Farrell Flat vs Hill River

Hill River is the younger of the two, with a median age of 42 against 50 in Farrell Flat. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Farrell Flat, about half of households are people living alone. In Hill River, most households are couple families. On these figures, Farrell Flat tends to suit people living alone, while Hill River 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

Hill River

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (17/100 vs 48/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (83% vs 53%)

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

First-home buyers

Farrell Flat

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (17% vs 23%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Farrell Flat

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($200/wk vs $220/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Farrell Flat

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (112 min vs 120 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (147.7 km vs 151.8 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here

  • Farrell Flat is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)
  • Hill River carries lower crime risk (17/100 vs 48/100)

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

Investors

Hill River

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (1.0% vs -15.2%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Farrell Flat and Hill River drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Farrell Flat Hill River
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.

Farrell Flat Hill River
Walkability 10 / 0
Farrell Flat — Walkability: 10/100 Hill River — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 52 / 83
Farrell Flat — Safety: 52/100 Hill River — Safety: 83/100
Low fire risk 79 / 78
Farrell Flat — Low fire risk: 79/100 Hill River — Low fire risk: 78/100

Demographics

Farrell Flat has more residents (201 vs 98); Hill River has higher household incomes ($84,500 vs $57,772).

Farrell Flat Hill River
Population 201
+51% vs other
 98
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -15.2% +1.0%
Median age 50 42
Median household income $57,772/yr $84,500/yr
+46% vs other
Median weekly rent $200/wk $220/wk
+10% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Farrell Flat Hill River
0-4 4.5% / 3.1%
Farrell Flat — 0-4: 4.5% Hill River — 0-4: 3.1%
5-14 10.4% / 17.3%
Farrell Flat — 5-14: 10.4% Hill River — 5-14: 17.3%
15-19 4.5% / 5.1%
Farrell Flat — 15-19: 4.5% Hill River — 15-19: 5.1%
20-24 5.0% / 4.1%
Farrell Flat — 20-24: 5.0% Hill River — 20-24: 4.1%
25-34 10.4% / 8.2%
Farrell Flat — 25-34: 10.4% Hill River — 25-34: 8.2%
35-44 11.4% / 16.3%
Farrell Flat — 35-44: 11.4% Hill River — 35-44: 16.3%
45-54 15.4% / 12.2%
Farrell Flat — 45-54: 15.4% Hill River — 45-54: 12.2%
55-64 18.9% / 17.3%
Farrell Flat — 55-64: 18.9% Hill River — 55-64: 17.3%
65-74 16.9% / 12.2%
Farrell Flat — 65-74: 16.9% Hill River — 65-74: 12.2%
75-84 2.0% / 4.1%
Farrell Flat — 75-84: 2.0% Hill River — 75-84: 4.1%
85+ — / —
Farrell Flat — 85+: not among its largest Hill River — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.9%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Farrell Flat 31.9% couple families
Farrell Flat — Couple Families: 31.9% Farrell Flat — Lone Person: 46.8% Farrell Flat — One Parent Families: 21.3%
Hill River 66.7% couple families
Hill River — Couple Families: 66.7% Hill River — Lone Person: 16.7% Hill River — One Parent Families: 16.7%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Farrell Flat 20.8% renting
Farrell Flat — Owned Outright: 44.2% Farrell Flat — Mortgage: 35.1% Farrell Flat — Renting: 20.8%
Hill River 25.8% renting
Hill River — Owned Outright: 64.5% Hill River — Mortgage: 9.7% Hill River — Renting: 25.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Farrell Flat Hill River
England 9.0% / 4.1%
Farrell Flat — England: 9.0% Hill River — England: 4.1%
Indonesia 3.0% / —
Farrell Flat — Indonesia: 3.0% Hill River — Indonesia: not among its largest
New Zealand 2.0% / —
Farrell Flat — New Zealand: 2.0% Hill River — New Zealand: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (9.0%).

Qualifications

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

Farrell Flat Hill River
Certificate III & IV 23.4% / 15.3%
Farrell Flat — Certificate III & IV: 23.4% Hill River — Certificate III & IV: 15.3%
Bachelor Degree 6.0% / 8.2%
Farrell Flat — Bachelor Degree: 6.0% Hill River — Bachelor Degree: 8.2%
Postgraduate Degree 2.0% / 4.1%
Farrell Flat — Postgraduate Degree: 2.0% Hill River — Postgraduate Degree: 4.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.0% / —
Farrell Flat — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.0% Hill River — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: not among its largest
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.5% / —
Farrell Flat — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.5% Hill River — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.4%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Farrell Flat 97.5% houses
Farrell Flat — Houses: 97.5% Farrell Flat — Flats / Apartments: 2.5%
Hill River 100.0% houses
Hill River — Houses: 100.0% Hill River — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Farrell Flat Hill River
Median house price $545,000 —
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

Farrell Flat Hill River
Rural and farming 99% 100%
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

Farrell Flat Hill River
New dwellings approved 12
across Goyder
 28
across Clare and Gilbert Valleys
Approvals change year on year -50% +20%

Ranking within SA

Farrell Flat Hill River
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 22% of SA Higher than 61% of SA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 63% of SA Higher than 25% of SA
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption — Higher than 20% of SA
NBN connectivity Higher than 59% of SA Higher than 58% of SA

Liveability

Farrell Flat is more walkable (10 vs 0).

Farrell Flat Hill River
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

Farrell Flat carries more crime risk (48 vs 17).

Farrell Flat Hill River
Bushfire Low
21/100
 Low
22/100
Crime Moderate
48/100
 Low
17/100
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

Farrell Flat Hill River
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

Farrell Flat Hill River
Waterways 0 4

Mobility

Hill River sits further from the CBD (151.8 km vs 147.7 km).

Farrell Flat Hill River
Walkability score 10/100 0/100
Distance to Adelaide 147.7 km 151.8 km
+3% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 112 min 120 min
Electric vehicle share 0.0%
postcode 5416
 0.2%
postcode 5453
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 62
postcode 5416
 67
postcode 5453

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.

Farrell Flat Hill River
Car (driver) 84.1% / 58.2%
Farrell Flat — Car (driver): 84.1% Hill River — Car (driver): 58.2%
Worked from Home 15.9% / 36.4%
Farrell Flat — Worked from Home: 15.9% Hill River — Worked from Home: 36.4%
Walked Only — / 5.5%
Farrell Flat — Walked Only: not among its largest Hill River — Walked Only: 5.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (84.1%).

Setting

Farrell Flat Hill River
Elevation 436 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 406 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Farrell Flat Hill River
Connectivity score 30/100
same for both
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
93 premises
 0%
40 premises

Council rates

Farrell Flat Hill River
Average residential rate $1,395/yr $1,830/yr
Council Goyder Clare and Gilbert Valleys

Federal electorate

Farrell Flat Hill River
Division Grey
same for both
Member Tom Venning
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Farrell Flat Hill River
Grant amount $15,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Farrell Flat

Rural

Hill River

Rural
Full data on Farrell Flat Full data on Hill River
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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