Dismal Swamp vs Wandilo
In both, most households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. On these figures, Dismal Swamp tends to suit people living alone and families with children, while Wandilo 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
- Dismal Swamp has more parks and reserves (3 vs 0)
- Wandilo is already more of a family suburb (78% vs 58%)
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
Dismal Swamp
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a bigger rental market to choose from (44% vs 10%)
- has cheaper rent ($150/wk vs $200/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Too close to call
Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
They split
one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here
- Dismal Swamp carries lower crime risk (26/100 vs 78/100)
- Wandilo has more residents already 65 and over (16% vs 6%)
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
Dismal Swamp and Wandilo 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
Wandilo has more residents (194 vs 63); Wandilo rents higher ($200/wk vs $150/wk).
| Dismal Swamp | Wandilo | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 63 | 194 +208% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +14.5% | +10.2% |
| Median age | 40 same for both | |
| Median household income | $99,632/yr same for both | |
| Median weekly rent | $150/wk | $200/wk +33% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.6%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 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 (21.1%).
Zoning mix
| Dismal Swamp | Wandilo | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 97% | 95% |
| Infrastructure and transport | 0% | 5% |
| Environmental | 3% | 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
| Dismal Swamp | Wandilo | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 39 across Grant same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +300% same for both | |
Ranking within SA
| Dismal Swamp | Wandilo | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 78% of SA same for both | |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 30% of SA | Higher than 28% of SA |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 18% of SA same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 37% of SA | Higher than 47% of SA |
Liveability
| Dismal Swamp | Wandilo | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 6/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
Wandilo carries more crime risk (78 vs 26); Dismal Swamp carries more bushfire risk (86 vs 46).
| Dismal Swamp | Wandilo | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | High 86/100 | Moderate 46/100 |
| Crime | Low 26/100 | High 78/100 |
| Flood | — same for both | |
| Coastal erosion | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 0 within 5 km same for both | |
Schools
| Dismal Swamp | Wandilo | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Dismal Swamp | Wandilo | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 3 | 0 |
| Waterways | 1 | 0 |
Mobility
| Dismal Swamp | Wandilo | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Adelaide | 432.2 km same for both | |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 294 min | 292 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.1% postcode 5291 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 56 postcode 5291 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 (76.9%).
Setting
| Dismal Swamp | Wandilo | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 70 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 54 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 36.3 km | 30.9 km |
NBN connectivity
| Dismal Swamp | Wandilo | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 26/100 | 29/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 20 premises | 0% 90 premises |
Climate
| Dismal Swamp | Wandilo | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 724 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 25.8°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 5.8°C same for both | |
Council rates
| Dismal Swamp | Wandilo | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,458/yr same for both | |
| Council | Grant same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Dismal Swamp | Wandilo | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Barker same for both | |
| Member | Tony Pasin same for both | |
| Party | Liberal same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Dismal Swamp | Wandilo | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $15,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | — same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Dismal Swamp
Wandilo
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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.