Dawesley vs Petwood

In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Petwood tends to suit 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

Dawesley

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is already more of a family suburb (63% vs 48%)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

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

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Petwood

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($248/wk vs $290/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Dawesley

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (44 min vs 50 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (43.5 km vs 46.4 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Dawesley

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)

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

Investors

Petwood

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (32.4% vs 22.0%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Dawesley Petwood
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.

Dawesley Petwood
Walkability 10 / 0
Dawesley — Walkability: 10/100 Petwood — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 69 / 63
Dawesley — Safety: 69/100 Petwood — Safety: 63/100
Low fire risk 100 / 40
Dawesley — Low fire risk: 100/100 Petwood — Low fire risk: 40/100

Demographics

Dawesley has more residents (316 vs 90); Dawesley rents higher ($290/wk vs $248/wk).

Dawesley Petwood
Population 316
+72% vs other
 90
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +22.0% +32.4%
Median age 43 42
Median household income $101,348/yr
+7% vs other
 $94,224/yr
Median weekly rent $290/wk
+14% vs other
 $248/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Dawesley Petwood
0-4 7.3% / 14.4%
Dawesley — 0-4: 7.3% Petwood — 0-4: 14.4%
5-14 13.0% / 14.4%
Dawesley — 5-14: 13.0% Petwood — 5-14: 14.4%
15-19 6.3% / 10.0%
Dawesley — 15-19: 6.3% Petwood — 15-19: 10.0%
20-24 5.4% / —
Dawesley — 20-24: 5.4% Petwood — 20-24: not among its largest
25-34 9.5% / 5.6%
Dawesley — 25-34: 9.5% Petwood — 25-34: 5.6%
35-44 7.9% / 10.0%
Dawesley — 35-44: 7.9% Petwood — 35-44: 10.0%
45-54 16.8% / 11.1%
Dawesley — 45-54: 16.8% Petwood — 45-54: 11.1%
55-64 17.4% / 16.7%
Dawesley — 55-64: 17.4% Petwood — 55-64: 16.7%
65-74 10.4% / 15.6%
Dawesley — 65-74: 10.4% Petwood — 65-74: 15.6%
75-84 3.2% / 4.4%
Dawesley — 75-84: 3.2% Petwood — 75-84: 4.4%
85+ 2.2% / —
Dawesley — 85+: 2.2% Petwood — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.4%).

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.

Dawesley Petwood
England 11.7% / 10.0%
Dawesley — England: 11.7% Petwood — England: 10.0%
New Zealand 2.8% / —
Dawesley — New Zealand: 2.8% Petwood — New Zealand: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (11.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Dawesley 54.3% couple families
Dawesley — Couple Families: 54.3% Dawesley — Lone Person: 30.9% Dawesley — Group Household: 0.0% Dawesley — One Parent Families: 8.6% Dawesley — Other Families: 6.2%
Petwood 48.1% couple families
Petwood — Couple Families: 48.1% Petwood — Lone Person: 37.0% Petwood — Group Household: 14.8% Petwood — One Parent Families: 0.0% Petwood — Other Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person Group Household One Parent Families Other Families

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Dawesley 100.0% houses
Dawesley — Houses: 100.0%
Petwood 100.0% houses
Petwood — Houses: 100.0%
Houses

Qualifications

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

Dawesley Petwood
Certificate III & IV 15.2% / 21.1%
Dawesley — Certificate III & IV: 15.2% Petwood — Certificate III & IV: 21.1%
Bachelor Degree 14.9% / 17.8%
Dawesley — Bachelor Degree: 14.9% Petwood — Bachelor Degree: 17.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.9% / 3.3%
Dawesley — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.9% Petwood — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 3.3%
Postgraduate Degree 1.9% / —
Dawesley — Postgraduate Degree: 1.9% Petwood — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.9% / —
Dawesley — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.9% Petwood — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.1%).

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Dawesley 2.7% renting
Dawesley — Owned Outright: 35.1% Dawesley — Mortgage: 62.2% Dawesley — Renting: 2.7%
Petwood 12.1% renting
Petwood — Owned Outright: 39.4% Petwood — Mortgage: 48.5% Petwood — Renting: 12.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Property market

Dawesley Petwood
Median house price $1,162,000 —
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Dawesley Petwood
Rural and farming 98% 100%
Residential 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

Dawesley Petwood
New dwellings approved 657
across Mount Barker
same for both
Approvals change year on year -7%
same for both

Ranking within SA

Dawesley Petwood
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 80% of SA Higher than 73% of SA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 62% of SA Higher than 38% of SA
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 74% of SA
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 45% of SA Higher than 40% of SA

Liveability

Dawesley is more walkable (10 vs 0).

Dawesley Petwood
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Petwood carries more bushfire risk (60 vs 0).

Dawesley Petwood
Bushfire None
0/100
 Moderate
60/100
Crime Low
31/100
 Low
37/100
Flood —
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 2
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Dawesley Petwood
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

Dawesley Petwood
Waterways 1 5

Mobility

Petwood sits further from the CBD (46.4 km vs 43.5 km).

Dawesley Petwood
Walkability score 10/100 0/100
Distance to Adelaide 43.5 km 46.4 km
+7% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 44 min 50 min
Electric vehicle share 0.9%
postcode 5252
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 73
postcode 5252
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.

Dawesley Petwood
Car (driver) 76.0% / 67.4%
Dawesley — Car (driver): 76.0% Petwood — Car (driver): 67.4%
Worked from Home 19.9% / 32.6%
Dawesley — Worked from Home: 19.9% Petwood — Worked from Home: 32.6%
Car (passenger) 2.1% / —
Dawesley — Car (passenger): 2.1% Petwood — Car (passenger): not among its largest
Bus 2.1% / —
Dawesley — Bus: 2.1% Petwood — Bus: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (76.0%).

Setting

Dawesley Petwood
Elevation 310 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 244 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 39.8 km 40.6 km

NBN connectivity

Dawesley Petwood
Connectivity score 29/100 27/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
113 premises
 0%
21 premises

Climate

Dawesley Petwood
Annual rainfall 730 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 27.8°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 5.7°C
same for both

Council rates

Dawesley Petwood
Average residential rate $2,485/yr
same for both
Council Mount Barker
same for both

Federal electorate

Dawesley Petwood
Division Mayo
same for both
Member Rebekha Sharkie
same for both
Party Centre Alliance
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Dawesley Petwood
Grant amount $15,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Dawesley

Acreage Outer River

Petwood

Family Outer Young Families

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Dawesley

Dawesley vs Nairne Dawesley vs Kanmantoo Dawesley vs Brukunga

Other comparisons with Petwood

Petwood vs Nairne Petwood vs Kanmantoo Petwood vs Wistow Petwood vs Mount Barker Springs Petwood vs Red Creek Petwood vs Mount Barker Summit
Full data on Dawesley Full data on Petwood
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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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