Highbury vs Paracombe

Highbury is the younger of the two, with a median age of 41 against 47 in Paracombe. 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 Paracombe: a median of $1.69 million, against $1 million in Highbury, though rent is higher in Highbury. Highbury is closer to the city centre: 15.3 km, against 22.1 km. On these figures, Highbury tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget.

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

Highbury

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more parks and reserves (5 vs 2)

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 $1,685,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Paracombe

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (13% vs 18%)
  • has cheaper rent ($263/wk vs $369/wk)

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 19/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (15.3 km vs 22.1 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 19/100)

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

Highbury and Paracombe 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 Paracombe
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 Paracombe
Walkability 43 / 19
Highbury — Walkability: 43/100 Paracombe — Walkability: 19/100
Safety 61 / 68
Highbury — Safety: 61/100 Paracombe — Safety: 68/100
Low fire risk 100 / 17
Highbury — Low fire risk: 100/100 Paracombe — Low fire risk: 17/100
Low flood risk 22 / 43
Highbury — Low flood risk: 22/100 Paracombe — Low flood risk: 43/100

Demographics

Highbury has more residents (6,956 vs 435); Highbury rents higher ($369/wk vs $263/wk).

Highbury Paracombe
Population 6,956
+94% vs other
 435
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +5.6% +2.1%
Median age 41 47
Median household income $105,976/yr $108,784/yr
+3% vs other
Median weekly rent $369/wk
+29% vs other
 $263/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Highbury Paracombe
0-4 5.3% / 3.2%
Highbury — 0-4: 5.3% Paracombe — 0-4: 3.2%
5-14 12.6% / 12.4%
Highbury — 5-14: 12.6% Paracombe — 5-14: 12.4%
15-19 6.9% / 6.7%
Highbury — 15-19: 6.9% Paracombe — 15-19: 6.7%
20-24 5.9% / 6.0%
Highbury — 20-24: 5.9% Paracombe — 20-24: 6.0%
25-34 10.6% / 5.5%
Highbury — 25-34: 10.6% Paracombe — 25-34: 5.5%
35-44 12.6% / 11.3%
Highbury — 35-44: 12.6% Paracombe — 35-44: 11.3%
45-54 14.1% / 17.5%
Highbury — 45-54: 14.1% Paracombe — 45-54: 17.5%
55-64 12.4% / 12.9%
Highbury — 55-64: 12.4% Paracombe — 55-64: 12.9%
65-74 11.8% / 14.0%
Highbury — 65-74: 11.8% Paracombe — 65-74: 14.0%
75-84 6.4% / 9.4%
Highbury — 75-84: 6.4% Paracombe — 75-84: 9.4%
85+ 1.3% / 0.7%
Highbury — 85+: 1.3% Paracombe — 85+: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.5%).

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%
Paracombe 65.9% couple families
Paracombe — Couple Families: 65.9% Paracombe — Lone Person: 22.7% Paracombe — One Parent Families: 4.5% Paracombe — Group Household: 6.8% Paracombe — 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%
Paracombe 6.3% renting
Paracombe — Owned Outright: 52.1% Paracombe — Mortgage: 41.5% Paracombe — Renting: 6.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Highbury Paracombe
Certificate III & IV 14.5% / 16.3%
Highbury — Certificate III & IV: 14.5% Paracombe — Certificate III & IV: 16.3%
Bachelor Degree 15.7% / 9.9%
Highbury — Bachelor Degree: 15.7% Paracombe — Bachelor Degree: 9.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.7% / 11.5%
Highbury — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.7% Paracombe — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 11.5%
Postgraduate Degree 4.5% / 5.3%
Highbury — Postgraduate Degree: 4.5% Paracombe — Postgraduate Degree: 5.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.8% / 2.1%
Highbury — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.8% Paracombe — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.1%

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

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 Paracombe
England 5.2% / 7.1%
Highbury — England: 5.2% Paracombe — England: 7.1%
Italy 2.2% / 0.9%
Highbury — Italy: 2.2% Paracombe — Italy: 0.9%
India 1.7% / —
Highbury — India: 1.7% Paracombe — India: not among its largest
Netherlands — / 1.6%
Highbury — Netherlands: not among its largest Paracombe — Netherlands: 1.6%
Scotland 0.7% / 0.7%
Highbury — Scotland: 0.7% Paracombe — Scotland: 0.7%
South Africa 0.9% / —
Highbury — South Africa: 0.9% Paracombe — South Africa: not among its largest
China 0.9% / —
Highbury — China: 0.9% Paracombe — China: not among its largest
Philippines — / 0.9%
Highbury — Philippines: not among its largest Paracombe — Philippines: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (7.1%).

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%
Paracombe 100.0% houses
Paracombe — Houses: 100.0% Paracombe — Townhouses: 0.0% Paracombe — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Highbury Paracombe
Median house price $1,004,500 $1,685,000
Median unit price $653,000 —
Median land price $530,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 18 days
from 82 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Paracombe has more rural and farming land (70% vs 0%); Paracombe has more land zoned for conservation (28% vs 1%).

Highbury Paracombe
Rural and farming 0% 70%
Residential 67% 0%
Environmental 1% 28%
Parks and recreation 23% 0%
Industrial 7% 2%
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 Paracombe
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 Paracombe
Houses 3.9%
$750/wk on $1M
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within SA

Highbury Paracombe
House price Higher than 57% of SA —
Income Higher than 84% of SA Higher than 86% of SA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 78% of SA Higher than 71% of SA
Affordability Higher than 74% of SA —
EV adoption Higher than 83% of SA Higher than 64% 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 19).

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

Risk profile

Paracombe carries more bushfire risk (83 vs 0); Highbury carries more flood risk (78 vs 57).

Highbury Paracombe
Bushfire None
0/100
 High
83/100
Crime Low
39/100
 Low
32/100
Flood High
78/100
 Moderate
57/100
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 Paracombe
Inside the suburb 1
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 0 1
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 Paracombe

  • Paracombe Primary and Preschool Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Highbury Paracombe
Parks & reserves 5 2
Childcare 2 1
GPs 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Waterways 0 7

Mobility

Paracombe sits further from the CBD (22.1 km vs 15.3 km).

Highbury Paracombe
Walkability score 43/100 19/100
Distance to Adelaide 15.3 km 22.1 km
+44% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 25 min 32 min
Electric vehicle share 1.3%
postcode 5089
 0.7%
postcode 5132
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 69
postcode 5089
 90
postcode 5132

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 Paracombe
Car (driver) 73.7% / 76.2%
Highbury — Car (driver): 73.7% Paracombe — Car (driver): 76.2%
Worked from Home 12.1% / 12.7%
Highbury — Worked from Home: 12.1% Paracombe — Worked from Home: 12.7%
Bus 7.6% / 4.2%
Highbury — Bus: 7.6% Paracombe — Bus: 4.2%
Car (passenger) 5.3% / 3.2%
Highbury — Car (passenger): 5.3% Paracombe — Car (passenger): 3.2%
Walked Only 0.5% / 3.7%
Highbury — Walked Only: 0.5% Paracombe — Walked Only: 3.7%
Bicycle 0.6% / —
Highbury — Bicycle: 0.6% Paracombe — Bicycle: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (76.2%).

Setting

Highbury Paracombe
Elevation 147 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 423 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 15.7 km 20.0 km

NBN connectivity

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

Climate

Highbury Paracombe
Annual rainfall 404 mm 921 mm
Summer max (Jan) 30.4°C —
Winter min (Jul) 6.5°C —

Air quality (annual mean)

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

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

Highbury Paracombe
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

Paracombe

Acreage Middle-Ring River

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Highbury

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

Other comparisons with Paracombe

Paracombe vs Vista Paracombe vs Houghton Paracombe vs Cudlee Creek Paracombe vs Inglewood Paracombe vs Montacute Paracombe vs Millbrook
Full data on Highbury Full data on Paracombe
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.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or