Hawthorndene vs Belair

Hawthorndene is the younger of the two, with a median age of 41 against 47 in Belair. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Belair: a median of $1.23 million, against $1.12 million in Hawthorndene, though rent is higher in Hawthorndene. Belair is closer to the city centre: 12.7 km, against 14.3 km.

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

Belair

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools inside the suburb (3 vs 1)
  • has more childcare (6 vs 3)
  • But Hawthorndene carries lower crime risk (16/100 vs 32/100)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 2 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house prices and 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

Hawthorndene

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (44/100 vs 17/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • Hawthorndene is more walkable (44/100 vs 17/100)
  • Belair has more GPs (2 vs 0)

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

Investors

Belair

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (3.9% vs 3.3%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Hawthorndene Belair
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.

Hawthorndene Belair
Walkability 44 / 17
Hawthorndene — Walkability: 44/100 Belair — Walkability: 17/100
Safety 84 / 68
Hawthorndene — Safety: 84/100 Belair — Safety: 68/100
Low fire risk 66 / 53
Hawthorndene — Low fire risk: 66/100 Belair — Low fire risk: 53/100
Low flood risk 61 / 73
Hawthorndene — Low flood risk: 61/100 Belair — Low flood risk: 73/100

Demographics

Belair has more residents (4,718 vs 3,389); Belair skews older (47 vs 41).

Hawthorndene Belair
Population 3,389 4,718
+39% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +2.7% +7.0%
Median age 41 47
Median household income $111,228/yr $117,780/yr
+6% vs other
Median weekly rent $400/wk
+6% vs other
 $376/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Hawthorndene Belair
0-4 5.4% / 4.6%
Hawthorndene — 0-4: 5.4% Belair — 0-4: 4.6%
5-14 14.6% / 11.6%
Hawthorndene — 5-14: 14.6% Belair — 5-14: 11.6%
15-19 7.0% / 6.5%
Hawthorndene — 15-19: 7.0% Belair — 15-19: 6.5%
20-24 4.9% / 5.5%
Hawthorndene — 20-24: 4.9% Belair — 20-24: 5.5%
25-34 9.4% / 6.7%
Hawthorndene — 25-34: 9.4% Belair — 25-34: 6.7%
35-44 13.0% / 12.3%
Hawthorndene — 35-44: 13.0% Belair — 35-44: 12.3%
45-54 15.0% / 14.5%
Hawthorndene — 45-54: 15.0% Belair — 45-54: 14.5%
55-64 12.0% / 12.7%
Hawthorndene — 55-64: 12.0% Belair — 55-64: 12.7%
65-74 10.4% / 12.7%
Hawthorndene — 65-74: 10.4% Belair — 65-74: 12.7%
75-84 7.0% / 8.8%
Hawthorndene — 75-84: 7.0% Belair — 75-84: 8.8%
85+ 1.5% / 4.1%
Hawthorndene — 85+: 1.5% Belair — 85+: 4.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Hawthorndene 60.1% couple families
Hawthorndene — Couple Families: 60.1% Hawthorndene — Lone Person: 24.6% Hawthorndene — One Parent Families: 12.6% Hawthorndene — Group Household: 1.6% Hawthorndene — Other Families: 1.1%
Belair 57.6% couple families
Belair — Couple Families: 57.6% Belair — Lone Person: 28.7% Belair — One Parent Families: 10.2% Belair — Group Household: 2.6% Belair — Other Families: 0.9%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Hawthorndene 7.6% renting
Hawthorndene — Owned Outright: 39.5% Hawthorndene — Mortgage: 52.9% Hawthorndene — Renting: 7.6%
Belair 8.6% renting
Belair — Owned Outright: 44.3% Belair — Mortgage: 47.0% Belair — Renting: 8.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Hawthorndene Belair
Bachelor Degree 21.5% / 23.1%
Hawthorndene — Bachelor Degree: 21.5% Belair — Bachelor Degree: 23.1%
Certificate III & IV 11.9% / 8.8%
Hawthorndene — Certificate III & IV: 11.9% Belair — Certificate III & IV: 8.8%
Postgraduate Degree 6.7% / 10.1%
Hawthorndene — Postgraduate Degree: 6.7% Belair — Postgraduate Degree: 10.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.8% / 7.7%
Hawthorndene — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.8% Belair — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 4.1% / 4.4%
Hawthorndene — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.1% Belair — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.1%).

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.

Hawthorndene Belair
England 8.2% / 8.6%
Hawthorndene — England: 8.2% Belair — England: 8.6%
New Zealand 0.9% / 0.9%
Hawthorndene — New Zealand: 0.9% Belair — New Zealand: 0.9%
China 0.6% / 1.1%
Hawthorndene — China: 0.6% Belair — China: 1.1%
South Africa 0.6% / 1.0%
Hawthorndene — South Africa: 0.6% Belair — South Africa: 1.0%
Scotland 0.6% / 1.0%
Hawthorndene — Scotland: 0.6% Belair — Scotland: 1.0%
Germany 0.7% / 0.8%
Hawthorndene — Germany: 0.7% Belair — Germany: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (8.6%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Hawthorndene 96.6% houses
Hawthorndene — Houses: 96.6% Hawthorndene — Townhouses: 3.1% Hawthorndene — Flats / Apartments: 0.3%
Belair 89.0% houses
Belair — Houses: 89.0% Belair — Townhouses: 9.6% Belair — Flats / Apartments: 1.5%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Hawthorndene Belair
Median house price $1,121,500 $1,230,500
Median unit price $775,000 —
Median land price $647,500 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 16 days
from 22 sales
 26 days
from 40 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Hawthorndene Belair
3 bed $1.07M / $1.09M
Hawthorndene — 3 bed: $1.07M (27 sales) Belair — 3 bed: $1.09M (36 sales)

27 vs 36 sales

4 bed $1.23M / $1.3M
Hawthorndene — 4 bed: $1.23M (24 sales) Belair — 4 bed: $1.3M (46 sales)

24 vs 46 sales

5 bed $1.53M / $1.41M
Hawthorndene — 5 bed: $1.53M (9 sales) Belair — 5 bed: $1.41M (16 sales)

9 vs 16 sales

Zoning mix

Belair has more land zoned for conservation (78% vs 61%).

Hawthorndene Belair
Environmental 61% 78%
Residential 39% 22%
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

Hawthorndene Belair
New dwellings approved 188
across Mitcham
same for both
Approvals change year on year +32%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Hawthorndene Belair
Houses 3.3%
$700/wk on $1.1M
 3.9%
$975/wk on $1.3M
Units —
same for both

Ranking within SA

Hawthorndene Belair
House price Higher than 50% of SA Higher than 67% of SA
Income Higher than 87% of SA Higher than 92% of SA
Schools — Higher than 30% of SA
Walkability Higher than 79% of SA Higher than 70% of SA
Affordability Higher than 85% of SA Higher than 72% of SA
EV adoption Higher than 94% of SA Higher than 95% of SA
NBN connectivity Higher than 83% of SA Higher than 78% of SA
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 26% of SA Higher than 49% of SA

Liveability

Hawthorndene is more walkable (44 vs 17); Hawthorndene scores higher overall (70 vs 54).

Hawthorndene Belair
Grade A B
Score 70/100 54/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Belair carries more crime risk (32 vs 16); Hawthorndene carries more flood risk (39 vs 27).

Hawthorndene Belair
Bushfire Low
34/100
 Moderate
47/100
Crime Low
16/100
 Low
32/100
Flood Low
39/100
 Low
27/100
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

Hawthorndene Belair
Inside the suburb 1 3
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 1
same for both
Universities within 10 km 2
Bedford Park, 6.3 km
 3
Tonsley, 6.7 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.5% 3.5%

Schools in Hawthorndene

  • Hawthorndene Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Belair

  • Belair Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • St John's Grammar School - Secondary Campus Independent · Combined below peers
  • St John's Grammar School - Junior Campus Independent · Combined

Amenities in the suburb

Hawthorndene Belair
Cafes & restaurants 1 5
Parks & reserves 5 7
Childcare 3 6
GPs 0 2
Pharmacies 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 0 1
Waterways 1 13

Mobility

Hawthorndene Belair
Walkability score 44/100 17/100
Distance to Adelaide 14.3 km
+11% vs other
 12.7 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 25 min 22 min
Public transport score 79/100
Rail · Bus
 95/100
Rail · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 53.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 64.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.9%
postcode 5051
 2.1%
postcode 5052
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 73
postcode 5051
 63
postcode 5052

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.

Hawthorndene Belair
Car (driver) 72.3% / 67.7%
Hawthorndene — Car (driver): 72.3% Belair — Car (driver): 67.7%
Worked from Home 15.6% / 19.0%
Hawthorndene — Worked from Home: 15.6% Belair — Worked from Home: 19.0%
Train 3.9% / 3.7%
Hawthorndene — Train: 3.9% Belair — Train: 3.7%
Car (passenger) 3.2% / 4.1%
Hawthorndene — Car (passenger): 3.2% Belair — Car (passenger): 4.1%
Bus 2.3% / 2.4%
Hawthorndene — Bus: 2.3% Belair — Bus: 2.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (72.3%).

Setting

Hawthorndene Belair
Elevation 308 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 288 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 11.1 km 11.8 km

NBN connectivity

Hawthorndene Belair
Connectivity score 71/100 63/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 47%
1,306 premises
 32%
1,915 premises

Climate

Hawthorndene Belair
Annual rainfall 969 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 23.8°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 5.4°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Hawthorndene Belair
PM2.5 6.0 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 17.8 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 1.12 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Hawthorndene Belair
Average residential rate $2,296/yr
same for both
Council Mitcham
same for both

Federal electorate

Hawthorndene Belair
Division Mayo Boothby
Member Rebekha Sharkie Louise Miller-Frost
Party Centre Alliance Australian Labor Party

First Home Owner Grant

Hawthorndene Belair
Grant amount $15,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Hawthorndene

Large Blocks Middle-Ring Parks Professionals

Belair

Acreage Easy Commute Middle-Ring Professionals Retirees River Trains Transport Hub

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Hawthorndene

Hawthorndene vs Coromandel Valley Hawthorndene vs Blackwood Hawthorndene vs Glenalta Hawthorndene vs Upper Sturt Hawthorndene vs Coromandel East

Other comparisons with Belair

Belair vs Blackwood Belair vs Eden Hills Belair vs Torrens Park Belair vs Panorama Belair vs Glenalta Belair vs Mitcham
Full data on Hawthorndene Full data on Belair
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

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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