Salisbury Heights is a semi-rural locality near Adelaide, in Salisbury Council, with mainly mixed commercial and residential development. Notable landmarks include Old Spot Hotel.
Shops and everyday services are easier to access than in most comparable places. Open-space access is better than in most comparable places, well above typical levels for semi-rural and lifestyle localities. Mapped flood cover is a very strong feature of the suburb, with mapped flood cover 97% below the peer median, and green cover is stronger than in comparable places. Trade-offs centre on lower school ICSEA scores and weaker population growth, with population growth 33% below the peer median.
Overall, Salisbury Heights suits people prioritising daily services and open space over school quality.
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
Semi-rural locality · compared with semi-rural and lifestyle localities in South Australia (227)
Strengths
Mapped flood cover is a relative strength
Shops and everyday services are easier to access than in most comparable places
Open-space access is better than in most comparable places
Green cover is stronger than in comparable places
Weaknesses
Local school ICSEA scores sit below those of comparable places
Population has been growing more slowly than in comparable places, or declining
What stands out
Old Spot Hotel
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 Salisbury Heights compares
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median house price
$948k
+27% change
Median rent
$573/wk
Houses $623 · Units $470
Population (ERP)
4,441
+0.6% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
3.9%
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
#118
among Metro Adelaide · Emerging
Crime rate
42nd
percentile in state (higher = more crime)
Pop. growth
57th
percentile in SA
Rented dwellings
14%
2021 Census tenure
Advantage (IRSAD)
5/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
35th
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
36.5/100 — Below average
National rank
5315th in Australia
State rank
489th in SA
Peer rank
#118 among Metro Adelaide · Emerging suburbs
Cohort rank
#270 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)
$470
Houses (01/01/26 to 31/03/26)
$622.5
All types (01/01/26 to 31/03/26)
$572.5
Rental bonds lodged (01/01/26 to 31/03/26)
20
Median house price (Q1 2026)
$947,500
Median price change
+27.2%
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
4,441(June 2025)
+0.6% annual · +4.0% over 5 years · 57th percentile in SA
Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+0.6%
5-year growth
+4.0%
Change in 1 year
+27
Change in 5 years
+172
Growth rank in SA
57th 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 (~4,600), extrapolated at +0.6% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
Population
4,488
Median age
38
Median household income / week
$1,795
Dwelling vacancy
3.9%
Unoccupied private dwellings
65 of 1,648
Median monthly mortgage
$1,514
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$330
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
34.9% / 51.7% / 13.5%
Employment rate
63.5%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
7% / 2.5% / 77.1%
Walked or cycled to work
0.7%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
1,538 / 44 / 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.
12.3% of adults have a university degree, compared with 22.6% across South Australia. 24.5% have a trade or vocational qualification.
University qualified12.3% · 22.6% SA
Diploma qualified11% · 8.6% SA
Trade / vocational24.5% · 17.5% SA
Year 12 or below52.2% · 51.2% SA
Highest qualification field
Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).
Engineering and related technologies22.1%
Management and commerce19.8%
Society and culture14%
Health12.4%
Education8.4%
Architecture and building7.7%
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)
$53,963
48th percentile in SA · -8% vs Australia
Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$59,372
56th percentile in SA · -9% vs Australia
Residents with rental investments
8.0%
8th percentile in SA · -42% vs Australia
Median super balance (2023–24)
$55,306
21st percentile in SA · -13% vs Australia
Residents with business income
11.0%
54th percentile in SA · +6% vs Australia
Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 5109 — 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
11,735
Taxpayers reporting net rent
983
Median net rent
-$406
Taxpayers reporting business income
1,250
Taxable income vs state median
-1%
Salary / wages vs state median
+3%
Rental investment vs state median
-33%
Super vs state median
-29%
Business income vs state median
0%
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
10.8% speak a language other than English at home; 21.3% born overseas
Language at home
3,895 English only · 473 other
Non-English at home
10.8%
Born overseas
937 (21.3%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
81 (1.8%)
Australian citizens
4,156
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
21
Top languages other than English
Share of residents who speak a language other than English at home (2021 Census).
Italian38 · 22.4%
Greek17 · 10%
Vietnamese14 · 8.2%
Arabic12 · 7.1%
Nepali11 · 6.5%
Turkish9 · 5.3%
Malayalam7 · 4.1%
Russian7 · 4.1%
Religion
47.7%No religion
No religion is the most common response at 47.7%, while Christianity accounts for 44.1%.
Measure
Suburb
State
No religion
47.7%
45.2%
Christianity
44.1%
40%
Other / not stated
8.2%
14.7%
Christian denominations
Denomination
Suburb
State
Catholic
19%
15.5%
Anglican
7.9%
7.2%
Uniting Church
3.9%
4.8%
Christian (not further defined)
3.9%
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)
119
Against the person
31
Against property
88
Rate per 1,000 residents
26.8
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 145 residents
State crime-rate percentile
41.5th (higher = more crime)
Family & domestic abuse offences
207
Decrease (daily rate)
-17.9%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
197
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
44.36
Most common offence types
Damage Or Destroy Property24
Motor Vehicle Theft And Related Offences25
Sct - Residence12
Serious Assault21
Theft From A Person14
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)
Crime rate, offences against the person, year-on-year trend and recorded road crash rates
Salisbury Heights Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 974 · 35th percentile · LBOTE 14% · 338 students · Top SEA quarter 6% · 0.6 km awayView on My School →
Salisbury Park Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 960 · 29th percentile · LBOTE 30% · 220 students · Top SEA quarter 8% · 1.4 km awayView on My School →
Tyndale Christian SchoolCombined · Independent · ICSEA 1016 · 54th percentile · LBOTE 31% · 1,498 students · Top SEA quarter 15% · 1.8 km awayView on My School →
1 cafes · 1 pubs · 3 playgrounds · 1 dog parks · 1 swimming pools
Local character & venue list
Local character
A car helps for daily needs
Great for outdoor family life — 4 parks mapped in suburb, 3 playgrounds nearby
Well connected by public transport — 29 public transport stops
Walkability proxy
34/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0.22
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0.45
Parks per 1,000 residents
0.89
Food & drink(2)
Badger & Bones CafeCafe
The Old SpotPub
Sport & outdoors(14)
Bike TrackCycling route
BikedirectCycling route
Little Para TrailCycling route
Dog park
Canterbury Drive ReservePark
Park (3)
Canterbury Drive Reserve PlaygroundPlayground
Playground (2)
Canterbury Drive Basketball CourtsSports field
Sports field
Swimming pool
Transport(26)
26 bus stops
Other(4)
Common (2)
Salisbury Metropolitan Fire ServiceFire station
Parking (16)
Shelter (3)
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
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
Lyell McEwin Hospital (2.4 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· 71 proposals
September 2026
Internal alterations
3 GOLD CT SALISBURY HEIGHTS SA 5109Under Assessment
Retaining walls, combined retaining and fencing taller than 2.1m, and associated earthworks greater than 9m cubed.
128 -136 TARGET HILL RD SALISBURY HEIGHTS SA 5109Under Assessment
Removal of 2 Regulated trees 1 trees, fencing, retaining walls, pedestrian footpaths and replanting
1 SMITH RD SALISBURY EAST SA 5109;206 PARK TCE SALISBURY PLAIN SA 5109;6 PIONEER CT SALISBURY HEIGHTS SA 5109;LOT 1001 MAIN NORTH RD SALISBURY EAST SA 5109;LOT 432 COORADILLA DR SALISBURY PARK SA 5109Under Assessment
Single Storey Detached Dwelling with Associated Retaining Walls and Fencing exceeding 2.1m
LOT 94 LISTER AV SALISBURY HEIGHTS SA 5109Under Assessment
Swimming pool and safety barrier
14 ESCOTT PL SALISBURY HEIGHTS SA 5109Decision Made
Verandah
18 -19 COLCHESTER CT SALISBURY HEIGHTS SA 5109Decision Made
Verandah
3 DARIUS CT SALISBURY HEIGHTS SA 5109Under Assessment
Masonry Front Fencing
43E COOMURRA DR SALISBURY HEIGHTS SA 5109Under Assessment
Two Storey Dwelling with Attached Ancillary Accommodation, Fencing Over 2.1m and Outbuilding
1 LISTER AV SALISBURY HEIGHTS SA 5109Under Assessment
Swimming pool and associated swimming pool safety features
52B COOMURRA DR SALISBURY HEIGHTS SA 5109Decision Made
August 2026
Change to front façade, conversion of existing carport to garage, conversion of rear verandah to sunroom, demolition and reconstruction of existing balcony in the same location, new internal wall to existing home theatre upper-level room, construction of a front porch, and construction of a detached shed
42C COOMURRA DR SALISBURY HEIGHTS SA 5109Under Assessment
Double storey split level with associated retaining walls and fencing combined exceeding 2.1m
26 DRESS CIR SALISBURY HEIGHTS SA 5109Under Assessment
Verandah
11 ANNESLEY CL SALISBURY HEIGHTS SA 5109Decision Made
July 2026
Removal of an existing carport, construction of a flat roofed carport.
1 TREVALSA CT SALISBURY HEIGHTS SA 5109Decision Made
Two Storey Dwelling with Retaining Over 1m and Fencing Over 2.1m
16 ESCOTT PL SALISBURY HEIGHTS SA 5109Under Assessment
Verandahs
3 QUEENSBOROUGH DR SALISBURY HEIGHTS SA 5109Decision Made
Removal of one (1) Regulated Tree in verge
2 TRURO PL SALISBURY HEIGHTS SA 5109Decision Made
Installation of swimming pool and safety barriers
41C COOMURRA DR SALISBURY HEIGHTS SA 5109Decision Made
June 2026
Detached dwelling with retaining walls and fencing
17 ESCOTT PL SALISBURY HEIGHTS SA 5109Under Assessment
Retaining wall & Fence Construction
UNIT 1 5 COOINDA CT SALISBURY HEIGHTS SA 5109Decision Made
Swimming Pool with Safety Barrier
4 HAMILTON CT SALISBURY HEIGHTS SA 5109Decision Made
Outbuilding (shed)
9 COBBLER CCT SALISBURY HEIGHTS SA 5109Decision Made
Outbuilding
2 MARBURY PL SALISBURY HEIGHTS SA 5109Decision Made
Removal of One (1) Regulated Tree in Verge
60B TAYLOR AV SALISBURY HEIGHTS SA 5109Decision Made
Two single storey dwellings
2 SHERIDAN CT SALISBURY HEIGHTS SA 5109Under Assessment
Two-storey dwelling with associated fencing and existing retaining walls combined height exceeding 2.1m
13 GRACE CT SALISBURY HEIGHTS SA 5109Under Assessment
May 2026
Inground swimming pool and SPA with associated safety fence in association with DA 25026732
40C COOMURRA DR SALISBURY HEIGHTS SA 5109Under Assessment
Dwelling Addition
3 TINTERN PL SALISBURY HEIGHTS SA 5109Under Assessment
Removal of one (1) Regulated tree in verge
41B COOMURRA DR SALISBURY HEIGHTS SA 5109Decision Made
Shed
6 LICHFIELD CT SALISBURY HEIGHTS SA 5109Decision Made
Outback Verandah
17 DESTROYER ST SALISBURY HEIGHTS SA 5109Decision Made
Removal of One (1) Significant Tree within Verge (Front of 4 Vendetta)
4 VENDETTA DR SALISBURY HEIGHTS SA 5109Decision Made
Installation of an inground fiberglass swimming pool and all associated pool safety features installed by homeowner.
43E COOMURRA DR SALISBURY HEIGHTS SA 5109Decision Made
Verandah
UNIT 1 20 COLCHESTER CT SALISBURY HEIGHTS SA 5109Decision Made
Verandah
3 GRACE CT SALISBURY HEIGHTS SA 5109Decision Made
Verandah
27 PACIFIC CCT SALISBURY HEIGHTS SA 5109Decision Made
Swimming Pool, Spa, Decking, Pergola and Retaining Walls over 1m
38A COOMURRA DR SALISBURY HEIGHTS SA 5109Decision Made
Shed
42B COOMURRA DR SALISBURY HEIGHTS SA 5109Decision Made
Retaining Wall Over 1m and Fencing Over 2.1m (As a Result of a Compliant Wastewater System) - Dwelling in DA 25027973
43E COOMURRA DR SALISBURY HEIGHTS SA 5109Decision Made
Single storey dwelling with associated retaining walls and fencing
2 DRESS CIR SALISBURY HEIGHTS SA 5109Under 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 39.6%Labor 60.4%
4.3 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +2.2 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
Salisbury HeightsLabor 59.2% · Coalition 40.8% TPP (2025)0.7 km away
Salisbury East EstateLabor 61.8% · Coalition 38.2% TPP (2025)1.6 km away
Greenwith WestLabor 61.1% · Coalition 38.9% TPP (2025)2.4 km away
Salisbury East CentralLabor 66.2% · Coalition 33.8% TPP (2025)2.9 km away
GreenwithLabor 65.8% · Coalition 34.2% TPP (2025)3.5 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%)