Henley Beach South vs West Beach

In both, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. In Henley Beach South, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Henley Beach South: a median of $1.76 million, against $1.59 million in West Beach, and rent is higher there too.

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

West Beach

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (12 vs 1)
  • carries lower crime risk (52/100 vs 75/100)
  • But Henley Beach South has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here

  • Henley Beach South has cheaper units ($545,000 vs $610,250)
  • West Beach has cheaper houses ($1,585,500 vs $1,763,750)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, land 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

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

West Beach

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (52/100 vs 75/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (23% vs 16%)

Weighs smaller dwellings, 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

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

Henley Beach South West Beach
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.

Henley Beach South West Beach
Walkability 75 / 74
Henley Beach South — Walkability: 75/100 West Beach — Walkability: 74/100
Safety 25 / 48
Henley Beach South — Safety: 25/100 West Beach — Safety: 48/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Henley Beach South — Low fire risk: 100/100 West Beach — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 23 / 43
Henley Beach South — Low flood risk: 23/100 West Beach — Low flood risk: 43/100

Demographics

West Beach has more residents (5,175 vs 2,799); Henley Beach South has higher household incomes ($108,992 vs $90,792).

Henley Beach South West Beach
Population 2,799 5,175
+85% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +4.7% +4.3%
Median age 43 45
Median household income $108,992/yr
+17% vs other
 $90,792/yr
Median weekly rent $340/wk
+6% vs other
 $320/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Henley Beach South West Beach
0-4 4.5% / 4.8%
Henley Beach South — 0-4: 4.5% West Beach — 0-4: 4.8%
5-14 11.9% / 10.6%
Henley Beach South — 5-14: 11.9% West Beach — 5-14: 10.6%
15-19 6.3% / 5.4%
Henley Beach South — 15-19: 6.3% West Beach — 15-19: 5.4%
20-24 5.8% / 5.9%
Henley Beach South — 20-24: 5.8% West Beach — 20-24: 5.9%
25-34 10.2% / 10.7%
Henley Beach South — 25-34: 10.2% West Beach — 25-34: 10.7%
35-44 13.3% / 12.3%
Henley Beach South — 35-44: 13.3% West Beach — 35-44: 12.3%
45-54 16.3% / 14.0%
Henley Beach South — 45-54: 16.3% West Beach — 45-54: 14.0%
55-64 15.4% / 13.7%
Henley Beach South — 55-64: 15.4% West Beach — 55-64: 13.7%
65-74 10.4% / 10.7%
Henley Beach South — 65-74: 10.4% West Beach — 65-74: 10.7%
75-84 3.8% / 8.3%
Henley Beach South — 75-84: 3.8% West Beach — 75-84: 8.3%
85+ 1.8% / 3.6%
Henley Beach South — 85+: 1.8% West Beach — 85+: 3.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Henley Beach South 47.3% couple families
Henley Beach South — Couple Families: 47.3% Henley Beach South — Lone Person: 34.8% Henley Beach South — One Parent Families: 12.5% Henley Beach South — Group Household: 4.8% Henley Beach South — Other Families: 0.5%
West Beach 44.4% couple families
West Beach — Couple Families: 44.4% West Beach — Lone Person: 40.3% West Beach — One Parent Families: 10.8% West Beach — Group Household: 3.2% West Beach — Other Families: 1.3%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Henley Beach South 27.2% renting
Henley Beach South — Owned Outright: 37.3% Henley Beach South — Mortgage: 35.5% Henley Beach South — Renting: 27.2%
West Beach 26.9% renting
West Beach — Owned Outright: 39.9% West Beach — Mortgage: 33.2% West Beach — Renting: 26.9%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Henley Beach South West Beach
Bachelor Degree 19.8% / 17.3%
Henley Beach South — Bachelor Degree: 19.8% West Beach — Bachelor Degree: 17.3%
Certificate III & IV 11.9% / 13.5%
Henley Beach South — Certificate III & IV: 11.9% West Beach — Certificate III & IV: 13.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.1% / 8.3%
Henley Beach South — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.1% West Beach — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.3%
Postgraduate Degree 6.1% / 5.5%
Henley Beach South — Postgraduate Degree: 6.1% West Beach — Postgraduate Degree: 5.5%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.4% / 2.8%
Henley Beach South — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.4% West Beach — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.8%).

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.

Henley Beach South West Beach
England 6.8% / 6.2%
Henley Beach South — England: 6.8% West Beach — England: 6.2%
India 1.0% / 1.9%
Henley Beach South — India: 1.0% West Beach — India: 1.9%
New Zealand 1.3% / 0.8%
Henley Beach South — New Zealand: 1.3% West Beach — New Zealand: 0.8%
South Africa 1.1% / 1.0%
Henley Beach South — South Africa: 1.1% West Beach — South Africa: 1.0%
Italy 1.0% / 1.0%
Henley Beach South — Italy: 1.0% West Beach — Italy: 1.0%
Scotland — / 1.1%
Henley Beach South — Scotland: not among its largest West Beach — Scotland: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Henley Beach South 63.2% houses
Henley Beach South — Houses: 63.2% Henley Beach South — Flats / Apartments: 19.6% Henley Beach South — Townhouses: 17.2%
West Beach 65.7% houses
West Beach — Houses: 65.7% West Beach — Flats / Apartments: 21.7% West Beach — Townhouses: 12.6%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Henley Beach South West Beach
Median house price $1,763,750 $1,585,500
Median unit price $545,000 $610,250
Median land price $1,375,000 $1,226,500
Typical days to sell (houses) 28 days
from 27 sales
 18 days
from 53 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.

Henley Beach South West Beach
3 bed $1.65M / $1.43M
Henley Beach South — 3 bed: $1.65M (28 sales) West Beach — 3 bed: $1.43M (35 sales)

28 vs 35 sales

4 bed $1.8M / $1.8M
Henley Beach South — 4 bed: $1.8M (17 sales) West Beach — 4 bed: $1.8M (38 sales)

17 vs 38 sales

5 bed $1.7M / $2.03M
Henley Beach South — 5 bed: $1.7M (7 sales) West Beach — 5 bed: $2.03M (6 sales)

7 vs 6 sales

Zoning mix

Henley Beach South West Beach
Residential 87% 39%
Parks and recreation 12% 34%
Infrastructure and transport 0% 21%
Commercial 1% 6%
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

Henley Beach South West Beach
New dwellings approved 1,636
across Charles Sturt
 578
across West Torrens
Approvals change year on year +109% +103%

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.

Henley Beach South West Beach
Houses — 2.8%
$780/wk on $1.43M
Units 5.3%
$520/wk on $515K
 —

Ranking within SA

Henley Beach South West Beach
House price Higher than 92% of SA Higher than 77% of SA
Income Higher than 86% of SA Higher than 69% of SA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 90% of SA
same for both
Affordability Higher than 15% of SA Higher than 22% of SA
EV adoption Higher than 87% of SA Higher than 75% of SA
NBN connectivity Higher than 89% of SA Higher than 85% of SA
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 12% of SA
Rental yield (units) Higher than 77% of SA —

Liveability

West Beach scores higher overall (72 vs 61).

Henley Beach South West Beach
Grade B A
Score 61/100 72/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Henley Beach South carries more crime risk (75 vs 52); Henley Beach South carries more flood risk (77 vs 57).

Henley Beach South West Beach
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
75/100
 Moderate
52/100
Flood High
77/100
 Moderate
57/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
 High
76/100
Aircraft noise Moderate
50/100
 High
91/100
Industrial facilities nearby 3
within 5 km
 4
within 5 km

Schools

Henley Beach South West Beach
Inside the suburb 1
same for both
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 3
Adelaide University, Adelaide City Campus, 9.1 km
 3
Tonsley, 8.2 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 3.1% 2.8%

Schools in Henley Beach South

  • Henley Beach Primary School Government · Primary above peers

Schools in West Beach

  • West Beach Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Henley Beach South West Beach
Supermarkets 0 1
Cafes & restaurants 1 5
Parks & reserves 1 12
Childcare 1 3
GPs 0 1
Pharmacies 1 2
Banks & Bank@Post 1 2
Fuel stations 0 2
Waterways 0 2

Mobility

Henley Beach South West Beach
Walkability score 75/100 74/100
Distance to Adelaide 10.3 km 10.5 km
+2% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 18 min 17 min
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
 78/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 50.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 135.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 1.5%
postcode 5022
 0.9%
postcode 5024
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 57
postcode 5022
 56
postcode 5024

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.

Henley Beach South West Beach
Car (driver) 71.5% / 74.2%
Henley Beach South — Car (driver): 71.5% West Beach — Car (driver): 74.2%
Worked from Home 16.3% / 14.8%
Henley Beach South — Worked from Home: 16.3% West Beach — Worked from Home: 14.8%
Bus 5.7% / 3.8%
Henley Beach South — Bus: 5.7% West Beach — Bus: 3.8%
Car (passenger) 4.0% / 4.0%
Henley Beach South — Car (passenger): 4.0% West Beach — Car (passenger): 4.0%
Bicycle 1.1% / 1.9%
Henley Beach South — Bicycle: 1.1% West Beach — Bicycle: 1.9%
Walked Only 1.5% / 1.1%
Henley Beach South — Walked Only: 1.5% West Beach — Walked Only: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (74.2%).

Setting

Henley Beach South West Beach
Elevation 5 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 8 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 475 m
1.1 km to a named beach
 710 m
2.9 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Henley Beach South West Beach
Connectivity score 76/100 75/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 3%
1,411 premises
 1%
2,466 premises

Climate

Henley Beach South West Beach
Annual rainfall 394 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 28.1°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 7.8°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Henley Beach South West Beach
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

Henley Beach South West Beach
Average residential rate $1,726/yr $1,532/yr
Council Charles Sturt West Torrens

Federal electorate

Henley Beach South West Beach
Division Hindmarsh
same for both
Member Mark Butler
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Henley Beach South West Beach
Grant amount $15,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Henley Beach South

Beach Coastal Middle-Ring Parks Premium Quiet

West Beach

Coastal Middle-Ring Parks Premium Quiet

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Henley Beach South

Henley Beach South vs Henley Beach Henley Beach South vs Fulham

Other comparisons with West Beach

West Beach vs Glenelg North West Beach vs Lockleys West Beach vs Fulham
Full data on Henley Beach South Full data on West Beach
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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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