Dry Creek vs Bolivar

Dry Creek is the younger of the two, with a median age of 35 against 61 in Bolivar. In both, most households own their home. In Dry Creek, the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Bolivar, the large majority of homes are flats or apartments and the large majority of households are people living alone. Dry Creek is closer to the city centre: 15.2 km, against 32.7 km. On these figures, Dry Creek tends to suit young adults and share households, while Bolivar suits people living alone and older residents.

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

Dry Creek

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more separate houses rather than flats (77% vs 11%)
  • is already more of a family suburb (41% vs 12%)

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

First-home buyers

Dry Creek

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (20% vs 32%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Dry Creek leaves renters under less rental stress (22% vs 32%)
  • Bolivar has cheaper rent ($240/wk vs $265/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Dry Creek

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (18 min vs 61 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (15.2 km vs 32.7 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Bolivar

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (89% vs 25%)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (40% vs 13%)

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

Investors

Bolivar

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (32.7% vs 1.8%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Dry Creek Bolivar
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.

Dry Creek Bolivar
Walkability 0 / 0
Dry Creek — Walkability: 0/100 Bolivar — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 1 / 3
Dry Creek — Safety: 1/100 Bolivar — Safety: 3/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Dry Creek — Low fire risk: 100/100 Bolivar — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 43 / 15
Dry Creek — Low flood risk: 43/100 Bolivar — Low flood risk: 15/100

Demographics

Bolivar skews older (61 vs 35); Dry Creek has higher household incomes ($63,492 vs $39,312).

Dry Creek Bolivar
Population 232 357
+54% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +1.8% +32.7%
Median age 35 61
Median household income $63,492/yr
+38% vs other
 $39,312/yr
Median weekly rent $265/wk
+9% vs other
 $240/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Dry Creek Bolivar
0-4 5.6% / 2.2%
Dry Creek — 0-4: 5.6% Bolivar — 0-4: 2.2%
5-14 9.1% / 2.8%
Dry Creek — 5-14: 9.1% Bolivar — 5-14: 2.8%
15-19 5.2% / 1.7%
Dry Creek — 15-19: 5.2% Bolivar — 15-19: 1.7%
20-24 10.3% / 2.8%
Dry Creek — 20-24: 10.3% Bolivar — 20-24: 2.8%
25-34 24.1% / 7.3%
Dry Creek — 25-34: 24.1% Bolivar — 25-34: 7.3%
35-44 11.2% / 9.5%
Dry Creek — 35-44: 11.2% Bolivar — 35-44: 9.5%
45-54 12.1% / 16.0%
Dry Creek — 45-54: 12.1% Bolivar — 45-54: 16.0%
55-64 13.4% / 19.0%
Dry Creek — 55-64: 13.4% Bolivar — 55-64: 19.0%
65-74 8.2% / 28.3%
Dry Creek — 65-74: 8.2% Bolivar — 65-74: 28.3%
75-84 5.2% / 10.9%
Dry Creek — 75-84: 5.2% Bolivar — 75-84: 10.9%
85+ — / 0.8%
Dry Creek — 85+: not among its largest Bolivar — 85+: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (28.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Dry Creek 36.5% lone person
Dry Creek — Lone Person: 36.5% Dry Creek — Couple Families: 28.4% Dry Creek — Group Household: 16.2% Dry Creek — One Parent Families: 12.2% Dry Creek — Other Families: 6.8%
Bolivar 79.6% lone person
Bolivar — Lone Person: 79.6% Bolivar — Couple Families: 7.1% Bolivar — Group Household: 8.0% Bolivar — One Parent Families: 5.3% Bolivar — Other Families: 0.0%
Lone Person Couple Families Group Household One Parent Families Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Dry Creek 30.6% renting
Dry Creek — Owned Outright: 32.7% Dry Creek — Mortgage: 36.7% Dry Creek — Renting: 30.6%
Bolivar 38.7% renting
Bolivar — Owned Outright: 56.8% Bolivar — Mortgage: 4.5% Bolivar — Renting: 38.7%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Dry Creek Bolivar
Certificate III & IV 18.1% / 14.3%
Dry Creek — Certificate III & IV: 18.1% Bolivar — Certificate III & IV: 14.3%
Bachelor Degree 11.2% / 2.8%
Dry Creek — Bachelor Degree: 11.2% Bolivar — Bachelor Degree: 2.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.5% / 4.5%
Dry Creek — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.5% Bolivar — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.5%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.2% / 1.4%
Dry Creek — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.2% Bolivar — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.1%).

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.

Dry Creek Bolivar
England 1.7% / 5.0%
Dry Creek — England: 1.7% Bolivar — England: 5.0%
Vietnam 6.0% / —
Dry Creek — Vietnam: 6.0% Bolivar — Vietnam: not among its largest
Afghanistan 5.6% / —
Dry Creek — Afghanistan: 5.6% Bolivar — Afghanistan: not among its largest
New Zealand 2.6% / 0.8%
Dry Creek — New Zealand: 2.6% Bolivar — New Zealand: 0.8%
Philippines 2.2% / —
Dry Creek — Philippines: 2.2% Bolivar — Philippines: not among its largest
Germany 2.2% / —
Dry Creek — Germany: 2.2% Bolivar — Germany: not among its largest
Italy — / 2.0%
Dry Creek — Italy: not among its largest Bolivar — Italy: 2.0%
Netherlands — / 1.1%
Dry Creek — Netherlands: not among its largest Bolivar — Netherlands: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Dry Creek 77.1% houses
Dry Creek — Houses: 77.1% Dry Creek — Flats / Apartments: 0.0% Dry Creek — Townhouses: 25.0%
Bolivar 10.7% houses
Bolivar — Houses: 10.7% Bolivar — Flats / Apartments: 86.2% Bolivar — Townhouses: 3.1%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Dry Creek Bolivar
Median house price $710,000 —
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 13 days
from 3 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Dry Creek has more land zoned for conservation (27% vs 9%).

Dry Creek Bolivar
Other and special use 39% 7%
Infrastructure and transport 0% 39%
Industrial 32% 36%
Environmental 27% 9%
Rural and farming 0% 5%
Parks and recreation 2% 3%
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

Dry Creek Bolivar
New dwellings approved 949
across Salisbury
same for both
Approvals change year on year -30%
same for both

Ranking within SA

Dry Creek Bolivar
House price Higher than 7% of SA —
Income Higher than 31% of SA Higher than 6% of SA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 22% of SA Higher than 29% of SA
Affordability Higher than 74% of SA —
EV adoption Higher than 52% of SA Higher than 31% of SA
NBN connectivity Higher than 80% of SA Higher than 78% of SA

Liveability

Dry Creek Bolivar
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
same for both

Risk profile

Bolivar carries more flood risk (85 vs 57).

Dry Creek Bolivar
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
99/100
 High
97/100
Flood Moderate
57/100
 High
85/100
Coastal erosion Low
15/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
 Moderate
50/100
Industrial facilities nearby 32
within 5 km
 6
within 5 km

Schools

Dry Creek Bolivar
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
Universities within 10 km 1
Adelaide University, Mawson Lakes Campus, 4.1 km
 1
Adelaide University, Mawson Lakes Campus, 5.5 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 1.3% 0.0%

Amenities in the suburb

Dry Creek Bolivar
Cafes & restaurants 0 1
Parks & reserves 2 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Fuel stations 1 2
Waterways 5 1

Mobility

Bolivar sits further from the CBD (32.7 km vs 15.2 km).

Dry Creek Bolivar
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Adelaide 15.2 km 32.7 km
+115% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 18 min 61 min
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 5094
 0.2%
postcode 5110
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings —
postcode 5094
 72
postcode 5110

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.

Dry Creek Bolivar
Car (driver) 88.4% / 67.4%
Dry Creek — Car (driver): 88.4% Bolivar — Car (driver): 67.4%
Car (passenger) 4.7% / 11.6%
Dry Creek — Car (passenger): 4.7% Bolivar — Car (passenger): 11.6%
Worked from Home 7.0% / 8.1%
Dry Creek — Worked from Home: 7.0% Bolivar — Worked from Home: 8.1%
Bus — / 9.3%
Dry Creek — Bus: not among its largest Bolivar — Bus: 9.3%
Walked Only — / 3.5%
Dry Creek — Walked Only: not among its largest Bolivar — Walked Only: 3.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (88.4%).

Setting

Dry Creek Bolivar
Elevation 0 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 2 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 1.7 km 2.6 km

NBN connectivity

Dry Creek Bolivar
Connectivity score 66/100 63/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 38%
344 premises
 29%
66 premises

Climate

Dry Creek Bolivar
Annual rainfall 404 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 30.4°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 6.5°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Dry Creek Bolivar
PM2.5 4.6 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 18.3 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.51 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Dry Creek Bolivar
Average residential rate $1,722/yr
same for both
Council Salisbury
same for both

Federal electorate

Dry Creek Bolivar
Division Makin Spence
Member Tony Zappia Matt Burnell
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Dry Creek Bolivar
Grant amount $15,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Dry Creek

Coastal Middle-Ring Multicultural Townhouses Trains

Bolivar

Coastal Middle-Ring Retirees

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Dry Creek

Dry Creek vs Mawson Lakes Dry Creek vs Pooraka Dry Creek vs Kilburn Dry Creek vs Gepps Cross Dry Creek vs Wingfield Dry Creek vs Globe Derby Park

Other comparisons with Bolivar

Bolivar vs Paralowie Bolivar vs Burton Bolivar vs Waterloo Corner Bolivar vs Globe Derby Park Bolivar vs St Kilda
Full data on Dry Creek Full data on Bolivar
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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