Hamilton vs Buchanan
Buchanan is the younger of the two, with a median age of 29 against 51 in Hamilton. 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, Buchanan 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
They split
one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here
- Hamilton carries lower crime risk (55/100 vs 71/100)
- Buchanan is already more of a family suburb (100% vs 60%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Buchanan
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (9% vs 20%)
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Hamilton
ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here
- has cheaper rent ($100/wk vs $250/wk)
- leaves renters under less rental stress (8% vs 19%)
Weighs rent and rental stress.
Commuting to the city
Hamilton
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- sits closer to the CBD (103.2 km vs 106.1 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Hamilton
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- carries lower crime risk (55/100 vs 71/100)
Weighs GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Buchanan
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (15.9% vs 0.0%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Hamilton and Buchanan 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
Buchanan rents higher ($250/wk vs $100/wk); Hamilton skews older (51 vs 29).
| Hamilton | Buchanan | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 82 +38% vs other | 51 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +0.0% | +15.9% |
| Median age | 51 | 29 |
| Median household income | $66,092/yr | $68,224/yr +3% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $100/wk | $250/wk +150% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (27.5%).
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 (7.3%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.3%).
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
Zoning mix
| Hamilton | Buchanan | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Hamilton | Buchanan | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 278 across Light | 12 across Goyder |
| Approvals change year on year | +43% | -50% |
Ranking within SA
| Hamilton | Buchanan | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 33% of SA | Higher than 38% of SA |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 34% of SA | Higher than 45% of SA |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 39% of SA | — |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 30% of SA | Higher than 34% of SA |
Liveability
| Hamilton | Buchanan | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 6/10 | below-average income decile 3/10 |
Risk profile
Hamilton carries more bushfire risk (27 vs 0); Buchanan carries more crime risk (71 vs 55).
| Hamilton | Buchanan | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 27/100 | None 0/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 55/100 | High 71/100 |
| 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
| Hamilton | Buchanan | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Hamilton | Buchanan | |
|---|---|---|
| Waterways | 1 | 0 |
Mobility
Buchanan sits further from the CBD (106.1 km vs 103.2 km).
| Hamilton | Buchanan | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Adelaide | 103.2 km | 106.1 km +3% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 80 min | 79 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.3% postcode 5373 | 0.0% postcode 5374 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 75 postcode 5373 | 64 postcode 5374 |
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 (78.6%).
Setting
| Hamilton | Buchanan | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 369 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 361 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Hamilton | Buchanan | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 19/100 | 23/100 |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) | Fixed wireless |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 22 premises | 0% 13 premises |
Climate
| Hamilton | Buchanan | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 460 mm | 420 mm |
| Summer max (Jan) | — | 29.5°C |
| Winter min (Jul) | — | 5.6°C |
Council rates
| Hamilton | Buchanan | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $2,297/yr | $1,395/yr |
| Council | Light | Goyder |
Federal electorate
| Hamilton | Buchanan | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Barker | Grey |
| Member | Tony Pasin | Tom Venning |
| Party | Liberal same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Hamilton | Buchanan | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $15,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | — same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Hamilton
Other comparisons with Buchanan
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.