Lochaber vs Wild Dog Valley

Lochaber is the younger of the two, with a median age of 38 against 48 in Wild Dog Valley. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Wild Dog Valley, most households are couple families. On these figures, Wild Dog Valley tends to suit couples and older residents.

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

Lochaber

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more separate houses rather than flats (100% vs 89%)

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

First-home buyers

Lochaber

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (2% vs 10%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Lochaber

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (27% vs 13%)
  • has cheaper rent ($139/wk vs $205/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Lochaber

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (218 min vs 227 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (323.6 km vs 330.1 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Wild Dog Valley

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more residents already 65 and over (23% vs 8%)

Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Lochaber

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (27.1% vs -15.0%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Lochaber Wild Dog Valley
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.

Lochaber Wild Dog Valley
Walkability 0 / 0
Lochaber — Walkability: 0/100 Wild Dog Valley — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 86 / 88
Lochaber — Safety: 86/100 Wild Dog Valley — Safety: 88/100
Low fire risk 78 / 84
Lochaber — Low fire risk: 78/100 Wild Dog Valley — Low fire risk: 84/100

Demographics

Wild Dog Valley rents higher ($205/wk vs $139/wk); Wild Dog Valley skews older (48 vs 38).

Lochaber Wild Dog Valley
Population 122 153
+25% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +27.1% -15.0%
Median age 38 48
Median household income $123,448/yr
+20% vs other
 $98,748/yr
Median weekly rent $139/wk $205/wk
+47% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Lochaber Wild Dog Valley
0-4 9.8% / 5.2%
Lochaber — 0-4: 9.8% Wild Dog Valley — 0-4: 5.2%
5-14 13.1% / 15.0%
Lochaber — 5-14: 13.1% Wild Dog Valley — 5-14: 15.0%
15-19 3.3% / 7.8%
Lochaber — 15-19: 3.3% Wild Dog Valley — 15-19: 7.8%
20-24 6.6% / 3.9%
Lochaber — 20-24: 6.6% Wild Dog Valley — 20-24: 3.9%
25-34 4.1% / 3.9%
Lochaber — 25-34: 4.1% Wild Dog Valley — 25-34: 3.9%
35-44 10.7% / 13.7%
Lochaber — 35-44: 10.7% Wild Dog Valley — 35-44: 13.7%
45-54 14.8% / 13.1%
Lochaber — 45-54: 14.8% Wild Dog Valley — 45-54: 13.1%
55-64 18.0% / 13.1%
Lochaber — 55-64: 18.0% Wild Dog Valley — 55-64: 13.1%
65-74 2.5% / 14.4%
Lochaber — 65-74: 2.5% Wild Dog Valley — 65-74: 14.4%
75-84 5.7% / 8.5%
Lochaber — 75-84: 5.7% Wild Dog Valley — 75-84: 8.5%
85+ — / —
Lochaber — 85+: not among its largest Wild Dog Valley — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.0%).

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.

Lochaber Wild Dog Valley
England 2.5% / 2.0%
Lochaber — England: 2.5% Wild Dog Valley — England: 2.0%
New Zealand 4.1% / —
Lochaber — New Zealand: 4.1% Wild Dog Valley — New Zealand: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Lochaber 43.3% couple families
Lochaber — Couple Families: 43.3% Lochaber — Lone Person: 40.0% Lochaber — One Parent Families: 16.7%
Wild Dog Valley 65.5% couple families
Wild Dog Valley — Couple Families: 65.5% Wild Dog Valley — Lone Person: 34.5% Wild Dog Valley — One Parent Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Lochaber 100.0% houses
Lochaber — Houses: 100.0% Lochaber — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Wild Dog Valley 89.1% houses
Wild Dog Valley — Houses: 89.1% Wild Dog Valley — Flats / Apartments: 10.9%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Lochaber Wild Dog Valley
Certificate III & IV 10.7% / 19.0%
Lochaber — Certificate III & IV: 10.7% Wild Dog Valley — Certificate III & IV: 19.0%
Bachelor Degree 9.0% / 5.9%
Lochaber — Bachelor Degree: 9.0% Wild Dog Valley — Bachelor Degree: 5.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.1% / 8.5%
Lochaber — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.1% Wild Dog Valley — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.0%).

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Lochaber 27.3% renting
Lochaber — Owned Outright: 54.5% Lochaber — Mortgage: 18.2% Lochaber — Renting: 27.3%
Wild Dog Valley 12.8% renting
Wild Dog Valley — Owned Outright: 59.6% Wild Dog Valley — Mortgage: 27.7% Wild Dog Valley — Renting: 12.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Zoning mix

Lochaber Wild Dog Valley
Rural and farming 100%
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

Lochaber Wild Dog Valley
New dwellings approved 17
across Naracoorte Lucindale
same for both
Approvals change year on year +300%
same for both

Ranking within SA

Lochaber Wild Dog Valley
House price —
same for both
Income —
same for both
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 15% of SA Higher than 3% of SA
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 7% of SA
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 39% of SA Higher than 36% of SA

Liveability

Lochaber Wild Dog Valley
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Lochaber Wild Dog Valley
Bushfire Low
22/100
 Low
16/100
Crime Low
14/100
 Low
12/100
Flood —
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Lochaber Wild Dog Valley
Inside the suburb 0
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Amenities in the suburb

Lochaber Wild Dog Valley
Parks & reserves 1 3
Waterways 24 1

Mobility

Wild Dog Valley sits further from the CBD (330.1 km vs 323.6 km).

Lochaber Wild Dog Valley
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Adelaide 323.6 km 330.1 km
+2% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 218 min 227 min
Electric vehicle share 0.1%
postcode 5271
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 50
postcode 5271
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.

Lochaber Wild Dog Valley
Car (driver) 41.9% / 65.2%
Lochaber — Car (driver): 41.9% Wild Dog Valley — Car (driver): 65.2%
Worked from Home 43.5% / 34.8%
Lochaber — Worked from Home: 43.5% Wild Dog Valley — Worked from Home: 34.8%
Walked Only 14.5% / —
Lochaber — Walked Only: 14.5% Wild Dog Valley — Walked Only: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (65.2%).

Setting

Lochaber Wild Dog Valley
Elevation 39 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 74 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Lochaber Wild Dog Valley
Connectivity score 27/100 26/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
37 premises
 0%
46 premises

Climate

Lochaber Wild Dog Valley
Annual rainfall 527 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Lochaber Wild Dog Valley
Average residential rate $1,794/yr
same for both
Council Naracoorte Lucindale
same for both

Federal electorate

Lochaber Wild Dog Valley
Division Barker
same for both
Member Tony Pasin
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Lochaber Wild Dog Valley
Grant amount $15,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Lochaber

Family Rural Young Families

Wild Dog Valley

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Lochaber

Lochaber vs Naracoorte Lochaber vs Lucindale Lochaber vs Woolumbool Lochaber vs Stewart Range Lochaber vs Keppoch Lochaber vs Cadgee

Other comparisons with Wild Dog Valley

Wild Dog Valley vs Naracoorte Wild Dog Valley vs Hynam Wild Dog Valley vs Kybybolite Wild Dog Valley vs Binnum Wild Dog Valley vs Cadgee
Full data on Lochaber Full data on Wild Dog Valley
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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