Freeling vs Fords

Freeling is the younger of the two, with a median age of 33 against 39 in Fords. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. On these figures, Fords tends to suit couples.

Freeling is a considerably larger community of 2,688 people, while Fords has just 81 residents, making it a very small settlement. Fords offers a higher median household income of $108,316 compared to Freeling's $91,260, and ranks significantly higher on the socio-economic decile at 8 versus 3. However, Freeling has notably lower crime risk at 15 compared to Fords' 57, and better walkability at 38 versus 0. Freeling also sits closer to the CBD at 68.2 km. The choice depends on whether you prioritise a more established, walkable community with lower crime, or a quieter rural setting with stronger household incomes.

Written by an AI language model from the figures below. Every number in it is checked against those figures before it is published.

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

Freeling

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (3 vs 0)
  • has more childcare (3 vs 0)
  • carries lower crime risk (26/100 vs 60/100)

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

Fords

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (12% vs 19%)
  • has cheaper rent ($248/wk vs $330/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Freeling

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (45/100 vs 0/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (68.2 km vs 77.5 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (53 min vs 59 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Freeling

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (45/100 vs 0/100)
  • carries lower crime risk (26/100 vs 60/100)

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

Investors

Freeling

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (21.4% vs 8.0%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Freeling Fords
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.

Freeling Fords
Walkability 45 / 0
Freeling — Walkability: 45/100 Fords — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 74 / 40
Freeling — Safety: 74/100 Fords — Safety: 40/100
Low fire risk 20 / 14
Freeling — Low fire risk: 20/100 Fords — Low fire risk: 14/100

Demographics

Freeling has more residents (2,688 vs 81); Freeling rents higher ($330/wk vs $248/wk).

Freeling Fords
Population 2,688
+97% vs other
 81
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +21.4% +8.0%
Median age 33 39
Median household income $91,260/yr $108,316/yr
+19% vs other
Median weekly rent $330/wk
+25% vs other
 $248/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Freeling Fords
0-4 7.4% / —
Freeling — 0-4: 7.4% Fords — 0-4: not among its largest
5-14 17.2% / 21.0%
Freeling — 5-14: 17.2% Fords — 5-14: 21.0%
15-19 6.8% / 3.7%
Freeling — 15-19: 6.8% Fords — 15-19: 3.7%
20-24 5.7% / —
Freeling — 20-24: 5.7% Fords — 20-24: not among its largest
25-34 14.2% / 13.6%
Freeling — 25-34: 14.2% Fords — 25-34: 13.6%
35-44 12.5% / 19.8%
Freeling — 35-44: 12.5% Fords — 35-44: 19.8%
45-54 11.6% / 8.6%
Freeling — 45-54: 11.6% Fords — 45-54: 8.6%
55-64 11.5% / 16.0%
Freeling — 55-64: 11.5% Fords — 55-64: 16.0%
65-74 8.8% / 9.9%
Freeling — 65-74: 8.8% Fords — 65-74: 9.9%
75-84 3.1% / —
Freeling — 75-84: 3.1% Fords — 75-84: not among its largest
85+ 1.5% / —
Freeling — 85+: 1.5% Fords — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Freeling 55.1% couple families
Freeling — Couple Families: 55.1% Freeling — Lone Person: 22.9% Freeling — One Parent Families: 18.1% Freeling — Group Household: 2.6% Freeling — Other Families: 1.3%
Fords 70.0% couple families
Fords — Couple Families: 70.0% Fords — Lone Person: 30.0% Fords — One Parent Families: 0.0% Fords — Group Household: 0.0% Fords — Other Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Freeling 13.4% renting
Freeling — Owned Outright: 24.3% Freeling — Mortgage: 62.4% Freeling — Renting: 13.4%
Fords 17.2% renting
Fords — Owned Outright: 34.5% Fords — Mortgage: 48.3% Fords — Renting: 17.2%
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.

Freeling Fords
England 6.1% / 4.9%
Freeling — England: 6.1% Fords — England: 4.9%
Scotland 0.4% / —
Freeling — Scotland: 0.4% Fords — Scotland: not among its largest
Netherlands 0.3% / —
Freeling — Netherlands: 0.3% Fords — Netherlands: not among its largest
Germany 0.3% / —
Freeling — Germany: 0.3% Fords — Germany: not among its largest
New Zealand 0.2% / —
Freeling — New Zealand: 0.2% Fords — New Zealand: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.1%).

Qualifications

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

Freeling Fords
Certificate III & IV 20.4% / 13.6%
Freeling — Certificate III & IV: 20.4% Fords — Certificate III & IV: 13.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 5.5% / 14.8%
Freeling — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.5% Fords — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 14.8%
Bachelor Degree 6.4% / 11.1%
Freeling — Bachelor Degree: 6.4% Fords — Bachelor Degree: 11.1%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.0% / —
Freeling — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.0% Fords — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest
Postgraduate Degree 0.9% / —
Freeling — Postgraduate Degree: 0.9% Fords — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.4%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Freeling 98.4% houses
Freeling — Houses: 98.4% Freeling — Townhouses: 0.9% Freeling — Flats / Apartments: 0.7%
Fords 100.0% houses
Fords — Houses: 100.0% Fords — Townhouses: 0.0% Fords — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Freeling Fords
Median house price $705,000 —
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $322,500 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 20 days
from 22 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Freeling Fords
Rural and farming 97% 100%
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

Freeling Fords
New dwellings approved 278
across Light
same for both
Approvals change year on year +43%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Freeling Fords
Houses 4.9%
$720/wk on $765K
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within SA

Freeling Fords
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 70% of SA Higher than 85% of SA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 79% of SA Higher than 49% of SA
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 55% of SA Higher than 40% of SA
NBN connectivity Higher than 81% of SA Higher than 67% of SA
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 94% of SA —

Liveability

Freeling is more walkable (45 vs 0).

Freeling Fords
Grade C —
Score 38/100 —
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

Fords carries more crime risk (60 vs 26).

Freeling Fords
Bushfire High
80/100
 High
86/100
Crime Low
26/100
 Moderate
60/100
Flood Low
19/100
 —
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

Freeling Fords
Inside the suburb 1 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 1 0

Schools in Freeling

  • Freeling Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Fords

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

Amenities in the suburb

Freeling Fords
Parks & reserves 3 0
Childcare 3 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Waterways 2 0

Mobility

Fords sits further from the CBD (77.5 km vs 68.2 km).

Freeling Fords
Walkability score 45/100 0/100
Distance to Adelaide 68.2 km 77.5 km
+14% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 53 min 59 min
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 5372
 0.3%
postcode 5373
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 91
postcode 5372
 75
postcode 5373

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.

Freeling Fords
Car (driver) 85.2% / 84.1%
Freeling — Car (driver): 85.2% Fords — Car (driver): 84.1%
Worked from Home 7.0% / 15.9%
Freeling — Worked from Home: 7.0% Fords — Worked from Home: 15.9%
Car (passenger) 4.5% / —
Freeling — Car (passenger): 4.5% Fords — Car (passenger): not among its largest
Walked Only 2.3% / —
Freeling — Walked Only: 2.3% Fords — Walked Only: not among its largest
Bus 0.5% / —
Freeling — Bus: 0.5% Fords — Bus: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (85.2%).

Setting

Freeling Fords
Elevation 195 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 208 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 40.1 km 47.9 km

NBN connectivity

Freeling Fords
Connectivity score 69/100 30/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 46%
1,047 premises
 0%
29 premises

Climate

Freeling Fords
Annual rainfall 460 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Freeling Fords
Average residential rate $2,297/yr
same for both
Council Light
same for both

Federal electorate

Freeling Fords
Division Barker
same for both
Member Tony Pasin
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Freeling Fords
Grant amount $15,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Freeling

Acreage Family Quiet River

Fords

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Freeling

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Other comparisons with Fords

Fords vs Kapunda Fords vs Greenock Fords vs Moppa Fords vs Bethel
Full data on Freeling Full data on Fords
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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