Forest Range vs Balhannah

Forest Range is the younger of the two, with a median age of 38 against 44 in Balhannah. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Balhannah: a median of $978,000, against $815,000 in Forest Range. On these figures, Forest Range tends to suit families with children and buyers on a tighter budget.

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

Balhannah

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (28/100 vs 42/100)

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

First-home buyers

Forest Range

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($815,407 vs $977,500)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Commuting to the city

Balhannah

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (52/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (30 min vs 37 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (29 km vs 32 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Balhannah

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (52/100 vs 0/100)
  • carries lower crime risk (28/100 vs 42/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (23% vs 16%)

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

Investors

Forest Range

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (22.9% vs 8.3%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Forest Range Balhannah
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.

Forest Range Balhannah
Walkability 0 / 52
Forest Range — Walkability: 0/100 Balhannah — Walkability: 52/100
Safety 58 / 72
Forest Range — Safety: 58/100 Balhannah — Safety: 72/100
Low fire risk 35 / 64
Forest Range — Low fire risk: 35/100 Balhannah — Low fire risk: 64/100

Demographics

Balhannah has more residents (1,756 vs 290); Balhannah skews older (44 vs 38).

Forest Range Balhannah
Population 290 1,756
+506% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +22.9% +8.3%
Median age 38 44
Median household income $108,628/yr
+11% vs other
 $96,252/yr
Median weekly rent $330/wk $335/wk
+2% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Forest Range Balhannah
0-4 5.9% / 5.7%
Forest Range — 0-4: 5.9% Balhannah — 0-4: 5.7%
5-14 17.6% / 12.8%
Forest Range — 5-14: 17.6% Balhannah — 5-14: 12.8%
15-19 5.9% / 6.1%
Forest Range — 15-19: 5.9% Balhannah — 15-19: 6.1%
20-24 3.8% / 4.7%
Forest Range — 20-24: 3.8% Balhannah — 20-24: 4.7%
25-34 8.3% / 9.1%
Forest Range — 25-34: 8.3% Balhannah — 25-34: 9.1%
35-44 13.8% / 11.9%
Forest Range — 35-44: 13.8% Balhannah — 35-44: 11.9%
45-54 8.3% / 14.9%
Forest Range — 45-54: 8.3% Balhannah — 45-54: 14.9%
55-64 16.9% / 12.2%
Forest Range — 55-64: 16.9% Balhannah — 55-64: 12.2%
65-74 10.7% / 13.6%
Forest Range — 65-74: 10.7% Balhannah — 65-74: 13.6%
75-84 3.8% / 6.5%
Forest Range — 75-84: 3.8% Balhannah — 75-84: 6.5%
85+ 1.0% / 2.8%
Forest Range — 85+: 1.0% Balhannah — 85+: 2.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Forest Range 51.4% couple families
Forest Range — Couple Families: 51.4% Forest Range — Lone Person: 20.0% Forest Range — One Parent Families: 22.9% Forest Range — Group Household: 5.7% Forest Range — Other Families: 0.0%
Balhannah 54.0% couple families
Balhannah — Couple Families: 54.0% Balhannah — Lone Person: 28.0% Balhannah — One Parent Families: 14.4% Balhannah — Group Household: 2.7% Balhannah — Other Families: 0.9%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Forest Range 13.3% renting
Forest Range — Owned Outright: 48.0% Forest Range — Mortgage: 38.8% Forest Range — Renting: 13.3%
Balhannah 14.1% renting
Balhannah — Owned Outright: 41.4% Balhannah — Mortgage: 44.4% Balhannah — Renting: 14.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Forest Range Balhannah
Bachelor Degree 15.2% / 14.1%
Forest Range — Bachelor Degree: 15.2% Balhannah — Bachelor Degree: 14.1%
Certificate III & IV 13.8% / 14.3%
Forest Range — Certificate III & IV: 13.8% Balhannah — Certificate III & IV: 14.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.3% / 9.9%
Forest Range — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.3% Balhannah — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.9%
Postgraduate Degree 3.1% / 4.3%
Forest Range — Postgraduate Degree: 3.1% Balhannah — Postgraduate Degree: 4.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.8% / 2.2%
Forest Range — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.8% Balhannah — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.2%).

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.

Forest Range Balhannah
England 5.9% / 6.3%
Forest Range — England: 5.9% Balhannah — England: 6.3%
New Zealand 1.0% / 0.6%
Forest Range — New Zealand: 1.0% Balhannah — New Zealand: 0.6%
Malaysia 1.4% / —
Forest Range — Malaysia: 1.4% Balhannah — Malaysia: not among its largest
Germany — / 0.8%
Forest Range — Germany: not among its largest Balhannah — Germany: 0.8%
Scotland — / 0.6%
Forest Range — Scotland: not among its largest Balhannah — Scotland: 0.6%
South Africa — / 0.5%
Forest Range — South Africa: not among its largest Balhannah — South Africa: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.3%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Forest Range 100.0% houses
Forest Range — Houses: 100.0% Forest Range — Townhouses: 0.0%
Balhannah 95.7% houses
Balhannah — Houses: 95.7% Balhannah — Townhouses: 4.7%
Houses Townhouses

Property market

Forest Range Balhannah
Median house price $815,407 $977,500
Median unit price — $708,500
Median land price — $620,000
Typical days to sell (houses) — 44 days
from 13 sales

Zoning mix

Forest Range Balhannah
Rural and farming 93% 96%
Environmental 7% 2%
Residential 0% 2%
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

Forest Range Balhannah
New dwellings approved 95
across Adelaide Hills
same for both
Approvals change year on year +53%
same for both

Ranking within SA

Forest Range Balhannah
House price Higher than 18% of SA Higher than 38% of SA
Income Higher than 86% of SA Higher than 74% of SA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 49% of SA Higher than 81% of SA
Affordability Higher than 95% of SA Higher than 83% of SA
EV adoption Higher than 95% of SA Higher than 80% of SA
NBN connectivity Higher than 67% of SA Higher than 76% of SA

Liveability

Balhannah is more walkable (52 vs 0).

Forest Range Balhannah
Grade — B
Score — 63/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
same for both

Risk profile

Forest Range carries more bushfire risk (65 vs 36); Forest Range carries more crime risk (42 vs 28).

Forest Range Balhannah
Bushfire Moderate
65/100
 Low
36/100
Crime Moderate
42/100
 Low
28/100
Flood — Moderate
42/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
 3
within 5 km

Schools

Forest Range Balhannah
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

Forest Range Balhannah
Supermarkets 0 1
Cafes & restaurants 0 3
Parks & reserves 2 4
GPs 0 1
Pharmacies 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 0 1
Waterways 0 6

Mobility

Forest Range sits further from the CBD (32 km vs 29 km).

Forest Range Balhannah
Walkability score 0/100 52/100
Distance to Adelaide 32 km
+9% vs other
 29 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 37 min 30 min
Electric vehicle share 2.1%
postcode 5139
 1.1%
postcode 5242
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 98
postcode 5139
 78
postcode 5242

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.

Forest Range Balhannah
Car (driver) 79.7% / 77.1%
Forest Range — Car (driver): 79.7% Balhannah — Car (driver): 77.1%
Worked from Home 17.1% / 15.3%
Forest Range — Worked from Home: 17.1% Balhannah — Worked from Home: 15.3%
Walked Only 3.3% / 1.6%
Forest Range — Walked Only: 3.3% Balhannah — Walked Only: 1.6%
Car (passenger) — / 3.1%
Forest Range — Car (passenger): not among its largest Balhannah — Car (passenger): 3.1%
Bus — / 2.4%
Forest Range — Bus: not among its largest Balhannah — Bus: 2.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (79.7%).

Setting

Forest Range Balhannah
Elevation 494 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 341 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 26.4 km 28.2 km

NBN connectivity

Forest Range Balhannah
Connectivity score 30/100 57/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
109 premises
 29%
773 premises

Climate

Forest Range Balhannah
Annual rainfall 921 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Forest Range Balhannah
PM2.5 — 6.0 µg/m³
PM10 — 17.8 µg/m³
NO₂ 0.51 pphm 1.12 pphm

Council rates

Forest Range Balhannah
Average residential rate $2,727/yr
same for both
Council Adelaide Hills
same for both

Federal electorate

Forest Range Balhannah
Division Mayo
same for both
Member Rebekha Sharkie
same for both
Party Centre Alliance
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Forest Range Balhannah
Grant amount $15,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Forest Range

Family Middle-Ring

Balhannah

Acreage Outer Quiet

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Forest Range

Forest Range vs Lenswood Forest Range vs Carey Gully Forest Range vs Basket Range Forest Range vs Montacute Forest Range vs Cherryville

Other comparisons with Balhannah

Balhannah vs Littlehampton Balhannah vs Hahndorf Balhannah vs Oakbank Balhannah vs Lenswood Balhannah vs Carey Gully Balhannah vs Mount George
Full data on Forest Range Full data on Balhannah
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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