Macclesfield vs Gemmells
Gemmells is the younger of the two, with a median age of 39 against 47 in Macclesfield. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Macclesfield, about half of households are couple families. In Gemmells, the large majority of households are couple families. On these figures, Macclesfield tends to suit people living alone, while Gemmells 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 5 things we measure here
- Macclesfield has more parks and reserves (3 vs 0)
- Gemmells is already more of a family suburb (80% vs 62%)
Weighs schools, house stock, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Too close to call
Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Macclesfield
ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here
- has cheaper rent ($308/wk vs $638/wk)
- leaves renters under less rental stress (19% vs 27%)
Weighs rent and rental stress.
Commuting to the city
Macclesfield
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- is more walkable (28/100 vs 0/100)
- has a shorter drive in (45 min vs 50 min)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Macclesfield
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- is more walkable (28/100 vs 0/100)
- has more residents already 65 and over (20% vs 15%)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, and walkability.
Investors
Gemmells
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (28.6% vs 4.5%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Macclesfield and Gemmells drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.
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.
Demographics
Macclesfield has more residents (1,413 vs 99); Gemmells rents higher ($638/wk vs $308/wk).
| Macclesfield | Gemmells | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,413 +93% vs other | 99 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +4.5% | +28.6% |
| Median age | 47 | 39 |
| Median household income | $83,460/yr | $121,316/yr +45% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $308/wk | $638/wk +107% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.2%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (10.1%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.2%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Macclesfield | Gemmells | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $987,000 | — |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | $360,000 | — |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | 48 days from 15 sales | — |
Zoning mix
| Macclesfield | Gemmells | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 94% | 100% |
| Residential | 3% | 0% |
| Parks and recreation | 1% | 0% |
| Other and special use | 1% | 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
| Macclesfield | Gemmells | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 657 across Mount Barker | 429 across Alexandrina |
| Approvals change year on year | -7% | +25% |
Ranking within SA
| Macclesfield | Gemmells | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | Higher than 2% of SA | — |
| Income | Higher than 59% of SA | Higher than 93% of SA |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 75% of SA | Higher than 47% of SA |
| Affordability | Higher than 96% of SA | — |
| EV adoption | Higher than 92% of SA | Higher than 65% of SA |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 94% of SA | Higher than 40% of SA |
Liveability
Macclesfield is more walkable (28 vs 0).
| Macclesfield | Gemmells | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | B | — |
| Score | 63/100 | — |
| Socio-economic band | advantaged area decile 7/10 | very advantaged area decile 9/10 |
Risk profile
Gemmells carries more bushfire risk (57 vs 16).
| Macclesfield | Gemmells | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 16/100 | Moderate 57/100 |
| Crime | Low 11/100 | — |
| 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
| Macclesfield | Gemmells | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 1 | 0 |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 1 | 0 |
Schools in Macclesfield
- Macclesfield Primary School Government · Primary below peers
Schools in Gemmells
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Amenities in the suburb
| Macclesfield | Gemmells | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 3 | 0 |
| Childcare | 1 | 0 |
| Banks & Bank@Post | 1 | 0 |
| Waterways | 1 | 0 |
Mobility
| Macclesfield | Gemmells | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 28/100 | 0/100 |
| Distance to Adelaide | 46.4 km | 47.6 km +3% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 45 min | 50 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 1.8% postcode 5153 | 0.7% postcode 5255 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 86 postcode 5153 | 85 postcode 5255 |
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (83.0%).
Setting
| Macclesfield | Gemmells | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 295 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 260 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 32.7 km | 38.0 km |
NBN connectivity
| Macclesfield | Gemmells | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 83/100 | 27/100 |
| Most common technology | Fibre to the premises | Fixed wireless |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 77% 650 premises | 0% 38 premises |
Climate
| Macclesfield | Gemmells | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 466 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | — same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Macclesfield | Gemmells | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $2,485/yr | $2,523/yr |
| Council | Mount Barker | Alexandrina |
Federal electorate
| Macclesfield | Gemmells | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Mayo same for both | |
| Member | Rebekha Sharkie same for both | |
| Party | Centre Alliance same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Macclesfield | Gemmells | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $15,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | — same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Macclesfield
Other comparisons with Gemmells
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.