St Marys is an inner metropolitan suburb of Adelaide, in Mitcham Council, with mainly mixed commercial and residential development. Notable landmarks include St Mary's Anglican Church, Graveyard & Gates.
Open-space access is exceptionally strong, placing it among the highest-ranked inner metropolitan suburbs. Rents are unusually low against comparable places, with median rents 20% below the peer median. Mapped flood cover is a very strong feature of the suburb, with mapped flood cover 91% below the peer median, and green cover is an exceptional strength. The main trade-offs are higher crime and lower school ICSEA scores, with reported crime 116% above the peer median.
Overall, the suburb suits people prioritising lower rents and open space over peace and quiet.
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
Rents are unusually low against comparable places
Open-space access is exceptionally strong
Mapped flood cover is a relative strength
Green cover is stronger than in comparable places
Weaknesses
Reported crime is elevated relative to comparable places
Local school ICSEA scores sit below those of comparable places
What stands out
Overseas-born and multilingual community
St Mary's Anglican Church, Graveyard & Gates
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 St Marys compares
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median house price
$1.12M
+22% change
Median rent
$480/wk
Houses $698 · Units $470
Population (ERP)
3,228
+1.1% 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
#29
among Metro Adelaide · Growth area
Crime rate
83rd
percentile in state (higher = more crime)
Pop. growth
76th
percentile in SA
Rented dwellings
37%
2021 Census tenure
Advantage (IRSAD)
6/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
60th
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
41.0/100 — Average
National rank
4165th in Australia
State rank
366th in SA
Peer rank
#29 among Metro Adelaide · Growth area suburbs
Cohort rank
#231 among Metro Adelaide suburbs
Data confidence
93%
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)
$697.5
All types (01/01/26 to 31/03/26)
$480
Rental bonds lodged (01/01/26 to 31/03/26)
30
Median house price (Q1 2026)
$1,115,500
Median price change
+21.9%
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
3,228(June 2025)
+1.1% annual · +7.3% over 5 years · 76th percentile in SA
Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+1.1%
5-year growth
+7.3%
Change in 1 year
+35
Change in 5 years
+221
Growth rank in SA
76th 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 (~3,350), extrapolated at +0.8% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
Population
3,010
Median age
35
Median household income / week
$1,490
Dwelling vacancy
5.3%
Unoccupied private dwellings
70 of 1,316
Median monthly mortgage
$1,654
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$285
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
24.9% / 38.5% / 36.5%
Employment rate
63.2%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
9.1% / 6.2% / 67.9%
Walked or cycled to work
2.1%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
829 / 284 / 137
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.
33.3% of adults have a university degree, compared with 22.6% across South Australia. 15% have a trade or vocational qualification.
University qualified33.3% · 22.6% SA
Diploma qualified9.2% · 8.6% SA
Trade / vocational15% · 17.5% SA
Year 12 or below42.5% · 51.2% SA
Highest qualification field
Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).
Management and commerce19.3%
Health16.2%
Society and culture14%
Engineering and related technologies13.9%
Education8.2%
Information technology5.9%
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)
$54,437
50th percentile in SA · -7% vs Australia
Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$59,818
58th percentile in SA · -8% vs Australia
Residents with rental investments
11.0%
30th percentile in SA · -20% vs Australia
Median super balance (2023–24)
$46,172
12th percentile in SA · -27% vs Australia
Residents with business income
11.0%
48th percentile in SA · +6% vs Australia
Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 5042 — 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
7,966
Taxpayers reporting net rent
904
Median net rent
-$17
Taxpayers reporting business income
894
Taxable income vs state median
0%
Salary / wages vs state median
+4%
Rental investment vs state median
-8%
Super vs state median
-41%
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
34.9% speak a language other than English at home; 35.4% born overseas
Language at home
1,891 English only · 1,012 other
Non-English at home
34.9%
Born overseas
1,031 (35.4%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
35 (1.2%)
Australian citizens
2,427
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
25
Top languages other than English
Share of residents who speak a language other than English at home (2021 Census).
Nepali55 · 12.3%
Mandarin44 · 9.8%
Arabic39 · 8.7%
Punjabi38 · 8.5%
Malayalam33 · 7.4%
Greek30 · 6.7%
Urdu27 · 6%
Hindi24 · 5.4%
Religion
41.1%Most common religion · Christianity
Christianity is the most common response at 41.1%, while 37% 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
37%
45.2%
Christianity
41.1%
40%
Hinduism
6%
2.1%
Islam
5.5%
2.3%
Other / not stated
10.4%
10.4%
Christian denominations
Denomination
Suburb
State
Catholic
15.8%
15.5%
Anglican
5.1%
7.2%
Eastern Orthodox
4.4%
2.4%
Baptist
3.7%
1.5%
Uniting Church
3.5%
4.8%
Christian (not further defined)
3.3%
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)
310
Against the person
24
Against property
286
Rate per 1,000 residents
96
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 125 residents
State crime-rate percentile
83.4th (higher = more crime)
Family & domestic abuse offences
87
Increase (daily rate)
+30.8%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
150
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
46.47
Most common offence types
Damage Or Destroy Property24
Motor Vehicle Theft And Related Offences18
Serious Assault13
Theft From A Person23
Theft From Retail Premises186
Theft From Motor Vehicle1
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)
Crime rate, offences against the person, year-on-year trend and recorded road crash rates
St Bernadette's SchoolPrimary · Catholic · ICSEA 1085 · 80th percentile · LBOTE 76% · 205 students · Top SEA quarter 32% · 0.4 km awayView on My School →
Clovelly Park Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1038 · 64th percentile · LBOTE 72% · 222 students · Top SEA quarter 26% · 1.5 km awayView on My School →
Springbank Secondary CollegeSecondary · Government · ICSEA 1021 · 56th percentile · LBOTE 12% · 249 students · Top SEA quarter 17% · 1.5 km awayView on My School →
Hamilton Secondary CollegeSecondary · Government · ICSEA 994 · 44th percentile · LBOTE 38% · 609 students · Top SEA quarter 13% · 1.9 km awayView on My School →
Contributes to desirability score · Education (14%)
Median school ICSEA first, then school and catchment counts
2 cafes · 2 fast food · 2 places of worship · 2 playgrounds · 2 petrol stations
Local character & venue list
Local character
A car helps for daily needs
Great for outdoor family life — 8 parks mapped in suburb, 2 playgrounds nearby
Reasonable bus and transport access — 17 public transport stops
Walkability proxy
34/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0.66
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
1.33
Parks per 1,000 residents
2.66
Food & drink(4)
C CoffeeCafe
La Crema CoffeeCafe
14 Denis Street
SubwayFast food
Wok in a BoxFast food
Shopping(1)
St Mary's Parish Op ShopOp shop
Everyday services(2)
OTRPetrol station
1175 South Road, St Marys
U-GoPetrol station
Community(3)
Daws Road Early Learning CentreChildcare
155 Daws Road, St Marys
Picket FenceCommunity centre
St. Bernadette's Parish SchoolSchool
54 Ragless Street
Sport & outdoors(17)
Marino Rocks GreenwayCycling route
Drinking water
SA WaterDrinking water
Donald Street ReservePark
Park (3)
Ragless ReservePark
St Marys ParkPark
St Marys ReservePark
Thurles Street ReservePark
Picnic area
Playground (2)
Public toilets
Sports field
St Marys ParkSports field
Transport(19)
19 bus stops
Other(11)
Adrien Brian FordCar
Adrien Brian HyundaiCar
Happy Wash St MarysCar wash
1175 South Road, St Marys
St Marys Metropolitan Fire ServiceFire station
1125 South Road
Parking (77)
Edwardstown Baptist ChurchPlace of worship
St Mary's Anglican ChurchPlace of worship
1167 South Road, St Marys
Post Box
Little Free LibraryPublic Bookcase
Storage KingStorage Rental
Clark RubberYes
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
2 places of worship within ~1.5 km
Edwardstown Baptist Church
St Mary's Anglican Church
1167 South Road, St Marys
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
27° / 16°
Rainfall
49 mm · ~6 rainy days
Autumn (Mar–May)
Usual max / min
22° / 13°
Rainfall
94 mm · ~12 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
Usual max / min
16° / 8°
Rainfall
161 mm · ~20 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
Usual max / min
21° / 11°
Rainfall
95 mm · ~12 rainy days
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)
Development applications from PlanSA register and EPA licensed activities.
2026· 47 proposals
September 2026
Deck
UNIT 1 9 CRYSTAL AV ST MARYS SA 5042Under Assessment
Torrens title land division (1:2), detached dwelling and retention of existing dwelling
31 WALSH AV ST MARYS SA 5042Under Assessment
Construction of two (2) single storey detached dwellings and tree damaging activity
11 DORENE ST ST MARYS SA 5042Under Assessment
Dwelling Addition and alteration
15 DONALD ST ST MARYS SA 5042Under Assessment
Variation to application 26006011, to vary soft landscaping and driveway froward of dwelling
4A BARNETT AV ST MARYS SA 5042Under Assessment
Extending front fence to corner
62 DORENE ST ST MARYS SA 5042Decision Made
August 2026
Ancillary accommodation
30 CASHEL ST ST MARYS SA 5042Under Assessment
Remove Significant Agonis flexuosa from front yard.
3 THE CRESCENT ST MARYS SA 5042Under Assessment
Construction of two (2) two-storey dwellings (abutting walls) with associated retaining walls, fencing and landscaping (Dwelling 2 with driveway access from adjoining development)
16 LAURA AV ST MARYS SA 5042;18 LAURA AV ST MARYS SA 5042Under Assessment
Two single storey detached dwellings with associated fencing and 1 into 2 land division
24 MERRITON AV ST MARYS SA 5042Under Assessment
Variation to development application 23003085, retrospective dwelling addition in form of conversion of the carport and verandah to garage and store room, building alterations, verandah at rear, variation to the outbuilding (shed), additional of soft landscaping
28 ADELAIDE TCE ST MARYS SA 5042Under Assessment
Variation to development authorisation 25002891, variation to supported accommodation builtform
2B STYLES AV ST MARYS SA 5042Under Assessment
Torrens title land division – 1 allotment into 2 - in association with Built Form application 25034001
2 CASHEL ST ST MARYS SA 5042Decision Made
July 2026
Swimming pool and safety barrier
1 DONALD ST ST MARYS SA 5042Decision Made
Change of use from warehouse to bulky goods outlet
12 RAGLESS ST ST MARYS SA 5042Under Assessment
New LED signage
1235 SOUTH RD ST MARYS SA 5042Decision Made
Advertisement (fascia signage, pylon, directional sign and operating hours signage)
1305 SOUTH RD ST MARYS SA 5042Under Assessment
June 2026
Torrens title land division – 1 allotment into 2, construction of two single storey detached dwellings with associated retaining walls and fences, removal of one street tree.
38 TOBRUK AV ST MARYS SA 5042Under Assessment
Proposed carport, shed and verandah
15 THURLES ST ST MARYS SA 5042Under Assessment
Verandah
53 TOBRUK AV ST MARYS SA 5042Decision Made
May 2026
Verandah and Deck
UNIT 1 22 CASHEL ST ST MARYS SA 5042Under Assessment
Carport & verandah
22 MERRITON AV ST MARYS SA 5042Decision Made
Construction of single storey supported accommodation
19 DENIS ST ST MARYS SA 5042Decision Made
Single storey detached dwelling
5 MANSE TCE ST MARYS SA 5042Decision Made
Single storey detached dwelling and fencing
34A ST MARYS ST ST MARYS SA 5042Decision Made
Torrens title land division - 1 allotment into 2 - in association with built form application 26008611 with party walls
48 WALSH AV ST MARYS SA 5042Decision Made
Change the carport to the bedroom Utilize the other carport as a new carport Modify the kitchen and living room
8 SOUTHERN AV ST MARYS SA 5042Decision Made
Change in use from 'shop' to 'place of worship' and associated internal building alterations.
UNIT 1-2 1285 SOUTH RD ST MARYS SA 5042Under Assessment
April 2026
Variation of Development Application 24017882 (Single storey detached dwelling, retaining walls and fencing) - Additional retaining walls with fencing atop
32 NORMAN ST ST MARYS SA 5042Under Assessment
Single storey detached dwelling with associated combined retaining walls and fencing
32B ST MARYS ST ST MARYS SA 5042Decision Made
Verandah
25 TOBRUK AV ST MARYS SA 5042Decision Made
Deck and verandah
58 TOBRUK AV ST MARYS SA 5042Decision Made
Change in use to bulky goods outlet with associated building alterations and additions and advertising displays
1235 SOUTH RD ST MARYS SA 5042Decision Made
Removal of regulated eucalyptus sideroxylon
3 KIANA ST ST MARYS SA 5042Decision Made
Single storey detached dwelling and associated retaining walls and fencing
32 ST MARYS ST ST MARYS SA 5042Decision Made
Single storey detached dwelling and associated retaining walls and fencing
32A ST MARYS ST ST MARYS SA 5042Under Assessment
Land division (1 into 2) for the purpose of semi-detached dwellings
4 AURICCHIO AV ST MARYS SA 5042Decision Made
March 2026
Louvre Verandah
14A SOUTHERN AV ST MARYS SA 5042Decision Made
Change of use to rear portion of site and construction of a "store" with ancillary and subservient office, a carport in association with retained dwelling, and tree damaging activity (pruning of street tree and encroachment into NRZ).
11 LLOYD ST ST MARYS SA 5042Under Assessment
Construction of two (2) two-storey dwellings and associated retaining, fencing and landscaping
48 WALSH AV ST MARYS SA 5042Under Assessment
2025· 8 proposals
December 2025
Single storey detached dwelling with double garage and tree damaging activity (retrospective)
5 ST MARYS ST ST MARYS SA 5042Decision Made
Swimming Pool and Safety Barrier
18 SOUTHERN AV ST MARYS SA 5042Decision Made
Verandah
54C DORENE ST ST MARYS SA 5042Decision Made
External Verandah to be added to existing dwelling.
21 QUINLAN AV ST MARYS SA 5042Decision Made
Variation of Development Application 24041598 (Alterations and Additions to an Existing Educational Facility and Tree Damaging Activity) - Amend access to south-western carpark, modify Condition 10 and remove Condition 11-13
1257 SOUTH RD ST MARYS SA 5042;1263 -1265 SOUTH RD ST MARYS SA 5042;54 RAGLESS ST ST MARYS SA 5042;LOT 501 RAGLESS ST ST MARYS SA 5042;LOT 502 RAGLESS ST ST MARYS SA 5042Decision Made
November 2025
Variation of Development Application 24040400 (Warehouse with associated office and fencing) - Amend stormwater management details
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 2.5 km away).
Coalition 32.4%Labor 67.6%
6.5 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +9.1 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
St MarysLabor 68.1% · Coalition 31.9% TPP (2025)0.8 km away
PasadenaLabor 63.1% · Coalition 36.9% TPP (2025)1.5 km away
Mitchell Park SouthLabor 72.0% · Coalition 27.9% TPP (2025)2.0 km away
Mitchell ParkLabor 71.3% · Coalition 28.7% TPP (2025)2.1 km away
Ascot ParkLabor 73.5% · Coalition 26.5% 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%)