Suttontown is a rural locality in South Australia, in Grant Council. Mount Gambier is part of the surrounding geography.
Local amenities are a relative strength, with local amenities 100% above the peer median. Household incomes are a relative strength, with household incomes 70% above the peer median, and university qualifications are a relative strength, with university qualifications 66% above the peer median. Space is a strength, but car dependence is high. Trade-offs centre on higher rents and thinner heritage listings.
Overall, Suttontown suits people prioritising local amenities and university qualifications over 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
Rural locality · compared with rural localities in South Australia (602)
Strengths
Household incomes are a relative strength
Local amenities are a relative strength
University qualifications are a relative strength
Weaknesses
Rents run above those in comparable places
Heritage listings are a relative weakness
What stands out
Mount Gambier
Space is a strength, but car dependence is high
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 Suttontown compares
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median house price
—
No data available
Median rent
$560/wk
Population (ERP)
664
+0.1% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
5.9%
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
#33
among Country & regional · Established
Crime rate
74th
percentile in state (higher = more crime)
Pop. growth
48th
percentile in SA
Rented dwellings
9%
2021 Census tenure
Advantage (IRSAD)
7/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
29th
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
33.5/100 — Below average
National rank
5901st in Australia
State rank
553rd in SA
Peer rank
#33 among Country & regional · Established suburbs
Cohort rank
#193 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
94%
Data sources & freshness
Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Housing
Houses (01/01/26 to 31/03/26)
$560
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
664(June 2025)
+0.1% annual · +3.4% over 5 years · 48th percentile in SA
Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+0.1%
5-year growth
+3.4%
Change in 1 year
+1
Change in 5 years
+22
Growth rank in SA
48th 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 (~700), extrapolated at +0.8% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
Population
692
Median age
38
Median household income / week
$2,330
Dwelling vacancy
5.9%
Unoccupied private dwellings
15 of 253
Median monthly mortgage
$1,603
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$275
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
42.4% / 48.9% / 8.7%
Employment rate
75.8%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
8.5% / 0% / 83.1%
Walked or cycled to work
1%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
229 / 0 / 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.
13.9% of adults have a university degree, compared with 22.6% across South Australia. 28% have a trade or vocational qualification.
University qualified13.9% · 22.6% SA
Diploma qualified10.1% · 8.6% SA
Trade / vocational28% · 17.5% SA
Year 12 or below48% · 51.2% SA
Highest qualification field
Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).
Engineering and related technologies24.3%
Management and commerce17.3%
Health13.7%
Education10.3%
Society and culture9%
Food, hospitality and personal services8%
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)
$56,313
59th percentile in SA · -4% vs Australia
Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$60,163
59th percentile in SA · -7% vs Australia
Residents with rental investments
12.0%
41st percentile in SA · -13% vs Australia
Median super balance (2023–24)
$92,040
66th percentile in SA · +45% vs Australia
Residents with business income
9.0%
23rd percentile in SA · -13% vs Australia
Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 5291 — 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
6,101
Taxpayers reporting net rent
734
Median net rent
$3
Taxpayers reporting business income
576
Taxable income vs state median
+4%
Salary / wages vs state median
+5%
Rental investment vs state median
0%
Super vs state median
+18%
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
Seasonal & agricultural work
15.0% of employed residents work in agriculture, forestry and fishing, 6.5× the Australian share (2.3%) — compared with 3.8% across South Australia.
Agriculture, forestry & fishing
15.0%
57th percentile in SA · +552% vs Australia
Resident workers (2021)
62
WHM specified work
Subclass 417 / 462
Postcode 5291
Occupation mix in this industry
2021 Census G56, residents employed in agriculture, forestry and fishing. Counts below 10 are not shown.
Managers31
Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 Census General Community Profile tables G54 (industry of employment) and G56 (industry by occupation), Statistical Area Level (suburb), place of usual residence. Figures are residents’ main job in the week before Census night — not jobs located in the suburb. Agriculture, forestry and fishing is the 1-digit ANZSIC division; grape growing and other 3- and 4-digit industries are not in this datapack. The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Plant and animal cultivation in postcode 5291 (Regional Australia) may count as specified work for Working Holiday Maker visas (subclasses 417 and 462). This is a postcode rule from the Home Affairs instruments — not evidence that seasonal jobs exist here, and not a count of WHM residents. Home Affairs specified work · LIN 22/012 · LIN 22/013. Compilation used: 5 April 2025.
Region employment estimates (SA4, not this suburb)
Jobs and Skills Australia NERO modelled estimates for South Australia - South East (SA4 407), 2026-08. These figures describe the broader region, not this suburb, and occupations are not added together.
Livestock Farmers ANZSCO 12134,568
Mixed Crop and Livestock Farmers ANZSCO 12143,627
Livestock Farm Workers ANZSCO 84151,363
Crop Farmers ANZSCO 12121,073
Crop Farm Workers ANZSCO 8412992
Agricultural, Forestry and Horticultural Plant Operators ANZSCO 7211833
Forestry and Logging Workers ANZSCO 8413346
Mixed Crop and Livestock Farm Workers ANZSCO 8416308
Other Farm, Forestry and Garden Workers ANZSCO 8419301
Aquaculture Workers ANZSCO 841110
South Australia - South East is a Statistical Area Level 4. Fruit, nut and vegetable workers are not published separately in NERO (they sit under ANZSCO 8412). Jobs and Skills Australia warns not to sum occupations or geographies. NERO data. Nowcast of Employment by Region and Occupation, Jobs and Skills Australia, Commonwealth of Australia. CC BY 4.0.
Census employed residents counted in G54: 413 · AFF share +295% vs the state.
Data sources & freshness
2021 Census — industry of employment (G54/G56), place of usual residence — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated · Resident main job in the week before Census night, not jobs located in the suburb
The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
WHM specified work areas (LIN 22/012 and LIN 22/013) — Department of Home Affairs · 2025-04-05 · Updated · Postcode eligibility for plant and animal cultivation; not a count of WHM residents
Nowcast of Employment by Region and Occupation (NERO), SA4 × ANZSCO 4-digit — Jobs and Skills Australia · 2026-08 · Updated · Monthly modelled SA4 estimates; not suburb-level. CC BY 4.0
Community & culture
4.1% speak a language other than English at home; 7.2% born overseas
Language at home
656 English only · 28 other
Non-English at home
4.1%
Born overseas
49 (7.2%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
10 (1.4%)
Australian citizens
657
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
1
Top languages other than English
Share of residents who speak a language other than English at home (2021 Census).
German3 · 100%
Religion
53.9%No religion
No religion is the most common response at 53.9%, while Christianity accounts for 42.3%.
Measure
Suburb
State
No religion
53.9%
45.2%
Christianity
42.3%
40%
Other / not stated
3.8%
14.7%
Christian denominations
Denomination
Suburb
State
Catholic
16.8%
15.5%
Uniting Church
5.9%
4.8%
Anglican
5.2%
7.2%
Lutheran
4.8%
2.4%
Presbyterian and Reformed
4.3%
0.7%
Christian (not further defined)
2.5%
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)
44
Against the person
5
Against property
39
Rate per 1,000 residents
66.3
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 138 residents
State crime-rate percentile
73.6th (higher = more crime)
Family & domestic abuse offences
42
Increase (daily rate)
+2.3%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
31
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
46.69
Most common offence types
Arson11
Damage Or Destroy Property4
Motor Vehicle Theft And Related Offences4
Theft From A Person7
Theft From Retail Premises7
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)
Crime rate, offences against the person, year-on-year trend and recorded road crash rates
Suttontown Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 960 · 29th percentile · LBOTE 0% · 101 students · Top SEA quarter 3% · 2.0 km awayView on My School →
Compton Primary School13 Compton Hall RoadPrimary Education
Contributes to desirability score · Education (14%)
Median school ICSEA first, then school and catchment counts
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
Mount Gambier and Districts Health Service (3.6 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
22° / 12°
Rainfall
103 mm · ~13 rainy days
Autumn (Mar–May)
Usual max / min
19° / 10°
Rainfall
186 mm · ~23 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
Usual max / min
14° / 7°
Rainfall
325 mm · ~41 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
Usual max / min
17° / 9°
Rainfall
210 mm · ~26 rainy days
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)
Development applications from PlanSA register and EPA licensed activities.
2026· 77 proposals
September 2026
To construct a detached dwelling
8 OLIVER DR SUTTONTOWN SA 5291Under Assessment
To construct a detached dwelling
9 OLIVER DR SUTTONTOWN SA 5291Under Assessment
To construct a detached dwelling
4 MONAVAE RD SUTTONTOWN SA 5291Under Assessment
August 2026
Land Division - To create one additional allotment
15 -17 O'DEA RD SUTTONTOWN SA 5291Under Assessment
To construct a detached dwelling.
35 FEDERATION DR SUTTONTOWN SA 5291Decision Made
To construct a semi-detached dwelling
UNIT 1 1 OXFORD DR SUTTONTOWN SA 5291Under Assessment
To construct a semi-detached dwelling
UNIT 2 1 OXFORD DR SUTTONTOWN SA 5291Under Assessment
To construct a gazebo associated with an existing childcare centre
77 -79 SUTTONTOWN RD SUTTONTOWN SA 5291Decision Made
Land Division - Community Title - 1 allotment into 5 allotments.
105 SUTTONTOWN RD SUTTONTOWN SA 5291Under Assessment
Land Division - Torrens Title - 1 allotment into 5 allotments.
105 SUTTONTOWN RD SUTTONTOWN SA 5291Under Assessment
Construct a carport
83 CROYLE RD SUTTONTOWN SA 5291Under Assessment
To construct a detached dwelling.
15 SPRINGVIEW DR SUTTONTOWN SA 5291Decision Made
To construct a semi-detached dwelling on one allotment.
20A OXFORD DR SUTTONTOWN SA 5291Under Assessment
To construct a semi-detached dwelling on one allotment.
20B OXFORD DR SUTTONTOWN SA 5291Under Assessment
July 2026
To construct a semi-detached dwelling on one allotment
1 LEARMONTH ST SUTTONTOWN SA 5291Under Assessment
To construct a semi-detached dwelling on one allotment.
27 OXFORD DR SUTTONTOWN SA 5291Under Assessment
Construction of shops comprised of bulky goods tenancies with associated carparking, advertising signage & landscaping
2 RAYMOND DR SUTTONTOWN SA 5291;3 WALTER CT SUTTONTOWN SA 5291;4 RAYMOND DR SUTTONTOWN SA 5291;4 WALTER CT SUTTONTOWN SA 5291;5 WALTER CT SUTTONTOWN SA 5291;6 WALTER CT SUTTONTOWN SA 5291Under Assessment
To construct a detached dwelling
1 MONAVAE RD SUTTONTOWN SA 5291Decision Made
To construct a detached dwelling
25 OXFORD DR SUTTONTOWN SA 5291Under Assessment
To construct a detached dwelling.
13 -15 CARRISON RD SUTTONTOWN SA 5291Under Assessment
To construct a single storey detached dwelling
16 MARTIN ST SUTTONTOWN SA 5291Decision Made
To construct a carport.
41 COLLINS DR SUTTONTOWN SA 5291Decision Made
June 2026
To construct an outbuilding in association with a detached dwelling
16 OLIVER DR SUTTONTOWN SA 5291Decision Made
To install a 247,000L rainwater tank.
144 SUTTONTOWN RD SUTTONTOWN SA 5291Under Assessment
To construct an outbuilding
14 MARTIN ST SUTTONTOWN SA 5291Decision Made
To construct a garage associated with an existing dwelling
41 COLLINS DR SUTTONTOWN SA 5291Decision Made
To construct one semi-detached dwelling associated with DA26018874
2B OXFORD DR SUTTONTOWN SA 5291Decision Made
To construct one semi-detached dwelling associated with DA26018877
2A OXFORD DR SUTTONTOWN SA 5291Decision Made
To construct an outbuilding.
5 MARTIN ST SUTTONTOWN SA 5291Decision Made
Retrospective change of use to short-term tourist accommodation.
238 -248 WIRELESS RD W SUTTONTOWN SA 5291Under Assessment
To construct an outbuilding.
3 OLIVER DR SUTTONTOWN SA 5291Decision Made
May 2026
Wastewater treatment plant associated with existing dairy processing industry
10 SUNNYBRAE RD SUTTONTOWN SA 5291;162 PINEHALL AV SUTTONTOWN SA 5291Under Assessment
To construct a detached dwelling, minor variation
10 MARTIN ST SUTTONTOWN SA 5291Decision Made
To construct alteration and addition to an existing outbuilding
5 CAREY CT SUTTONTOWN SA 5291Decision Made
To construct a detached dwelling
3 MARTIN ST SUTTONTOWN SA 5291Decision Made
To construct a detached dwelling.
16 MAJOR CT SUTTONTOWN SA 5291Decision Made
Land Division - 2 allotments into 19 lot Community Plan
81 -87 SUTTONTOWN RD SUTTONTOWN SA 5291Under Assessment
Land Division - To amalgamate three (3) allotments into two (2) allotments and remove a right of way.
13 KYM HOLMES CT SUTTONTOWN SA 5291;288 JUBILEE HWY W SUTTONTOWN SA 5291;290 JUBILEE HWY W SUTTONTOWN SA 5291Decision Made
To construct a detached dwelling and an outbuilding.
144 SUTTONTOWN RD SUTTONTOWN SA 5291Under Assessment
To construct retaining walls.
1 LEARMONTH ST SUTTONTOWN SA 5291;10 OXFORD DR SUTTONTOWN SA 5291;14A OXFORD DR SUTTONTOWN SA 5291;14B OXFORD DR SUTTONTOWN SA 5291;16A OXFORD DR SUTTONTOWN SA 5291;16B OXFORD DR SUTTONTOWN SA 5291;27 OXFORD DR SUTTONTOWN SA 5291;2A OXFORD DR SUTTONTOWN SA 5291;2B OXFORD DR SUTTONTOWN SA 5291Decision Made
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 7.7 km away).
Coalition 61.0%Labor 39.0%
2.0 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +4.4 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
SuttontownLabor 39.6% · Coalition 60.4% TPP (2025)2.4 km away
ComptonLabor 28.4% · Coalition 71.6% TPP (2025)3.4 km away
Mount Gambier NorthLabor 49.4% · Coalition 50.6% TPP (2025)4.6 km away
Mount Gambier WestLabor 46.6% · Coalition 53.4% TPP (2025)5.4 km away
Mount Gambier ParkLabor 43.0% · Coalition 57.0% TPP (2025)5.9 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%)