applications, dates and approvals before assuming changes to traffic, density or amenity.

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). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.

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