Northfield is an inner metropolitan suburb of Adelaide, in Port Adelaide Enfield Council, with mainly mixed commercial and residential development. Notable landmarks include Northfield Hall (Northfield RSL branch, on part EJ Smith Reserve).
Housing is unusually affordable against comparable places, with median house prices 38% below the peer median. Mapped flood cover is an exceptional strength, with mapped flood cover 100% below the peer median, and population growth is a very strong feature of the suburb, with population growth 75% above the peer median, and recorded road crashes are a relative strength, and green cover is a very strong feature of the suburb. Socio-economic advantage is well below comparable places, placing it among the lowest-ranked inner metropolitan suburbs.
Overall, the suburb suits people prioritising more affordable housing over socio-economic advantage.
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
Inner metropolitan suburb · compared with inner metropolitan suburbs in South Australia (188)
Strengths
Housing is unusually affordable against comparable places
Mapped flood cover is a relative strength
Population growth is a relative strength
Recorded road crashes are a relative strength
Green cover is a relative strength
Weaknesses
Socio-economic advantage is well below comparable places
What stands out
Northfield Hall (Northfield RSL branch, on part EJ Smith Reserve)
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 Northfield compares
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median house price
$885k
+6.6% change
Median rent
$600/wk
Houses $605 · Units $580
Population (ERP)
5,499
+1.1% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
7.5%
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
#69
among Metro Adelaide · Growth area
Crime rate
83rd
percentile in state (higher = more crime)
Pop. growth
75th
percentile in SA
Rented dwellings
42%
2021 Census tenure
Advantage (IRSAD)
2/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
54th
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
28.7/100 — Below average
National rank
6536th in Australia
State rank
641st in SA
Peer rank
#69 among Metro Adelaide · Growth area suburbs
Cohort rank
#324 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)
$580
Houses (01/01/26 to 31/03/26)
$605
All types (01/01/26 to 31/03/26)
$600
Rental bonds lodged (01/01/26 to 31/03/26)
40
Median house price (Q1 2026)
$885,000
Median price change
+6.6%
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
5,499(June 2025)
+1.1% annual · +10.5% over 5 years · 75th percentile in SA
Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+1.1%
5-year growth
+10.5%
Change in 1 year
+57
Change in 5 years
+524
Growth rank in SA
75th 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 (~6,600), extrapolated at +3.6% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
Population
5,043
Median age
35
Median household income / week
$1,420
Dwelling vacancy
7.5%
Unoccupied private dwellings
127 of 1,694
Median monthly mortgage
$1,580
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$307
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
20.6% / 37.5% / 41.9%
Employment rate
45.1%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
6.6% / 6.5% / 73.4%
Walked or cycled to work
1.5%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
1,268 / 264 / 38
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.
24.2% of adults have a university degree, compared with 22.6% across South Australia. 11.4% have a trade or vocational qualification.
University qualified24.2% · 22.6% SA
Diploma qualified6.2% · 8.6% SA
Trade / vocational11.4% · 17.5% SA
Year 12 or below58.2% · 51.2% SA
Highest qualification field
Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).
Management and commerce23.8%
Engineering and related technologies18.1%
Society and culture15.9%
Health12.6%
Information technology6.4%
Food, hospitality and personal services5.8%
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)
$56,851
64th percentile in SA · -3% vs Australia
Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$62,213
68th percentile in SA · -4% vs Australia
Residents with rental investments
13.0%
62nd percentile in SA · -6% vs Australia
Median super balance (2023–24)
$37,529
6th percentile in SA · -41% vs Australia
Residents with business income
16.0%
94th percentile in SA · +54% vs Australia
Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 5085 — 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
16,667
Taxpayers reporting net rent
2,163
Median net rent
-$1,900
Taxpayers reporting business income
2,640
Taxable income vs state median
+5%
Salary / wages vs state median
+8%
Rental investment vs state median
+8%
Super vs state median
-52%
Business income vs state median
+46%
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
51.5% speak a language other than English at home; 42.5% born overseas
Language at home
1,972 English only · 2,091 other
Non-English at home
51.5%
Born overseas
2,060 (42.5%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
343 (6.8%)
Australian citizens
3,306
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).
Gujarati212 · 24.5%
Punjabi171 · 19.7%
Hindi65 · 7.5%
Mandarin57 · 6.6%
Vietnamese53 · 6.1%
Arabic32 · 3.7%
Nepali31 · 3.6%
Malayalam25 · 2.9%
Religion
24.4%Most common religion · Christianity
Christianity is the most common response at 24.4%, while 23.7% reported no religion. Hinduism is more prevalent locally than across the state. Islam is more prevalent locally than across the state.
Measure
Suburb
State
No religion
23.7%
45.2%
Christianity
24.4%
40%
Hinduism
13.1%
2.1%
Islam
8.6%
2.3%
Buddhism
2.6%
1.9%
Other / not stated
27.7%
8.5%
Christian denominations
Denomination
Suburb
State
Catholic
10.4%
15.5%
Anglican
3.2%
7.2%
Christian (not further defined)
2.8%
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 increased compared with the previous period.
Offence counts & rates
Total offences (2025–26)
512
Against the person
259
Against property
253
Rate per 1,000 residents
93.1
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 19 residents
State crime-rate percentile
82.6th (higher = more crime)
Family & domestic abuse offences
200
Increase (daily rate)
+16.4%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
157
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
28.55
Most common offence types
Common Assault138
Damage Or Destroy Property61
Motor Vehicle Theft And Related Offences51
Serious Assault72
Theft From A Person35
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)
Crime rate, offences against the person, year-on-year trend and recorded road crash rates
Northfield Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 982 · 38th percentile · LBOTE 70% · 352 students · Top SEA quarter 11% · 0.6 km awayView on My School →
Roma Mitchell Secondary CollegeSecondary · Government · ICSEA 971 · 34th percentile · LBOTE 68% · 1,638 students · Top SEA quarter 11% · 0.9 km awayView on My School →
Sports College South AustraliaSecondary · Independent · ICSEA 1015 · 54th percentile · LBOTE 3% · 404 students · Top SEA quarter 13% · 0.9 km awayView on My School →
Cedar CollegeCombined · Independent · ICSEA 1090 · 82th percentile · LBOTE 48% · 884 students · Top SEA quarter 35% · 1.0 km awayView on My School →
Heritage College IncorporatedCombined · Independent · ICSEA 1040 · 64th percentile · LBOTE 10% · 437 students · Top SEA quarter 17% · 1.4 km awayView on My School →
Northfield PreschoolNorth AvenuePreschools
Contributes to desirability score · Education (14%)
Median school ICSEA first, then school and catchment counts
2 restaurants · 1 pharmacies · 1 fast food · 3 playgrounds · 1 dog parks
Local character & venue list
Local character
A car helps for daily needs
Great for outdoor family life — 7 parks mapped in suburb, 3 playgrounds nearby
Reasonable bus and transport access — 14 public transport stops
Walkability proxy
42/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0.59
Parks per 1,000 residents
1.39
Food & drink(3)
McDonald'sFast food
701 Grand Junction Road, Northfield
Grand NorthRestaurant
737 Grand Junction Road
Hong TamRestaurant
703 Grand Junction Road, Northfield
Shopping(1)
No named venues listed.
Community(1)
Northfield Primary SchoolSchool
Health & services(2)
Chemist WarehousePharmacy
329 Hampstead Road, Northfield
Northfield Veterinary ClinicVeterinary
56 Briens Road, Northfield
Sport & outdoors(17)
Dry Creek TrailCycling route
Levels–City BikewayCycling route
O-Bahn BikewayCycling route
L.J. Lewis Reserve Dog ParkDog park
Stirling Street, Northfield
Drinking water
City of Port Adelaide EnfieldPark
Park (5)
City of Port Adelaide EnfieldPlayground
Duncan Fraser ReservePlayground
Garrad F. J. ReservePlayground
EDWARD SMITH RESERVE TOILETSPublic toilets
Public toilets
Sports field
Transport(16)
16 bus stops
Other(13)
Apartment
34 East Avenue
Bench (2)
WaterfallFountain
Stockade Botanical GardensGarden
Grand Junction Sand & MetalGarden Centre
705 Grand Junction Road, Northfield
Charity Donation CentreGive Box
Information
Parking (25)
Northfield Women's PrisonPrison
Yatala Labour PrisonPrison
City of Port Adelaide EnfieldShelter
Shelter
Waste Basket (2)
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
James Nash House (1.1 km)
Nearest hospital type
Public Psychiatric Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
No emergency department listed
GP clinics in suburb
0
Aged-care services
1
Residential aged-care places
30
GP clinic counts from OpenStreetMap. Bulk-billing figures only include clinics tagged in OSM (sparse and unofficial — not a Medicare list).
Aged-care services
Disability SA NorthgateNORTHGATEResidential
Australian Government–subsidised services from the AIHW GEN list (30 June 2025), assigned to this suburb by location.
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· 65 proposals
September 2026
Single storey detached dwelling with retaining walls and fencing
4 THOMPSON AV NORTHFIELD SA 5085Under Assessment
Proposed Roof Replacement - Change from existing roof tile to Colorbond roof sheets
23 THOMPSON AV NORTHFIELD SA 5085Decision Made
August 2026
Community division creating 3 allotments from 1
12 WRIGHT AV NORTHFIELD SA 5085Decision Made
Conventional land division creating two allotments from one
8 WRIGHT AV NORTHFIELD SA 5085Decision Made
Conventional one into two land division
19 WRIGHT AV NORTHFIELD SA 5085Decision Made
Variation to DA 25018094 - Removal of Significant Tree
24 -32 BRIENS RD NORTHFIELD SA 5085;5 LAING ST NORTHFIELD SA 5085Under Assessment
Construction of two group dwellings and residential flat building containing four dwellings, and the removal of one Regulated Tree
6 DAVEY ST NORTHFIELD SA 5085;8 DAVEY ST NORTHFIELD SA 5085Under Assessment
Conventional land division creating three (3) allotments from one (1) in connection with Application ID: 26019991
26 WRIGHT AV NORTHFIELD SA 5085Decision Made
New domestic outstanding (shed) to replace the existing structures
33 HOODS RD NORTHFIELD SA 5085Decision Made
July 2026
Conventional land division creating 2 allotments from 1
7 WEST AV NORTHFIELD SA 5085Decision Made
Five, two-storey and one single-storey dwellings, and associated retaining walls
14 MARTIN ST NORTHFIELD SA 5085Under Assessment
Conventional Land Division - 1 into 3
26 LEEDS AV NORTHFIELD SA 5085Decision Made
June 2026
Three single-storey dwellings in a terrace arrangement and removal of a significant tree (Prunus dulcus/almond tree)
20 JUSTIN AV NORTHFIELD SA 5085Under Assessment
Masonry front fence with powder-coated aluminium slat infill and gates
51A DUMFRIES AV NORTHFIELD SA 5085Decision Made
Conventional land division: 3 allotments from 1
2 HARRINGTON GR NORTHFIELD SA 5085Decision Made
Conventional land division creating two allotments from one
22 WRIGHT AV NORTHFIELD SA 5085Decision Made
Three single-storey row dwellings
26 WRIGHT AV NORTHFIELD SA 5085Under Assessment
Two single storey detached dwellings and associated retaining walls with fencing on top and removal of a regulated tree (brachychiton acerifolius)
33 EAST AV NORTHFIELD SA 5085Under Assessment
Replacement carport
UNIT 5 25 HOODS RD NORTHFIELD SA 5085Decision Made
Two-storey dwelling, retaining walls, fencing
43 ROWE AV NORTHFIELD SA 5085Under Assessment
VERANDAH
347 HAMPSTEAD RD NORTHFIELD SA 5085Decision Made
Removal of a regulated tree (Melaleuca armillaris) on Pettitt St frontage
UNIT 4 321 HAMPSTEAD RD NORTHFIELD SA 5085Decision Made
May 2026
Verandah
41 DUMFRIES AV NORTHFIELD SA 5085Decision Made
Conventional one (1) into two (2) land division
54 FOLLAND AV NORTHFIELD SA 5085Decision Made
3 single storey dwellings in terrace arrangement with associated retaining walls and fencing
2 HARRINGTON GR NORTHFIELD SA 5085Under Assessment
Removal of 1 Significant Tree (White Cedar)
17 BROWN ST NORTHFIELD SA 5085Decision Made
Two single storey detached dwellings and retrospective removal of one Significant Tree ( Jacaranda)
19 WRIGHT AV NORTHFIELD SA 5085Decision Made
Two single storey detached dwellings and associated retaining walls with fencing on top and removal of a regulated tree (melaleuca armillaris) on Council's verge
55 ROWE AV NORTHFIELD SA 5085Under Assessment
Two single storey semi-detached dwellings
8 WRIGHT AV NORTHFIELD SA 5085Under Assessment
Single storey detached dwelling
28 EAST AV NORTHFIELD SA 5085Decision Made
Three single storey dwellings with associated earthwork, retaining and fencing, undertaken by the South Australian Housing Trust
11 BLACKMAN AV NORTHFIELD SA 5085Decision Made
Three single storey dwellings with associated earthwork, retaining and fencing.
12 WRIGHT AV NORTHFIELD SA 5085Under Assessment
1 into 2 - Conventional land division
3 HARRINGTON GR NORTHFIELD SA 5085Decision Made
Conventional land division creating two allotments from one
3 SWIFT ST NORTHFIELD SA 5085Decision Made
April 2026
Single storey detached dwelling
LOT 1 FOLLAND AV NORTHFIELD SA 5085Decision Made
2 x single storey dwellings with associated earthworks, retaining and fencing
7 WEST AV NORTHFIELD SA 5085Decision Made
Four single storey dwellings with associated common driveway, car parking, fencing and landscaping
277 HAMPSTEAD RD NORTHFIELD SA 5085Decision Made
Two single storey detached dwellings with ancillary retaining walls and fencing
3 SWIFT ST NORTHFIELD SA 5085Decision Made
Three (3) single-storey dwellings in a terrace arrangement
8 NORTHFIELD RD NORTHFIELD SA 5085Decision Made
Single storey detached dwelling with associated retaining walls and 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.
Para VistaLabor 65.1% · Coalition 34.9% TPP (2025)3.6 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%)