Alford vs Bute
Alford is the younger of the two, with a median age of 47 against 51 in Bute. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Bute: a median of $380,000, against $320,000 in Alford, though rent is higher in Alford. On these figures, Alford tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget, while Bute suits older residents.
Which one suits you?
There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.
Families with school-age kids
They split
one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here
- Alford carries lower crime risk (53/100 vs 70/100)
- Bute has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Alford
ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (10% vs 22%)
- has cheaper houses ($320,000 vs $380,000)
Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
Bute
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($150/wk vs $200/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Bute
ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here
- is more walkable (35/100 vs 0/100)
- sits closer to the CBD (143.1 km vs 170.5 km)
- has a shorter drive in (101 min vs 120 min)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Bute
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- is more walkable (35/100 vs 0/100)
- has more residents already 65 and over (30% vs 20%)
- But Alford carries lower crime risk (53/100 vs 70/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Alford
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (0.6% vs -5.8%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Alford and Bute drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.
Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.
Side by side, out of 100
Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.
Demographics
Bute has more residents (389 vs 159); Alford has higher household incomes ($66,872 vs $45,188).
| Alford | Bute | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 159 | 389 +145% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +0.6% | -5.8% |
| Median age | 47 | 51 |
| Median household income | $66,872/yr +32% vs other | $45,188/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $200/wk +25% vs other | $150/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.8%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.5%).
Property market
| Alford | Bute | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $320,000 | $380,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — | $235,000 |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | — | 37 days from 4 sales |
Zoning mix
| Alford | Bute | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 100% same for both | |
| Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it. Zones as at 2026-09. | ||
Development activity
| Alford | Bute | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 29 across Barunga West same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +233% same for both | |
Ranking within SA
| Alford | Bute | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 35% of SA | Higher than 10% of SA |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 50% of SA | Higher than 76% of SA |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | — same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 48% of SA | Higher than 61% of SA |
Liveability
Bute is more walkable (35 vs 0).
| Alford | Bute | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | below-average income decile 3/10 | below-average income decile 2/10 |
Risk profile
Bute carries more bushfire risk (23 vs 10); Bute carries more crime risk (70 vs 53).
| Alford | Bute | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 10/100 | Low 23/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 53/100 | High 70/100 |
| Flood | — same for both | |
| Coastal erosion | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 0 within 5 km same for both | |
Schools
| Alford | Bute | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 0 | 1 |
| Rated above peers | 0 | 1 |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Schools in Alford
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Schools in Bute
- Bute Early Learning and Primary School Government · Primary above peers
Amenities in the suburb
| Alford | Bute | |
|---|---|---|
| Supermarkets | 0 | 1 |
| Cafes & restaurants | 1 | 0 |
| Childcare | 0 | 1 |
| Banks & Bank@Post | 0 | 1 |
Mobility
Alford sits further from the CBD (170.5 km vs 143.1 km).
| Alford | Bute | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 | 35/100 |
| Distance to Adelaide | 170.5 km +16% vs other | 143.1 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 120 min | 101 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.0% postcode 5555 | 0.0% postcode 5560 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 75 postcode 5555 | 76 postcode 5560 |
How people get to work
Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (88.9%).
Setting
| Alford | Bute | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 67 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 118 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 10.3 km | 27.7 km |
NBN connectivity
| Alford | Bute | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 29/100 | 30/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 83 premises | 0% 224 premises |
Council rates
| Alford | Bute | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,540/yr same for both | |
| Council | Barunga West same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Alford | Bute | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Grey same for both | |
| Member | Tom Venning same for both | |
| Party | Liberal same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Alford | Bute | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $15,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | — same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Alford
Other comparisons with Bute
Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.