Barabba vs Mallala

In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Barabba, most households are couple families. On these figures, Barabba tends to suit 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

Barabba

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • is already more of a family suburb (71% vs 54%)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (100% vs 87%)

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

Barabba

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($0/wk vs $278/wk)

Weighs rent.

Commuting to the city

Mallala

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (45/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (48 min vs 61 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (60 km vs 74.8 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Mallala

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (45/100 vs 0/100)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Barabba Mallala
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.

Barabba Mallala
Walkability 0 / 45
Barabba — Walkability: 0/100 Mallala — Walkability: 45/100
Safety 37 / 37
Barabba — Safety: 37/100 Mallala — Safety: 37/100
Low fire risk 17 / 22
Barabba — Low fire risk: 17/100 Mallala — Low fire risk: 22/100
Low flood risk 75 / 57
Barabba — Low flood risk: 75/100 Mallala — Low flood risk: 57/100

Demographics

Mallala rents higher ($278/wk vs $0/wk); Mallala has more residents (1,042 vs 135).

Barabba Mallala
Population 135 1,042
+672% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +15.4% +16.6%
Median age 36 37
Median household income $110,500/yr
+28% vs other
 $79,924/yr
Median weekly rent — $278/wk
(not reported on the other side)

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Barabba Mallala
0-4 — / 6.0%
Barabba — 0-4: not among its largest Mallala — 0-4: 6.0%
5-14 20.7% / 13.1%
Barabba — 5-14: 20.7% Mallala — 5-14: 13.1%
15-19 3.0% / 5.5%
Barabba — 15-19: 3.0% Mallala — 15-19: 5.5%
20-24 5.2% / 5.1%
Barabba — 20-24: 5.2% Mallala — 20-24: 5.1%
25-34 15.6% / 15.7%
Barabba — 25-34: 15.6% Mallala — 25-34: 15.7%
35-44 11.1% / 13.8%
Barabba — 35-44: 11.1% Mallala — 35-44: 13.8%
45-54 11.9% / 9.8%
Barabba — 45-54: 11.9% Mallala — 45-54: 9.8%
55-64 11.9% / 14.3%
Barabba — 55-64: 11.9% Mallala — 55-64: 14.3%
65-74 11.1% / 8.1%
Barabba — 65-74: 11.1% Mallala — 65-74: 8.1%
75-84 5.2% / 6.0%
Barabba — 75-84: 5.2% Mallala — 75-84: 6.0%
85+ — / 1.7%
Barabba — 85+: not among its largest Mallala — 85+: 1.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Barabba 70.6% couple families
Barabba — Couple Families: 70.6% Barabba — Lone Person: 29.4% Barabba — One Parent Families: 0.0% Barabba — Group Household: 0.0%
Mallala 36.4% couple families
Mallala — Couple Families: 36.4% Mallala — Lone Person: 34.5% Mallala — One Parent Families: 17.8% Mallala — Group Household: 11.2%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Barabba 0.0% renting
Barabba — Owned Outright: 38.6% Barabba — Mortgage: 61.4% Barabba — Renting: 0.0%
Mallala 24.2% renting
Mallala — Owned Outright: 34.6% Mallala — Mortgage: 41.3% Mallala — Renting: 24.2%
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.

Barabba Mallala
England 2.2% / 2.2%
Barabba — England: 2.2% Mallala — England: 2.2%
New Zealand — / 0.9%
Barabba — New Zealand: not among its largest Mallala — New Zealand: 0.9%
Netherlands — / 0.5%
Barabba — Netherlands: not among its largest Mallala — Netherlands: 0.5%
Germany — / 0.4%
Barabba — Germany: not among its largest Mallala — Germany: 0.4%
Iran — / 0.4%
Barabba — Iran: not among its largest Mallala — Iran: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (2.2%).

Qualifications

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

Barabba Mallala
Certificate III & IV 14.8% / 14.7%
Barabba — Certificate III & IV: 14.8% Mallala — Certificate III & IV: 14.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 5.9% / 3.7%
Barabba — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.9% Mallala — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 3.7%
Bachelor Degree 3.7% / 4.0%
Barabba — Bachelor Degree: 3.7% Mallala — Bachelor Degree: 4.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 0.9%
Barabba — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Mallala — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.9%
Postgraduate Degree — / 0.6%
Barabba — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Mallala — Postgraduate Degree: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (14.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Barabba 100.0% houses
Barabba — Houses: 100.0% Barabba — Flats / Apartments: 0.0% Barabba — Townhouses: 0.0%
Mallala 86.6% houses
Mallala — Houses: 86.6% Mallala — Flats / Apartments: 10.9% Mallala — Townhouses: 2.5%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Barabba Mallala
Median house price — $690,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) — 18 days
from 12 sales

Zoning mix

Barabba Mallala
Rural and farming 100% 97%
Residential 0% 1%
Industrial 0% 1%
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

Barabba Mallala
New dwellings approved 106
across Adelaide Plains
same for both
Approvals change year on year -21%
same for both

Ranking within SA

Barabba Mallala
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 87% of SA Higher than 54% of SA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 49% of SA Higher than 79% of SA
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 47% of SA Higher than 51% of SA
NBN connectivity Higher than 67% of SA Higher than 55% of SA

Liveability

Mallala is more walkable (45 vs 0).

Barabba Mallala
Grade — D
Score — 17/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Mallala carries more flood risk (43 vs 25).

Barabba Mallala
Bushfire High
83/100
 High
78/100
Crime Moderate
63/100
same for both
Flood Low
25/100
 Moderate
43/100
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

Barabba Mallala
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in Barabba

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

Schools in Mallala

  • Mallala Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Barabba Mallala
Supermarkets 0 1
Parks & reserves 0 1
GPs 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Waterways 2 0

Mobility

Barabba sits further from the CBD (74.8 km vs 60 km).

Barabba Mallala
Walkability score 0/100 45/100
Distance to Adelaide 74.8 km
+20% vs other
 60 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 61 min 48 min
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 5460
 0.5%
postcode 5502
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 73
postcode 5460
 78
postcode 5502

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.

Barabba Mallala
Car (driver) 71.8% / 71.5%
Barabba — Car (driver): 71.8% Mallala — Car (driver): 71.5%
Worked from Home 19.7% / 4.5%
Barabba — Worked from Home: 19.7% Mallala — Worked from Home: 4.5%
Bus — / 12.7%
Barabba — Bus: not among its largest Mallala — Bus: 12.7%
Walked Only 8.5% / 3.2%
Barabba — Walked Only: 8.5% Mallala — Walked Only: 3.2%
Car (passenger) — / 7.2%
Barabba — Car (passenger): not among its largest Mallala — Car (passenger): 7.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (71.8%).

Setting

Barabba Mallala
Elevation 95 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 46 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 28.9 km 18.8 km

NBN connectivity

Barabba Mallala
Connectivity score 30/100
same for both
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
48 premises
 0%
402 premises

Climate

Barabba Mallala
Annual rainfall 460 mm 404 mm
Summer max (Jan) — 30.0°C
Winter min (Jul) — 6.6°C

Council rates

Barabba Mallala
Average residential rate $2,698/yr
same for both
Council Adelaide Plains
same for both

Federal electorate

Barabba Mallala
Division Grey
same for both
Member Tom Venning
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Barabba Mallala
Grant amount $15,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Barabba

Rural

Mallala

Quiet Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Barabba

Barabba vs Hamley Bridge Barabba vs Owen Barabba vs Pinkerton Plains Barabba vs Grace Plains

Other comparisons with Mallala

Mallala vs Dublin Mallala vs Korunye Mallala vs Lower Light Mallala vs Redbanks Mallala vs Pinkerton Plains Mallala vs Grace Plains
Full data on Barabba Full data on Mallala
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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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