Marama vs Sandalwood
Sandalwood is the younger of the two, with a median age of 48 against 52 in Marama. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Sandalwood, most households are people living alone. On these figures, Sandalwood tends to suit people living alone.
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
Marama
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- is already more of a family suburb (71% vs 27%)
- carries lower crime risk (32/100 vs 70/100)
- But Sandalwood has more parks and reserves (17 vs 2)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
Renters
Marama
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($0/wk vs $120/wk)
Weighs rent.
Commuting to the city
They split
one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here
- Marama is more walkable (16/100 vs 0/100)
- Sandalwood has a shorter drive in (121 min vs 126 min)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Marama
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- is more walkable (16/100 vs 0/100)
- carries lower crime risk (32/100 vs 70/100)
- But Sandalwood has more residents already 65 and over (31% vs 24%)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Sandalwood
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (3.3% vs -17.7%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Marama and Sandalwood 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
Sandalwood rents higher ($120/wk vs $0/wk); Marama skews older (52 vs 48).
| Marama | Sandalwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 51 | 62 +22% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -17.7% | +3.3% |
| Median age | 52 | 48 |
| Median household income | $58,448/yr +6% vs other | $55,224/yr |
| Median weekly rent | — | $120/wk (not reported on the other side) |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.2%).
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 (6.5%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (27.4%).
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Zoning mix
Marama has more rural and farming land (100% vs 67%); Sandalwood has more land zoned for conservation (33% vs 0%).
| Marama | Sandalwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 100% | 67% |
| Environmental | 0% | 33% |
| 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
| Marama | Sandalwood | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 1 across Karoonda East Murray same for both | |
Ranking within SA
| Marama | Sandalwood | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 23% of SA | Higher than 20% of SA |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 70% of SA | Higher than 12% of SA |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | — same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 38% of SA | Higher than 26% of SA |
Liveability
Marama is more walkable (16 vs 0).
| Marama | Sandalwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 6/10 same for both | |
Risk profile
Sandalwood carries more bushfire risk (64 vs 14); Sandalwood carries more crime risk (70 vs 32).
| Marama | Sandalwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 14/100 | Moderate 64/100 |
| Crime | Low 32/100 | High 70/100 |
| 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
| Marama | Sandalwood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Marama | Sandalwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 2 | 17 |
Mobility
| Marama | Sandalwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 16/100 | 0/100 |
| Distance to Adelaide | 175.3 km | 174.7 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 126 min | 121 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.0% postcode 5307 | 0.0% postcode 5309 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 64 postcode 5307 | — |
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 (63.6%).
Setting
| Marama | Sandalwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 90 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 59 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Marama | Sandalwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 26/100 | 16/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless | Satellite (Sky Muster) |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 20 premises | 0% 13 premises |
Council rates
| Marama | Sandalwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,044/yr same for both | |
| Council | Karoonda East Murray same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Marama | Sandalwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Barker same for both | |
| Member | Tony Pasin same for both | |
| Party | Liberal same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Marama | Sandalwood | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $15,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | — same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Marama
Other comparisons with Sandalwood
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.