Brinkworth vs Koolunga
Koolunga is the younger of the two, with a median age of 46 against 50 in Brinkworth. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Brinkworth, most households are people living alone. In Koolunga, about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Koolunga: a median of $580,000, against $262,000 in Brinkworth. On these figures, Brinkworth tends to suit people living alone and buyers on a tighter budget, while Koolunga suits families with children.
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
Koolunga
ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here
- has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
- is already more of a family suburb (53% vs 44%)
- has more separate houses rather than flats (100% vs 83%)
- But Brinkworth has more parks and reserves (5 vs 2)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Brinkworth
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper houses ($262,500 vs $580,000)
Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
Koolunga
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has a bigger rental market to choose from (22% vs 11%)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Brinkworth
ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here
- is more walkable (37/100 vs 13/100)
- sits closer to the CBD (154.4 km vs 190 km)
- has a shorter drive in (120 min vs 133 min)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Brinkworth
ahead on 4 of the 5 things we measure here
- has more units and townhouses to downsize into (17% vs 5%)
- is more walkable (37/100 vs 13/100)
- has more residents already 65 and over (22% vs 17%)
Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Koolunga
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (-6.2% vs -14.7%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Brinkworth and Koolunga 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
Brinkworth has more residents (243 vs 183); Koolunga has higher household incomes ($66,300 vs $60,112).
| Brinkworth | Koolunga | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 243 +25% vs other | 183 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -14.7% | -6.2% |
| Median age | 50 | 46 |
| Median household income | $60,112/yr | $66,300/yr +10% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $178/wk +2% vs other | $175/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.8%).
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 (5.5%).
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 (21.8%).
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Brinkworth | Koolunga | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $262,500 | $580,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
Zoning mix
| Brinkworth | Koolunga | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 100% same for both | |
| 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
| Brinkworth | Koolunga | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 15 across Wakefield | 53 across Port Pirie |
| Approvals change year on year | +0% | +75% |
Ranking within SA
| Brinkworth | Koolunga | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 27% of SA | Higher than 34% of SA |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 77% of SA | Higher than 66% of SA |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | — same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 46% of SA | Higher than 53% of SA |
Liveability
Brinkworth is more walkable (37 vs 13).
| Brinkworth | Koolunga | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | below-average income decile 2/10 | mid-range socio-economic decile 4/10 |
Risk profile
Koolunga carries more bushfire risk (35 vs 11); Koolunga carries more crime risk (56 vs 43).
| Brinkworth | Koolunga | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 11/100 | Low 35/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 43/100 | Moderate 56/100 |
| 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
| Brinkworth | Koolunga | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 1 same for both | |
| Rated above peers | 0 | 1 |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Schools in Brinkworth
- Brinkworth Primary and Early Childhood Centre Government · Primary
Schools in Koolunga
- Koolunga Primary School Government · Primary above peers
Amenities in the suburb
| Brinkworth | Koolunga | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 5 | 2 |
| Childcare | 1 | 0 |
| Police stations | 1 | 0 |
| Banks & Bank@Post | 1 | 0 |
| Waterways | 0 | 2 |
Mobility
Koolunga sits further from the CBD (190 km vs 154.4 km).
| Brinkworth | Koolunga | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 37/100 | 13/100 |
| Distance to Adelaide | 154.4 km | 190 km +23% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 120 min | 133 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.0% postcode 5464 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 55 postcode 5464 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 (71.4%).
Setting
| Brinkworth | Koolunga | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 183 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 126 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 42.6 km | 33.5 km |
NBN connectivity
| Brinkworth | Koolunga | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 29/100 | 30/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 129 premises | 0% 113 premises |
Climate
| Brinkworth | Koolunga | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 472 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | — same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Brinkworth | Koolunga | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,640/yr | $1,855/yr |
| Council | Wakefield | Port Pirie |
Federal electorate
| Brinkworth | Koolunga | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Grey same for both | |
| Member | Tom Venning same for both | |
| Party | Liberal same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Brinkworth | Koolunga | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $15,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | — same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Brinkworth
Other comparisons with Koolunga
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.