Lightsview vs Northgate

Lightsview is the younger of the two, with a median age of 32 against 38 in Northgate. In both, most households own their home. In Northgate, the large majority of homes are detached houses and most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Northgate: a median of $957,000, against $860,000 in Lightsview. On these figures, Lightsview tends to suit young adults and people living alone, while Northgate suits families with children and 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

Northgate

ahead on 5 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (5 vs 0)
  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (89% vs 46%)

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

First-home buyers

Lightsview

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($860,000 vs $957,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Lightsview

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (35% vs 23%)

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

They split

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

  • Lightsview has more units and townhouses to downsize into (54% vs 11%)
  • Northgate carries lower crime risk (47/100 vs 66/100)

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 house yield.

Where they sit

Lightsview and Northgate 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 Northgate
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 Northgate
Walkability 85 / 82
Lightsview — Walkability: 85/100 Northgate — Walkability: 82/100
Safety 34 / 53
Lightsview — Safety: 34/100 Northgate — Safety: 53/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Lightsview — Low fire risk: 100/100 Northgate — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 38 / 58
Lightsview — Low flood risk: 38/100 Northgate — Low flood risk: 58/100

Demographics

Lightsview has more residents (6,090 vs 3,184); Northgate skews older (38 vs 32).

Lightsview Northgate
Population 6,090
+48% vs other
 3,184
Population trend (2016 → 2021) —
same for both
Median age 32 38
Median household income $99,632/yr $114,764/yr
+15% vs other
Median weekly rent $400/wk
+1% vs other
 $395/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Lightsview Northgate
0-4 6.9% / 5.9%
Lightsview — 0-4: 6.9% Northgate — 0-4: 5.9%
5-14 10.1% / 16.3%
Lightsview — 5-14: 10.1% Northgate — 5-14: 16.3%
15-19 3.7% / 6.3%
Lightsview — 15-19: 3.7% Northgate — 15-19: 6.3%
20-24 8.1% / 5.7%
Lightsview — 20-24: 8.1% Northgate — 20-24: 5.7%
25-34 26.7% / 11.0%
Lightsview — 25-34: 26.7% Northgate — 25-34: 11.0%
35-44 19.0% / 16.0%
Lightsview — 35-44: 19.0% Northgate — 35-44: 16.0%
45-54 9.3% / 15.2%
Lightsview — 45-54: 9.3% Northgate — 45-54: 15.2%
55-64 6.4% / 11.1%
Lightsview — 55-64: 6.4% Northgate — 55-64: 11.1%
65-74 5.1% / 7.9%
Lightsview — 65-74: 5.1% Northgate — 65-74: 7.9%
75-84 2.9% / 3.7%
Lightsview — 75-84: 2.9% Northgate — 75-84: 3.7%
85+ 1.5% / 0.8%
Lightsview — 85+: 1.5% Northgate — 85+: 0.8%

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%
Northgate 65.1% couple families
Northgate — Couple Families: 65.1% Northgate — Lone Person: 17.6% Northgate — One Parent Families: 13.2% Northgate — Group Household: 2.8% Northgate — 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.

Lightsview 35.3% renting
Lightsview — Owned Outright: 12.8% Lightsview — Mortgage: 52.0% Lightsview — Renting: 35.3%
Northgate 23.0% renting
Northgate — Owned Outright: 29.7% Northgate — Mortgage: 47.3% Northgate — Renting: 23.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Lightsview Northgate
Bachelor Degree 22.6% / 18.0%
Lightsview — Bachelor Degree: 22.6% Northgate — Bachelor Degree: 18.0%
Certificate III & IV 9.7% / 10.4%
Lightsview — Certificate III & IV: 9.7% Northgate — Certificate III & IV: 10.4%
Postgraduate Degree 10.3% / 7.1%
Lightsview — Postgraduate Degree: 10.3% Northgate — Postgraduate Degree: 7.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.6% / 7.9%
Lightsview — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.6% Northgate — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.9%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.2% / 2.1%
Lightsview — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.2% Northgate — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.1%

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

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 Northgate
India 7.9% / 7.6%
Lightsview — India: 7.9% Northgate — India: 7.6%
China 8.2% / 4.8%
Lightsview — China: 8.2% Northgate — China: 4.8%
England 2.8% / 3.1%
Lightsview — England: 2.8% Northgate — England: 3.1%
Vietnam 1.5% / 2.9%
Lightsview — Vietnam: 1.5% Northgate — Vietnam: 2.9%
Malaysia 2.6% / 1.5%
Lightsview — Malaysia: 2.6% Northgate — Malaysia: 1.5%
Philippines 1.9% / 1.0%
Lightsview — Philippines: 1.9% Northgate — Philippines: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (8.2%).

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%
Northgate 88.7% houses
Northgate — Houses: 88.7% Northgate — Townhouses: 10.8% Northgate — Flats / Apartments: 0.6%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Lightsview Northgate
Median house price $860,000 $957,000
Median unit price $590,000 —
Median land price $830,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 21 days
from 81 sales
 17 days
from 21 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 Northgate
3 bed $860K / $900K
Lightsview — 3 bed: $860K (59 sales) Northgate — 3 bed: $900K (33 sales)

59 vs 33 sales

4 bed $1.2M / $1.19M
Lightsview — 4 bed: $1.2M (30 sales) Northgate — 4 bed: $1.19M (15 sales)

30 vs 15 sales

5 bed $1.52M / $1.39M
Lightsview — 5 bed: $1.52M (9 sales) Northgate — 5 bed: $1.39M (8 sales)

9 vs 8 sales

Zoning mix

Lightsview Northgate
Residential 98%
same for both
Commercial 2%
same for both
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 Northgate
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 Northgate
Houses 4.4%
$700/wk on $824K
 4.1%
$720/wk on $920K
Units 4.8%
$580/wk on $628K
 —

Ranking within SA

Lightsview Northgate
House price Higher than 23% of SA Higher than 63% of SA
Income Higher than 79% of SA Higher than 89% of SA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 96% of SA Higher than 93% of SA
Affordability Higher than 93% of SA Higher than 74% of SA
EV adoption Higher than 84% of SA Higher than 83% of SA
NBN connectivity Higher than 95% of SA Higher than 97% of SA
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 85% of SA Higher than 62% of SA
Rental yield (units) Higher than 68% of SA —

Liveability

Northgate scores higher overall (79 vs 71).

Lightsview Northgate
Grade A
same for both
Score 71/100 79/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
same for both

Risk profile

Lightsview carries more flood risk (62 vs 42); Lightsview carries more crime risk (66 vs 47).

Lightsview Northgate
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
66/100
 Moderate
47/100
Flood Moderate
62/100
 Moderate
42/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 15
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Lightsview Northgate
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, Mawson Lakes Campus, 5.5 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 3.5% 3.8%

Schools in Lightsview

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

Schools in Northgate

  • Cedar College Independent · Combined above peers

Amenities in the suburb

Lightsview Northgate
Supermarkets 1
same for both
Cafes & restaurants 4 1
Parks & reserves 0 5
Childcare 3 2
GPs 1 0
Pharmacies 1
same for both

Mobility

Lightsview Northgate
Walkability score 85/100 82/100
Distance to Adelaide 9.2 km 10.1 km
+10% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 17 min
same for both
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 67.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 50.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.3%
postcode 5085
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 62
postcode 5085
same for both

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 Northgate
Car (driver) 74.4% / 74.8%
Lightsview — Car (driver): 74.4% Northgate — Car (driver): 74.8%
Worked from Home 10.9% / 12.0%
Lightsview — Worked from Home: 10.9% Northgate — Worked from Home: 12.0%
Bus 8.5% / 5.7%
Lightsview — Bus: 8.5% Northgate — Bus: 5.7%
Car (passenger) 4.8% / 5.7%
Lightsview — Car (passenger): 4.8% Northgate — Car (passenger): 5.7%
Walked Only 0.8% / 0.7%
Lightsview — Walked Only: 0.8% Northgate — Walked Only: 0.7%
Bicycle 0.5% / 0.8%
Lightsview — Bicycle: 0.5% Northgate — Bicycle: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (74.8%).

Setting

Lightsview Northgate
Elevation 76 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 77 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 9.3 km 9.1 km

NBN connectivity

Lightsview Northgate
Connectivity score 86/100 91/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 61%
272 premises
 55%
1,101 premises

Climate

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

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

Lightsview Northgate
Division Adelaide
same for both
Member Steve Georganas
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Lightsview Northgate
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

Northgate

Family Middle-Ring Parks Quiet Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Lightsview

Lightsview vs Northfield Lightsview vs Clearview Lightsview vs Hillcrest Lightsview vs Oakden Lightsview vs Greenacres

Other comparisons with Northgate

Northgate vs Northfield Northgate vs Oakden
Full data on Lightsview Full data on Northgate
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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