Dry Creek vs Pooraka

Dry Creek is the younger of the two, with a median age of 35 against 38 in Pooraka. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. Houses cost more in Pooraka: a median of $825,000, against $710,000 in Dry Creek, and rent is higher there too. Pooraka is closer to the city centre: 13.3 km, against 15.2 km. On these figures, Dry Creek tends to suit young adults and share households.

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

Pooraka

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (6 vs 0)
  • is already more of a family suburb (57% vs 41%)
  • carries lower crime risk (84/100 vs 99/100)

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

  • has cheaper houses ($710,000 vs $825,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Dry Creek

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($265/wk vs $300/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Pooraka

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (63/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Pooraka

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (63/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more GPs (2 vs 0)
  • carries lower crime risk (84/100 vs 99/100)
  • But Dry Creek has more units and townhouses to downsize into (25% vs 14%)

Weighs smaller dwellings, 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

Dry Creek and Pooraka 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 Pooraka
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 Pooraka
Walkability 0 / 63
Dry Creek — Walkability: 0/100 Pooraka — Walkability: 63/100
Safety 1 / 16
Dry Creek — Safety: 1/100 Pooraka — Safety: 16/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Dry Creek — Low fire risk: 100/100 Pooraka — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 43 / 21
Dry Creek — Low flood risk: 43/100 Pooraka — Low flood risk: 21/100

Demographics

Pooraka has more residents (7,583 vs 232); Pooraka rents higher ($300/wk vs $265/wk).

Dry Creek Pooraka
Population 232 7,583
+3169% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +1.8% +4.9%
Median age 35 38
Median household income $63,492/yr $63,700/yr
Median weekly rent $265/wk $300/wk
+13% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Dry Creek Pooraka
0-4 5.6% / 6.5%
Dry Creek — 0-4: 5.6% Pooraka — 0-4: 6.5%
5-14 9.1% / 11.7%
Dry Creek — 5-14: 9.1% Pooraka — 5-14: 11.7%
15-19 5.2% / 6.0%
Dry Creek — 15-19: 5.2% Pooraka — 15-19: 6.0%
20-24 10.3% / 6.7%
Dry Creek — 20-24: 10.3% Pooraka — 20-24: 6.7%
25-34 24.1% / 13.8%
Dry Creek — 25-34: 24.1% Pooraka — 25-34: 13.8%
35-44 11.2% / 13.6%
Dry Creek — 35-44: 11.2% Pooraka — 35-44: 13.6%
45-54 12.1% / 12.1%
Dry Creek — 45-54: 12.1% Pooraka — 45-54: 12.1%
55-64 13.4% / 11.8%
Dry Creek — 55-64: 13.4% Pooraka — 55-64: 11.8%
65-74 8.2% / 9.8%
Dry Creek — 65-74: 8.2% Pooraka — 65-74: 9.8%
75-84 5.2% / 5.9%
Dry Creek — 75-84: 5.2% Pooraka — 75-84: 5.9%
85+ — / 2.0%
Dry Creek — 85+: not among its largest Pooraka — 85+: 2.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.1%).

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 — One Parent Families: 12.2% Dry Creek — Group Household: 16.2% Dry Creek — Other Families: 6.8%
Pooraka 36.4% lone person
Pooraka — Lone Person: 36.4% Pooraka — Couple Families: 39.0% Pooraka — One Parent Families: 18.3% Pooraka — Group Household: 4.5% Pooraka — Other Families: 1.8%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household 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%
Pooraka 30.5% renting
Pooraka — Owned Outright: 33.9% Pooraka — Mortgage: 35.6% Pooraka — Renting: 30.5%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Dry Creek Pooraka
Certificate III & IV 18.1% / 14.1%
Dry Creek — Certificate III & IV: 18.1% Pooraka — Certificate III & IV: 14.1%
Bachelor Degree 11.2% / 9.1%
Dry Creek — Bachelor Degree: 11.2% Pooraka — Bachelor Degree: 9.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.5% / 5.9%
Dry Creek — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.5% Pooraka — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.9%
Postgraduate Degree — / 3.8%
Dry Creek — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Pooraka — Postgraduate Degree: 3.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.2% / 0.9%
Dry Creek — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.2% Pooraka — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.9%

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 Pooraka
Vietnam 6.0% / 6.0%
Dry Creek — Vietnam: 6.0% Pooraka — Vietnam: 6.0%
Afghanistan 5.6% / 4.1%
Dry Creek — Afghanistan: 5.6% Pooraka — Afghanistan: 4.1%
India 1.7% / 6.4%
Dry Creek — India: 1.7% Pooraka — India: 6.4%
England 1.7% / 3.3%
Dry Creek — England: 1.7% Pooraka — England: 3.3%
Philippines 2.2% / 1.9%
Dry Creek — Philippines: 2.2% Pooraka — Philippines: 1.9%
New Zealand 2.6% / —
Dry Creek — New Zealand: 2.6% Pooraka — New Zealand: not among its largest
Germany 2.2% / —
Dry Creek — Germany: 2.2% Pooraka — Germany: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.4%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Dry Creek 77.1% houses
Dry Creek — Houses: 77.1% Dry Creek — Townhouses: 25.0% Dry Creek — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Pooraka 85.7% houses
Pooraka — Houses: 85.7% Pooraka — Townhouses: 12.5% Pooraka — Flats / Apartments: 1.8%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Dry Creek Pooraka
Median house price $710,000 $825,000
Median unit price — $590,500
Median land price — $815,500
Typical days to sell (houses) 13 days
from 3 sales
 16 days
from 64 sales

Zoning mix

Dry Creek has more land zoned for conservation (27% vs 0%).

Dry Creek Pooraka
Residential 1% 51%
Other and special use 39% 0%
Industrial 32% 39%
Environmental 27% 0%
Parks and recreation 2% 8%
Commercial 0% 1%
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 Pooraka
New dwellings approved 949
across Salisbury
same for both
Approvals change year on year -30%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Dry Creek Pooraka
Houses — 3.8%
$600/wk on $820K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within SA

Dry Creek Pooraka
House price Higher than 7% of SA Higher than 30% of SA
Income Higher than 31% of SA Higher than 32% of SA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 22% of SA Higher than 85% of SA
Affordability Higher than 74% of SA Higher than 42% of SA
EV adoption Higher than 52% of SA Higher than 78% of SA
NBN connectivity Higher than 80% of SA
same for both
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 42% of SA

Liveability

Pooraka is more walkable (63 vs 0).

Dry Creek Pooraka
Grade — D
Score — 29/100
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Pooraka carries more flood risk (79 vs 57); Dry Creek carries more crime risk (99 vs 84).

Dry Creek Pooraka
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
99/100
 High
84/100
Flood Moderate
57/100
 High
79/100
Coastal erosion Low
15/100
 None
0/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
 High
70/100
Industrial facilities nearby 32
within 5 km
 22
within 5 km

Schools

Dry Creek Pooraka
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
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, 2.0 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 1.3% 2.6%

Schools in Dry Creek

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Schools in Pooraka

  • Pooraka Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Dry Creek Pooraka
Cafes & restaurants 0 1
Parks & reserves 2 3
Childcare 0 6
GPs 0 2
Pharmacies 0 2
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 1
same for both
Fuel stations 1 4
Waterways 5 1

Mobility

Dry Creek Pooraka
Walkability score 0/100 63/100
Distance to Adelaide 15.2 km
+12% vs other
 13.3 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 18 min 20 min
Public transport score 52/100
Rail · Bus
 79/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 7.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 189.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1.5 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 5094
 1.0%
postcode 5095
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings —
postcode 5094
 57
postcode 5095

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 Pooraka
Car (driver) 88.4% / 79.6%
Dry Creek — Car (driver): 88.4% Pooraka — Car (driver): 79.6%
Worked from Home 7.0% / 6.6%
Dry Creek — Worked from Home: 7.0% Pooraka — Worked from Home: 6.6%
Car (passenger) 4.7% / 6.0%
Dry Creek — Car (passenger): 4.7% Pooraka — Car (passenger): 6.0%
Bus — / 6.1%
Dry Creek — Bus: not among its largest Pooraka — Bus: 6.1%
Walked Only — / 1.0%
Dry Creek — Walked Only: not among its largest Pooraka — Walked Only: 1.0%

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

Setting

Dry Creek Pooraka
Elevation 0 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 23 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 1.7 km 6.6 km

NBN connectivity

Dry Creek Pooraka
Connectivity score 66/100 67/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 38%
344 premises
 40%
3,775 premises

Climate

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

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

Dry Creek Pooraka
Division Makin
same for both
Member Tony Zappia
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Dry Creek Pooraka
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

Pooraka

Large Blocks Middle-Ring Multicultural River

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Dry Creek

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

Other comparisons with Pooraka

Pooraka vs Mawson Lakes Pooraka vs Ingle Farm Pooraka vs Para Hills Pooraka vs Northfield Pooraka vs Walkley Heights Pooraka vs Para Hills West
Full data on Dry Creek Full data on Pooraka
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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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