Family-friendly ranking · SA

The best suburbs for families in South Australia.

Suburbs ranked by average school ICSEA score and family-household percentage. Filtered to South Australia suburbs only.

About this ranking

Family-friendly suburbs balance four things: schools you'd actually send your kids to, parks and bike paths that get used, walkable neighbourhood retail, and a price point that doesn't lock you out of upgrading rooms when the family grows. We rank by the strongest measurable proxy (school ICSEA) and weight by the share of households that are families with dependents.

South Australia property market in 2026

South Australia has been Australia's quiet achiever, without the boom-bust drama of Perth or the headline volatility of Sydney, Adelaide has compounded steady gains through five consecutive strong years. Median house prices sit around $720K to $800K in 2026 with rental vacancies under 1%, the tightest in the country. The fundamentals (controlled supply, defence-sector wage growth, rising interstate migration) are arguably the strongest in the country for a 5-10 year hold.

Buyer tip, SA
SA first home buyers pay no stamp duty on a new home, off-the-plan apartment or land to build, at any price, and can add a First Home Owner Grant of up to $15K. On an established home there's no first home relief, so buying new changes the maths more here than anywhere. HomeStart's Shared Equity Option can fund 5% to 25% of the price for households under its income limit.
Watch out, SA
Adelaide's outer-northern suburbs (Elizabeth, Salisbury) have run faster than the broader market in the last two years and are now at price points where yield has compressed meaningfully. Stress-test the rental income before assuming the cashflow story holds.
Methodology
Suburbs are scored on average ICSEA across primary and secondary schools (sourced from ACARA), filtered to suburbs where families with dependents make up at least 40% of households (ABS Census 2021). Population-weighted to avoid outliers from very small localities.
Best for
First home buyers planning to start a family in the next 5 years; existing families upsizing into a longer-term home; relocating families researching new areas.

By stateAll Australia NSW VIC QLD WA SA TAS NT ACT

By cityBest suburbs for families in Adelaide

Showing top 50 suburbs in South Australia

#	Suburb	State	Avg ICSEA	Family HH %	Profile
1	Stonyfell 5066	SA	1,180	85%	View profile →
2	Medindie 5081	SA	1,176	80%	View profile →
3	Rose Park 5067	SA	1,162	71%	View profile →
4	Hyde Park 5061	SA	1,162	67%	View profile →
5	Stirling 5152	SA	1,136	76%	View profile →
6	Springfield 5062	SA	1,133	87%	View profile →
7	Crafers 5152	SA	1,109	83%	View profile →
8	Hawthorndene 5051	SA	1,108	81%	View profile →
9	Nailsworth 5083	SA	1,106	70%	View profile →
10	Colonel Light Gardens 5041	SA	1,103	82%	View profile →
11	Bedford Park 5042	SA	1,101	56%	View profile →
12	Hove 5048	SA	1,099	61%	View profile →
13	Aldgate 5154	SA	1,099	85%	View profile →
14	Norton Summit 5136	SA	1,098	83%	View profile →
15	Vale Park 5081	SA	1,097	76%	View profile →
16	Hillcrest 5086	SA	1,096	70%	View profile →
17	Payneham South 5070	SA	1,092	65%	View profile →
18	Edwardstown 5039	SA	1,090	56%	View profile →
19	Bellevue Heights 5050	SA	1,090	74%	View profile →
20	Eden Hills 5050	SA	1,090	77%	View profile →
21	Northgate 5085	SA	1,090	84%	View profile →
22	Marion 5043	SA	1,087	63%	View profile →
23	Somerton Park 5044	SA	1,083	63%	View profile →
24	Heathfield 5153	SA	1,079	79%	View profile →
25	Glenelg East 5045	SA	1,078	62%	View profile →
26	Bridgewater 5155	SA	1,076	74%	View profile →
27	Hahndorf 5245	SA	1,075	74%	View profile →
28	Grange 5022	SA	1,075	69%	View profile →
29	Lockleys 5032	SA	1,072	69%	View profile →
30	Tea Tree Gully 5091	SA	1,068	75%	View profile →
31	Port Neill 5604	SA	1,060	58%	View profile →
32	Owen 5460	SA	1,053	71%	View profile →
33	Holden Hill 5088	SA	1,051	66%	View profile →
34	Newton 5074	SA	1,049	70%	View profile →
35	Aberfoyle Park 5159	SA	1,048	78%	View profile →
36	Golden Grove 5125	SA	1,045	74%	View profile →
37	Oakden 5086	SA	1,040	67%	View profile →
38	Angaston 5353	SA	1,038	69%	View profile →
39	Evanston South 5116	SA	1,035	79%	View profile →
40	Watervale 5452	SA	1,033	81%	View profile →
41	Greenwith 5125	SA	1,032	78%	View profile →
42	Lenswood 5240	SA	1,026	79%	View profile →
43	Torrensville 5031	SA	1,025	64%	View profile →
44	Seacombe Gardens 5047	SA	1,025	63%	View profile →
45	Croydon Park 5008	SA	1,024	67%	View profile →
46	Windsor Gardens 5087	SA	1,019	67%	View profile →
47	Hallett Cove 5158	SA	1,015	80%	View profile →
48	Melrose 5483	SA	1,014	71%	View profile →
49	Gawler East 5118	SA	1,013	74%	View profile →
50	Modbury 5092	SA	1,013	63%	View profile →

#1Stonyfell

SA 5066

Avg ICSEA

1,180

Family HH %

85%

View profile →

#2Medindie

SA 5081

Avg ICSEA

1,176

Family HH %

80%

View profile →

#3Rose Park

SA 5067

Avg ICSEA

1,162

Family HH %

71%

View profile →

#4Hyde Park

SA 5061

Avg ICSEA

1,162

Family HH %

67%

View profile →

#5Stirling

SA 5152

Avg ICSEA

1,136

Family HH %

76%

View profile →

#6Springfield

SA 5062

Avg ICSEA

1,133

Family HH %

87%

View profile →

#7Crafers

SA 5152

Avg ICSEA

1,109

Family HH %

83%

View profile →

#8Hawthorndene

SA 5051

Avg ICSEA

1,108

Family HH %

81%

View profile →

#9Nailsworth

SA 5083

Avg ICSEA

1,106

Family HH %

70%

View profile →

#10Colonel Light Gardens

SA 5041

Avg ICSEA

1,103

Family HH %

82%

View profile →

#11Bedford Park

SA 5042

Avg ICSEA

1,101

Family HH %

56%

View profile →

#12Hove

SA 5048

Avg ICSEA

1,099

Family HH %

61%

View profile →

#13Aldgate

SA 5154

Avg ICSEA

1,099

Family HH %

85%

View profile →

#14Norton Summit

SA 5136

Avg ICSEA

1,098

Family HH %

83%

View profile →

#15Vale Park

SA 5081

Avg ICSEA

1,097

Family HH %

76%

View profile →

#16Hillcrest

SA 5086

Avg ICSEA

1,096

Family HH %

70%

View profile →

#17Payneham South

SA 5070

Avg ICSEA

1,092

Family HH %

65%

View profile →

#18Edwardstown

SA 5039

Avg ICSEA

1,090

Family HH %

56%

View profile →

#19Bellevue Heights

SA 5050

Avg ICSEA

1,090

Family HH %

74%

View profile →

#20Eden Hills

SA 5050

Avg ICSEA

1,090

Family HH %

77%

View profile →

#21Northgate

SA 5085

Avg ICSEA

1,090

Family HH %

84%

View profile →

#22Marion

SA 5043

Avg ICSEA

1,087

Family HH %

63%

View profile →

#23Somerton Park

SA 5044

Avg ICSEA

1,083

Family HH %

63%

View profile →

#24Heathfield

SA 5153

Avg ICSEA

1,079

Family HH %

79%

View profile →

#25Glenelg East

SA 5045

Avg ICSEA

1,078

Family HH %

62%

View profile →

#26Bridgewater

SA 5155

Avg ICSEA

1,076

Family HH %

74%

View profile →

#27Hahndorf

SA 5245

Avg ICSEA

1,075

Family HH %

74%

View profile →

#28Grange

SA 5022

Avg ICSEA

1,075

Family HH %

69%

View profile →

#29Lockleys

SA 5032

Avg ICSEA

1,072

Family HH %

69%

View profile →

#30Tea Tree Gully

SA 5091

Avg ICSEA

1,068

Family HH %

75%

View profile →

#31Port Neill

SA 5604

Avg ICSEA

1,060

Family HH %

58%

View profile →

#32Owen

SA 5460

Avg ICSEA

1,053

Family HH %

71%

View profile →

#33Holden Hill

SA 5088

Avg ICSEA

1,051

Family HH %

66%

View profile →

#34Newton

SA 5074

Avg ICSEA

1,049

Family HH %

70%

View profile →

#35Aberfoyle Park

SA 5159

Avg ICSEA

1,048

Family HH %

78%

View profile →

#36Golden Grove

SA 5125

Avg ICSEA

1,045

Family HH %

74%

View profile →

#37Oakden

SA 5086

Avg ICSEA

1,040

Family HH %

67%

View profile →

#38Angaston

SA 5353

Avg ICSEA

1,038

Family HH %

69%

View profile →

#39Evanston South

SA 5116

Avg ICSEA

1,035

Family HH %

79%

View profile →

#40Watervale

SA 5452

Avg ICSEA

1,033

Family HH %

81%

View profile →

#41Greenwith

SA 5125

Avg ICSEA

1,032

Family HH %

78%

View profile →

#42Lenswood

SA 5240

Avg ICSEA

1,026

Family HH %

79%

View profile →

#43Torrensville

SA 5031

Avg ICSEA

1,025

Family HH %

64%

View profile →

#44Seacombe Gardens

SA 5047

Avg ICSEA

1,025

Family HH %

63%

View profile →

#45Croydon Park

SA 5008

Avg ICSEA

1,024

Family HH %

67%

View profile →

#46Windsor Gardens

SA 5087

Avg ICSEA

1,019

Family HH %

67%

View profile →

#47Hallett Cove

SA 5158

Avg ICSEA

1,015

Family HH %

80%

View profile →

#48Melrose

SA 5483

Avg ICSEA

1,014

Family HH %

71%

View profile →

#49Gawler East

SA 5118

Avg ICSEA

1,013

Family HH %

74%

View profile →

#50Modbury

SA 5092

Avg ICSEA

1,013

Family HH %

63%

View profile →

Common questions

About this ranking

What is ICSEA and why does it matter?

ICSEA (Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage) is ACARA's measure of the educational backgrounds of students at a school, used as a proxy for school resourcing and outcomes. Higher ICSEA generally correlates with stronger NAPLAN performance and higher senior-year retention. We use it because it's published consistently across all Australian schools, but it's not a direct quality measure, so always verify with site visits and NAPLAN data.

Why don't you rank by NAPLAN scores directly?

NAPLAN scores are published by My School (ACARA) but reproducing them in rankings is restricted. ICSEA is the next-best public proxy and correlates strongly with NAPLAN outcomes for like-for-like school cohorts.

How do school catchments affect this ranking?

We rank suburbs by the average ICSEA of schools located in or directly serving the suburb. Catchment boundaries cut through suburbs, so two houses on the same street can fall into different catchments. Always verify the in-catchment school for the specific address before making an offer.

Other rankings

Highest Growth Suburbs Most Affordable Suburbs Most Walkable Suburbs Lowest Flood Risk Suburbs Best Rental Yield Suburbs

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The best suburbs for families in South Australia.

South Australia property market in 2026

Buyer tip, SA

Watch out, SA

Methodology

Best for

About this ranking

Shortlisted a suburb? Buy it well.