Emu Downs vs Burra

Emu Downs is the younger of the two, with a median age of 37 against 54 in Burra. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Emu Downs, about half of households are people living alone. In Burra, most households are people living alone. On these figures, Emu Downs tends to suit families with children and couples, while Burra 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

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Emu Downs is already more of a family suburb (50% vs 38%)
  • Burra has more parks and reserves (5 vs 2)

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 Downs

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($0/wk vs $180/wk)

Weighs rent.

Commuting to the city

They split

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

  • Emu Downs sits closer to the CBD (146.8 km vs 164.9 km)
  • Burra is more walkable (33/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Burra

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (33/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (32% vs 10%)
  • But Emu Downs has more units and townhouses to downsize into (42% vs 11%)

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

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

Emu Downs Burra
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.

Emu Downs Burra
Walkability 0 / 33
Emu Downs — Walkability: 0/100 Burra — Walkability: 33/100
Safety 30 / 37
Emu Downs — Safety: 30/100 Burra — Safety: 37/100
Low fire risk 100 / 57
Emu Downs — Low fire risk: 100/100 Burra — Low fire risk: 57/100

Demographics

Burra rents higher ($180/wk vs $0/wk); Burra has more residents (1,112 vs 52).

Emu Downs Burra
Population 52 1,112
+2038% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +4.0% +0.8%
Median age 37 54
Median household income $46,800/yr
+4% vs other
 $45,032/yr
Median weekly rent — $180/wk
(not reported on the other side)

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Emu Downs Burra
0-4 5.8% / 4.0%
Emu Downs — 0-4: 5.8% Burra — 0-4: 4.0%
5-14 23.1% / 11.9%
Emu Downs — 5-14: 23.1% Burra — 5-14: 11.9%
15-19 5.8% / 5.7%
Emu Downs — 15-19: 5.8% Burra — 15-19: 5.7%
20-24 — / 2.8%
Emu Downs — 20-24: not among its largest Burra — 20-24: 2.8%
25-34 — / 7.6%
Emu Downs — 25-34: not among its largest Burra — 25-34: 7.6%
35-44 21.2% / 8.9%
Emu Downs — 35-44: 21.2% Burra — 35-44: 8.9%
45-54 5.8% / 10.8%
Emu Downs — 45-54: 5.8% Burra — 45-54: 10.8%
55-64 9.6% / 17.7%
Emu Downs — 55-64: 9.6% Burra — 55-64: 17.7%
65-74 9.6% / 19.5%
Emu Downs — 65-74: 9.6% Burra — 65-74: 19.5%
75-84 — / 9.7%
Emu Downs — 75-84: not among its largest Burra — 75-84: 9.7%
85+ — / 2.9%
Emu Downs — 85+: not among its largest Burra — 85+: 2.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Emu Downs 50.0% lone person
Emu Downs — Lone Person: 50.0% Emu Downs — Couple Families: 50.0% Emu Downs — One Parent Families: 0.0% Emu Downs — Group Household: 0.0% Emu Downs — Other Families: 0.0%
Burra 59.7% lone person
Burra — Lone Person: 59.7% Burra — Couple Families: 27.5% Burra — One Parent Families: 10.2% Burra — Group Household: 1.6% Burra — Other Families: 1.0%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Emu Downs 0.0% renting
Emu Downs — Owned Outright: 46.7% Emu Downs — Mortgage: 53.3% Emu Downs — Renting: 0.0%
Burra 25.7% renting
Burra — Owned Outright: 48.4% Burra — Mortgage: 25.9% Burra — Renting: 25.7%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Emu Downs 91.7% houses
Emu Downs — Houses: 91.7% Emu Downs — Townhouses: 41.7%
Burra 89.5% houses
Burra — Houses: 89.5% Burra — Townhouses: 10.7%
Houses Townhouses

Qualifications

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

Emu Downs Burra
Certificate III & IV 7.7% / 15.3%
Emu Downs — Certificate III & IV: 7.7% Burra — Certificate III & IV: 15.3%
Bachelor Degree 9.6% / 5.9%
Emu Downs — Bachelor Degree: 9.6% Burra — Bachelor Degree: 5.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 5.8% / 6.6%
Emu Downs — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.8% Burra — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 5.8% / 0.9%
Emu Downs — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 5.8% Burra — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.9%
Postgraduate Degree — / 1.8%
Emu Downs — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Burra — Postgraduate Degree: 1.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.3%).

Property market

Emu Downs Burra
Median house price — $390,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $108,000
Typical days to sell (houses) — 83 days
from 14 sales

Zoning mix

Emu Downs Burra
Rural and farming 94% 98%
Environmental 6% 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

Emu Downs Burra
New dwellings approved 12
across Goyder
same for both
Approvals change year on year -50%
same for both

Ranking within SA

Emu Downs Burra
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 12% of SA Higher than 10% of SA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 1% of SA Higher than 76% of SA
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption — Higher than 27% of SA
NBN connectivity Higher than 1% of SA Higher than 73% of SA

Liveability

Burra is more walkable (33 vs 0).

Emu Downs Burra
Grade — D
Score — 21/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Burra carries more bushfire risk (43 vs 0).

Emu Downs Burra
Bushfire None
0/100
 Moderate
43/100
Crime High
70/100
 Moderate
63/100
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
 1
within 5 km

Schools

Emu Downs Burra
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in Emu Downs

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

Schools in Burra

  • Burra Community School Government · Combined below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Emu Downs Burra
Supermarkets 0 1
Cafes & restaurants 0 6
Parks & reserves 2 5
Childcare 0 2
GPs 0 1
Pharmacies 0 1
Hospitals 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 0 3
Waterways 0 13

Mobility

Burra sits further from the CBD (164.9 km vs 146.8 km).

Emu Downs Burra
Walkability score 0/100 33/100
Distance to Adelaide 146.8 km 164.9 km
+12% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 118 min 119 min
Electric vehicle share 0.0%
postcode 5381
 0.2%
postcode 5417
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 59
postcode 5381
 58
postcode 5417

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.

Emu Downs Burra
Car (driver) 60.0% / 79.1%
Emu Downs — Car (driver): 60.0% Burra — Car (driver): 79.1%
Worked from Home 40.0% / 11.7%
Emu Downs — Worked from Home: 40.0% Burra — Worked from Home: 11.7%
Walked Only — / 6.1%
Emu Downs — Walked Only: not among its largest Burra — Walked Only: 6.1%
Car (passenger) — / 3.1%
Emu Downs — Car (passenger): not among its largest Burra — Car (passenger): 3.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (79.1%).

Setting

Emu Downs Burra
Elevation 445 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 477 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Emu Downs Burra
Connectivity score 15/100 45/100
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster) Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
14 premises
 2%
641 premises

Council rates

Emu Downs Burra
Average residential rate $1,395/yr
same for both
Council Goyder
same for both

Federal electorate

Emu Downs Burra
Division Grey
same for both
Member Tom Venning
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Emu Downs Burra
Grant amount $15,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Emu Downs

Family Rural Townhouses

Burra

Affordable Retirees River Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Emu Downs

Emu Downs vs Robertstown

Other comparisons with Burra

Burra vs Booborowie Burra vs Mount Bryan
Full data on Emu Downs Full data on Burra
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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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