Callington vs Monarto
Callington is the younger of the two, with a median age of 42 against 45 in Monarto. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. Houses cost more in Monarto: a median of $899,000, against $600,000 in Callington, though rent is higher in Callington. On these figures, Callington 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
Too close to call
Nothing among the 6 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
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 $898,750)
Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
Monarto
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- leaves renters under less rental stress (17% vs 22%)
- has cheaper rent ($250/wk vs $295/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
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 53 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (54.3 km vs 68.4 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Callington
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- 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 -2.9%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Callington and Monarto 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 203); Callington rents higher ($295/wk vs $250/wk).
| Callington | Monarto | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 625 +68% vs other | 203 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +2.3% | -2.9% |
| Median age | 42 | 45 |
| Median household income | $68,224/yr | $76,492/yr +12% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $295/wk +15% vs other | $250/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.2%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.6%).
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 (6.4%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Callington | Monarto | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $600,000 | $898,750 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | $243,000 | — |
Zoning mix
Monarto has more commercially zoned land (16% vs 0%); Callington has more rural and farming land (99% vs 84%).
| Callington | Monarto | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 99% | 84% |
| Commercial | 0% | 16% |
| 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 | Monarto | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 274 across Murray Bridge same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +51% same for both | |
Ranking within SA
| Callington | Monarto | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 1% of SA | — |
| Income | Higher than 37% of SA | Higher than 52% of SA |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 74% of SA | Higher than 4% of SA |
| Affordability | Higher than 99% of SA | — |
| EV adoption | Higher than 15% of SA same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 61% of SA | Higher than 51% of SA |
Liveability
Callington is more walkable (26 vs 0).
| Callington | Monarto | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | D | — |
| Score | 30/100 | — |
| Socio-economic band | below-average income decile 2/10 | mid-range socio-economic decile 5/10 |
Risk profile
Monarto carries more bushfire risk (56 vs 46).
| Callington | Monarto | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Moderate 46/100 | Moderate 56/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 41/100 | Low 36/100 |
| 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 | Monarto | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Monarto
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Amenities in the suburb
| Callington | Monarto | |
|---|---|---|
| Cafes & restaurants | 2 | 1 |
| Parks & reserves | 2 | 3 |
| Childcare | 1 | 0 |
| Waterways | 1 | 4 |
Mobility
Monarto sits further from the CBD (68.4 km vs 54.3 km).
| Callington | Monarto | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 26/100 | 0/100 |
| Distance to Adelaide | 54.3 km | 68.4 km +26% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 42 min | 53 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.1% postcode 5254 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 89 postcode 5254 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 (81.0%).
Setting
| Callington | Monarto | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 92 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 129 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Callington | Monarto | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 305 premises | 0% 87 premises |
Climate
| Callington | Monarto | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 730 mm | 337 mm |
| Summer max (Jan) | 27.8°C | 30.0°C |
| Winter min (Jul) | 5.7°C same for both | |
Council rates
| Callington | Monarto | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $2,478/yr same for both | |
| Council | Murray Bridge same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Callington | Monarto | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Barker same for both | |
| Member | Tony Pasin same for both | |
| Party | Liberal same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Callington | Monarto | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $15,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | — same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Callington
Monarto
More comparisons
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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.