Cygnet River vs Nepean Bay

Cygnet River is the younger of the two, with a median age of 40 against 51 in Nepean Bay. 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 Nepean Bay, most households are people living alone. On these figures, Cygnet River tends to suit families with children and 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 is already more of a family suburb (47% vs 34%)
  • Nepean Bay has more parks and reserves (4 vs 1)

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

First-home buyers

Nepean Bay

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (25% vs 36%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

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

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

Commuting to the city

Nepean Bay

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (173.2 km vs 180.3 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Too close to call

Nothing among the 4 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Investors

Nepean Bay

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (6.9% vs -5.3%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Cygnet River and Nepean Bay 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 Nepean Bay
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 Nepean Bay
Walkability 0 / 0
Cygnet River — Walkability: 0/100 Nepean Bay — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 56 / 65
Cygnet River — Safety: 56/100 Nepean Bay — Safety: 65/100
Low fire risk 10 / 59
Cygnet River — Low fire risk: 10/100 Nepean Bay — Low fire risk: 59/100
Low flood risk 14 / 31
Cygnet River — Low flood risk: 14/100 Nepean Bay — Low flood risk: 31/100

Demographics

Nepean Bay has more residents (140 vs 72); Nepean Bay skews older (51 vs 40).

Cygnet River Nepean Bay
Population 72 140
+94% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -5.3% +6.9%
Median age 40 51
Median household income $49,348/yr
+8% vs other
 $45,500/yr
Median weekly rent $230/wk $235/wk
+2% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Cygnet River Nepean Bay
0-4 4.2% / —
Cygnet River — 0-4: 4.2% Nepean Bay — 0-4: not among its largest
5-14 16.7% / 10.0%
Cygnet River — 5-14: 16.7% Nepean Bay — 5-14: 10.0%
15-19 4.2% / 2.1%
Cygnet River — 15-19: 4.2% Nepean Bay — 15-19: 2.1%
20-24 — / 2.1%
Cygnet River — 20-24: not among its largest Nepean Bay — 20-24: 2.1%
25-34 6.9% / 7.9%
Cygnet River — 25-34: 6.9% Nepean Bay — 25-34: 7.9%
35-44 16.7% / 6.4%
Cygnet River — 35-44: 16.7% Nepean Bay — 35-44: 6.4%
45-54 15.3% / 16.4%
Cygnet River — 45-54: 15.3% Nepean Bay — 45-54: 16.4%
55-64 9.7% / 20.0%
Cygnet River — 55-64: 9.7% Nepean Bay — 55-64: 20.0%
65-74 20.8% / 17.1%
Cygnet River — 65-74: 20.8% Nepean Bay — 65-74: 17.1%
75-84 5.6% / 2.1%
Cygnet River — 75-84: 5.6% Nepean Bay — 75-84: 2.1%
85+ — / 2.9%
Cygnet River — 85+: not among its largest Nepean Bay — 85+: 2.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Cygnet River 53.3% lone person
Cygnet River — Lone Person: 53.3% Cygnet River — Couple Families: 46.7% Cygnet River — One Parent Families: 0.0% Cygnet River — Group Household: 0.0%
Nepean Bay 59.1% lone person
Nepean Bay — Lone Person: 59.1% Nepean Bay — Couple Families: 15.9% Nepean Bay — One Parent Families: 18.2% Nepean Bay — Group Household: 6.8%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household

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%
Nepean Bay 5.9% renting
Nepean Bay — Owned Outright: 54.9% Nepean Bay — Mortgage: 39.2% Nepean Bay — Renting: 5.9%
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.

Cygnet River Nepean Bay
England 6.9% / 11.4%
Cygnet River — England: 6.9% Nepean Bay — England: 11.4%
Scotland — / 4.3%
Cygnet River — Scotland: not among its largest Nepean Bay — Scotland: 4.3%
Italy — / 2.9%
Cygnet River — Italy: not among its largest Nepean Bay — Italy: 2.9%
South Africa — / 2.1%
Cygnet River — South Africa: not among its largest Nepean Bay — South Africa: 2.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (11.4%).

Qualifications

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

Cygnet River Nepean Bay
Bachelor Degree 13.9% / 10.0%
Cygnet River — Bachelor Degree: 13.9% Nepean Bay — Bachelor Degree: 10.0%
Certificate III & IV 6.9% / 12.1%
Cygnet River — Certificate III & IV: 6.9% Nepean Bay — Certificate III & IV: 12.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.7% / 2.9%
Cygnet River — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.7% Nepean Bay — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 2.9%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 3.6%
Cygnet River — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Nepean Bay — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.6%
Postgraduate Degree — / 2.9%
Cygnet River — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Nepean Bay — Postgraduate Degree: 2.9%

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

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Cygnet River 100.0% houses
Cygnet River — Houses: 100.0% Cygnet River — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Nepean Bay 91.7% houses
Nepean Bay — Houses: 91.7% Nepean Bay — Flats / Apartments: 8.3%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Cygnet River Nepean Bay
Median house price — $440,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $90,500

Zoning mix

Nepean Bay has more land zoned for conservation (37% vs 23%).

Cygnet River Nepean Bay
Rural and farming 71% 62%
Environmental 23% 37%
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 Nepean Bay
New dwellings approved 48
across Kangaroo Island
same for both
Approvals change year on year -12%
same for both

Ranking within SA

Cygnet River Nepean Bay
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 15% of SA Higher than 10% of SA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 23% of SA Higher than 2% 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 50% of SA

Liveability

Cygnet River Nepean Bay
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 bushfire risk (90 vs 41); Cygnet River carries more flood risk (86 vs 69).

Cygnet River Nepean Bay
Bushfire High
90/100
 Moderate
41/100
Crime Moderate
44/100
 Low
35/100
Flood High
86/100
 Moderate
69/100
Coastal erosion High
80/100
 Moderate
52/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Cygnet River Nepean Bay
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 Nepean Bay
Cafes & restaurants 1 0
Parks & reserves 1 4
EV chargers 1 0
Waterways 1 0

Mobility

Cygnet River sits further from the CBD (180.3 km vs 173.2 km).

Cygnet River Nepean Bay
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Adelaide 180.3 km
+4% vs other
 173.2 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 197 min 199 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 Nepean Bay
Car (driver) 79.4% / 63.2%
Cygnet River — Car (driver): 79.4% Nepean Bay — Car (driver): 63.2%
Worked from Home 8.8% / 19.3%
Cygnet River — Worked from Home: 8.8% Nepean Bay — Worked from Home: 19.3%
Car (passenger) 11.8% / 10.5%
Cygnet River — Car (passenger): 11.8% Nepean Bay — Car (passenger): 10.5%
Walked Only — / 7.0%
Cygnet River — Walked Only: not among its largest Nepean Bay — Walked Only: 7.0%

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

Setting

Cygnet River Nepean Bay
Elevation 11 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 18 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 5.5 km 420 m

NBN connectivity

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

Climate

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

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Cygnet River

Retirees Rural

Nepean Bay

Affordable Coastal Rural

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 Macgillivray Cygnet River vs Menzies

Other comparisons with Nepean Bay

Nepean Bay vs Haines
Full data on Cygnet River Full data on Nepean Bay
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.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or