Bookpurnong vs Pike River
Bookpurnong is the younger of the two, with a median age of 37 against 49 in Pike River. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Bookpurnong, the large majority of households are couple families. In Pike River, most households are people living alone. On these figures, Bookpurnong tends to suit couples, while Pike River suits people living alone.
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
Bookpurnong
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (21/100 vs 84/100)
- is already more of a family suburb (92% vs 43%)
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
Pike River
ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here
- leaves renters under less rental stress (4% vs 15%)
- has cheaper rent ($70/wk vs $243/wk)
Weighs rent and rental stress.
Commuting to the city
Bookpurnong
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (169 min vs 179 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (250.7 km vs 263.8 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Bookpurnong
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (21/100 vs 84/100)
- has more residents already 65 and over (19% vs 12%)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Bookpurnong
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (27.6% vs -7.1%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Bookpurnong and Pike River drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.
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.
Demographics
Bookpurnong rents higher ($243/wk vs $70/wk); Bookpurnong has more residents (157 vs 52).
| Bookpurnong | Pike River | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 157 +67% vs other | 52 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +27.6% | -7.1% |
| Median age | 37 | 49 |
| Median household income | $82,836/yr | $97,500/yr +18% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $243/wk +71% vs other | $70/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.2%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.2%).
Zoning mix
Bookpurnong has more rural and farming land (89% vs 62%); Pike River has more land zoned for conservation (38% vs 11%).
| Bookpurnong | Pike River | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 89% | 62% |
| Environmental | 11% | 38% |
| 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
| Bookpurnong | Pike River | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 46 across Loxton Waikerie | 61 across Renmark Paringa |
| Approvals change year on year | -30% | +0% |
Ranking within SA
| Bookpurnong | Pike River | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 58% of SA | Higher than 76% of SA |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 7% of SA | Higher than 42% of SA |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 20% of SA | Higher than 34% of SA |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 52% of SA | Higher than 64% of SA |
Liveability
| Bookpurnong | Pike River | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | very advantaged area decile 9/10 | below-average income decile 3/10 |
Risk profile
Bookpurnong carries more bushfire risk (41 vs 0); Pike River carries more crime risk (84 vs 21).
| Bookpurnong | Pike River | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Moderate 41/100 | None 0/100 |
| Crime | Low 21/100 | High 84/100 |
| Flood | — same for both | |
| 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
| Bookpurnong | Pike River | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Bookpurnong | Pike River | |
|---|---|---|
| Waterways | 0 | 1 |
Mobility
Pike River sits further from the CBD (263.8 km vs 250.7 km).
| Bookpurnong | Pike River | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Adelaide | 250.7 km | 263.8 km +5% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 169 min | 179 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.2% postcode 5333 | 0.3% postcode 5340 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 71 postcode 5333 | 76 postcode 5340 |
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (80.0%).
Setting
| Bookpurnong | Pike River | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 52 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 49 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Bookpurnong | Pike River | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 70 premises | 0% 23 premises |
Climate
| Bookpurnong | Pike River | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 256 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 32.1°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 4.5°C same for both | |
Council rates
| Bookpurnong | Pike River | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,871/yr | $1,591/yr |
| Council | Loxton Waikerie | Renmark Paringa |
Federal electorate
| Bookpurnong | Pike River | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Barker same for both | |
| Member | Tony Pasin same for both | |
| Party | Liberal same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Bookpurnong | Pike River | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $15,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | — same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Bookpurnong
Other comparisons with Pike River
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.