Onkaparinga Hills vs Morphett Vale.
Comparing two suburbs with median house prices of $988,000 and $824,000. Morphett Vale edges out on more headline metrics in this comparison.
Morphett Vale (median $824,000) is roughly 20% cheaper to buy into than Onkaparinga Hills ($988,000). Over the past year, Morphett Vale (+15%) ran 7.0 percentage points ahead of Onkaparinga Hills (+8%) on house-price growth.
Morphett Vale scores higher on walkability (8/100 vs 60/100 ), useful if you're optimising for a car-light household. On school quality, the average ICSEA across schools serving Morphett Vale (974) sits above Onkaparinga Hills (971). Onkaparinga Hills skews owner-occupied (95%), Morphett Vale runs more rental-dense (69% owner).
For buyers
Morphett Vale is the lower entry point at $824,000 median, 20% below the other suburb. For first home buyers, that translates to a smaller deposit and lower stamp duty bill.
For investors
Morphett Vale carries both higher gross yield (3.79% vs 2.84%) and stronger 12-month growth. On the headline numbers, it's the cleaner investor case of the two.
For families
Morphett Vale edges out on average school ICSEA (974 vs 971). Onkaparinga Hills also has a higher family-household share (87% vs 66%), so the catchment community skews family-heavy.
Common questions
Is Onkaparinga Hills or Morphett Vale cheaper to buy in?
Morphett Vale has the lower median house price at $824,000, roughly 20% below Onkaparinga Hills ($988,000). The gap on units is usually similar but worth checking on the full suburb profiles.
Which has stronger property growth, Onkaparinga Hills or Morphett Vale?
Over the past 12 months, Morphett Vale grew +15% vs +8% in Onkaparinga Hills, a gap of 7.0 percentage points. Twelve-month growth can swing year to year, so weight long-run trends from the individual suburb profiles before making a buy decision.
Does Onkaparinga Hills or Morphett Vale have better schools?
On average school ICSEA (the ACARA index that benchmarks educational advantage), Morphett Vale scores 974 vs 971 in Onkaparinga Hills. ICSEA is a school-community indicator, not a quality rating, so always check NAPLAN results and catchment boundaries for the specific address you're considering.
Which is more walkable, Onkaparinga Hills or Morphett Vale?
Morphett Vale scores 60/100 on walkability vs 8/100. Above 70 is considered very walkable (most errands on foot), 50-69 is walkable for some errands, below 50 typically requires a car for daily life.
Which suburb has higher rental yield, Onkaparinga Hills or Morphett Vale?
Gross rental yield on houses is 3.79% in Morphett Vale vs 2.84% in Onkaparinga Hills. Gross yield equals annual rent divided by purchase price. Net yield (after strata, rates, insurance, agent fees and maintenance) typically runs 1.5-2 percentage points lower.
The numbers behind the take
Price & Market
Rental
Lifestyle & Demographics
Risk & Hazard
Schools
Climate
Green dot = better on that metric (lower price, higher growth, higher walkability, lower risk).
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