Gawler River vs Ward Belt
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 Ward Belt, most households are couple families. Gawler River is closer to the city centre: 43.6 km, against 49.1 km. On these figures, Gawler River tends to suit people living alone, while Ward Belt 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
Ward Belt
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- is already more of a family suburb (91% vs 50%)
- carries lower crime risk (78/100 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 26%)
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Gawler River
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- leaves renters under less rental stress (20% vs 27%)
- has cheaper rent ($320/wk vs $425/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Gawler River
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- sits closer to the CBD (43.6 km vs 49.1 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
They split
one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here
- Gawler River has more residents already 65 and over (28% vs 20%)
- Ward Belt carries lower crime risk (78/100 vs 93/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Ward Belt
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (2.6% vs -16.1%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Gawler River and Ward Belt drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.
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.
Demographics
Ward Belt has more residents (158 vs 104); Ward Belt rents higher ($425/wk vs $320/wk).
| Gawler River | Ward Belt | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 104 | 158 +52% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -16.1% | +2.6% |
| Median age | 46 | 45 |
| Median household income | $84,448/yr +3% vs other | $82,316/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $320/wk | $425/wk +33% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.2%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (7.7%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.3%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Zoning mix
| Gawler River | Ward Belt | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 100% | 97% |
| Parks and recreation | 0% | 3% |
| 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 | Ward Belt | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 278 across Light same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +43% same for both | |
Ranking within SA
| Gawler River | Ward Belt | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 59% of SA | Higher than 58% of SA |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 4% of SA | Higher than 21% of SA |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 56% of SA | Higher than 57% of SA |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 51% of SA | Higher than 71% of SA |
Liveability
| Gawler River | Ward Belt | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | below-average income decile 3/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
Gawler River carries more flood risk (94 vs 31); Gawler River carries more bushfire risk (36 vs 15).
| Gawler River | Ward Belt | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 36/100 | Low 15/100 |
| Crime | High 93/100 | High 78/100 |
| Flood | High 94/100 | Low 31/100 |
| 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 | Ward Belt | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
Mobility
Ward Belt sits further from the CBD (49.1 km vs 43.6 km).
| Gawler River | Ward Belt | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Adelaide | 43.6 km | 49.1 km +13% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 41 min | 40 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.6% postcode 5118 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 76 postcode 5118 same for both | |
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (75.4%).
Setting
| Gawler River | Ward Belt | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 37 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 43 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 17.6 km | 21.6 km |
NBN connectivity
| Gawler River | Ward Belt | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 | 37/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 37 premises | 8% 66 premises |
Climate
| Gawler River | Ward Belt | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Ward Belt | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Ward Belt | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $2,297/yr same for both | |
| Council | Light same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Gawler River | Ward Belt | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Grey same for both | |
| Member | Tom Venning same for both | |
| Party | Liberal same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Gawler River | Ward Belt | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $15,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | — same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Gawler River
Other comparisons with Ward Belt
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.