Cygnet River vs Macgillivray
Macgillivray is the younger of the two, with a median age of 37 against 40 in Cygnet River. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Cygnet River, about half of households are people living alone. In Macgillivray, the large majority of households are couple families. On these figures, Cygnet River tends to suit people living alone and older residents, while Macgillivray suits couples.
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
Macgillivray
ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here
- has more parks and reserves (9 vs 1)
- carries lower crime risk (15/100 vs 44/100)
- is already more of a family suburb (88% vs 47%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Macgillivray
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (13% vs 36%)
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Macgillivray
ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here
- leaves renters under less rental stress (8% vs 24%)
- has a bigger rental market to choose from (24% vs 10%)
- has cheaper rent ($150/wk vs $230/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Cygnet River
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has a shorter drive in (197 min vs 206 min)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
They split
one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here
- Cygnet River has more residents already 65 and over (26% vs 3%)
- Macgillivray carries lower crime risk (15/100 vs 44/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Macgillivray
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (0.0% vs -5.3%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Cygnet River and Macgillivray 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
Macgillivray has higher household incomes ($100,724 vs $49,348); Macgillivray has more residents (117 vs 72).
| Cygnet River | Macgillivray | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 72 | 117 +62% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -5.3% | +0.0% |
| Median age | 40 | 37 |
| Median household income | $49,348/yr | $100,724/yr +104% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $230/wk +35% vs other | $150/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 (6.9%).
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 (13.9%).
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
Zoning mix
Macgillivray has more land zoned for conservation (45% vs 23%); Cygnet River has more rural and farming land (71% vs 55%).
| Cygnet River | Macgillivray | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 71% | 55% |
| Environmental | 23% | 45% |
| Infrastructure and transport | 6% | 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
| Cygnet River | Macgillivray | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 48 across Kangaroo Island same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -12% same for both | |
Ranking within SA
| Cygnet River | Macgillivray | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 15% of SA | Higher than 79% of SA |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 23% of SA | Higher than 21% of SA |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 45% of SA same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 57% of SA | Higher than 27% of SA |
Liveability
| Cygnet River | Macgillivray | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | advantaged area decile 8/10 | mid-range socio-economic decile 6/10 |
Risk profile
Cygnet River carries more crime risk (44 vs 15); Cygnet River carries more bushfire risk (90 vs 76).
| Cygnet River | Macgillivray | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | High 90/100 | High 76/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 44/100 | Low 15/100 |
| Flood | High 86/100 | — |
| Coastal erosion | High 80/100 | Low 23/100 |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 0 within 5 km same for both | |
Schools
| Cygnet River | Macgillivray | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
Amenities in the suburb
| Cygnet River | Macgillivray | |
|---|---|---|
| Cafes & restaurants | 1 same for both | |
| Parks & reserves | 1 | 9 |
| EV chargers | 1 | 0 |
| Waterways | 1 | 18 |
Mobility
| Cygnet River | Macgillivray | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Adelaide | 180.3 km | 181.4 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 197 min | 206 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.4% postcode 5223 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 54 postcode 5223 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 (79.4%).
Setting
| Cygnet River | Macgillivray | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 11 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 25 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 5.5 km | 11.6 km |
NBN connectivity
| Cygnet River | Macgillivray | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 | 17/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless | Satellite (Sky Muster) |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 47 premises | 0% 24 premises |
Climate
| Cygnet River | Macgillivray | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 412 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | — same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Cygnet River | Macgillivray | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,908/yr same for both | |
| Council | Kangaroo Island same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Cygnet River | Macgillivray | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Mayo same for both | |
| Member | Rebekha Sharkie same for both | |
| Party | Centre Alliance same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Cygnet River | Macgillivray | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $15,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | — same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Macgillivray
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Cygnet River
Other comparisons with Macgillivray
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.