Gemmells vs Highland Valley
Gemmells is the younger of the two, with a median age of 39 against 47 in Highland Valley. 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, Gemmells tends to suit 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
Highland Valley
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has more parks and reserves (7 vs 0)
Weighs schools, house stock, 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
Highland Valley
ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here
- has cheaper rent ($250/wk vs $638/wk)
- leaves renters under less rental stress (11% vs 27%)
Weighs rent and rental stress.
Commuting to the city
Too close to call
Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Too close to call
Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, and walkability.
Investors
Gemmells
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (28.6% vs 13.3%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Gemmells and Highland Valley 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
Highland Valley has more residents (384 vs 99); Gemmells rents higher ($638/wk vs $250/wk).
| Gemmells | Highland Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 99 | 384 +288% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +28.6% | +13.3% |
| Median age | 39 | 47 |
| Median household income | $121,316/yr +2% vs other | $119,132/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $638/wk +61% vs other | $250/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.2%).
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 (10.1%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.6%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Zoning mix
| Gemmells | Highland Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Gemmells | Highland Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 429 across Alexandrina same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +25% same for both | |
Ranking within SA
| Gemmells | Highland Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 93% of SA | Higher than 92% of SA |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 47% of SA | Higher than 28% of SA |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 65% of SA | Higher than 64% of SA |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 40% of SA | Higher than 42% of SA |
Liveability
| Gemmells | Highland Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | very advantaged area decile 9/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
| Gemmells | Highland Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Moderate 57/100 | Moderate 59/100 |
| Crime | — | Low 10/100 |
| 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 same for both | |
Schools
| Gemmells | Highland Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Gemmells | Highland Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 0 | 7 |
| Waterways | 0 | 1 |
Mobility
| Gemmells | Highland Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Adelaide | 47.6 km +2% vs other | 46.8 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 50 min | 48 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.7% postcode 5255 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 85 postcode 5255 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 (83.0%).
Setting
| Gemmells | Highland Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 260 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 244 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 38.0 km | 40.4 km |
NBN connectivity
| Gemmells | Highland Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 27/100 | 28/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 38 premises | 0% 136 premises |
Climate
| Gemmells | Highland Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 466 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | — same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Gemmells | Highland Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $2,523/yr same for both | |
| Council | Alexandrina same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Gemmells | Highland Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Mayo same for both | |
| Member | Rebekha Sharkie same for both | |
| Party | Centre Alliance same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Gemmells | Highland Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $15,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | — same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Gemmells
Other comparisons with Highland Valley
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.