Alma vs Salter Springs
Alma is the younger of the two, with a median age of 37 against 48 in Salter Springs. In both, most households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. On these figures, Alma tends to suit families with children, while Salter Springs suits couples.
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
Salter Springs
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is already more of a family suburb (100% vs 56%)
Weighs schools, house stock, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Too close to call
Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Salter Springs
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- leaves renters under less rental stress (8% vs 13%)
- has cheaper rent ($200/wk vs $290/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Alma
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (71 min vs 80 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (92.1 km vs 101.2 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Too close to call
Nothing among the 2 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs GPs and walkability.
Investors
Salter Springs
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (7.3% vs -12.0%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Alma and Salter Springs 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
Alma rents higher ($290/wk vs $200/wk); Salter Springs skews older (48 vs 37).
| Alma | Salter Springs | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 66 +11% vs other | 59 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -12.0% | +7.3% |
| Median age | 37 | 48 |
| Median household income | $112,632/yr | $123,448/yr +10% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $290/wk +31% vs other | $200/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (27.3%).
Where residents were born
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.8%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 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 (18.2%).
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
Zoning mix
| Alma | Salter Springs | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Alma | Salter Springs | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 15 across Wakefield same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +0% same for both | |
Ranking within SA
| Alma | Salter Springs | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 88% of SA | Higher than 94% of SA |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 42% of SA | Higher than 54% of SA |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | — same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 64% of SA | Higher than 34% of SA |
Liveability
| Alma | Salter Springs | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 6/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
Alma carries more bushfire risk (80 vs 33).
| Alma | Salter Springs | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | High 80/100 | Low 33/100 |
| Crime | Low 25/100 | — |
| 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
| Alma | Salter Springs | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 0 same for both | |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Amenities in the suburb
| Alma | Salter Springs | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 1 same for both | |
| Waterways | 0 | 1 |
Mobility
Salter Springs sits further from the CBD (101.2 km vs 92.1 km).
| Alma | Salter Springs | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Adelaide | 92.1 km | 101.2 km +10% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 71 min | 80 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.0% postcode 5401 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 61 postcode 5401 same for both | |
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 (71.4%).
Setting
| Alma | Salter Springs | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 201 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 236 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 39.1 km | 38.5 km |
NBN connectivity
| Alma | Salter Springs | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 | 23/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 33 premises | 0% 13 premises |
Climate
| Alma | Salter Springs | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 460 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | — same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Alma | Salter Springs | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,640/yr same for both | |
| Council | Wakefield same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Alma | Salter Springs | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Grey same for both | |
| Member | Tom Venning same for both | |
| Party | Liberal same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Alma | Salter Springs | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $15,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | — same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Alma
Other comparisons with Salter Springs
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.