Emu Bay vs Wisanger
Wisanger is the younger of the two, with a median age of 43 against 57 in Emu Bay. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Emu Bay tends to suit older residents, while Wisanger suits families with children and 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
Emu Bay
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (34/100 vs 59/100)
- has more separate houses rather than flats (100% vs 88%)
- But Wisanger has more parks and reserves (3 vs 0)
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
Emu Bay
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($220/wk vs $240/wk)
Weighs rent and rental stress.
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
Emu Bay
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- has more residents already 65 and over (34% vs 18%)
- carries lower crime risk (34/100 vs 59/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Wisanger
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (12.9% vs -16.7%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Emu Bay and Wisanger 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
Wisanger has more residents (140 vs 95); Emu Bay skews older (57 vs 43).
| Emu Bay | Wisanger | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 95 | 140 +47% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -16.7% | +12.9% |
| Median age | 57 | 43 |
| Median household income | $69,316/yr +4% vs other | $66,612/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $220/wk | $240/wk +9% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.2%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.4%).
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.2%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Emu Bay | Wisanger | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $261,100 | — |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
Zoning mix
Wisanger has more rural and farming land (89% vs 32%); Emu Bay has more land zoned for conservation (42% vs 11%).
| Emu Bay | Wisanger | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 32% | 89% |
| Environmental | 42% | 11% |
| Other and special use | 21% | 0% |
| Parks and recreation | 3% | 0% |
| 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
| Emu Bay | Wisanger | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 48 across Kangaroo Island same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -12% same for both | |
Ranking within SA
| Emu Bay | Wisanger | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 39% of SA | Higher than 34% of SA |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 12% of SA | Higher than 40% of SA |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 45% of SA same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 53% of SA | Higher than 43% of SA |
Liveability
| Emu Bay | Wisanger | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 6/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
Wisanger carries more bushfire risk (41 vs 0); Wisanger carries more crime risk (59 vs 34).
| Emu Bay | Wisanger | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | None 0/100 | Moderate 41/100 |
| Crime | Low 34/100 | Moderate 59/100 |
| Flood | Low 36/100 | Low 38/100 |
| Coastal erosion | Moderate 41/100 | Moderate 48/100 |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 0 within 5 km same for both | |
Schools
| Emu Bay | Wisanger | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Emu Bay | Wisanger | |
|---|---|---|
| Cafes & restaurants | 0 | 1 |
| Parks & reserves | 0 | 3 |
| Waterways | 3 | 13 |
Mobility
| Emu Bay | Wisanger | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Adelaide | 193.8 km | 192.4 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 210 min | 208 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 (100.0%).
Setting
| Emu Bay | Wisanger | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 23 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 54 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 193 m | 3.9 km |
NBN connectivity
| Emu Bay | Wisanger | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 | 28/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 114 premises | 0% 55 premises |
Climate
| Emu Bay | Wisanger | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 412 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | — same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Emu Bay | Wisanger | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,908/yr same for both | |
| Council | Kangaroo Island same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Emu Bay | Wisanger | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Mayo same for both | |
| Member | Rebekha Sharkie same for both | |
| Party | Centre Alliance same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Emu Bay | Wisanger | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $15,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | — same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
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.