Charleston vs Woodside

Charleston is the younger of the two, with a median age of 42 against 45 in Woodside. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Charleston, most households are couple families. In Woodside, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Charleston: a median of $979,000, against $865,000 in Woodside, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Charleston tends to suit families with children and couples, while Woodside suits people living alone 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

Charleston

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • is already more of a family suburb (76% vs 60%)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (101% vs 90%)

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

First-home buyers

Woodside

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($865,000 vs $979,250)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Charleston leaves renters under less rental stress (16% vs 22%)
  • Woodside has cheaper rent ($320/wk vs $350/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Woodside

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (43 min vs 49 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (38.8 km vs 43.1 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Woodside

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more GPs (2 vs 0)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (24% vs 16%)

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

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

Charleston Woodside
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.

Charleston Woodside
Walkability 0 / 10
Charleston — Walkability: 0/100 Woodside — Walkability: 10/100
Safety 90 / 84
Charleston — Safety: 90/100 Woodside — Safety: 84/100
Low fire risk 20 / 27
Charleston — Low fire risk: 20/100 Woodside — Low fire risk: 27/100
Low flood risk 70 / 74
Charleston — Low flood risk: 70/100 Woodside — Low flood risk: 74/100

Demographics

Woodside has more residents (2,701 vs 550); Charleston has higher household incomes ($110,032 vs $77,116).

Charleston Woodside
Population 550 2,701
+391% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +2.2% +3.6%
Median age 42 45
Median household income $110,032/yr
+30% vs other
 $77,116/yr
Median weekly rent $350/wk
+9% vs other
 $320/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Charleston Woodside
0-4 4.9% / 4.7%
Charleston — 0-4: 4.9% Woodside — 0-4: 4.7%
5-14 16.4% / 10.2%
Charleston — 5-14: 16.4% Woodside — 5-14: 10.2%
15-19 5.3% / 6.3%
Charleston — 15-19: 5.3% Woodside — 15-19: 6.3%
20-24 2.5% / 6.8%
Charleston — 20-24: 2.5% Woodside — 20-24: 6.8%
25-34 11.1% / 10.5%
Charleston — 25-34: 11.1% Woodside — 25-34: 10.5%
35-44 12.4% / 10.6%
Charleston — 35-44: 12.4% Woodside — 35-44: 10.6%
45-54 17.6% / 12.8%
Charleston — 45-54: 17.6% Woodside — 45-54: 12.8%
55-64 14.4% / 14.3%
Charleston — 55-64: 14.4% Woodside — 55-64: 14.3%
65-74 11.1% / 11.9%
Charleston — 65-74: 11.1% Woodside — 65-74: 11.9%
75-84 3.6% / 8.8%
Charleston — 75-84: 3.6% Woodside — 75-84: 8.8%
85+ 1.3% / 3.3%
Charleston — 85+: 1.3% Woodside — 85+: 3.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Charleston 65.3% couple families
Charleston — Couple Families: 65.3% Charleston — Lone Person: 21.2% Charleston — One Parent Families: 11.0% Charleston — Other Families: 2.5% Charleston — Group Household: 0.0%
Woodside 45.4% couple families
Woodside — Couple Families: 45.4% Woodside — Lone Person: 37.7% Woodside — One Parent Families: 14.4% Woodside — Other Families: 0.9% Woodside — Group Household: 1.5%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Other Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Charleston 13.8% renting
Charleston — Owned Outright: 32.4% Charleston — Mortgage: 53.7% Charleston — Renting: 13.8%
Woodside 20.3% renting
Woodside — Owned Outright: 38.4% Woodside — Mortgage: 41.2% Woodside — Renting: 20.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Charleston Woodside
England 2.7% / 5.2%
Charleston — England: 2.7% Woodside — England: 5.2%
New Zealand 0.5% / 0.9%
Charleston — New Zealand: 0.5% Woodside — New Zealand: 0.9%
Netherlands 0.7% / 0.6%
Charleston — Netherlands: 0.7% Woodside — Netherlands: 0.6%
Germany — / 0.6%
Charleston — Germany: not among its largest Woodside — Germany: 0.6%
South Africa — / 0.5%
Charleston — South Africa: not among its largest Woodside — South Africa: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.2%).

Qualifications

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

Charleston Woodside
Certificate III & IV 17.1% / 16.1%
Charleston — Certificate III & IV: 17.1% Woodside — Certificate III & IV: 16.1%
Bachelor Degree 14.0% / 11.8%
Charleston — Bachelor Degree: 14.0% Woodside — Bachelor Degree: 11.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.7% / 8.1%
Charleston — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.7% Woodside — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.1%
Postgraduate Degree 2.5% / 3.8%
Charleston — Postgraduate Degree: 2.5% Woodside — Postgraduate Degree: 3.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.0% / 2.1%
Charleston — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.0% Woodside — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.1%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Charleston 101.1% houses
Charleston — Houses: 101.1% Charleston — Townhouses: 0.0% Charleston — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Woodside 89.5% houses
Woodside — Houses: 89.5% Woodside — Townhouses: 7.0% Woodside — Flats / Apartments: 3.5%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Charleston Woodside
Median house price $979,250 $865,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $885,250
Typical days to sell (houses) — 18 days
from 22 sales

Zoning mix

Charleston Woodside
Rural and farming 96% 97%
Residential 2%
same for both
Environmental 2% 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

Charleston Woodside
New dwellings approved 95
across Adelaide Hills
same for both
Approvals change year on year +53%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Charleston Woodside
Houses — 3.2%
$620/wk on $999K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within SA

Charleston Woodside
House price Higher than 10% of SA Higher than 37% of SA
Income Higher than 86% of SA Higher than 52% of SA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 25% of SA Higher than 65% of SA
Affordability Higher than 97% of SA Higher than 61% of SA
EV adoption Higher than 80% of SA
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 72% of SA Higher than 84% of SA
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 22% of SA

Liveability

Woodside is more walkable (10 vs 0).

Charleston Woodside
Grade C
same for both
Score 49/100 48/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

Charleston Woodside
Bushfire High
80/100
 High
73/100
Crime Low
10/100
 Low
16/100
Flood Low
30/100
 Low
26/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 4
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Charleston Woodside
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Charleston

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Schools in Woodside

  • Woodside Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Charleston Woodside
Supermarkets 0 1
Cafes & restaurants 0 2
Parks & reserves 2 4
Childcare 0 2
GPs 0 2
Pharmacies 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 2
EV chargers 0 1
Waterways 0 8

Mobility

Charleston sits further from the CBD (43.1 km vs 38.8 km).

Charleston Woodside
Walkability score 0/100 10/100
Distance to Adelaide 43.1 km
+10% vs other
 38.8 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 49 min 43 min
Electric vehicle share 1.1%
postcode 5244
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 82
postcode 5244
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.

Charleston Woodside
Car (driver) 75.4% / 73.4%
Charleston — Car (driver): 75.4% Woodside — Car (driver): 73.4%
Worked from Home 14.6% / 15.6%
Charleston — Worked from Home: 14.6% Woodside — Worked from Home: 15.6%
Car (passenger) 5.3% / 3.7%
Charleston — Car (passenger): 5.3% Woodside — Car (passenger): 3.7%
Walked Only 1.1% / 5.4%
Charleston — Walked Only: 1.1% Woodside — Walked Only: 5.4%
Bus 3.6% / 1.9%
Charleston — Bus: 3.6% Woodside — Bus: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (75.4%).

Setting

Charleston Woodside
Elevation 429 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 421 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 35.9 km 36.0 km

NBN connectivity

Charleston Woodside
Connectivity score 43/100 72/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fibre to the curb
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 8%
236 premises
 29%
1,555 premises

Climate

Charleston Woodside
Annual rainfall 921 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Charleston Woodside
PM2.5 —
same for both
PM10 —
same for both
NO₂ 0.51 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Charleston Woodside
Average residential rate $2,727/yr
same for both
Council Adelaide Hills
same for both

Federal electorate

Charleston Woodside
Division Mayo
same for both
Member Rebekha Sharkie
same for both
Party Centre Alliance
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Charleston Woodside
Grant amount $15,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Charleston

Acreage Outer

Woodside

Acreage Outer

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Charleston

Charleston vs Lobethal Charleston vs Mount Torrens

Other comparisons with Woodside

Woodside vs Lobethal Woodside vs Oakbank Woodside vs Mount Torrens Woodside vs Lenswood Woodside vs Harrogate Woodside vs Brukunga
Full data on Charleston Full data on Woodside
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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.

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