Hamilton vs Marrabel
Marrabel is the younger of the two, with a median age of 44 against 51 in Hamilton. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Hamilton, most households are couple families. In Marrabel, about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Hamilton tends to suit couples and older residents, while Marrabel suits people living alone and families with children.
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
Hamilton
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (55/100 vs 66/100)
- is already more of a family suburb (60% vs 50%)
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
Hamilton
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- leaves renters under less rental stress (8% vs 18%)
- has cheaper rent ($100/wk vs $205/wk)
- But Marrabel has a bigger rental market to choose from (24% vs 9%)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
They split
one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here
- Hamilton sits closer to the CBD (103.2 km vs 108.7 km)
- Marrabel is more walkable (23/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Hamilton
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- has more residents already 65 and over (27% vs 15%)
- carries lower crime risk (55/100 vs 66/100)
- But Marrabel is more walkable (23/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Too close to call
Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Hamilton and Marrabel 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
Marrabel rents higher ($205/wk vs $100/wk); Hamilton skews older (51 vs 44).
| Hamilton | Marrabel | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 82 | 101 +23% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +0.0% | -2.9% |
| Median age | 51 | 44 |
| Median household income | $66,092/yr +11% vs other | $58,500/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $100/wk | $205/wk +105% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.7%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 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 (24.8%).
Zoning mix
| Hamilton | Marrabel | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Marrabel | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 278 across Light | 28 across Clare and Gilbert Valleys |
| Approvals change year on year | +43% | +20% |
Ranking within SA
| Hamilton | Marrabel | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 33% of SA | Higher than 25% of SA |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 34% of SA | Higher than 73% of SA |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 39% of SA | Higher than 35% of SA |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 30% of SA | Higher than 10% of SA |
Liveability
Marrabel is more walkable (23 vs 0).
| Hamilton | Marrabel | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 6/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
Hamilton carries more bushfire risk (27 vs 13); Marrabel carries more crime risk (66 vs 55).
| Hamilton | Marrabel | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 27/100 | Low 13/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 55/100 | Moderate 66/100 |
| 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 | Marrabel | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Marrabel | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 0 | 2 |
| Waterways | 1 | 2 |
Mobility
Marrabel sits further from the CBD (108.7 km vs 103.2 km).
| Hamilton | Marrabel | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 | 23/100 |
| Distance to Adelaide | 103.2 km | 108.7 km +5% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 80 min | 82 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.3% postcode 5373 | 0.3% postcode 5413 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 75 postcode 5373 | 60 postcode 5413 |
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 (64.9%).
Setting
| Hamilton | Marrabel | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 369 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 387 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Hamilton | Marrabel | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 19/100 | 15/100 |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 22 premises | 0% 5 premises |
Climate
| Hamilton | Marrabel | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 460 mm | 420 mm |
| Summer max (Jan) | — | 29.5°C |
| Winter min (Jul) | — | 5.6°C |
Council rates
| Hamilton | Marrabel | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $2,297/yr | $1,830/yr |
| Council | Light | Clare and Gilbert Valleys |
Federal electorate
| Hamilton | Marrabel | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Barker | Grey |
| Member | Tony Pasin | Tom Venning |
| Party | Liberal same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Hamilton | Marrabel | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Marrabel
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.