Evanston is an outer metropolitan suburb of Adelaide, in Gawler Council. It is primarily residential, without a particularly distinct commercial centre or landmark identity.
Shops and everyday services are easier to access than in most comparable places. School ICSEA scores are a relative strength. Housing is a little more affordable than typical for similar places. Median house prices have risen 23% year on year. Population growth is a strong feature of the suburb, with population growth 30% above the peer median. Socio-economic advantage sits below the peer median, well below typical levels for outer metropolitan suburbs.
Evanston's appeal is better explained by housing, access and location than by a strong standalone precinct or destination.
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
Outer metropolitan suburb · compared with outer metropolitan suburbs in South Australia (64)
Strengths
Shops and everyday services are easier to access than in most comparable places
Housing is a little more affordable than typical for similar places
Population growth is a relative strength
School ICSEA scores are a relative strength
Weaknesses
Socio-economic advantage sits below the peer median
What stands out
Nothing distinctive beyond the usual profile.
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 Evanston compares
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median house price
$705k
+23% change
Median rent
$520/wk
Houses $520 · Units $380
Population (ERP)
3,058
+1.5% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
7.4%
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
#129
among Metro Adelaide · Emerging
Crime rate
78th
percentile in state (higher = more crime)
Pop. growth
85th
percentile in SA
Rented dwellings
47%
2021 Census tenure
Advantage (IRSAD)
1/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
40th
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
33.4/100 — Below average
National rank
5916th in Australia
State rank
554th in SA
Peer rank
#129 among Metro Adelaide · Emerging suburbs
Cohort rank
#298 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)
$380
Houses (01/01/26 to 31/03/26)
$520
All types (01/01/26 to 31/03/26)
$520
Rental bonds lodged (01/01/26 to 31/03/26)
35
Median house price (Q1 2026)
$705,000
Median price change
+22.6%
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
3,058(June 2025)
+1.5% annual · +12.7% over 5 years · 85th percentile in SA
Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+1.5%
5-year growth
+12.7%
Change in 1 year
+45
Change in 5 years
+345
Growth rank in SA
85th 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 (~3,400), extrapolated at +2.1% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
Population
2,580
Median age
39
Median household income / week
$1,046
Dwelling vacancy
7.4%
Unoccupied private dwellings
88 of 1,184
Median monthly mortgage
$1,248
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$264
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
19.7% / 33.8% / 46.6%
Employment rate
49.6%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
5.5% / 2.5% / 75%
Walked or cycled to work
2%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
756 / 302 / 40
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.
8.8% of adults have a university degree, compared with 22.6% across South Australia. 21.2% have a trade or vocational qualification.
University qualified8.8% · 22.6% SA
Diploma qualified6.9% · 8.6% SA
Trade / vocational21.2% · 17.5% SA
Year 12 or below63.1% · 51.2% SA
Highest qualification field
Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).
Management and commerce21.5%
Society and culture19.3%
Engineering and related technologies16.6%
Health11.8%
Food, hospitality and personal services8%
Education5.9%
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)
$60,028
78th percentile in SA · +2% vs Australia
Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$63,639
76th percentile in SA · -2% vs Australia
Residents with rental investments
8.0%
10th percentile in SA · -42% vs Australia
Median super balance (2023–24)
$62,565
28th percentile in SA · -1% vs Australia
Residents with business income
6.0%
7th percentile in SA · -42% vs Australia
Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 5116 — 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
6,667
Taxpayers reporting net rent
558
Median net rent
-$826
Taxpayers reporting business income
423
Taxable income vs state median
+10%
Salary / wages vs state median
+11%
Rental investment vs state median
-33%
Super vs state median
-20%
Business income vs state median
-45%
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
5.1% speak a language other than English at home; 16.7% born overseas
Language at home
2,298 English only · 124 other
Non-English at home
5.1%
Born overseas
403 (16.7%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
112 (4.3%)
Australian citizens
2,317
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
8
Top languages other than English
Share of residents who speak a language other than English at home (2021 Census).
Filipino13 · 31%
Arabic6 · 14.3%
Punjabi6 · 14.3%
Cantonese4 · 9.5%
Mandarin4 · 9.5%
Australian Indigenous languages3 · 7.1%
Indonesian3 · 7.1%
Italian3 · 7.1%
Religion
54.7%No religion
No religion is the most common response at 54.7%, while Christianity accounts for 35.2%.
Measure
Suburb
State
No religion
54.7%
45.2%
Christianity
35.2%
40%
Other / not stated
10.1%
14.7%
Christian denominations
Denomination
Suburb
State
Catholic
10.3%
15.5%
Anglican
7.9%
7.2%
Uniting Church
4.2%
4.8%
Lutheran
3.4%
2.4%
Christian (not further defined)
2.9%
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)
236
Against the person
56
Against property
180
Rate per 1,000 residents
77.2
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 46 residents
State crime-rate percentile
78.2th (higher = more crime)
Family & domestic abuse offences
126
Decrease (daily rate)
-11.3%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
73
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
23.87
Most common offence types
Damage Or Destroy Property36
Motor Vehicle Theft And Related Offences17
Serious Assault34
Theft From A Person12
Theft From Retail Premises80
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)
Crime rate, offences against the person, year-on-year trend and recorded road crash rates
Gawler and District College B-12Combined · Government · ICSEA 932 · 19th percentile · LBOTE 10% · 1,247 students · Top SEA quarter 3% · 0.4 km awayView on My School →
Evanston Gardens Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 943 · 22th percentile · LBOTE 6% · 263 students · Top SEA quarter 1% · 1.5 km awayView on My School →
Trinity College SeniorSecondary · Independent · ICSEA 1025 · 58th percentile · LBOTE 21% · 669 students · Top SEA quarter 13% · 1.8 km awayView on My School →
Trinity College NorthCombined · Independent · ICSEA 1040 · 64th percentile · LBOTE 15% · 914 students · Top SEA quarter 17% · 1.9 km awayView on My School →
Disability Unit Gawler and District CollegeBarnet RoadSpecialist Facilities
Gawler & District College B-12 Children's CentreBarnet RoadIntegrated Centres
Contributes to desirability score · Education (14%)
Median school ICSEA first, then school and catchment counts
1 cafes · 2 supermarkets · 3 fast food · 1 places of worship · 1 petrol stations
Local character & venue list
Local character
Reasonably walkable — many shops and services reachable on foot or by bus
Well connected by public transport — 25 public transport stops
Walkability proxy
63/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0.39
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
1.55
Parks per 1,000 residents
1.16
Food & drink(4)
Cafe SiaCafe
Domino'sFast food
Unit Shop 27 485 Main North Road
Hungry Jack'sFast food
SubwayFast food
Shopping(5)
LiquorlandBottle shop
4 Tulloch Road
EG AustraliaConvenience store
Bunnings WarehouseHardware store
ALDISupermarket
1 Tulloch Road
ColesSupermarket
4 Tulloch Road
Everyday services(1)
EG AustraliaPetrol station
Community(2)
Gawler and District College B-12School
St Brigids SchoolSchool
Sport & outdoors(8)
Gawler Rivers Tapa Pariara PathCycling route
Stuart O Grady BikewayCycling route
Anytime FitnessGym
491 Main North Road
Park (3)
Public toilets
Sports field
Transport(21)
19 bus stops · 2 train stations
Other(8)
Bicycle Parking
Supercheap AutoCar Parts
485 Main North Road
Parking (23)
Parking Space (141)
Place of worship
Shelter
Gawler Supportive Care EvanstonSocial Facility
Cheap As ChipsVariety Store
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
1 places of worship within ~1.5 km
Place of worship
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· 53 proposals
September 2026
Alterations to existing Stormwater Swale (in association with existing Educational Facility)
56 PARA RD EVANSTON SA 5116Under Assessment
Construction of Carport
26 FARROW RD EVANSTON SA 5116Under Assessment
Construction of two (2) Single Storey Group Dwellings
37C RAILWAY CR EVANSTON SA 5116Under Assessment
Attached Verandah
58 HILLIER RD EVANSTON SA 5116Decision Made
Attached Verandah
55 PARA RD EVANSTON SA 5116Under Assessment
Demolition of the existing dwelling and structures and construction of three (3 ) single-storey detached dwellings.
59 HILLIER RD EVANSTON SA 5116Under Assessment
August 2026
Development associated with existing Educational Facility, comprising building Alterations and Additions to existing Classrooms and structures together with construction of Deck and Verandah; Installation of Transportable Classroom; and half-court basketball court
56 PARA RD EVANSTON SA 5116Under Assessment
Land Division - 1 into 2 (with additional common property) - Community Title (over the balance of Allotment 1000 in DA 26014440)
8 MARGARET ST EVANSTON SA 5116Under Assessment
Torrens Title Land Division - 1 Allotment into 3
59 HILLIER RD EVANSTON SA 5116Under Assessment
Verandah
13 CLIFT CL EVANSTON SA 5116Under Assessment
Installation of Shade Sail over existing playground
53 BARNET RD EVANSTON SA 5116Decision Made
Advertising Signage (Tenancy 19 and 20) and Installation of Canopy within Carparking Area (accommodating Fitment Bay)
485 MAIN NORTH RD EVANSTON SA 5116Decision Made
Verandah - 9.5m (l) x 4.5m (w) x 2.4m (h)
41A HILLIER RD EVANSTON SA 5116Decision Made
Playground associated with an Educational Facility
56 PARA RD EVANSTON SA 5116Decision Made
July 2026
Centenary Verandah
37 BRITHA AV EVANSTON SA 5116Decision Made
June 2026
Community Titles Land Division 1 - 18 to please be assessed in accordance with approved application 25027585
3 RYDE ST EVANSTON SA 5116Decision Made
Land Division - 1 into 2 - Torrens Title
8 MARGARET ST EVANSTON SA 5116Under Assessment
Outbuilding
4 FARROW RD EVANSTON SA 5116Decision Made
May 2026
Flat roof verandah
7 BLAKE CL EVANSTON SA 5116Decision Made
Tenancy Reconfiguration between T16/T17/T18 and T19/T20 and Internal Tenancy Fitout - Supercheap Auto [Excluding External Works]
485 MAIN NORTH RD EVANSTON SA 5116Decision Made
Single storey Group Dwelling (Lot 5) with retaining up to 1.35m in height
LOT 301 PARA RD EVANSTON SA 5116Decision Made
Ancillary Accommodation
10 MAY TCE EVANSTON SA 5116Decision Made
Ancillary accommodation, carport and tree-damaging activity
12 MAY TCE EVANSTON SA 5116Under Assessment
Single Storey group dwelling (LOT 03)
LOT 301 PARA RD EVANSTON SA 5116Decision Made
Single storey group dwelling (LOT 04)
LOT 301 PARA RD EVANSTON SA 5116Decision Made
Single storey group dwelling (Lot 2)
LOT 301 PARA RD EVANSTON SA 5116Decision Made
Single storey group dwelling and fencing (Lot 01)
LOT 301 PARA RD EVANSTON SA 5116Decision Made
Single Storey Detached Dwelling with garage under main roof, and ancillary retaining walls and fencing
LOT 301 PARA RD EVANSTON SA 5116Decision Made
Single Storey Detached Dwelling with garage under main roof, and ancillary retaining walls and fencing
LOT 301 PARA RD EVANSTON SA 5116Decision Made
Single Storey Detached Dwelling with garage under main roof, and ancillary retaining walls and fencing
LOT 301 PARA RD EVANSTON SA 5116Decision Made
Single Storey Detached Dwelling with garage under main roof, with ancillary retaining walls and fencing
LOT 301 PARA RD EVANSTON SA 5116Decision Made
Single Storey Detached Dwelling with garage under main roof, with ancillary retaining walls and fencing
LOT 301 PARA RD EVANSTON SA 5116Decision Made
Single Storey Dwelling in a terrace arrangement with associated fencing
LOT 301 PARA RD EVANSTON SA 5116Decision Made
Single Storey Dwelling in a terrace arrangement with associated fencing
LOT 301 PARA RD EVANSTON SA 5116Decision Made
Single Storey Dwelling in a terrace arrangement with associated fencing
LOT 301 PARA RD EVANSTON SA 5116Decision Made
Single Storey Dwelling in a terrace arrangement with associated fencing
LOT 301 PARA RD EVANSTON SA 5116Decision Made
Single Storey Dwelling in a terrace arrangement with associated fencing
LOT 301 PARA RD EVANSTON SA 5116Decision Made
Single Storey Dwelling in a terrace arrangement with associated fencing
LOT 301 PARA RD EVANSTON SA 5116Decision Made
Single Storey Dwelling in a terrace arrangement with associated fencing
LOT 301 PARA RD EVANSTON SA 5116Decision Made
Single Storey Dwelling in a terrace arrangement with associated fencing
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 3.5 km away).
Coalition 36.0%Labor 64.0%
1.3 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +2.0 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
EvanstonLabor 64.2% · Coalition 35.8% TPP (2025)0.2 km away
Evanston SouthLabor 63.4% · Coalition 36.6% TPP (2025)1.3 km away
Evanston GardensLabor 66.5% · Coalition 33.5% TPP (2025)1.5 km away
Gawler SouthLabor 54.5% · Coalition 45.5% TPP (2025)1.9 km away
GawlerLabor 65.0% · Coalition 35.0% TPP (2025)2.2 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%)