Birdwood vs Mount Torrens

In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Mount Torrens: a median of $922,000, against $747,000 in Birdwood. On these figures, Birdwood tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget.

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

Mount Torrens

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (14/100 vs 33/100)

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

First-home buyers

Birdwood

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($747,000 vs $922,500)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Commuting to the city

Mount Torrens

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (49.3 km vs 54.5 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (52 min vs 57 min)
  • But Birdwood is more walkable (46/100 vs 14/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here

  • Birdwood is more walkable (46/100 vs 14/100)
  • Mount Torrens carries lower crime risk (14/100 vs 33/100)

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

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

Birdwood Mount Torrens
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.

Birdwood Mount Torrens
Walkability 46 / 14
Birdwood — Walkability: 46/100 Mount Torrens — Walkability: 14/100
Safety 67 / 86
Birdwood — Safety: 67/100 Mount Torrens — Safety: 86/100
Low fire risk 24 / 23
Birdwood — Low fire risk: 24/100 Mount Torrens — Low fire risk: 23/100

Demographics

Birdwood has more residents (1,376 vs 768); Mount Torrens skews older (45 vs 43).

Birdwood Mount Torrens
Population 1,376
+44% vs other
 768
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +6.0% +8.0%
Median age 43 45
Median household income $91,208/yr $98,592/yr
+8% vs other
Median weekly rent $320/wk $325/wk
+2% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Birdwood Mount Torrens
0-4 5.0% / 4.7%
Birdwood — 0-4: 5.0% Mount Torrens — 0-4: 4.7%
5-14 14.5% / 12.0%
Birdwood — 5-14: 14.5% Mount Torrens — 5-14: 12.0%
15-19 5.0% / 7.0%
Birdwood — 15-19: 5.0% Mount Torrens — 15-19: 7.0%
20-24 6.9% / 6.2%
Birdwood — 20-24: 6.9% Mount Torrens — 20-24: 6.2%
25-34 9.7% / 7.2%
Birdwood — 25-34: 9.7% Mount Torrens — 25-34: 7.2%
35-44 10.5% / 12.4%
Birdwood — 35-44: 10.5% Mount Torrens — 35-44: 12.4%
45-54 14.9% / 16.5%
Birdwood — 45-54: 14.9% Mount Torrens — 45-54: 16.5%
55-64 16.4% / 19.9%
Birdwood — 55-64: 16.4% Mount Torrens — 55-64: 19.9%
65-74 10.7% / 10.5%
Birdwood — 65-74: 10.7% Mount Torrens — 65-74: 10.5%
75-84 5.0% / 4.2%
Birdwood — 75-84: 5.0% Mount Torrens — 75-84: 4.2%
85+ 1.0% / 1.4%
Birdwood — 85+: 1.0% Mount Torrens — 85+: 1.4%

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

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Birdwood 55.1% couple families
Birdwood — Couple Families: 55.1% Birdwood — Lone Person: 28.7% Birdwood — One Parent Families: 12.8% Birdwood — Group Household: 2.2% Birdwood — Other Families: 1.2%
Mount Torrens 60.8% couple families
Mount Torrens — Couple Families: 60.8% Mount Torrens — Lone Person: 30.1% Mount Torrens — One Parent Families: 9.1% Mount Torrens — Group Household: 0.0% Mount Torrens — Other Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Birdwood 11.2% renting
Birdwood — Owned Outright: 40.9% Birdwood — Mortgage: 47.9% Birdwood — Renting: 11.2%
Mount Torrens 8.8% renting
Mount Torrens — Owned Outright: 43.8% Mount Torrens — Mortgage: 47.3% Mount Torrens — Renting: 8.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Birdwood Mount Torrens
Certificate III & IV 18.8% / 20.1%
Birdwood — Certificate III & IV: 18.8% Mount Torrens — Certificate III & IV: 20.1%
Bachelor Degree 10.5% / 11.7%
Birdwood — Bachelor Degree: 10.5% Mount Torrens — Bachelor Degree: 11.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 10.6% / 8.3%
Birdwood — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.6% Mount Torrens — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.3%
Postgraduate Degree 1.7% / 2.9%
Birdwood — Postgraduate Degree: 1.7% Mount Torrens — Postgraduate Degree: 2.9%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.8% / 2.0%
Birdwood — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.8% Mount Torrens — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.1%).

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.

Birdwood Mount Torrens
England 8.8% / 4.6%
Birdwood — England: 8.8% Mount Torrens — England: 4.6%
New Zealand 0.9% / 1.2%
Birdwood — New Zealand: 0.9% Mount Torrens — New Zealand: 1.2%
Germany 0.4% / 1.0%
Birdwood — Germany: 0.4% Mount Torrens — Germany: 1.0%
Ireland 0.7% / —
Birdwood — Ireland: 0.7% Mount Torrens — Ireland: not among its largest
Canada — / 0.7%
Birdwood — Canada: not among its largest Mount Torrens — Canada: 0.7%
Netherlands — / 0.7%
Birdwood — Netherlands: not among its largest Mount Torrens — Netherlands: 0.7%
South Africa 0.5% / —
Birdwood — South Africa: 0.5% Mount Torrens — South Africa: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (8.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Birdwood 97.9% houses
Birdwood — Houses: 97.9% Birdwood — Townhouses: 2.5%
Mount Torrens 100.0% houses
Mount Torrens — Houses: 100.0% Mount Torrens — Townhouses: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses

Property market

Birdwood Mount Torrens
Median house price $747,000 $922,500
Median unit price $760,000 —
Median land price $1,005,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 23 days
from 16 sales
 27 days
from 3 sales

Zoning mix

Birdwood Mount Torrens
Rural and farming 97% 100%
Residential 2% 0%
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

Birdwood Mount Torrens
New dwellings approved 95
across Adelaide Hills
same for both
Approvals change year on year +53%
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.

Birdwood Mount Torrens
Houses 6.1%
$800/wk on $682K
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within SA

Birdwood Mount Torrens
House price Higher than 13% of SA Higher than 1% of SA
Income Higher than 70% of SA Higher than 78% of SA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 79% of SA Higher than 67% of SA
Affordability Higher than 93% of SA Higher than 100% of SA
EV adoption Higher than 75% of SA Higher than 80% of SA
NBN connectivity Higher than 75% of SA Higher than 50% of SA
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 99% of SA —

Liveability

Birdwood is more walkable (46 vs 14).

Birdwood Mount Torrens
Grade C
same for both
Score 45/100 44/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
same for both

Risk profile

Birdwood carries more crime risk (33 vs 14).

Birdwood Mount Torrens
Bushfire High
76/100
 High
77/100
Crime Low
33/100
 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
same for both

Schools

Birdwood Mount Torrens
Inside the suburb 2
same for both
Rated above peers 1
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 1
same for both

Schools in Birdwood

  • Birdwood High School Government · Secondary above peers
  • Birdwood Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Mount Torrens

  • St Benedict School Independent · Primary above peers
  • Mount Torrens Christian School Independent · Combined below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Birdwood Mount Torrens
Supermarkets 1 0
Parks & reserves 3 1
Childcare 1 0
GPs 1 0
Pharmacies 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1
same for both
Fuel stations 1 0
Waterways 10 2

Mobility

Birdwood sits further from the CBD (54.5 km vs 49.3 km).

Birdwood Mount Torrens
Walkability score 46/100 14/100
Distance to Adelaide 54.5 km
+10% vs other
 49.3 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 57 min 52 min
Electric vehicle share 0.9%
postcode 5234
 1.1%
postcode 5244
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 86
postcode 5234
 82
postcode 5244

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.

Birdwood Mount Torrens
Car (driver) 76.2% / 76.1%
Birdwood — Car (driver): 76.2% Mount Torrens — Car (driver): 76.1%
Worked from Home 15.3% / 15.3%
Birdwood — Worked from Home: 15.3% Mount Torrens — Worked from Home: 15.3%
Walked Only 4.8% / 2.5%
Birdwood — Walked Only: 4.8% Mount Torrens — Walked Only: 2.5%
Car (passenger) 1.8% / 4.4%
Birdwood — Car (passenger): 1.8% Mount Torrens — Car (passenger): 4.4%
Bus 1.8% / 1.7%
Birdwood — Bus: 1.8% Mount Torrens — Bus: 1.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (76.2%).

Setting

Birdwood Mount Torrens
Elevation 391 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 510 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 37.2 km 38.6 km

NBN connectivity

Birdwood Mount Torrens
Connectivity score 54/100 30/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 24%
588 premises
 0%
318 premises

Climate

Birdwood Mount Torrens
Annual rainfall 921 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Birdwood Mount Torrens
Average residential rate $2,727/yr
same for both
Council Adelaide Hills
same for both

Federal electorate

Birdwood Mount Torrens
Division Mayo
same for both
Member Rebekha Sharkie
same for both
Party Centre Alliance
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Birdwood Mount Torrens
Grant amount $15,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Birdwood

Acreage Outer Quiet

Mount Torrens

Outer

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Birdwood

Birdwood vs Mount Pleasant Birdwood vs Gumeracha Birdwood vs Forreston Birdwood vs Tungkillo Birdwood vs Cromer

Other comparisons with Mount Torrens

Mount Torrens vs Woodside Mount Torrens vs Lobethal Mount Torrens vs Gumeracha Mount Torrens vs Charleston Mount Torrens vs Harrogate Mount Torrens vs Tungkillo
Full data on Birdwood Full data on Mount Torrens
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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