Nairne is an outer metropolitan suburb of Adelaide, in Mount Barker Council, characterised by heritage streetscapes alongside mixed commercial and residential development. It is close to Mount Barker.
Employment rates are stronger than in comparable places, with employment 21% above the peer median. Everyday destinations are relatively walkable, well above typical levels for outer metropolitan suburbs. Reported crime is exceptionally low against comparable places, with reported crime 77% below the peer median, and the suburb has an unusually high concentration of heritage listings. The main trade-offs are more mapped flood cover and higher rents.
Nairne is a better fit for people who value lower crime and heritage character more than lower rents.
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
Reported crime is exceptionally low against comparable places
The suburb has an unusually high concentration of heritage listings
Everyday destinations are relatively walkable
Employment rates are stronger than in comparable places
Weaknesses
Mapped flood cover is a relative weakness
Median rents are a relative weakness
What stands out
Heritage streetscapes
Mount Barker
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 Nairne compares
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median house price
—
No data available
Median rent
$598/wk
Population (ERP)
5,785
+1.4% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
5.3%
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
#5
among Metro Adelaide · Growth area
Crime rate
14th
percentile in state (higher = more crime)
Pop. growth
83rd
percentile in SA
Rented dwellings
21%
2021 Census tenure
Advantage (IRSAD)
6/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
51st
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
50.7/100 — Average
State standing
Top 20% of South Australia's suburbs
National rank
1860th in Australia
State rank
135th in SA
Peer rank
#5 among Metro Adelaide · Growth area suburbs
Cohort rank
#97 among Metro Adelaide suburbs
Data confidence
98%
Data sources & freshness
Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Housing
Houses (01/01/26 to 31/03/26)
$597.5
Rental bonds lodged (01/01/26 to 31/03/26)
20
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 · Updated · Quarterly; metro-fringe sales only
Population
Estimated resident population
5,785(June 2025)
+1.4% annual · +10.4% over 5 years · 83th percentile in SA
Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+1.4%
5-year growth
+10.4%
Change in 1 year
+80
Change in 5 years
+545
Growth rank in SA
83th 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 (~6,300), extrapolated at +1.8% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
Population
5,327
Median age
36
Median household income / week
$1,776
Dwelling vacancy
5.3%
Unoccupied private dwellings
108 of 2,052
Median monthly mortgage
$1,500
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$350
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
25% / 54% / 21%
Employment rate
68.4%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
11.1% / 2.1% / 69.9%
Walked or cycled to work
1.1%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
1,906 / 29 / 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.
21.3% of adults have a university degree, compared with 22.6% across South Australia. 22.6% have a trade or vocational qualification.
University qualified21.3% · 22.6% SA
Diploma qualified10.7% · 8.6% SA
Trade / vocational22.6% · 17.5% SA
Year 12 or below45.5% · 51.2% SA
Highest qualification field
Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).
Management and commerce18.3%
Society and culture15.5%
Engineering and related technologies15.3%
Health13.2%
Education11.3%
Food, hospitality and personal services6.2%
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)
$58,938
72nd percentile in SA · 0% vs Australia
Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$63,921
77th percentile in SA · -2% vs Australia
Residents with rental investments
10.0%
21st percentile in SA · -27% vs Australia
Median super balance (2023–24)
$87,155
61st percentile in SA · +38% vs Australia
Residents with business income
12.0%
65th percentile in SA · +15% vs Australia
Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 5252 — 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
4,320
Taxpayers reporting net rent
443
Median net rent
-$706
Taxpayers reporting business income
504
Taxable income vs state median
+8%
Salary / wages vs state median
+11%
Rental investment vs state median
-17%
Super vs state median
+12%
Business income vs state median
+9%
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
3.7% speak a language other than English at home; 13% born overseas
Language at home
4,895 English only · 188 other
Non-English at home
3.7%
Born overseas
657 (13%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
63 (1.2%)
Australian citizens
4,926
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
7
Top languages other than English
Share of residents who speak a language other than English at home (2021 Census).
German13 · 29.5%
Japanese9 · 20.5%
Afrikaans8 · 18.2%
Filipino4 · 9.1%
French4 · 9.1%
Italian3 · 6.8%
Mandarin3 · 6.8%
Religion
58.6%No religion
No religion is the most common response at 58.6%, while Christianity accounts for 32.1%.
Measure
Suburb
State
No religion
58.6%
45.2%
Christianity
32.1%
40%
Other / not stated
9.3%
14.7%
Christian denominations
Denomination
Suburb
State
Catholic
8.1%
15.5%
Anglican
6.1%
7.2%
Uniting Church
4.3%
4.8%
Christian (not further defined)
3.1%
2.6%
Lutheran
3.1%
2.4%
Baptist
2.3%
1.5%
Pentecostal
2%
1.1%
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)
70
Against the person
23
Against property
47
Rate per 1,000 residents
12.1
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 232 residents
State crime-rate percentile
13.6th (higher = more crime)
Family & domestic abuse offences
28
Increase (daily rate)
+1.4%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
63
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
10.89
Most common offence types
Damage Or Destroy Property15
Motor Vehicle Theft And Related Offences4
Serious Assault18
Theft From A Person10
Theft From Retail Premises5
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)
Crime rate, offences against the person, year-on-year trend and recorded road crash rates
Nairne School - Preschool and PrimaryPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1009 · 51th percentile · LBOTE 2% · 399 students · Top SEA quarter 11% · 1.0 km awayView on My School →
Nairne Preschool5 Saleyard RoadPreschools
Contributes to desirability score · Education (14%)
Median school ICSEA first, then school and catchment counts
Great for outdoor family life — 5 parks mapped in suburb, 4 playgrounds nearby
Well connected by public transport — 22 public transport stops
Strong local sport and recreation — 9 sport and outdoor facilities nearby
Walkability proxy
88/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0.38
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
1.69
Parks per 1,000 residents
0.94
Food & drink(9)
Bakery
59 Old Princes Highway, Nairne
Little Birdy BakeryBakery
59 Old Princes Highway, Nairne
Hilltop GrindCafe
Pallet Cafe : NairneCafe
73A Old Princes Highway, Nairne
Corner TakeawayFast food
Monte Bello PizzaFast food
District HotelPub
ChingariRestaurant
Jack's ThaiRestaurant
Unit 7 121 Old Princes Highway, Nairne
Shopping(5)
CellarbrationsBottle shop
Hillside ButcherButcher
Sheehan's HardwareHardware store
FoodlandSupermarket
121 Old Princes Highway, Nairne
Everyday services(2)
UnitedPetrol station
Nairne Local Post OfficePost office
Community(2)
Nairne Pre-School CentreKindergarten
Saleyard Road
Nairne Primary SchoolSchool
Saleyard Road
Health & services(1)
Nairne Community PharmacyPharmacy
Unit 4 121 Old Princes Highway, Nairne
Sport & outdoors(16)
trackCycling route
Golf course
Anytime FitnessGym
121 Old Princes Highway, Nairne
Bill Joyce Memorial ParkPark
Byethorne ParkPark
Mick Murphy ParkPark
Park (2)
Playground (4)
Public toilets
Nairne Bremer United Football ClubSports centre
XW7G+MP Sydney Road, Nairne
Nairne Cricket ClubSports centre
XW7G+MP Sydney Road, Nairne
Sports field
Wineries & breweries(2)
Tin Shed Distilling CoDistillery
121 Old Princes Highway, Nairne
Howard VineyardVineyard
Entertainment(1)
Nairne MuseumMuseum
Transport(15)
15 bus stops
Other(17)
Bench
Bicycle Parking
Pit StopCar repair
Nairne CFSFire station
88 Old Princes Highway, Nairne
Australia Post Parcel LockerParcel Locker
Chapman's at NairneParking
Little Birdy BakeryParking
Mount Barker District CouncilParking
Nairne Cricket Club / Nairne Bremer United Football ClubParking
Nairne Cricket Club/ Nairne Tennis ClubParking
Nairne/Bremer United Football Club / Nairne Cricket ClubParking
Parking (6)
Hills Family ChurchPlace of worship
132 Princes Highway
Nairne MarketSecond Hand
Telephone
Toys
81a
Vacant
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
Hills Family Church
132 Princes Highway
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· 67 proposals
September 2026
Ancillary accommodation
18 JERVOIS ST NAIRNE SA 5252Under Assessment
Outbuilding (domestic storage)
8 MOONEY CCT NAIRNE SA 5252Under Assessment
Two (2) decks, combined fence and retaining wall structures and variation to Planning Consent condition 4 in development authorisation 25004598 (detached dwelling)
25 BANK ST NAIRNE SA 5252Under Assessment
Carport
38 RACHEL CCT NAIRNE SA 5252Decision Made
August 2026
Verandah
UNIT 1 10A BASSETT ST NAIRNE SA 5252Under Assessment
Demolition of all existing buildings/structures and construction of a single building (single storey) comprising of two (2) consulting Rooms (Medical Centre) and associated carparking, retaining walls, fencing, signage, earthworks and landscaping
130 PRINCES HWY NAIRNE SA 5252Under Assessment
Detached dwelling (single storey, split level) and associated retaining walls; fence and retaining wall structure
51 WEBBER DR NAIRNE SA 5252Under Assessment
Swimming pool (inground) and associated swimming pool safety features
25 BANK ST NAIRNE SA 5252Under Assessment
July 2026
Protective netting in association with recreation grounds
85 SYDNEY RD NAIRNE SA 5252Under Assessment
Verandah and deck
6 NORTH RD NAIRNE SA 5252Under Assessment
Carport (retrospective) and verandah
121 NORTH RD NAIRNE SA 5252Decision Made
Detached dwelling (single storey) with associated outbuilding (domestic garage), deck fence and retaining wall structures
7 JERVOIS ST NAIRNE SA 5252Under Assessment
Verandah
23 ALLARGUE ST NAIRNE SA 5252Decision Made
Installation of swimming pool and safety barriers
13 MARGARET CT NAIRNE SA 5252Decision Made
Outbuilding (storage shed)
421A OLD PRINCES HWY NAIRNE SA 5252Decision Made
Change in use of existing Local Heritage Place Building to Dwelling, and of Outbuilding to Ancillary Accommodation (retrospective)
15 EDINBOROUGH ST NAIRNE SA 5252Under Assessment
Outbuilding (Garage and shed)
2 ELIZABETH ST NAIRNE SA 5252Decision Made
June 2026
Deck
15 ALLARGUE ST NAIRNE SA 5252Under Assessment
Detached Dwelling (single storey), native vegetation clearance and associated earthworks and infrastructure
LOT 27 OLD PRINCES HWY NAIRNE SA 5252Under Assessment
Spa pool (above-ground) and associated swimming pool safety features
6 BURNS ST NAIRNE SA 5252Under Assessment
Outbuilding
53 WEBBER DR NAIRNE SA 5252Under Assessment
Deck and Verandah
79 PRINCES HWY NAIRNE SA 5252Under Assessment
2 x Verandahs
7 MOONEY CCT NAIRNE SA 5252Decision Made
Outbuilding (shed)
6 THRESHER CL NAIRNE SA 5252Decision Made
May 2026
Renewable energy facility comprising battery energy storage system (up to 5 Megawatts) and associated carpark, landscaping, fencing, infrastructure and water tank (Above ground - 22500L)
2 PULLEINE RD NAIRNE SA 5252Under Assessment
Detached dwelling (Two Storey split level); Swimming pool with associated swimming pool safety features; retaining walls; 2x verandahs, outbuilding, deck and fence
LOT 72 WENDY CT NAIRNE SA 5252Under Assessment
Verandah
58 MEGAN CCT NAIRNE SA 5252Decision Made
Detached dwelling (single storey), fence and retaining wall structures
2 RAILWAY TCE NAIRNE SA 5252Decision Made
Detached dwelling (Single storey)
65 NORTH RD NAIRNE SA 5252Under Assessment
FIRE - DAMAGED BUILDING REPAIRS
13 STURDECK ST NAIRNE SA 5252Decision Made
Domestic Storage Shed
71 MATTHEW SMILLIE DR NAIRNE SA 5252Decision Made
Carport (attached)
8A HILLIER RD NAIRNE SA 5252Decision Made
Construction of Indoor recreation facility and associated retaining walls and fencing structure
114 PRINCES HWY NAIRNE SA 5252;116 PRINCES HWY NAIRNE SA 5252;SHOP 1-2 114A PRINCES HWY NAIRNE SA 5252Under Assessment
Detached dwelling (single storey) and associated retaining and fence structure
30 BANK ST NAIRNE SA 5252Decision Made
Verandah
5 TAYLOR WAY NAIRNE SA 5252Decision Made
Land Division (1 into 2 - creation of 1 additional residential allotment) and associated earthworks and retaining walls
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 8.7 km away).
Coalition 36.0%Labor 64.0%
9.0 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +7.2 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
NairneLabor 65.8% · Coalition 34.2% TPP (2025)1.2 km away
BrukungaLabor 56.0% · Coalition 44.0% TPP (2025)4.3 km away
LittlehamptonLabor 57.1% · Coalition 42.9% TPP (2025)4.6 km away
Mount Barker CentralLabor 58.3% · Coalition 41.7% TPP (2025)6.1 km away
Mount Barker EastLabor 55.2% · Coalition 44.8% TPP (2025)6.5 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%)