Athelstone is a middle-ring metropolitan suburb of Adelaide, in Campbelltown Council, characterised by heritage listings alongside mixed commercial and residential development. It is close to the River Torrens and Mount Pleasant.
Local school ICSEA scores are among the highest in the peer group, placing it among the highest-ranked middle-ring metropolitan suburbs. Green cover is an exceptional strength, and reported crime is lower than in most comparable places, with reported crime 59% below the peer median. Trade-offs centre on more mapped flood cover, limited amenity for the price and thinner park access, with park access 39% below the peer median.
Overall, the suburb suits people prioritising school quality and lower crime over amenity for the price.
Generated from the official metrics on this page. It can omit nuance or contain errors — check the tables and source notes before relying on it.
Strengths and weaknesses
Middle-ring metropolitan suburb · compared with middle-ring metropolitan suburbs in South Australia (106)
Strengths
Local school ICSEA scores are among the highest in the peer group
Green cover is a relative strength
Reported crime is lower than in most comparable places
Weaknesses
Mapped flood cover is a relative weakness
Buyers pay a premium despite relatively limited amenity access
Park access is a relative weakness
What stands out
Overseas-born and multilingual community
Heritage listings
River Torrens
Mount Pleasant
River Drive
Who it suits
Stars are audience-fit ratings derived from Suburb.Guide data, not demographic counts or user reviews.
Families★★★☆☆
Professionals★★☆☆☆
Retirees★★☆☆☆
Students★☆☆☆☆
Budget buyers★★☆☆☆
Housing, growth and risk
How Athelstone compares
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median house price
$1.09M
+15% change
Median rent
$658/wk
Houses $665 · Units $510
Population (ERP)
10,021
+0.9% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
3.7%
Census unoccupied dwellings
Livability profile
Desirability pillars vs the peer median (50th percentile)
How it compares
Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles
Desirability
#8
among Metro Adelaide · Established
Crime rate
22nd
percentile in state (higher = more crime)
Pop. growth
70th
percentile in SA
Rented dwellings
13%
2021 Census tenure
Advantage (IRSAD)
8/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
80th
percentile among schools with ICSEA
Population growth
Recent ERP change over 1 and 5 years
Housing mix
Dwelling types from the 2021 Census
Risks & flags
Quick scan — open a section below for full context
Living here
Desirability
Ranks & confidence
Desirability score
59.0/100 — Good
State standing
Top 3% of South Australia's suburbs
National rank
605th in Australia
State rank
18th in SA
Peer rank
#8 among Metro Adelaide · Established suburbs
Cohort rank
#17 among Metro Adelaide suburbs
Data confidence
100%
Data sources & freshness
Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Housing
Flats / units (01/01/26 to 31/03/26)
$510
Houses (01/01/26 to 31/03/26)
$665
All types (01/01/26 to 31/03/26)
$657.5
Rental bonds lodged (01/01/26 to 31/03/26)
30
Median house price (Q1 2026)
$1,092,500
Median price change
+15.2%
Median weekly rent from SA Housing Authority rental bond data. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.
Median house sale prices cover metropolitan Adelaide and selected fringe councils (19 LGAs, including Adelaide Hills and Gawler), not all of regional South Australia.
Household crowding and healthy vacancy — not cheapness Modest price change as a healthy-growth band
Data sources & freshness
SA rent report & metro median house sales — Government of South Australia · 1 January - 31 March 2026; 1Q 2026 · Updated · Quarterly; metro-fringe sales only
Population
Estimated resident population
10,021(June 2025)
+0.9% annual · +3.8% over 5 years · 70th percentile in SA
Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+0.9%
5-year growth
+3.8%
Change in 1 year
+89
Change in 5 years
+363
Growth rank in SA
70th percentile
ABS Estimated Resident Population allocated to this suburb from SA2-level data. Not an official ABS suburb count.
Methodology
Figures are allocated from ABS Estimated Resident Population at Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2), using 2021 Census share within overlapping SA2 regions. Where Census data is unavailable, area overlap is used instead.
The dashed chart line is a simple growth-trend estimate to June 2030 (~10,200), extrapolated at +0.3% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
Population
9,601
Median age
43
Median household income / week
$1,941
Dwelling vacancy
3.7%
Unoccupied private dwellings
138 of 3,682
Median monthly mortgage
$1,733
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$360
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
44.9% / 42% / 13.1%
Employment rate
63.7%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
10.8% / 5.3% / 70.5%
Walked or cycled to work
0.9%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
2,994 / 461 / 79
Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%) · Accessibility (12%) · Future Growth (6%)
Employment, household income and owned-outright tenure (2021 Census) Work-from-home and public-transport commute shares (2021 Census) Five-year population change as a healthy-growth band, not a boom bonus
Data sources & freshness
2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
29.8% of adults have a university degree, compared with 22.6% across South Australia. 15.3% have a trade or vocational qualification.
University qualified29.8% · 22.6% SA
Diploma qualified9.6% · 8.6% SA
Trade / vocational15.3% · 17.5% SA
Year 12 or below45.3% · 51.2% SA
Highest qualification field
Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).
Management and commerce23.3%
Engineering and related technologies15.9%
Society and culture13.1%
Health12.4%
Education11.3%
Architecture and building5.9%
How these groups are defined
Measure
Definition
University qualified
Bachelor degree or higher
Diploma qualified
Advanced Diploma / Diploma
Trade / vocational
Certificate III + IV
Year 12
Year 12 as highest attainment
Below Year 12
Year 11 / 10 / 9 or below
People aged 15 years and over, 2021 Census. University, diploma and trade shares match ABS highest educational attainment (HEAP). Year 12 and below Year 12 are combined in the chart because the General Community Profile reports school-only attainment as a residual.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)
University qualifications from the 2021 Census
Data sources & freshness
2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Tax & income
Median taxable income (2023–24)
$59,967
77th percentile in SA · +2% vs Australia
Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$64,996
81st percentile in SA · 0% vs Australia
Residents with rental investments
15.0%
80th percentile in SA · +9% vs Australia
Median super balance (2023–24)
$95,827
71st percentile in SA · +51% vs Australia
Residents with business income
9.0%
32nd percentile in SA · -13% vs Australia
Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 5076 — not a suburb-level official statistic. Rental investment is the share of local taxpayers reporting rental income or loss, not the share of local properties owned by investors.
Counts, net rent & state comparison
Taxpayers in this postcode
6,637
Taxpayers reporting net rent
1,013
Median net rent
$411
Taxpayers reporting business income
609
Taxable income vs state median
+10%
Salary / wages vs state median
+13%
Rental investment vs state median
+25%
Super vs state median
+23%
Business income vs state median
-18%
Percentiles rank this postcode among unique postcodes in SA, so suburbs that share a postcode are not counted twice. Dollar figures are compared with Australia-wide ATO medians from the same release. Median net rent is among taxpayers who reported the rent label and can be negative.
Data sources & freshness
Taxation Statistics 2023–24 — individuals by postcode (Table 25) — Australian Taxation Office · Updated · Annual release; taxpayer residential postcode, not suburb boundary
Community & culture
25% speak a language other than English at home; 28.6% born overseas
Language at home
7,048 English only · 2,344 other
Non-English at home
25%
Born overseas
2,693 (28.6%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
60 (0.6%)
Australian citizens
8,711
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
29
Top languages other than English
Share of residents who speak a language other than English at home (2021 Census).
Italian336 · 33.4%
Mandarin97 · 9.6%
Greek86 · 8.5%
Cantonese68 · 6.8%
Arabic65 · 6.5%
Punjabi51 · 5.1%
Hindi42 · 4.2%
Persian28 · 2.8%
Religion
56.5%Most common religion · Christianity
Christianity is the most common response at 56.5%, while 32.2% reported no religion.
Measure
Suburb
State
No religion
32.2%
45.2%
Christianity
56.5%
40%
Other / not stated
11.3%
14.7%
Christian denominations
Denomination
Suburb
State
Catholic
33.5%
15.5%
Anglican
4.8%
7.2%
Uniting Church
4.7%
4.8%
Eastern Orthodox
3.6%
2.4%
Christian (not further defined)
2.3%
2.6%
2021 Census — languages spoken at home, birthplace, Indigenous status, and religious affiliation (usual residence). Religion is optional on the Census form.
Data sources & freshness
2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Crime & safety
Reported offences decreased compared with the previous period.
Offence counts & rates
Total offences (2025–26)
166
Against the person
50
Against property
116
Rate per 1,000 residents
16.6
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 192 residents
State crime-rate percentile
22.1th (higher = more crime)
Family & domestic abuse offences
36
Decrease (daily rate)
-0.6%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
115
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
11.48
Most common offence types
Damage Or Destroy Property29
Motor Vehicle Theft And Related Offences27
Serious Assault38
Theft From A Person18
Theft From Retail Premises16
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)
Crime rate, offences against the person, year-on-year trend and recorded road crash rates
Athelstone SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1100 · 84th percentile · LBOTE 29% · 368 students · Top SEA quarter 40% · 0.7 km awayView on My School →
Saint Ignatius' CollegeCombined · Catholic · ICSEA 1151 · 95th percentile · LBOTE 23% · 1,421 students · Top SEA quarter 59% · 0.8 km awayView on My School →
Thorndon Park Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1069 · 75th percentile · LBOTE 28% · 266 students · Top SEA quarter 29% · 1.8 km awayView on My School →
Paradise Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1022 · 56th percentile · LBOTE 67% · 141 students · Top SEA quarter 22% · 1.9 km awayView on My School →
Athelstone Preschool338 Gorge RoadPreschools
Thorndon Park Kindergarten13 Nestor StreetPreschools
Contributes to desirability score · Education (14%)
Median school ICSEA first, then school and catchment counts
1 supermarkets · 3 places of worship · 4 playgrounds · 1 sports centres · 1 petrol stations
Local character & venue list
Local character
Reasonably walkable — many shops and services reachable on foot or by bus
Great for outdoor family life — 9 parks mapped in suburb, 4 playgrounds nearby
Well connected by public transport — 44 public transport stops
Strong local sport and recreation — 11 sport and outdoor facilities nearby
Walkability proxy
55/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0
Parks per 1,000 residents
0.94
Shopping(1)
Supermarket
Everyday services(1)
OTR AthelstonePetrol station
310 Gorge Road, Athelstone
Community(2)
Athelstone SchoolsSchool
St Ignatius College - Senior CampusSchool
2 Manresa Court, Athelstone
Sport & outdoors(26)
BBQ
O-Bahn BikewayCycling route
Drinking water (3)
Roy Street ReserveNature reserve
Lovell ReservePark
Meath Avenue ReservePark
Park (3)
Rosemary Avenue ReservePark
Wadmore Park (Pulyonna Wirra)Park
Picnic area
Playground (3)
River Drive Reserve (Linear Park)Playground
Sports centre
Atkinson OvalSports field
Baulderstone OvalSports field
Bourke OvalSports field
Foxfield OvalSports field
Sports field
Wallace OvalSports field
Yurrebilla Trail Section 5Walking trail
Transport(39)
39 bus stops
Other(9)
Athelstone CFSFire station
Payne’s Wildflower GardenGarden
Parking (29)
Athelstone Uniting ChurchPlace of worship
Place of worship (2)
Australia PostPost Box
Post Box
TelstraTelephone
Track (5)
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually. Campgrounds, beaches, wineries and local trails are included when they sit inside the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport per 1,000 residents (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Named sporting clubs from OpenStreetMap and the SA Sports Vouchers venue list, assigned to this suburb's boundary. Sporting facilities such as ovals, courts and recreation centres are listed under Amenities.
Green cover is the share of this suburb's boundary overlapping OpenStreetMap parks, woodland and forest polygons — not a satellite tree-canopy product. Summer maximum is the WorldClim / Open-Meteo seasonal normal already collected for Weather.
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)
Tree canopy first, then green-cover area and parks per 1,000
Data sources & freshness
OpenStreetMap green cover and tree canopy — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated · Park/woodland polygons intersected with suburb boundaries
Places of worship
3 places of worship within ~1.5 km
Athelstone Uniting Church
Place of worship (2)
From OpenStreetMap within ~1.5 km of the suburb centre.
Active NDIS participants allocated from NDIA Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2, ASGS 2016) counts to this suburb boundary. Not an official suburb-level NDIS figure · as at 31 March 2026.
For NDIS spend and service-demand exploration by SA2 or postcode, see the Care Sector Demand Map.
Typical conditions by season for suburbs in the same ~44 km climate area. Rainfall totals are summed from monthly WorldClim layers; rainy-day counts are approximate.
Summer (Dec–Feb)
Usual max / min
29° / 14°
Rainfall
67 mm · ~8 rainy days
Autumn (Mar–May)
Usual max / min
23° / 10°
Rainfall
97 mm · ~12 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
Usual max / min
16° / 6°
Rainfall
148 mm · ~18 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
Usual max / min
22° / 9°
Rainfall
119 mm · ~15 rainy days
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)
Development applications from PlanSA register and EPA licensed activities.
2026· 117 proposals
September 2026
Double storey detached dwelling with associated earthworks and a spa pool
2A AUSTIN AV ATHELSTONE SA 5076Under Assessment
Swimming Pool & Safety Barrier
17 KERLEY CR ATHELSTONE SA 5076Under Assessment
retaining wall 600mm high with steel posts and concrete sleepers with a 1800mm high good neighbour fence
3 ERIN PL ATHELSTONE SA 5076Under Assessment
Verandah
46 PROSPERITY WAY ATHELSTONE SA 5076Decision Made
Land division (Torrens Title) to create two (2) allotments (one into two)
1 CLARENCE DR ATHELSTONE SA 5076Under Assessment
Garage addition with wet room & free standing verandah structure
21 BRADBROOK RD ATHELSTONE SA 5076Under Assessment
outbuilding (shed)
30 RYAN AV ATHELSTONE SA 5076Under Assessment
Land division (Torrens Title) to create three (3) allotments (one into three)
2 ELIZABETH ST ATHELSTONE SA 5076Under Assessment
Land division (Community Title) to create four (4) allotments (one into four)
311 GORGE RD ATHELSTONE SA 5076Under Assessment
double storey detached dwelling with associated civil works, fencing and landscaping
4 BROOKSIDE RD ATHELSTONE SA 5076Under Assessment
Two, three storey residential flat buildings containing 14 dwellings with associated common driveway, landscaping and fencing
10 MARYVALE RD ATHELSTONE SA 5076Under Assessment
Land division (Torrens Title) to create two (2) allotments/lots (one into two)
15 GREENBANK RD ATHELSTONE SA 5076Under Assessment
Swimming pool
10 EMERALD CT ATHELSTONE SA 5076Decision Made
August 2026
Construction of 4 light poles (maximum height of 28m) and behind goal post protective netting (maximum height 15m).
2 MANRESA CT ATHELSTONE SA 5076Under Assessment
Swimming Pool with Safety Fence
11 ADELA CR ATHELSTONE SA 5076Decision Made
Carport
26 CLARE AV ATHELSTONE SA 5076Decision Made
Enclose Existing Alfresco, internal Modifications to Existing Residence
3 HIGHVIEW RD ATHELSTONE SA 5076Under Assessment
Verandah
2 THE DRESS CIR ATHELSTONE SA 5076Decision Made
removal of a significant Eucalyptus spathulata (Swamp Mallet) tree
18 MEADOWVALE RD ATHELSTONE SA 5076Decision Made
Single storey detached dwelling with associated landscaping, earthworks, retaining walls up to 1.4m in height and fencing with a total combined height of 2.4 metres
34 VINCENT AV ATHELSTONE SA 5076Under Assessment
July 2026
Change of use from medical consulting room to a pilates studio
SHOP 1-24 320 GORGE RD ATHELSTONE SA 5076Under Assessment
Verandah
35 SCHULZE RD ATHELSTONE SA 5076Decision Made
two single storey detached dwellings with associated civil works, retaining walls, fencing and landscaping and two swimming pools with associated safety fencing
24 GREENBANK RD ATHELSTONE SA 5076Under Assessment
Land division - 1 into 2 Torrens title allotments
3 ERIN PL ATHELSTONE SA 5076Decision Made
remove of a regulated white cedar tree
2 HUTCHINSON AV ATHELSTONE SA 5076Under Assessment
single storey detached dwelling with associated civil works, retaining walls, fencing and landscaping
24 FOX AV ATHELSTONE SA 5076Under Assessment
Outbuilding (garage)
40 GALAXY WAY ATHELSTONE SA 5076Decision Made
double storey detached dwelling with associated civil works, fencing and landscaping
3A SYREN CT ATHELSTONE SA 5076Under Assessment
Double storey detached dwelling
14A SHELTON DR ATHELSTONE SA 5076Under Assessment
Double Storey Detached Dwelling together with associated minor civil works, retaining walls, fences and landscaping. Existing slab approved under DA 24030579.
29G CLARE AV ATHELSTONE SA 5076Under Assessment
Freestanding carport forward of dwelling
6 PANORAMA DR ATHELSTONE SA 5076Under Assessment
single storey detached dwelling with associated civil works, retaining walls, fencing and landscaping
LOT 101 RYAN AV ATHELSTONE SA 5076Decision Made
Remove the significant Eucalyptus cladocalyx from the rear yard
30 HAMILTON TCE ATHELSTONE SA 5076Under Assessment
Change roof tiles to galvanised steel
11 LORENZ CT ATHELSTONE SA 5076Decision Made
Land division (Torrens Title) to create two (2) allotments (one into two)
3 VINCENT AV ATHELSTONE SA 5076Decision Made
Two single storey detached dwellings with associated landscaping, earthworks, fencing and retaining walls with a total combined height of 2.6 metres
10 MEADOWVALE RD ATHELSTONE SA 5076Under Assessment
Concrete Swimming Pool
35 CLEMENT RD ATHELSTONE SA 5076Under Assessment
To prune the significant tree (Eucalyptus leucoxylon) in the rear yard
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid against all current SA Planning risk layers (high, medium, general, urban interface, regional, outback). Flood cover is the share of the suburb boundary overlapping current SA Planning flood overlays (flooding and evidence required). Safer places from CFS designated locations.
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 3.1 km away).
Coalition 39.4%Labor 60.6%
4.0 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +10.8 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
AthelstoneLabor 61.8% · Coalition 38.2% TPP (2025)0.9 km away
Athelstone WestLabor 58.4% · Coalition 41.6% TPP (2025)1.9 km away
Highbury WestLabor 54.6% · Coalition 45.4% TPP (2025)2.1 km away
Highbury SouthLabor 60.6% · Coalition 39.4% TPP (2025)2.2 km away
Highbury EastLabor 60.3% · Coalition 39.7% TPP (2025)2.7 km away
Federal electorate from AEC federal division boundaries (2025 redistribution). Division-level results are official AEC figures from the latest general election, with by-election updates where applicable. The estimated suburb profile blends up to eight nearest ordinary polling booths in the same electorate using inverse-distance weighting from the suburb centroid — an approximation, not official AEC data. Nearest polling places are shown for reference.
ABS Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), 2021 release — the latest available, derived from the 2021 Census. Deciles rank suburbs nationally from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).
What do IRSAD and IRSD measure?
IRSAD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage. Combines indicators of advantage (e.g. high income, skilled occupations) and disadvantage. Higher decile = more advantaged relative to other Australian areas.
IRSD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage. Focuses on disadvantage only (e.g. low income, unemployment, limited education). Higher decile = less disadvantage nationally.
A new SEIFA edition typically follows each census; the ABS has not announced a release date beyond 2021.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)