Callington vs Hartley
Callington is the younger of the two, with a median age of 42 against 50 in Hartley. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Hartley, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Hartley: a median of $1.1 million, against $600,000 in Callington, though rent is higher in Callington. On these figures, Callington tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget, while Hartley suits couples and older residents.
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
Hartley
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- carries lower crime risk (22/100 vs 41/100)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Callington
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper houses ($600,000 vs $1,100,000)
Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
Hartley
ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here
- leaves renters under less rental stress (8% vs 22%)
- has cheaper rent ($150/wk vs $295/wk)
Weighs rent and rental stress.
Commuting to the city
Callington
ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here
- is more walkable (26/100 vs 0/100)
- has a shorter drive in (42 min vs 59 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (54.3 km vs 64.8 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Hartley
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (22/100 vs 41/100)
- has more residents already 65 and over (24% vs 14%)
- But Callington is more walkable (26/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Callington
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (2.3% vs -3.2%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Callington and Hartley 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
Callington has more residents (625 vs 149); Callington rents higher ($295/wk vs $150/wk).
| Callington | Hartley | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 625 +76% vs other | 149 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +2.3% | -3.2% |
| Median age | 42 | 50 |
| Median household income | $68,224/yr | $101,816/yr +49% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $295/wk +49% vs other | $150/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.5%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
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 (8.1%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.8%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Callington | Hartley | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $600,000 | $1,100,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | $243,000 | — |
Zoning mix
| Callington | Hartley | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 99% | 100% |
| 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
| Callington | Hartley | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 274 across Murray Bridge | 429 across Alexandrina |
| Approvals change year on year | +51% | +25% |
Ranking within SA
| Callington | Hartley | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 1% of SA | — |
| Income | Higher than 37% of SA | Higher than 81% of SA |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 74% of SA | Higher than 11% of SA |
| Affordability | Higher than 99% of SA | — |
| EV adoption | Higher than 15% of SA | Higher than 64% of SA |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 61% of SA | Higher than 53% of SA |
Liveability
Callington is more walkable (26 vs 0).
| Callington | Hartley | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | D | — |
| Score | 30/100 | — |
| Socio-economic band | below-average income decile 2/10 | advantaged area decile 7/10 |
Risk profile
Callington carries more bushfire risk (46 vs 0); Callington carries more crime risk (41 vs 22).
| Callington | Hartley | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Moderate 46/100 | None 0/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 41/100 | Low 22/100 |
| Flood | — same for both | |
| Coastal erosion | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 1 within 5 km | 0 within 5 km |
Schools
| Callington | Hartley | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 1 | 0 |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 1 | 0 |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Schools in Callington
- Callington Primary School Government · Primary at peers
Schools in Hartley
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Amenities in the suburb
| Callington | Hartley | |
|---|---|---|
| Cafes & restaurants | 2 | 0 |
| Parks & reserves | 2 same for both | |
| Childcare | 1 | 0 |
| Waterways | 1 | 0 |
Mobility
Hartley sits further from the CBD (64.8 km vs 54.3 km).
| Callington | Hartley | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 26/100 | 0/100 |
| Distance to Adelaide | 54.3 km | 64.8 km +19% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 42 min | 59 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.1% postcode 5254 | 0.7% postcode 5255 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 89 postcode 5254 | 85 postcode 5255 |
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 (81.0%).
Setting
| Callington | Hartley | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 92 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 66 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 49.0 km | 40.5 km |
NBN connectivity
| Callington | Hartley | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 305 premises | 0% 75 premises |
Climate
| Callington | Hartley | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 730 mm | 466 mm |
| Summer max (Jan) | 27.8°C | — |
| Winter min (Jul) | 5.7°C | — |
Council rates
| Callington | Hartley | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $2,478/yr | $2,523/yr |
| Council | Murray Bridge | Alexandrina |
Federal electorate
| Callington | Hartley | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Barker | Mayo |
| Member | Tony Pasin | Rebekha Sharkie |
| Party | Liberal | Centre Alliance |
First Home Owner Grant
| Callington | Hartley | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $15,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | — same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Callington
Hartley
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Callington
Other comparisons with Hartley
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.