Back Valley vs Waitpinga

Back Valley is the younger of the two, with a median age of 47 against 51 in Waitpinga. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Back Valley, most households are couple families. In Waitpinga, about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Back Valley tends to suit families with children and 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

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Back Valley carries lower crime risk (37/100 vs 62/100)
  • Waitpinga has more parks and reserves (15 vs 9)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, 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

Waitpinga

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (16% vs 26%)
  • has cheaper rent ($250/wk vs $310/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Back Valley

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (93.8 km vs 96 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Back Valley

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (37/100 vs 62/100)

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

Investors

Waitpinga

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (19.5% vs 9.3%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Back Valley and Waitpinga 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 Waitpinga
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 Waitpinga
Walkability 0 / 0
Back Valley — Walkability: 0/100 Waitpinga — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 63 / 38
Back Valley — Safety: 63/100 Waitpinga — Safety: 38/100
Low fire risk 100 / 73
Back Valley — Low fire risk: 100/100 Waitpinga — Low fire risk: 73/100

Demographics

Waitpinga has more residents (374 vs 176); Waitpinga has higher household incomes ($78,780 vs $62,504).

Back Valley Waitpinga
Population 176 374
+112% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +9.3% +19.5%
Median age 47 51
Median household income $62,504/yr $78,780/yr
+26% vs other
Median weekly rent $310/wk
+19% vs other
 $250/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Back Valley Waitpinga
0-4 9.7% / 1.6%
Back Valley — 0-4: 9.7% Waitpinga — 0-4: 1.6%
5-14 15.3% / 15.2%
Back Valley — 5-14: 15.3% Waitpinga — 5-14: 15.2%
15-19 3.4% / 7.0%
Back Valley — 15-19: 3.4% Waitpinga — 15-19: 7.0%
20-24 — / 1.9%
Back Valley — 20-24: not among its largest Waitpinga — 20-24: 1.9%
25-34 13.1% / 5.9%
Back Valley — 25-34: 13.1% Waitpinga — 25-34: 5.9%
35-44 7.4% / 10.2%
Back Valley — 35-44: 7.4% Waitpinga — 35-44: 10.2%
45-54 9.7% / 15.5%
Back Valley — 45-54: 9.7% Waitpinga — 45-54: 15.5%
55-64 13.6% / 19.0%
Back Valley — 55-64: 13.6% Waitpinga — 55-64: 19.0%
65-74 19.9% / 16.3%
Back Valley — 65-74: 19.9% Waitpinga — 65-74: 16.3%
75-84 8.0% / 8.8%
Back Valley — 75-84: 8.0% Waitpinga — 75-84: 8.8%
85+ — / 1.1%
Back Valley — 85+: not among its largest Waitpinga — 85+: 1.1%

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 — Other Families: 0.0%
Waitpinga 50.0% couple families
Waitpinga — Couple Families: 50.0% Waitpinga — Lone Person: 30.8% Waitpinga — One Parent Families: 14.1% Waitpinga — Other Families: 5.1%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Other Families

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%
Waitpinga 15.6% renting
Waitpinga — Owned Outright: 57.4% Waitpinga — Mortgage: 27.0% Waitpinga — Renting: 15.6%
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 Waitpinga
England 6.8% / 4.5%
Back Valley — England: 6.8% Waitpinga — England: 4.5%
Netherlands — / 1.9%
Back Valley — Netherlands: not among its largest Waitpinga — Netherlands: 1.9%
Scotland — / 1.3%
Back Valley — Scotland: not among its largest Waitpinga — Scotland: 1.3%
Germany — / 0.8%
Back Valley — Germany: not among its largest Waitpinga — Germany: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.8%).

Qualifications

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

Back Valley Waitpinga
Certificate III & IV 18.8% / 14.7%
Back Valley — Certificate III & IV: 18.8% Waitpinga — Certificate III & IV: 14.7%
Bachelor Degree 8.5% / 15.2%
Back Valley — Bachelor Degree: 8.5% Waitpinga — Bachelor Degree: 15.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.2% / 6.4%
Back Valley — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.2% Waitpinga — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.4%
Postgraduate Degree 1.7% / 2.7%
Back Valley — Postgraduate Degree: 1.7% Waitpinga — Postgraduate Degree: 2.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.7% / 2.1%
Back Valley — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.7% Waitpinga — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.1%

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%
Waitpinga 101.5% houses
Waitpinga — Houses: 101.5% Waitpinga — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Back Valley Waitpinga
Median house price — $1,242,500
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $350,000
Typical days to sell (houses) — 101 days
from 3 sales

Zoning mix

Back Valley has more rural and farming land (100% vs 89%); Waitpinga has more land zoned for conservation (10% vs 0%).

Back Valley Waitpinga
Rural and farming 100% 89%
Environmental 0% 10%
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 Waitpinga
New dwellings approved 347
across Victor Harbor
same for both
Approvals change year on year -26%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Back Valley Waitpinga
Houses — 3.8%
$590/wk on $812K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within SA

Back Valley Waitpinga
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 30% of SA Higher than 54% of SA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 40% of SA Higher than 20% 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 75% of SA
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 41% of SA

Liveability

Back Valley Waitpinga
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
same for both

Risk profile

Waitpinga carries more bushfire risk (27 vs 0); Waitpinga carries more crime risk (62 vs 37).

Back Valley Waitpinga
Bushfire None
0/100
 Low
27/100
Crime Low
37/100
 Moderate
62/100
Flood — Low
13/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
 Low
28/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Back Valley Waitpinga
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 Waitpinga
Parks & reserves 9 15
Beaches 0 3
Waterways 0 5

Mobility

Waitpinga sits further from the CBD (96 km vs 93.8 km).

Back Valley Waitpinga
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Adelaide 93.8 km 96 km
+2% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 92 min 88 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 Waitpinga
Car (driver) 68.3% / 65.5%
Back Valley — Car (driver): 68.3% Waitpinga — Car (driver): 65.5%
Worked from Home 22.2% / 27.7%
Back Valley — Worked from Home: 22.2% Waitpinga — Worked from Home: 27.7%
Car (passenger) 4.8% / 4.2%
Back Valley — Car (passenger): 4.8% Waitpinga — Car (passenger): 4.2%
Walked Only 4.8% / 2.5%
Back Valley — Walked Only: 4.8% Waitpinga — Walked Only: 2.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (68.3%).

Setting

Back Valley Waitpinga
Elevation 97 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 100 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 9.3 km 3.7 km
3.9 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Back Valley Waitpinga
Connectivity score 37/100 55/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 10%
91 premises
 37%
198 premises

Climate

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

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

Back Valley Waitpinga
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

Waitpinga

Retirees Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Back Valley

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

Other comparisons with Waitpinga

Waitpinga vs Encounter Bay Waitpinga vs Parawa
Full data on Back Valley Full data on Waitpinga
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

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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