Gawler River vs Reeves Plains

In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Gawler River, about half of households are people living alone. In Reeves Plains, most households are couple families. Gawler River is closer to the city centre: 43.6 km, against 57.5 km. On these figures, Gawler River tends to suit people living alone, while Reeves Plains suits 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

Reeves Plains

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • is already more of a family suburb (79% vs 50%)
  • carries lower crime risk (83/100 vs 93/100)

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

First-home buyers

Gawler River

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (16% vs 21%)

Weighs 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

Gawler River

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (43.6 km vs 57.5 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (41 min vs 50 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Reeves Plains

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (83/100 vs 93/100)

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

Investors

Reeves Plains

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (-1.5% vs -16.1%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Gawler River Reeves Plains
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.

Gawler River Reeves Plains
Walkability 0 / 0
Gawler River — Walkability: 0/100 Reeves Plains — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 7 / 17
Gawler River — Safety: 7/100 Reeves Plains — Safety: 17/100
Low fire risk 64 / 78
Gawler River — Low fire risk: 64/100 Reeves Plains — Low fire risk: 78/100
Low flood risk 6 / 43
Gawler River — Low flood risk: 6/100 Reeves Plains — Low flood risk: 43/100

Demographics

Reeves Plains skews older (48 vs 46).

Gawler River Reeves Plains
Population 104 129
+24% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -16.1% -1.5%
Median age 46 48
Median household income $84,448/yr
+5% vs other
 $80,184/yr
Median weekly rent $320/wk $338/wk
+6% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Gawler River Reeves Plains
0-4 — / 2.3%
Gawler River — 0-4: not among its largest Reeves Plains — 0-4: 2.3%
5-14 14.4% / 8.5%
Gawler River — 5-14: 14.4% Reeves Plains — 5-14: 8.5%
15-19 14.4% / 5.4%
Gawler River — 15-19: 14.4% Reeves Plains — 15-19: 5.4%
20-24 3.8% / 6.2%
Gawler River — 20-24: 3.8% Reeves Plains — 20-24: 6.2%
25-34 2.9% / 10.1%
Gawler River — 25-34: 2.9% Reeves Plains — 25-34: 10.1%
35-44 13.5% / 2.3%
Gawler River — 35-44: 13.5% Reeves Plains — 35-44: 2.3%
45-54 10.6% / 21.7%
Gawler River — 45-54: 10.6% Reeves Plains — 45-54: 21.7%
55-64 12.5% / 13.2%
Gawler River — 55-64: 12.5% Reeves Plains — 55-64: 13.2%
65-74 20.2% / 17.1%
Gawler River — 65-74: 20.2% Reeves Plains — 65-74: 17.1%
75-84 7.7% / 8.5%
Gawler River — 75-84: 7.7% Reeves Plains — 75-84: 8.5%
85+ — / —
Gawler River — 85+: not among its largest Reeves Plains — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.7%).

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.

Gawler River Reeves Plains
England 7.7% / 7.8%
Gawler River — England: 7.7% Reeves Plains — England: 7.8%
Philippines — / 2.3%
Gawler River — Philippines: not among its largest Reeves Plains — Philippines: 2.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (7.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Gawler River 31.2% couple families
Gawler River — Couple Families: 31.2% Gawler River — Lone Person: 50.0% Gawler River — One Parent Families: 18.8% Gawler River — Group Household: 0.0%
Reeves Plains 55.3% couple families
Reeves Plains — Couple Families: 55.3% Reeves Plains — Lone Person: 7.9% Reeves Plains — One Parent Families: 23.7% Reeves Plains — Group Household: 13.2%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Gawler River 100.0% houses
Gawler River — Houses: 100.0%
Reeves Plains 100.0% houses
Reeves Plains — Houses: 100.0%
Houses

Qualifications

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

Gawler River Reeves Plains
Certificate III & IV 16.3% / 19.4%
Gawler River — Certificate III & IV: 16.3% Reeves Plains — Certificate III & IV: 19.4%
Bachelor Degree 5.8% / 9.3%
Gawler River — Bachelor Degree: 5.8% Reeves Plains — Bachelor Degree: 9.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.7% / 4.7%
Gawler River — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.7% Reeves Plains — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.7%
Postgraduate Degree 3.8% / —
Gawler River — Postgraduate Degree: 3.8% Reeves Plains — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.4%).

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Gawler River 21.6% renting
Gawler River — Owned Outright: 56.8% Gawler River — Mortgage: 21.6% Gawler River — Renting: 21.6%
Reeves Plains 13.5% renting
Reeves Plains — Owned Outright: 45.9% Reeves Plains — Mortgage: 40.5% Reeves Plains — Renting: 13.5%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Zoning mix

Gawler River Reeves Plains
Rural and farming 100%
same for both
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

Gawler River Reeves Plains
New dwellings approved 278
across Light
 106
across Adelaide Plains
Approvals change year on year +43% -21%

Ranking within SA

Gawler River Reeves Plains
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 59% of SA Higher than 55% of SA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 4% of SA Higher than 24% of SA
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 56% of SA Higher than 51% of SA
NBN connectivity Higher than 51% of SA Higher than 58% of SA

Liveability

Gawler River Reeves Plains
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10

Risk profile

Gawler River carries more flood risk (94 vs 57); Gawler River carries more bushfire risk (36 vs 22).

Gawler River Reeves Plains
Bushfire Low
36/100
 Low
22/100
Crime High
93/100
 High
83/100
Flood High
94/100
 Moderate
57/100
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

Gawler River Reeves Plains
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

Gawler River Reeves Plains
Parks & reserves 0 1

Mobility

Reeves Plains sits further from the CBD (57.5 km vs 43.6 km).

Gawler River Reeves Plains
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Adelaide 43.6 km 57.5 km
+32% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 41 min 50 min
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 5118
 0.5%
postcode 5502
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 76
postcode 5118
 78
postcode 5502

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.

Gawler River Reeves Plains
Car (driver) 70.6% / 83.0%
Gawler River — Car (driver): 70.6% Reeves Plains — Car (driver): 83.0%
Worked from Home 11.8% / 17.0%
Gawler River — Worked from Home: 11.8% Reeves Plains — Worked from Home: 17.0%
Car (passenger) 17.6% / —
Gawler River — Car (passenger): 17.6% Reeves Plains — Car (passenger): not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (83.0%).

Setting

Gawler River Reeves Plains
Elevation 37 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 33 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 17.6 km 19.2 km

NBN connectivity

Gawler River Reeves Plains
Connectivity score 30/100
same for both
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
37 premises
 0%
61 premises

Climate

Gawler River Reeves Plains
Annual rainfall 404 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 30.0°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 6.6°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Gawler River Reeves Plains
PM2.5 5.5 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 18.7 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.31 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Gawler River Reeves Plains
Average residential rate $2,297/yr $2,698/yr
Council Light Adelaide Plains

Federal electorate

Gawler River Reeves Plains
Division Grey
same for both
Member Tom Venning
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Gawler River Reeves Plains
Grant amount $15,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Gawler River

Outer Retirees

Reeves Plains

Outer Retirees

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Gawler River

Gawler River vs Angle Vale Gawler River vs Lewiston Gawler River vs Hillier Gawler River vs Buchfelde Gawler River vs Ward Belt

Other comparisons with Reeves Plains

Reeves Plains vs Lewiston Reeves Plains vs Two Wells Reeves Plains vs Wasleys Reeves Plains vs Korunye Reeves Plains vs Redbanks Reeves Plains vs Ward Belt
Full data on Gawler River Full data on Reeves Plains
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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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