Highbury vs Houghton

Highbury is the younger of the two, with a median age of 41 against 50 in Houghton. 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 Houghton: a median of $1.25 million, against $1 million in Highbury. Highbury is closer to the city centre: 15.3 km, against 20.9 km. On these figures, Highbury tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget, while Houghton suits 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

  • Highbury has more parks and reserves (5 vs 0)
  • Houghton is already more of a family suburb (83% vs 73%)

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

First-home buyers

Highbury

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($1,004,500 vs $1,250,000)

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

Highbury

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (43/100 vs 8/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (15.3 km vs 20.9 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (25 min vs 32 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Highbury

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (43/100 vs 8/100)

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

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

Highbury Houghton
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.

Highbury Houghton
Walkability 43 / 8
Highbury — Walkability: 43/100 Houghton — Walkability: 8/100
Safety 61 / 58
Highbury — Safety: 61/100 Houghton — Safety: 58/100
Low fire risk 100 / 12
Highbury — Low fire risk: 100/100 Houghton — Low fire risk: 12/100
Low flood risk 22 / 61
Highbury — Low flood risk: 22/100 Houghton — Low flood risk: 61/100

Demographics

Highbury has more residents (6,956 vs 511); Houghton skews older (50 vs 41).

Highbury Houghton
Population 6,956
+93% vs other
 511
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +5.6% +3.9%
Median age 41 50
Median household income $105,976/yr $122,512/yr
+16% vs other
Median weekly rent $369/wk $373/wk
+1% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Highbury Houghton
0-4 5.3% / 2.5%
Highbury — 0-4: 5.3% Houghton — 0-4: 2.5%
5-14 12.6% / 11.5%
Highbury — 5-14: 12.6% Houghton — 5-14: 11.5%
15-19 6.9% / 7.6%
Highbury — 15-19: 6.9% Houghton — 15-19: 7.6%
20-24 5.9% / 6.8%
Highbury — 20-24: 5.9% Houghton — 20-24: 6.8%
25-34 10.6% / 6.5%
Highbury — 25-34: 10.6% Houghton — 25-34: 6.5%
35-44 12.6% / 8.8%
Highbury — 35-44: 12.6% Houghton — 35-44: 8.8%
45-54 14.1% / 16.6%
Highbury — 45-54: 14.1% Houghton — 45-54: 16.6%
55-64 12.4% / 21.3%
Highbury — 55-64: 12.4% Houghton — 55-64: 21.3%
65-74 11.8% / 14.9%
Highbury — 65-74: 11.8% Houghton — 65-74: 14.9%
75-84 6.4% / 4.3%
Highbury — 75-84: 6.4% Houghton — 75-84: 4.3%
85+ 1.3% / —
Highbury — 85+: 1.3% Houghton — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Highbury 57.4% couple families
Highbury — Couple Families: 57.4% Highbury — Lone Person: 24.6% Highbury — One Parent Families: 15.3% Highbury — Group Household: 2.3% Highbury — Other Families: 0.5%
Houghton 71.8% couple families
Houghton — Couple Families: 71.8% Houghton — Lone Person: 17.3% Houghton — One Parent Families: 10.9% Houghton — Group Household: 0.0% Houghton — Other Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Highbury 12.3% renting
Highbury — Owned Outright: 42.2% Highbury — Mortgage: 45.5% Highbury — Renting: 12.3%
Houghton 3.4% renting
Houghton — Owned Outright: 43.2% Houghton — Mortgage: 53.4% Houghton — Renting: 3.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Highbury Houghton
Certificate III & IV 14.5% / 19.2%
Highbury — Certificate III & IV: 14.5% Houghton — Certificate III & IV: 19.2%
Bachelor Degree 15.7% / 13.5%
Highbury — Bachelor Degree: 15.7% Houghton — Bachelor Degree: 13.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.7% / 8.6%
Highbury — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.7% Houghton — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.6%
Postgraduate Degree 4.5% / 4.3%
Highbury — Postgraduate Degree: 4.5% Houghton — Postgraduate Degree: 4.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.8% / 2.7%
Highbury — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.8% Houghton — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.2%).

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.

Highbury Houghton
England 5.2% / 10.8%
Highbury — England: 5.2% Houghton — England: 10.8%
Italy 2.2% / —
Highbury — Italy: 2.2% Houghton — Italy: not among its largest
India 1.7% / —
Highbury — India: 1.7% Houghton — India: not among its largest
Scotland 0.7% / 0.6%
Highbury — Scotland: 0.7% Houghton — Scotland: 0.6%
New Zealand — / 1.0%
Highbury — New Zealand: not among its largest Houghton — New Zealand: 1.0%
South Africa 0.9% / —
Highbury — South Africa: 0.9% Houghton — South Africa: not among its largest
China 0.9% / —
Highbury — China: 0.9% Houghton — China: not among its largest
Canada — / 0.6%
Highbury — Canada: not among its largest Houghton — Canada: 0.6%
Netherlands — / 0.6%
Highbury — Netherlands: not among its largest Houghton — Netherlands: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (10.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Highbury 97.1% houses
Highbury — Houses: 97.1% Highbury — Townhouses: 2.6% Highbury — Flats / Apartments: 0.3%
Houghton 101.1% houses
Houghton — Houses: 101.1% Houghton — Townhouses: 1.7% Houghton — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Highbury Houghton
Median house price $1,004,500 $1,250,000
Median unit price $653,000 —
Median land price $530,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 18 days
from 82 sales
 52 days
from 3 sales

Zoning mix

Houghton has more rural and farming land (67% vs 0%); Houghton has more land zoned for conservation (24% vs 1%).

Highbury Houghton
Rural and farming 0% 67%
Residential 67% 8%
Environmental 1% 24%
Parks and recreation 23% 0%
Industrial 7% 0%
Commercial 2% 0%
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

Highbury Houghton
New dwellings approved 574
across Tea Tree Gully
 95
across Adelaide Hills
Approvals change year on year +36% +53%

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.

Highbury Houghton
Houses 3.9%
$750/wk on $1M
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within SA

Highbury Houghton
House price Higher than 57% of SA —
Income Higher than 84% of SA Higher than 93% of SA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 78% of SA Higher than 61% of SA
Affordability Higher than 74% of SA —
EV adoption Higher than 83% of SA Higher than 56% of SA
NBN connectivity Higher than 96% of SA Higher than 61% of SA
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 49% of SA —

Liveability

Highbury is more walkable (43 vs 8); Highbury scores higher overall (59 vs 40).

Highbury Houghton
Grade B C
Score 59/100 40/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
same for both

Risk profile

Houghton carries more bushfire risk (88 vs 0); Highbury carries more flood risk (78 vs 39).

Highbury Houghton
Bushfire None
0/100
 High
88/100
Crime Low
39/100
 Moderate
42/100
Flood High
78/100
 Low
39/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 3
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Highbury Houghton
Inside the suburb 1 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 1
Adelaide University, Magill Campus, 7.5 km
 None

Schools in Highbury

  • Highbury Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Houghton

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Amenities in the suburb

Highbury Houghton
Parks & reserves 5 0
Childcare 2 0
GPs 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0

Mobility

Houghton sits further from the CBD (20.9 km vs 15.3 km).

Highbury Houghton
Walkability score 43/100 8/100
Distance to Adelaide 15.3 km 20.9 km
+37% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 25 min 32 min
Electric vehicle share 1.3%
postcode 5089
 0.6%
postcode 5131
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 69
postcode 5089
 94
postcode 5131

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.

Highbury Houghton
Car (driver) 73.7% / 76.8%
Highbury — Car (driver): 73.7% Houghton — Car (driver): 76.8%
Worked from Home 12.1% / 14.8%
Highbury — Worked from Home: 12.1% Houghton — Worked from Home: 14.8%
Car (passenger) 5.3% / 4.8%
Highbury — Car (passenger): 5.3% Houghton — Car (passenger): 4.8%
Bus 7.6% / 1.2%
Highbury — Bus: 7.6% Houghton — Bus: 1.2%
Walked Only 0.5% / 2.4%
Highbury — Walked Only: 0.5% Houghton — Walked Only: 2.4%
Bicycle 0.6% / —
Highbury — Bicycle: 0.6% Houghton — Bicycle: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (76.8%).

Setting

Highbury Houghton
Elevation 147 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 365 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 15.7 km 18.4 km

NBN connectivity

Highbury Houghton
Connectivity score 89/100 30/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 59%
2,776 premises
 0%
190 premises

Climate

Highbury Houghton
Annual rainfall 404 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 30.4°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 6.5°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Highbury Houghton
PM2.5 —
same for both
PM10 —
same for both
NO₂ 0.51 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Highbury Houghton
Average residential rate $2,000/yr $2,727/yr
Council Tea Tree Gully Adelaide Hills

Federal electorate

Highbury Houghton
Division Sturt Mayo
Member Claire Clutterham Rebekha Sharkie
Party Australian Labor Party Centre Alliance

First Home Owner Grant

Highbury Houghton
Grant amount $15,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Highbury

Large Blocks Middle-Ring Parks

Houghton

Acreage Middle-Ring

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Highbury

Highbury vs Athelstone Highbury vs Hope Valley Highbury vs Paradise Highbury vs Dernancourt Highbury vs Vista Highbury vs Paracombe

Other comparisons with Houghton

Houghton vs Tea Tree Gully Houghton vs Vista Houghton vs Paracombe Houghton vs Inglewood Houghton vs Upper Hermitage Houghton vs Lower Hermitage
Full data on Highbury Full data on Houghton
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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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