Back Valley vs Lower Inman Valley

Back Valley is the younger of the two, with a median age of 47 against 50 in Lower Inman Valley. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. On these figures, Back Valley tends to suit families with children.

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

  • Back Valley has more parks and reserves (9 vs 1)
  • Lower Inman Valley carries lower crime risk (14/100 vs 37/100)

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

First-home buyers

Lower Inman Valley

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (26% vs 31%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Lower Inman Valley

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (15% vs 26%)
  • has cheaper rent ($265/wk vs $310/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Lower Inman Valley

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (81 min vs 92 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (91.2 km vs 93.8 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Lower Inman Valley

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)
  • carries lower crime risk (14/100 vs 37/100)
  • But Back Valley has more residents already 65 and over (28% vs 22%)

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

Investors

Lower Inman Valley

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (15.1% vs 9.3%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Back Valley Lower Inman Valley
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.

Back Valley Lower Inman Valley
Walkability 0 / 10
Back Valley — Walkability: 0/100 Lower Inman Valley — Walkability: 10/100
Safety 63 / 86
Back Valley — Safety: 63/100 Lower Inman Valley — Safety: 86/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Back Valley — Low fire risk: 100/100 Lower Inman Valley — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Lower Inman Valley has more residents (517 vs 176); Lower Inman Valley has higher household incomes ($94,224 vs $62,504).

Back Valley Lower Inman Valley
Population 176 517
+194% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +9.3% +15.1%
Median age 47 50
Median household income $62,504/yr $94,224/yr
+51% vs other
Median weekly rent $310/wk
+15% vs other
 $265/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Back Valley Lower Inman Valley
0-4 9.7% / 3.3%
Back Valley — 0-4: 9.7% Lower Inman Valley — 0-4: 3.3%
5-14 15.3% / 13.5%
Back Valley — 5-14: 15.3% Lower Inman Valley — 5-14: 13.5%
15-19 3.4% / 9.1%
Back Valley — 15-19: 3.4% Lower Inman Valley — 15-19: 9.1%
20-24 — / 2.3%
Back Valley — 20-24: not among its largest Lower Inman Valley — 20-24: 2.3%
25-34 13.1% / 5.2%
Back Valley — 25-34: 13.1% Lower Inman Valley — 25-34: 5.2%
35-44 7.4% / 9.5%
Back Valley — 35-44: 7.4% Lower Inman Valley — 35-44: 9.5%
45-54 9.7% / 17.0%
Back Valley — 45-54: 9.7% Lower Inman Valley — 45-54: 17.0%
55-64 13.6% / 19.7%
Back Valley — 55-64: 13.6% Lower Inman Valley — 55-64: 19.7%
65-74 19.9% / 15.7%
Back Valley — 65-74: 19.9% Lower Inman Valley — 65-74: 15.7%
75-84 8.0% / 4.6%
Back Valley — 75-84: 8.0% Lower Inman Valley — 75-84: 4.6%
85+ — / 1.7%
Back Valley — 85+: not among its largest Lower Inman Valley — 85+: 1.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.9%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Back Valley 61.9% couple families
Back Valley — Couple Families: 61.9% Back Valley — Lone Person: 31.0% Back Valley — One Parent Families: 7.1% Back Valley — Group Household: 0.0%
Lower Inman Valley 63.5% couple families
Lower Inman Valley — Couple Families: 63.5% Lower Inman Valley — Lone Person: 26.0% Lower Inman Valley — One Parent Families: 6.2% Lower Inman Valley — Group Household: 4.2%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Back Valley 10.7% renting
Back Valley — Owned Outright: 53.6% Back Valley — Mortgage: 35.7% Back Valley — Renting: 10.7%
Lower Inman Valley 6.4% renting
Lower Inman Valley — Owned Outright: 46.8% Lower Inman Valley — Mortgage: 46.8% Lower Inman Valley — Renting: 6.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Back Valley Lower Inman Valley
England 6.8% / 8.1%
Back Valley — England: 6.8% Lower Inman Valley — England: 8.1%
New Zealand — / 1.9%
Back Valley — New Zealand: not among its largest Lower Inman Valley — New Zealand: 1.9%
Netherlands — / 1.2%
Back Valley — Netherlands: not among its largest Lower Inman Valley — Netherlands: 1.2%
Germany — / 0.6%
Back Valley — Germany: not among its largest Lower Inman Valley — Germany: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (8.1%).

Qualifications

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

Back Valley Lower Inman Valley
Certificate III & IV 18.8% / 18.2%
Back Valley — Certificate III & IV: 18.8% Lower Inman Valley — Certificate III & IV: 18.2%
Bachelor Degree 8.5% / 13.0%
Back Valley — Bachelor Degree: 8.5% Lower Inman Valley — Bachelor Degree: 13.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.2% / 9.9%
Back Valley — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.2% Lower Inman Valley — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.9%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.7% / 1.9%
Back Valley — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.7% Lower Inman Valley — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.9%
Postgraduate Degree 1.7% / 1.5%
Back Valley — Postgraduate Degree: 1.7% Lower Inman Valley — Postgraduate Degree: 1.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Back Valley 93.9% houses
Back Valley — Houses: 93.9% Back Valley — Flats / Apartments: 6.1%
Lower Inman Valley 100.6% houses
Lower Inman Valley — Houses: 100.6% Lower Inman Valley — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Back Valley Lower Inman Valley
Median house price — $1,309,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $1,030,000

Zoning mix

Back Valley Lower Inman Valley
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

Back Valley Lower Inman Valley
New dwellings approved 347
across Victor Harbor
same for both
Approvals change year on year -26%
same for both

Ranking within SA

Back Valley Lower Inman Valley
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 30% of SA Higher than 73% of SA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 40% of SA Higher than 64% of SA
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 63% of SA
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 71% of SA Higher than 63% of SA

Liveability

Lower Inman Valley is more walkable (10 vs 0).

Back Valley Lower Inman Valley
Grade — B
Score — 61/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

Back Valley carries more crime risk (37 vs 14).

Back Valley Lower Inman Valley
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Low
37/100
 Low
14/100
Flood — Low
29/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
 2
within 5 km

Schools

Back Valley Lower Inman Valley
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

Back Valley Lower Inman Valley
Parks & reserves 9 1
Waterways 0 1

Mobility

Back Valley sits further from the CBD (93.8 km vs 91.2 km).

Back Valley Lower Inman Valley
Walkability score 0/100 10/100
Distance to Adelaide 93.8 km
+3% vs other
 91.2 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 92 min 81 min
Electric vehicle share 0.7%
postcode 5211
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 70
postcode 5211
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.

Back Valley Lower Inman Valley
Car (driver) 68.3% / 76.8%
Back Valley — Car (driver): 68.3% Lower Inman Valley — Car (driver): 76.8%
Worked from Home 22.2% / 16.1%
Back Valley — Worked from Home: 22.2% Lower Inman Valley — Worked from Home: 16.1%
Car (passenger) 4.8% / 7.1%
Back Valley — Car (passenger): 4.8% Lower Inman Valley — Car (passenger): 7.1%
Walked Only 4.8% / —
Back Valley — Walked Only: 4.8% Lower Inman Valley — Walked Only: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (76.8%).

Setting

Back Valley Lower Inman Valley
Elevation 97 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 101 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 9.3 km 6.5 km

NBN connectivity

Back Valley Lower Inman Valley
Connectivity score 37/100 30/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 10%
91 premises
 0%
207 premises

Climate

Back Valley Lower Inman Valley
Annual rainfall 786 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Back Valley Lower Inman Valley
Average residential rate $2,533/yr
same for both
Council Victor Harbor
same for both

Federal electorate

Back Valley Lower Inman Valley
Division Mayo
same for both
Member Rebekha Sharkie
same for both
Party Centre Alliance
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Back Valley Lower Inman Valley
Grant amount $15,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Back Valley

Family Retirees Rural Young Families

Lower Inman Valley

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Back Valley

Back Valley vs Encounter Bay Back Valley vs Victor Harbor Back Valley vs Waitpinga Back Valley vs Inman Valley Back Valley vs Torrens Vale

Other comparisons with Lower Inman Valley

Lower Inman Valley vs Victor Harbor Lower Inman Valley vs Hindmarsh Valley Lower Inman Valley vs Inman Valley
Full data on Back Valley Full data on Lower Inman Valley
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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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