Chaffey vs Cooltong

Cooltong is the younger of the two, with a median age of 40 against 48 in Chaffey. In both, the large majority of households own their home and most homes are detached houses. In Chaffey, about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Chaffey tends to suit share households, while Cooltong 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

Chaffey

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more separate houses rather than flats (100% vs 55%)
  • carries lower crime risk (43/100 vs 72/100)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

Chaffey

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (15% vs 22%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Cooltong

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (19% vs 9%)
  • has cheaper rent ($200/wk vs $225/wk)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Chaffey

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (43/100 vs 72/100)

Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Chaffey and Cooltong drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Chaffey Cooltong
Hides rows where both suburbs match

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.

Chaffey Cooltong
Walkability 0 / 0
Chaffey — Walkability: 0/100 Cooltong — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 57 / 28
Chaffey — Safety: 57/100 Cooltong — Safety: 28/100
Low fire risk 100 / 28
Chaffey — Low fire risk: 100/100 Cooltong — Low fire risk: 28/100

Demographics

Cooltong has more residents (322 vs 189); Chaffey has higher household incomes ($88,816 vs $72,384).

Chaffey Cooltong
Population 189 322
+70% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -4.1% -3.3%
Median age 48 40
Median household income $88,816/yr
+19% vs other
 $72,384/yr
Median weekly rent $225/wk
+11% vs other
 $200/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Chaffey Cooltong
0-4 3.2% / 4.0%
Chaffey — 0-4: 3.2% Cooltong — 0-4: 4.0%
5-14 9.5% / 14.9%
Chaffey — 5-14: 9.5% Cooltong — 5-14: 14.9%
15-19 6.3% / 6.8%
Chaffey — 15-19: 6.3% Cooltong — 15-19: 6.8%
20-24 5.8% / 6.5%
Chaffey — 20-24: 5.8% Cooltong — 20-24: 6.5%
25-34 9.5% / 9.9%
Chaffey — 25-34: 9.5% Cooltong — 25-34: 9.9%
35-44 12.2% / 14.6%
Chaffey — 35-44: 12.2% Cooltong — 35-44: 14.6%
45-54 15.9% / 14.0%
Chaffey — 45-54: 15.9% Cooltong — 45-54: 14.0%
55-64 20.1% / 15.5%
Chaffey — 55-64: 20.1% Cooltong — 55-64: 15.5%
65-74 14.8% / 12.4%
Chaffey — 65-74: 14.8% Cooltong — 65-74: 12.4%
75-84 3.7% / 3.7%
Chaffey — 75-84: 3.7% Cooltong — 75-84: 3.7%
85+ 1.6% / 1.2%
Chaffey — 85+: 1.6% Cooltong — 85+: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Chaffey 46.2% couple families
Chaffey — Couple Families: 46.2% Chaffey — Lone Person: 30.8% Chaffey — One Parent Families: 10.3% Chaffey — Group Household: 12.8%
Cooltong 38.3% couple families
Cooltong — Couple Families: 38.3% Cooltong — Lone Person: 38.3% Cooltong — One Parent Families: 19.8% Cooltong — Group Household: 3.7%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Chaffey 8.8% renting
Chaffey — Owned Outright: 60.3% Chaffey — Mortgage: 30.9% Chaffey — Renting: 8.8%
Cooltong 19.4% renting
Cooltong — Owned Outright: 40.7% Cooltong — Mortgage: 39.8% Cooltong — Renting: 19.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Chaffey Cooltong
Certificate III & IV 20.1% / 13.0%
Chaffey — Certificate III & IV: 20.1% Cooltong — Certificate III & IV: 13.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 3.2% / 5.3%
Chaffey — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 3.2% Cooltong — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.3%
Bachelor Degree 2.1% / 3.7%
Chaffey — Bachelor Degree: 2.1% Cooltong — Bachelor Degree: 3.7%
Postgraduate Degree — / 2.2%
Chaffey — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Cooltong — Postgraduate Degree: 2.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.1%).

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.

Chaffey Cooltong
Greece 4.2% / 3.4%
Chaffey — Greece: 4.2% Cooltong — Greece: 3.4%
India — / 5.3%
Chaffey — India: not among its largest Cooltong — India: 5.3%
Malaysia — / 4.0%
Chaffey — Malaysia: not among its largest Cooltong — Malaysia: 4.0%
England — / 1.9%
Chaffey — England: not among its largest Cooltong — England: 1.9%
Philippines — / 0.9%
Chaffey — Philippines: not among its largest Cooltong — Philippines: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.3%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Chaffey 100.0% houses
Chaffey — Houses: 100.0% Chaffey — Townhouses: 0.0%
Cooltong 55.1% houses
Cooltong — Houses: 55.1% Cooltong — Townhouses: 48.3%
Houses Townhouses

Zoning mix

Chaffey has more land zoned for conservation (28% vs 0%); Cooltong has more rural and farming land (100% vs 72%).

Chaffey Cooltong
Rural and farming 72% 100%
Environmental 28% 0%
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

Chaffey Cooltong
New dwellings approved 61
across Renmark Paringa
same for both
Approvals change year on year +0%
same for both

Ranking within SA

Chaffey Cooltong
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 68% of SA Higher than 46% of SA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 55% of SA Higher than 10% of SA
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 14% of SA
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 69% of SA Higher than 53% of SA

Liveability

Chaffey Cooltong
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
same for both

Risk profile

Cooltong carries more bushfire risk (72 vs 0); Cooltong carries more crime risk (72 vs 43).

Chaffey Cooltong
Bushfire None
0/100
 High
72/100
Crime Moderate
43/100
 High
72/100
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

Chaffey Cooltong
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

Mobility

Chaffey Cooltong
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Adelaide 268 km 269 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 185 min 186 min
Electric vehicle share 0.1%
postcode 5341
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 67
postcode 5341
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.

Chaffey Cooltong
Car (driver) 84.9% / 67.1%
Chaffey — Car (driver): 84.9% Cooltong — Car (driver): 67.1%
Worked from Home 15.1% / 19.4%
Chaffey — Worked from Home: 15.1% Cooltong — Worked from Home: 19.4%
Car (passenger) — / 10.3%
Chaffey — Car (passenger): not among its largest Cooltong — Car (passenger): 10.3%
Walked Only — / 3.2%
Chaffey — Walked Only: not among its largest Cooltong — Walked Only: 3.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (84.9%).

Setting

Chaffey Cooltong
Elevation 24 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 50 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Chaffey Cooltong
Connectivity score 30/100
same for both
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
94 premises
 0%
125 premises

Climate

Chaffey Cooltong
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

Chaffey Cooltong
Average residential rate $1,591/yr
same for both
Council Renmark Paringa
same for both

Federal electorate

Chaffey Cooltong
Division Barker
same for both
Member Tony Pasin
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Chaffey Cooltong
Grant amount $15,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Chaffey

Rural

Cooltong

Rural Townhouses

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Chaffey

Chaffey vs Renmark North

Other comparisons with Cooltong

Cooltong vs Renmark West Cooltong vs Monash Cooltong vs Renmark North
Full data on Chaffey Full data on Cooltong
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

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.

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