Duncan vs Stokes Bay
Duncan is the younger of the two, with a median age of 32 against 49 in Stokes Bay. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Duncan, most households are couple families. In Stokes Bay, most households are people living alone. On these figures, Duncan tends to suit families with children and couples, while Stokes Bay 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
Duncan
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- is already more of a family suburb (69% vs 33%)
- has more separate houses rather than flats (100% vs 90%)
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
Duncan
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- leaves renters under less rental stress (8% vs 27%)
- has cheaper rent ($158/wk vs $305/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Duncan
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (227 min vs 242 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (218.4 km vs 232.5 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Stokes Bay
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has more residents already 65 and over (38% vs 12%)
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
Duncan and Stokes 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.
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
Stokes Bay rents higher ($305/wk vs $158/wk); Duncan has higher household incomes ($97,500 vs $58,500).
| Duncan | Stokes Bay | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 67 +22% vs other | 52 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +1.5% | +4.0% |
| Median age | 32 | 49 |
| Median household income | $97,500/yr +40% vs other | $58,500/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $158/wk | $305/wk +93% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (30.8%).
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 (21.2%).
Zoning mix
Duncan has more rural and farming land (100% vs 86%); Stokes Bay has more land zoned for conservation (14% vs 0%).
| Duncan | Stokes Bay | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 100% | 86% |
| Environmental | 0% | 14% |
| 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
| Duncan | Stokes Bay | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 48 across Kangaroo Island same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -12% same for both | |
Ranking within SA
| Duncan | Stokes Bay | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 75% of SA | Higher than 25% of SA |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 1% of SA | Higher than 36% of SA |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 44% of SA | Higher than 45% of SA |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 1% of SA | Higher than 16% of SA |
Liveability
| Duncan | Stokes Bay | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 6/10 | advantaged area decile 8/10 |
Risk profile
| Duncan | Stokes Bay | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | High 83/100 | High 90/100 |
| Crime | Low 24/100 | Low 32/100 |
| Flood | — same for both | |
| Coastal erosion | None 0/100 | Moderate 51/100 |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 0 within 5 km same for both | |
Schools
| Duncan | Stokes 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
| Duncan | Stokes Bay | |
|---|---|---|
| Cafes & restaurants | 0 | 1 |
| Parks & reserves | 6 | 4 |
| Beaches | 0 | 1 |
| Waterways | 34 | 13 |
Mobility
Stokes Bay sits further from the CBD (232.5 km vs 218.4 km).
| Duncan | Stokes Bay | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Adelaide | 218.4 km | 232.5 km +6% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 227 min | 242 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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (65.4%).
Setting
| Duncan | Stokes Bay | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 195 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 133 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 11.3 km | 3.4 km |
NBN connectivity
| Duncan | Stokes Bay | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 15/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 12 premises | 0% 25 premises |
Climate
| Duncan | Stokes Bay | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 412 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | — same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Duncan | Stokes Bay | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,908/yr same for both | |
| Council | Kangaroo Island same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Duncan | Stokes Bay | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Mayo same for both | |
| Member | Rebekha Sharkie same for both | |
| Party | Centre Alliance same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Duncan | Stokes Bay | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $15,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | — same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Duncan
Other comparisons with Stokes Bay
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.