Bowhill vs Purnong
Bowhill is the younger of the two, with a median age of 54 against 58 in Purnong. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Bowhill, about half of households are people living alone. In Purnong, most households are couple families. On these figures, Bowhill tends to suit people living alone, while Purnong suits 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
Purnong
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- is already more of a family suburb (62% vs 40%)
- has more separate houses rather than flats (100% vs 86%)
- But Bowhill carries lower crime risk (26/100 vs 55/100)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Bowhill
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (13% vs 21%)
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Bowhill
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- leaves renters under less rental stress (14% vs 23%)
- has cheaper rent ($160/wk vs $200/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Purnong
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- is more walkable (16/100 vs 0/100)
- has a shorter drive in (97 min vs 104 min)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Purnong
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- is more walkable (16/100 vs 0/100)
- has more residents already 65 and over (27% vs 21%)
- But Bowhill carries lower crime risk (26/100 vs 55/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Purnong
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (37.5% vs -8.0%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Bowhill and Purnong 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
Bowhill has more residents (127 vs 55); Bowhill has higher household incomes ($60,112 vs $44,720).
| Bowhill | Purnong | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 127 +57% vs other | 55 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -8.0% | +37.5% |
| Median age | 54 | 58 |
| Median household income | $60,112/yr +26% vs other | $44,720/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $160/wk | $200/wk +25% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (30.9%).
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (8.7%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 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 (25.2%).
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Bowhill | Purnong | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $511,932 | — |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | $587,500 | — |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | 45 days from 5 sales | — |
Zoning mix
| Bowhill | Purnong | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 96% | 92% |
| Environmental | 4% | 7% |
| Commercial | 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
| Bowhill | Purnong | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 1 across Karoonda East Murray | 131 across Mid Murray |
| Approvals change year on year | — | -42% |
Ranking within SA
| Bowhill | Purnong | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 27% of SA | Higher than 10% of SA |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 16% of SA | Higher than 69% of SA |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 36% of SA | Higher than 37% of SA |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 45% of SA | Higher than 65% of SA |
Liveability
Purnong is more walkable (16 vs 0).
| Bowhill | Purnong | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | below-average income decile 3/10 | below-average income decile 2/10 |
Risk profile
Purnong carries more bushfire risk (15 vs 0); Purnong carries more crime risk (55 vs 26).
| Bowhill | Purnong | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | None 0/100 | Low 15/100 |
| Crime | Low 26/100 | Moderate 55/100 |
| 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
| Bowhill | Purnong | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Bowhill | Purnong | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 2 | 0 |
| Waterways | 0 | 2 |
Mobility
| Bowhill | Purnong | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 | 16/100 |
| Distance to Adelaide | 136.6 km same for both | |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 104 min | 97 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.3% postcode 5238 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 66 postcode 5238 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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (100.0%).
Setting
| Bowhill | Purnong | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 115 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 12 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Bowhill | Purnong | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 29/100 | 30/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 98 premises | 0% 31 premises |
Climate
| Bowhill | Purnong | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 345 mm | 337 mm |
| Summer max (Jan) | — | 30.0°C |
| Winter min (Jul) | — | 5.7°C |
Council rates
| Bowhill | Purnong | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,044/yr | $2,037/yr |
| Council | Karoonda East Murray | Mid Murray |
Federal electorate
| Bowhill | Purnong | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Barker same for both | |
| Member | Tony Pasin same for both | |
| Party | Liberal same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Bowhill | Purnong | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $15,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | — same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Bowhill
Other comparisons with Purnong
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.