Lightsview vs Hillcrest

Lightsview is the younger of the two, with a median age of 32 against 35 in Hillcrest. In both, most households own their home. In Hillcrest, the large majority of homes are detached houses. Houses cost more in Hillcrest: a median of $948,000, against $860,000 in Lightsview, though rent is higher in Lightsview. On these figures, Lightsview tends to suit young adults.

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

Hillcrest

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (3 vs 0)
  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (81% vs 46%)
  • But Lightsview carries lower crime risk (66/100 vs 81/100)

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

First-home buyers

Lightsview

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has cheaper units ($590,000 vs $735,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($860,000 vs $947,500)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Hillcrest

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($319/wk vs $400/wk)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Too close to call

Nothing among the 4 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Downsizers and retirees

Lightsview

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (54% vs 19%)
  • carries lower crime risk (66/100 vs 81/100)
  • But Hillcrest has more GPs (4 vs 1)

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 house yield.

Where they sit

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

Lightsview Hillcrest
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.

Lightsview Hillcrest
Walkability 85 / 86
Lightsview — Walkability: 85/100 Hillcrest — Walkability: 86/100
Safety 34 / 19
Lightsview — Safety: 34/100 Hillcrest — Safety: 19/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Lightsview — Low fire risk: 100/100 Hillcrest — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Lightsview has more residents (6,090 vs 3,659); Lightsview rents higher ($400/wk vs $319/wk).

Lightsview Hillcrest
Population 6,090
+40% vs other
 3,659
Population trend (2016 → 2021) — +8.6%
Median age 32 35
Median household income $99,632/yr
+17% vs other
 $83,148/yr
Median weekly rent $400/wk
+20% vs other
 $319/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Lightsview Hillcrest
0-4 6.9% / 8.1%
Lightsview — 0-4: 6.9% Hillcrest — 0-4: 8.1%
5-14 10.1% / 12.2%
Lightsview — 5-14: 10.1% Hillcrest — 5-14: 12.2%
15-19 3.7% / 4.7%
Lightsview — 15-19: 3.7% Hillcrest — 15-19: 4.7%
20-24 8.1% / 5.9%
Lightsview — 20-24: 8.1% Hillcrest — 20-24: 5.9%
25-34 26.7% / 17.9%
Lightsview — 25-34: 26.7% Hillcrest — 25-34: 17.9%
35-44 19.0% / 17.0%
Lightsview — 35-44: 19.0% Hillcrest — 35-44: 17.0%
45-54 9.3% / 11.2%
Lightsview — 45-54: 9.3% Hillcrest — 45-54: 11.2%
55-64 6.4% / 9.0%
Lightsview — 55-64: 6.4% Hillcrest — 55-64: 9.0%
65-74 5.1% / 6.9%
Lightsview — 65-74: 5.1% Hillcrest — 65-74: 6.9%
75-84 2.9% / 4.2%
Lightsview — 75-84: 2.9% Hillcrest — 75-84: 4.2%
85+ 1.5% / 2.7%
Lightsview — 85+: 1.5% Hillcrest — 85+: 2.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (26.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Lightsview 36.8% couple families
Lightsview — Couple Families: 36.8% Lightsview — Lone Person: 38.1% Lightsview — One Parent Families: 13.0% Lightsview — Group Household: 9.4% Lightsview — Other Families: 2.6%
Hillcrest 44.5% couple families
Hillcrest — Couple Families: 44.5% Hillcrest — Lone Person: 34.3% Hillcrest — One Parent Families: 15.8% Hillcrest — Group Household: 3.6% Hillcrest — Other Families: 1.7%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Lightsview 35.3% renting
Lightsview — Owned Outright: 12.8% Lightsview — Mortgage: 52.0% Lightsview — Renting: 35.3%
Hillcrest 34.8% renting
Hillcrest — Owned Outright: 23.7% Hillcrest — Mortgage: 41.5% Hillcrest — Renting: 34.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Lightsview Hillcrest
India 7.9% / 15.9%
Lightsview — India: 7.9% Hillcrest — India: 15.9%
China 8.2% / 4.0%
Lightsview — China: 8.2% Hillcrest — China: 4.0%
England 2.8% / 2.5%
Lightsview — England: 2.8% Hillcrest — England: 2.5%
Malaysia 2.6% / 1.5%
Lightsview — Malaysia: 2.6% Hillcrest — Malaysia: 1.5%
Philippines 1.9% / 1.4%
Lightsview — Philippines: 1.9% Hillcrest — Philippines: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.9%).

Qualifications

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

Lightsview Hillcrest
Bachelor Degree 22.6% / 18.0%
Lightsview — Bachelor Degree: 22.6% Hillcrest — Bachelor Degree: 18.0%
Certificate III & IV 9.7% / 9.1%
Lightsview — Certificate III & IV: 9.7% Hillcrest — Certificate III & IV: 9.1%
Postgraduate Degree 10.3% / 7.7%
Lightsview — Postgraduate Degree: 10.3% Hillcrest — Postgraduate Degree: 7.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.6% / 7.6%
Lightsview — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.6% Hillcrest — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.2% / 2.0%
Lightsview — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.2% Hillcrest — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.6%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Lightsview 45.9% houses
Lightsview — Houses: 45.9% Lightsview — Townhouses: 45.0% Lightsview — Flats / Apartments: 9.0%
Hillcrest 80.9% houses
Hillcrest — Houses: 80.9% Hillcrest — Townhouses: 16.1% Hillcrest — Flats / Apartments: 2.9%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Lightsview Hillcrest
Median house price $860,000 $947,500
Median unit price $590,000 $735,000
Median land price $830,000 $935,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 21 days
from 81 sales
 18 days
from 36 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.

Lightsview Hillcrest
3 bed $860K / $902K
Lightsview — 3 bed: $860K (59 sales) Hillcrest — 3 bed: $902K (38 sales)

59 vs 38 sales

4 bed $1.2M / $1.11M
Lightsview — 4 bed: $1.2M (30 sales) Hillcrest — 4 bed: $1.11M (15 sales)

30 vs 15 sales

Zoning mix

Lightsview Hillcrest
Residential 98% 94%
Industrial 0% 5%
Commercial 2% 1%
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

Lightsview Hillcrest
New dwellings approved 1,176
across Port Adelaide Enfield
same for both
Approvals change year on year +23%
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.

Lightsview Hillcrest
Houses 4.4%
$700/wk on $824K
 4.2%
$685/wk on $840K
Units 4.8%
$580/wk on $628K
 —

Ranking within SA

Lightsview Hillcrest
House price Higher than 23% of SA Higher than 38% of SA
Income Higher than 79% of SA Higher than 58% of SA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 96% of SA
same for both
Affordability Higher than 93% of SA Higher than 69% of SA
EV adoption Higher than 84% of SA Higher than 72% of SA
NBN connectivity Higher than 95% of SA Higher than 96% of SA
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 85% of SA Higher than 75% of SA
Rental yield (units) Higher than 68% of SA —

Liveability

Lightsview scores higher overall (71 vs 64).

Lightsview Hillcrest
Grade A B
Score 71/100 64/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Hillcrest carries more crime risk (81 vs 66).

Lightsview Hillcrest
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
66/100
 High
81/100
Flood Moderate
62/100
 —
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 15
within 5 km
 5
within 5 km

Schools

Lightsview Hillcrest
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 3
Adelaide University, Mawson Lakes Campus, 5.9 km
 3
Adelaide University, Magill Campus, 5.9 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 3.5% 2.8%

Schools in Lightsview

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

Schools in Hillcrest

  • Hillcrest Primary School Government · Primary above peers

Amenities in the suburb

Lightsview Hillcrest
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 4 2
Parks & reserves 0 3
Childcare 3 4
GPs 1 4
Pharmacies 1
same for both
Fuel stations 0 1

Mobility

Lightsview Hillcrest
Walkability score 85/100 86/100
Distance to Adelaide 9.2 km 9.5 km
+3% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 17 min
same for both
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
 78/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 67.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 40.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.3%
postcode 5085
 0.8%
postcode 5086
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 62
postcode 5085
 63
postcode 5086

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.

Lightsview Hillcrest
Car (driver) 74.4% / 74.0%
Lightsview — Car (driver): 74.4% Hillcrest — Car (driver): 74.0%
Worked from Home 10.9% / 10.1%
Lightsview — Worked from Home: 10.9% Hillcrest — Worked from Home: 10.1%
Bus 8.5% / 10.2%
Lightsview — Bus: 8.5% Hillcrest — Bus: 10.2%
Car (passenger) 4.8% / 4.2%
Lightsview — Car (passenger): 4.8% Hillcrest — Car (passenger): 4.2%
Walked Only 0.8% / 0.9%
Lightsview — Walked Only: 0.8% Hillcrest — Walked Only: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (74.4%).

Setting

Lightsview Hillcrest
Elevation 76 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 82 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 9.3 km 10.4 km

NBN connectivity

Lightsview Hillcrest
Connectivity score 86/100 89/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 61%
272 premises
 48%
1,628 premises

Climate

Lightsview Hillcrest
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)

Lightsview Hillcrest
PM2.5 —
same for both
PM10 —
same for both
NO₂ 0.51 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Lightsview Hillcrest
Average residential rate $1,311/yr
same for both
Council Port Adelaide Enfield
same for both

Federal electorate

Lightsview Hillcrest
Division Adelaide Sturt
Member Steve Georganas Claire Clutterham
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Lightsview Hillcrest
Grant amount $15,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Lightsview

Inner Multicultural Professionals Townhouses Urban

Hillcrest

Middle-Ring Multicultural Parks Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Lightsview

Lightsview vs Northfield Lightsview vs Clearview Lightsview vs Oakden Lightsview vs Greenacres Lightsview vs Northgate

Other comparisons with Hillcrest

Hillcrest vs Klemzig Hillcrest vs Windsor Gardens Hillcrest vs Gilles Plains Hillcrest vs Oakden Hillcrest vs Greenacres
Full data on Lightsview Full data on Hillcrest
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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