Cygnet River vs Menzies

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 Menzies, the large majority of households are couple families. On these figures, Cygnet River tends to suit older residents, while Menzies 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

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Cygnet River carries lower crime risk (44/100 vs 59/100)
  • Menzies is already more of a family suburb (100% vs 47%)

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

First-home buyers

Menzies

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (14% vs 36%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Menzies

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($0/wk vs $230/wk)

Weighs rent.

Commuting to the city

Cygnet River

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (197 min vs 212 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (180.3 km vs 188.8 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Cygnet River

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has more residents already 65 and over (26% vs 14%)
  • carries lower crime risk (44/100 vs 59/100)

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

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

Cygnet River Menzies
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.

Cygnet River Menzies
Walkability 0 / 0
Cygnet River — Walkability: 0/100 Menzies — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 56 / 41
Cygnet River — Safety: 56/100 Menzies — Safety: 41/100
Low fire risk 10 / 15
Cygnet River — Low fire risk: 10/100 Menzies — Low fire risk: 15/100
Low flood risk 14 / 87
Cygnet River — Low flood risk: 14/100 Menzies — Low flood risk: 87/100

Demographics

Cygnet River rents higher ($230/wk vs $0/wk); Menzies has higher household incomes ($117,000 vs $49,348).

Cygnet River Menzies
Population 72 83
+15% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -5.3% -9.8%
Median age 40 38
Median household income $49,348/yr $117,000/yr
+137% vs other
Median weekly rent $230/wk
(not reported on the other side)
 —

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Cygnet River Menzies
0-4 4.2% / 12.0%
Cygnet River — 0-4: 4.2% Menzies — 0-4: 12.0%
5-14 16.7% / 10.8%
Cygnet River — 5-14: 16.7% Menzies — 5-14: 10.8%
15-19 4.2% / —
Cygnet River — 15-19: 4.2% Menzies — 15-19: not among its largest
20-24 — / 4.8%
Cygnet River — 20-24: not among its largest Menzies — 20-24: 4.8%
25-34 6.9% / 4.8%
Cygnet River — 25-34: 6.9% Menzies — 25-34: 4.8%
35-44 16.7% / 10.8%
Cygnet River — 35-44: 16.7% Menzies — 35-44: 10.8%
45-54 15.3% / 16.9%
Cygnet River — 45-54: 15.3% Menzies — 45-54: 16.9%
55-64 9.7% / 12.0%
Cygnet River — 55-64: 9.7% Menzies — 55-64: 12.0%
65-74 20.8% / 9.6%
Cygnet River — 65-74: 20.8% Menzies — 65-74: 9.6%
75-84 5.6% / 4.8%
Cygnet River — 75-84: 5.6% Menzies — 75-84: 4.8%
85+ — / —
Cygnet River — 85+: not among its largest Menzies — 85+: not among its largest

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.

Cygnet River Menzies
England 6.9% / 3.6%
Cygnet River — England: 6.9% Menzies — England: 3.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.9%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Cygnet River 46.7% couple families
Cygnet River — Couple Families: 46.7% Cygnet River — Lone Person: 53.3%
Menzies 100.0% couple families
Menzies — Couple Families: 100.0% Menzies — Lone Person: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Cygnet River 100.0% houses
Cygnet River — Houses: 100.0%
Menzies 100.0% houses
Menzies — Houses: 100.0%
Houses

Qualifications

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

Cygnet River Menzies
Bachelor Degree 13.9% / 9.6%
Cygnet River — Bachelor Degree: 13.9% Menzies — Bachelor Degree: 9.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.7% / 3.6%
Cygnet River — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.7% Menzies — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 3.6%
Certificate III & IV 6.9% / 6.0%
Cygnet River — Certificate III & IV: 6.9% Menzies — Certificate III & IV: 6.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (13.9%).

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Cygnet River 10.0% renting
Cygnet River — Owned Outright: 46.7% Cygnet River — Mortgage: 43.3% Cygnet River — Renting: 10.0%
Menzies 0.0% renting
Menzies — Owned Outright: 52.9% Menzies — Mortgage: 47.1% Menzies — Renting: 0.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Zoning mix

Menzies has more rural and farming land (100% vs 71%); Cygnet River has more land zoned for conservation (23% vs 0%).

Cygnet River Menzies
Rural and farming 71% 100%
Environmental 23% 0%
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 Menzies
New dwellings approved 48
across Kangaroo Island
same for both
Approvals change year on year -12%
same for both

Ranking within SA

Cygnet River Menzies
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 15% of SA Higher than 90% of SA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 23% of SA Higher than 5% of SA
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 45% of SA Higher than 44% of SA
NBN connectivity Higher than 57% of SA Higher than 41% of SA

Liveability

Cygnet River Menzies
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
same for both

Risk profile

Cygnet River carries more flood risk (86 vs 13); Menzies carries more crime risk (59 vs 44).

Cygnet River Menzies
Bushfire High
90/100
 High
85/100
Crime Moderate
44/100
 Moderate
59/100
Flood High
86/100
 Low
13/100
Coastal erosion High
80/100
 None
0/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Cygnet River Menzies
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 Menzies
Cafes & restaurants 1 0
Parks & reserves 1 3
EV chargers 1 0
Waterways 1 23

Mobility

Menzies sits further from the CBD (188.8 km vs 180.3 km).

Cygnet River Menzies
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Adelaide 180.3 km 188.8 km
+5% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 197 min 212 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.

Cygnet River Menzies
Car (driver) 79.4% / 54.3%
Cygnet River — Car (driver): 79.4% Menzies — Car (driver): 54.3%
Worked from Home 8.8% / 22.9%
Cygnet River — Worked from Home: 8.8% Menzies — Worked from Home: 22.9%
Walked Only — / 22.9%
Cygnet River — Walked Only: not among its largest Menzies — Walked Only: 22.9%
Car (passenger) 11.8% / —
Cygnet River — Car (passenger): 11.8% Menzies — Car (passenger): not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (79.4%).

Setting

Cygnet River Menzies
Elevation 11 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 72 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 5.5 km 9.8 km

NBN connectivity

Cygnet River Menzies
Connectivity score 30/100 28/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
47 premises
 0%
34 premises

Climate

Cygnet River Menzies
Annual rainfall 412 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Cygnet River Menzies
Average residential rate $1,908/yr
same for both
Council Kangaroo Island
same for both

Federal electorate

Cygnet River Menzies
Division Mayo
same for both
Member Rebekha Sharkie
same for both
Party Centre Alliance
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Cygnet River Menzies
Grant amount $15,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Cygnet River

Retirees Rural

Menzies

Family Rural Young Families

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Cygnet River

Cygnet River vs Kingscote Cygnet River vs Brownlow Ki Cygnet River vs Haines Cygnet River vs Wisanger Cygnet River vs Nepean Bay Cygnet River vs Macgillivray

Other comparisons with Menzies

Menzies vs Kingscote Menzies vs Wisanger Menzies vs Cassini
Full data on Cygnet River Full data on Menzies
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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