Highbury is a middle-ring metropolitan suburb of Adelaide, in Tea Tree Gully Council, with mainly mixed commercial and residential development. The River Torrens is part of the surrounding geography.
Socio-economic advantage sits well above the peer median, well above typical levels for middle-ring metropolitan suburbs, and recorded road-crash rates are lower than in comparable places, with recorded road crashes 56% below the peer median, and population has been growing faster than in comparable places, with population growth 43% above the peer median, and reported crime sits a little below the peer median, with reported crime 46% below the peer median. The clearer weaknesses are more mapped flood cover and limited amenity for the price.
Overall, the suburb suits people prioritising socio-economic advantage 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
Socio-economic advantage sits well above the peer median
Recorded road-crash rates are lower than in comparable places
Population has been growing faster than in comparable places
Reported crime sits a little below the peer median
Weaknesses
Mapped flood cover is a relative weakness
Buyers pay a premium despite relatively limited amenity access
What stands out
River Torrens
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 Highbury compares
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median house price
$1.19M
+39% change
Median rent
$700/wk
Houses $725 · Units $435
Population (ERP)
7,498
+1.0% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
3.8%
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
#41
among Metro Adelaide · Established
Crime rate
32nd
percentile in state (higher = more crime)
Pop. growth
74th
percentile in SA
Rented dwellings
12%
2021 Census tenure
Advantage (IRSAD)
9/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
70th
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
46.5/100 — Average
State standing
Top 34% of South Australia's suburbs
National rank
2765th in Australia
State rank
236th in SA
Peer rank
#41 among Metro Adelaide · Established suburbs
Cohort rank
#169 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)
$435
Houses (01/01/26 to 31/03/26)
$725
All types (01/01/26 to 31/03/26)
$700
Rental bonds lodged (01/01/26 to 31/03/26)
15
Median house price (Q1 2026)
$1,185,000
Median price change
+39.4%
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
7,498(June 2025)
+1.0% annual · +7.0% over 5 years · 74th percentile in SA
Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+1.0%
5-year growth
+7.0%
Change in 1 year
+74
Change in 5 years
+491
Growth rank in SA
74th 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 (~7,750), extrapolated at +0.7% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
Population
6,956
Median age
41
Median household income / week
$2,038
Dwelling vacancy
3.8%
Unoccupied private dwellings
97 of 2,578
Median monthly mortgage
$1,733
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$369
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
42.2% / 45.5% / 12.3%
Employment rate
63.6%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
10.4% / 4.8% / 69.2%
Walked or cycled to work
1%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
2,410 / 65 / 0
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.
27.9% of adults have a university degree, compared with 22.6% across South Australia. 17.7% have a trade or vocational qualification.
University qualified27.9% · 22.6% SA
Diploma qualified10.6% · 8.6% SA
Trade / vocational17.7% · 17.5% SA
Year 12 or below43.8% · 51.2% SA
Highest qualification field
Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).
Management and commerce22%
Engineering and related technologies18%
Society and culture12.8%
Health12.4%
Education11.6%
Architecture and building6.7%
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)
$60,762
80th percentile in SA · +3% vs Australia
Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$65,306
84th percentile in SA · 0% vs Australia
Residents with rental investments
14.0%
67th percentile in SA · +1% vs Australia
Median super balance (2023–24)
$105,674
78th percentile in SA · +67% vs Australia
Residents with business income
9.0%
24th percentile in SA · -13% vs Australia
Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 5089 — 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
4,602
Taxpayers reporting net rent
658
Median net rent
-$20
Taxpayers reporting business income
419
Taxable income vs state median
+12%
Salary / wages vs state median
+14%
Rental investment vs state median
+17%
Super vs state median
+36%
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
16.6% speak a language other than English at home; 23.4% born overseas
Language at home
5,654 English only · 1,128 other
Non-English at home
16.6%
Born overseas
1,589 (23.4%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
70 (1%)
Australian citizens
6,398
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
26
Top languages other than English
Share of residents who speak a language other than English at home (2021 Census).
Italian104 · 22.4%
Punjabi43 · 9.2%
Mandarin41 · 8.8%
Arabic34 · 7.3%
Korean28 · 6%
Greek26 · 5.6%
Afrikaans22 · 4.7%
Persian22 · 4.7%
Religion
50.7%Most common religion · Christianity
Christianity is the most common response at 50.7%, while 38.9% reported no religion.
Measure
Suburb
State
No religion
38.9%
45.2%
Christianity
50.7%
40%
Islam
2%
2.3%
Other / not stated
8.4%
12.5%
Christian denominations
Denomination
Suburb
State
Catholic
23%
15.5%
Uniting Church
6.6%
4.8%
Anglican
5.9%
7.2%
Christian (not further defined)
3.1%
2.6%
Eastern Orthodox
2.6%
2.4%
Lutheran
2.5%
2.4%
Baptist
2.2%
1.5%
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 increased compared with the previous period.
Offence counts & rates
Total offences (2025–26)
164
Against the person
39
Against property
125
Rate per 1,000 residents
21.9
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 178 residents
State crime-rate percentile
32.4th (higher = more crime)
Family & domestic abuse offences
25
Increase (daily rate)
+4.5%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
78
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
10.4
Most common offence types
Damage Or Destroy Property18
Motor Vehicle Theft And Related Offences14
Serious Assault19
Theft From A Person14
Theft From Retail Premises46
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)
Crime rate, offences against the person, year-on-year trend and recorded road crash rates
Highbury Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1054 · 70th percentile · LBOTE 22% · 499 students · Top SEA quarter 24% · 0.8 km awayView on My School →
Torrens Valley Christian SchoolCombined · Independent · ICSEA 1085 · 80th percentile · LBOTE 32% · 565 students · Top SEA quarter 32% · 1.4 km awayView on My School →
Athelstone SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1100 · 84th percentile · LBOTE 29% · 368 students · Top SEA quarter 40% · 1.6 km awayView on My School →
Modbury South Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1011 · 52th percentile · LBOTE 61% · 179 students · Top SEA quarter 17% · 1.8 km awayView on My School →
Modbury Special SchoolSpecial · Government · ICSEA 997 · 45th percentile · LBOTE 37% · 166 students · Top SEA quarter 14% · 1.8 km awayView on My School →
Great for outdoor family life — 12 parks mapped in suburb, 5 playgrounds nearby
Well connected by public transport — 28 public transport stops
Walkability proxy
32/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0.14
Parks per 1,000 residents
1.73
Food & drink(1)
Highbury HotelPub
1017 Lower North East Road, Highbury
Shopping(1)
Dan Murphy'sBottle shop
1017 Lower North East Road, Highbury
Community(2)
Dernancourt KindergartenKindergarten
10 Vernons Drive, Highbury
Highbury Primary SchoolSchool
Sport & outdoors(22)
Bike trackCycling route
karrawirra parri / River Rorrens Linnerar ParkCycling route
O-Bahn BikewayCycling route
Drinking water
Amber ReservePark
Beckman ReservePark
Elliston ReservePark
Park (6)
Xavier ReservePark
Beckman Avenue PlaygroundPlayground
Beckman Reserve PlaygroundPlayground
Playground (3)
Turramurra Recreation CentreSports centre
1000 Lower North East Road, Highbury
Sports field
Yurrebilla Trail Section 5Walking trail
Transport(23)
23 bus stops
Other(2)
Bench
Parking (7)
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
Health access
Nearest hospital
Modbury Hospital (2.7 km)
Nearest hospital type
Public Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department
GP clinics in suburb
0
GP clinic counts from OpenStreetMap. Bulk-billing figures only include clinics tagged in OSM (sparse and unofficial — not a Medicare list).
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)
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· 100 proposals
September 2026
Land division - 1 into 2 allotments (Torrens title)
55 EDMUND RD HIGHBURY SA 5089Under Assessment
Land division - One into two allotments, two single storey detached dwellings, retaining walls and fencing
5 LINDSAY ST HIGHBURY SA 5089Under Assessment
2 x Single Storey detached dwellings, retaining walls and fencing
18 BRADSHAW AV HIGHBURY SA 5089Under Assessment
Land division - One into two allotments, two double storey detached dwellings, fencing, retaining walls and tree removal of 2 significant trees (Phoenix canariensis and Washingtonia robusta)
16 ANDREA ST HIGHBURY SA 5089Under Assessment
Verandah
21 BARNS AV HIGHBURY SA 5089Decision Made
Land Division – 1 Allotment into 2 Torrens Title Allotments
28 BECKMAN AV HIGHBURY SA 5089Under Assessment
Verandah
LOT 923 ELLISTON AV HIGHBURY SA 5089Decision Made
Single storey Detached Dwelling, Retaining wall and Fencing
2C BRADSHAW AV HIGHBURY SA 5089Under Assessment
2 x single storey detached dwellings, retaining walls and fencing
13 ANDREA ST HIGHBURY SA 5089Under Assessment
Deck, swimming pool and associated safety features
14 DOMAIN CMNS HIGHBURY SA 5089Under Assessment
Single storey detached dwelling, retaining walls and fencing
26 PACKERS DR HIGHBURY SA 5089Under Assessment
Additions and alterations to existing Dwelling
1103 LOWER NORTH EAST RD HIGHBURY SA 5089Under Assessment
Building alterations - Replacement of existing tiled roof with Colorbond roofing
3 NURSERY WAY HIGHBURY SA 5089Under Assessment
Fencing & gates
56 MAHOGANY AV HIGHBURY SA 5089Decision Made
Retaining wall and Fencing
26 PARK VALLEY DR HIGHBURY SA 5089Under Assessment
Construction of a single storey detached dwelling
30 LOVELOCK ST HIGHBURY SA 5089Under Assessment
August 2026
Verandah
5 CASEMATE ST HIGHBURY SA 5089Decision Made
Outbuilding (shed)
1058 LOWER NORTH EAST RD HIGHBURY SA 5089Decision Made
Land Division - One into two allotments
13 ANDREA ST HIGHBURY SA 5089Decision Made
Single Storey Detached Dwelling with retaining walls and fencing exceeding a combined height of 2.1m
5 BARNS AV HIGHBURY SA 5089Under Assessment
Two (2) x Single Storey Detached Dwellings, Retaining Walls, Fencing and Removal of two (2) x Regulated trees
55 EDMUND RD HIGHBURY SA 5089Under Assessment
Outbuilding (Shed)
7 REIDS RD HIGHBURY SA 5089Decision Made
July 2026
Verandah and Outbuilding (Shed)
8 GALLERY RD HIGHBURY SA 5089Decision Made
Carport and verandah
6A BRISTOL CR HIGHBURY SA 5089Under Assessment
Tree Damaging Activity – Removal of one Regulated Cussonia spicata tree.
3 DARYL PL HIGHBURY SA 5089Decision Made
Alterations to detached dwelling and garage and construction of two-storey detached dwelling with associated combined fence & retaining walls
43 AMBER RD HIGHBURY SA 5089Under Assessment
Land division - 1 into 2 allotments
17 OBSERVATION DR HIGHBURY SA 5089Decision Made
Carport
3 ANDREA ST HIGHBURY SA 5089Decision Made
Outbuilding (domestic storage shed)
17 MITCHELL AV HIGHBURY SA 5089Decision Made
Verandah
19 MACDONNELL ST HIGHBURY SA 5089Decision Made
Storage Shed
1200 LOWER NORTH EAST RD HIGHBURY SA 5089Decision Made
Verandah
16 WALKER PL HIGHBURY SA 5089Decision Made
Variation to condition 1 of development authorisation 24021033 to alter soft landscaping & remove/delete internal retaining walls on the eastern side of the dwelling and replace with altered combined fence & retaining wall on the eastern side boundary of the land
LOT 83 BARNS AV HIGHBURY SA 5089Decision Made
Single storey detached dwelling, retaining walls and fencing
1169 -1171 LOWER NORTH EAST RD HIGHBURY SA 5089Decision Made
Single storey detached dwelling, retaining walls and fencing
9 LINDSAY ST HIGHBURY SA 5089Decision Made
Outbuilding (Shed)
49 AWOONGA RD HIGHBURY SA 5089Decision Made
Proposed additions to a dwelling including shed and verandah
4 WOODLAND CT HIGHBURY SA 5089Under Assessment
Verandah
UNIT 6 22 VALLEY RD HIGHBURY SA 5089Under Assessment
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 3.8 km away).
Coalition 39.9%Labor 60.1%
3.5 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +11.7 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
Highbury SouthLabor 60.6% · Coalition 39.4% TPP (2025)0.6 km away
Highbury EastLabor 60.3% · Coalition 39.7% TPP (2025)0.7 km away
Highbury WestLabor 54.6% · Coalition 45.4% TPP (2025)1.4 km away
AthelstoneLabor 61.8% · Coalition 38.2% TPP (2025)1.7 km away
DernancourtLabor 58.9% · Coalition 41.1% TPP (2025)3.3 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%)