Alma vs Tarlee

Alma is the younger of the two, with a median age of 37 against 46 in Tarlee. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Alma, most households are couple families. In Tarlee, about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Alma tends to suit families with children, while Tarlee 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

  • Alma carries lower crime risk (25/100 vs 54/100)
  • Tarlee is already more of a family suburb (69% vs 56%)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

Alma

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (10% vs 17%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Alma has a bigger rental market to choose from (33% vs 10%)
  • Tarlee has cheaper rent ($260/wk vs $290/wk)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Tarlee

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (32/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (66 min vs 71 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (88 km vs 92.1 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Tarlee

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (32/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (23% vs 12%)
  • But Alma carries lower crime risk (25/100 vs 54/100)

Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Tarlee

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (4.6% vs -12.0%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Alma and Tarlee drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Alma Tarlee
Hides rows where both suburbs match

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.

Alma Tarlee
Walkability 0 / 32
Alma — Walkability: 0/100 Tarlee — Walkability: 32/100
Safety 75 / 46
Alma — Safety: 75/100 Tarlee — Safety: 46/100
Low fire risk 20 / 19
Alma — Low fire risk: 20/100 Tarlee — Low fire risk: 19/100

Demographics

Tarlee has more residents (316 vs 66); Alma has higher household incomes ($112,632 vs $74,724).

Alma Tarlee
Population 66 316
+379% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -12.0% +4.6%
Median age 37 46
Median household income $112,632/yr
+34% vs other
 $74,724/yr
Median weekly rent $290/wk
+10% vs other
 $260/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Alma Tarlee
0-4 6.1% / 3.5%
Alma — 0-4: 6.1% Tarlee — 0-4: 3.5%
5-14 27.3% / 13.9%
Alma — 5-14: 27.3% Tarlee — 5-14: 13.9%
15-19 9.1% / 6.6%
Alma — 15-19: 9.1% Tarlee — 15-19: 6.6%
20-24 — / 6.3%
Alma — 20-24: not among its largest Tarlee — 20-24: 6.3%
25-34 6.1% / 7.3%
Alma — 25-34: 6.1% Tarlee — 25-34: 7.3%
35-44 16.7% / 9.2%
Alma — 35-44: 16.7% Tarlee — 35-44: 9.2%
45-54 12.1% / 11.4%
Alma — 45-54: 12.1% Tarlee — 45-54: 11.4%
55-64 6.1% / 17.1%
Alma — 55-64: 6.1% Tarlee — 55-64: 17.1%
65-74 12.1% / 13.9%
Alma — 65-74: 12.1% Tarlee — 65-74: 13.9%
75-84 — / 7.3%
Alma — 75-84: not among its largest Tarlee — 75-84: 7.3%
85+ — / 1.9%
Alma — 85+: not among its largest Tarlee — 85+: 1.9%

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.

Alma Tarlee
England 4.5% / 6.3%
Alma — England: 4.5% Tarlee — England: 6.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Alma 56.2% couple families
Alma — Couple Families: 56.2% Alma — Group Household: 43.8% Alma — Lone Person: 0.0% Alma — One Parent Families: 0.0% Alma — Other Families: 0.0%
Tarlee 54.3% couple families
Tarlee — Couple Families: 54.3% Tarlee — Group Household: 0.0% Tarlee — Lone Person: 27.1% Tarlee — One Parent Families: 14.3% Tarlee — Other Families: 4.3%
Couple Families Group Household Lone Person One Parent Families Other Families

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Alma 100.0% houses
Alma — Houses: 100.0% Alma — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Tarlee 94.4% houses
Tarlee — Houses: 94.4% Tarlee — Flats / Apartments: 5.6%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Alma Tarlee
Certificate III & IV 18.2% / 21.2%
Alma — Certificate III & IV: 18.2% Tarlee — Certificate III & IV: 21.2%
Bachelor Degree 12.1% / 3.8%
Alma — Bachelor Degree: 12.1% Tarlee — Bachelor Degree: 3.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.5% / 4.1%
Alma — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.5% Tarlee — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 1.3%
Alma — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Tarlee — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.2%).

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Alma 33.3% renting
Alma — Owned Outright: 29.2% Alma — Mortgage: 37.5% Alma — Renting: 33.3%
Tarlee 10.5% renting
Tarlee — Owned Outright: 37.9% Tarlee — Mortgage: 51.6% Tarlee — Renting: 10.5%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Property market

Alma Tarlee
Median house price — $624,500
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) — 21 days
from 3 sales

Zoning mix

Alma Tarlee
Rural and farming 100% 99%
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 Tarlee
New dwellings approved 15
across Wakefield
 28
across Clare and Gilbert Valleys
Approvals change year on year +0% +20%

Ranking within SA

Alma Tarlee
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 88% of SA Higher than 49% of SA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 42% of SA Higher than 76% of SA
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption —
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 64% of SA Higher than 63% of SA

Liveability

Tarlee is more walkable (32 vs 0).

Alma Tarlee
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Tarlee carries more crime risk (54 vs 25).

Alma Tarlee
Bushfire High
80/100
 High
81/100
Crime Low
25/100
 Moderate
54/100
Flood — Low
34/100
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 Tarlee
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Alma

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Schools in Tarlee

  • Tarlee Primary School Government · Primary

Amenities in the suburb

Alma Tarlee
Parks & reserves 1
same for both
Waterways 0 1

Mobility

Alma sits further from the CBD (92.1 km vs 88 km).

Alma Tarlee
Walkability score 0/100 32/100
Distance to Adelaide 92.1 km
+4% vs other
 88 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 71 min 66 min
Electric vehicle share 0.0%
postcode 5401
 0.0%
postcode 5411
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 61
postcode 5401
 71
postcode 5411

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.

Alma Tarlee
Car (driver) 64.3% / 73.0%
Alma — Car (driver): 64.3% Tarlee — Car (driver): 73.0%
Worked from Home 35.7% / 7.4%
Alma — Worked from Home: 35.7% Tarlee — Worked from Home: 7.4%
Walked Only — / 12.3%
Alma — Walked Only: not among its largest Tarlee — Walked Only: 12.3%
Car (passenger) — / 7.4%
Alma — Car (passenger): not among its largest Tarlee — Car (passenger): 7.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (73.0%).

Setting

Alma Tarlee
Elevation 201 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 200 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 39.1 km 49.0 km

NBN connectivity

Alma Tarlee
Connectivity score 30/100
same for both
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
33 premises
 0%
122 premises

Climate

Alma Tarlee
Annual rainfall 460 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Alma Tarlee
Average residential rate $1,640/yr $1,830/yr
Council Wakefield Clare and Gilbert Valleys

Federal electorate

Alma Tarlee
Division Grey
same for both
Member Tom Venning
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Alma Tarlee
Grant amount $15,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Alma

Family Rural

Tarlee

Quiet Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Alma

Alma vs Hamley Bridge Alma vs Owen Alma vs Stockport Alma vs Salter Springs

Other comparisons with Tarlee

Tarlee vs Kapunda Tarlee vs Riverton Tarlee vs Stockport Tarlee vs Hamilton Tarlee vs Bethel
Full data on Alma Full data on Tarlee
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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.

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