Marden vs Payneham

In both, most households own their home and about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Marden: a median of $1.32 million, against $1.2 million in Payneham.

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 6 things we measure here

  • Marden has more schools inside the suburb (2 vs 0)
  • Payneham carries lower crime risk (39/100 vs 77/100)

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

First-home buyers

Payneham

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($1,200,000 vs $1,325,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Commuting to the city

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Payneham

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • carries lower crime risk (39/100 vs 77/100)

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

Investors

Marden

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is growing faster (14.6% vs 6.3%)
  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (3.2% vs 2.2%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Marden Payneham
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.

Marden Payneham
Walkability 83 / 84
Marden — Walkability: 83/100 Payneham — Walkability: 84/100
Safety 23 / 61
Marden — Safety: 23/100 Payneham — Safety: 61/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Marden — Low fire risk: 100/100 Payneham — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 17 / 15
Marden — Low flood risk: 17/100 Payneham — Low flood risk: 15/100

Demographics

Payneham skews older (38 vs 36).

Marden Payneham
Population 2,645
+8% vs other
 2,438
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +14.6% +6.3%
Median age 36 38
Median household income $78,936/yr
+7% vs other
 $73,528/yr
Median weekly rent $305/wk
+2% vs other
 $300/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Marden Payneham
0-4 5.0% / 5.3%
Marden — 0-4: 5.0% Payneham — 0-4: 5.3%
5-14 9.0% / 9.5%
Marden — 5-14: 9.0% Payneham — 5-14: 9.5%
15-19 3.9% / 2.8%
Marden — 15-19: 3.9% Payneham — 15-19: 2.8%
20-24 7.1% / 6.8%
Marden — 20-24: 7.1% Payneham — 20-24: 6.8%
25-34 22.0% / 19.5%
Marden — 25-34: 22.0% Payneham — 25-34: 19.5%
35-44 14.8% / 14.7%
Marden — 35-44: 14.8% Payneham — 35-44: 14.7%
45-54 10.8% / 10.8%
Marden — 45-54: 10.8% Payneham — 45-54: 10.8%
55-64 10.8% / 10.5%
Marden — 55-64: 10.8% Payneham — 55-64: 10.5%
65-74 8.0% / 8.2%
Marden — 65-74: 8.0% Payneham — 65-74: 8.2%
75-84 6.2% / 7.3%
Marden — 75-84: 6.2% Payneham — 75-84: 7.3%
85+ 3.0% / 4.3%
Marden — 85+: 3.0% Payneham — 85+: 4.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Marden 51.5% lone person
Marden — Lone Person: 51.5% Marden — Couple Families: 28.3% Marden — One Parent Families: 12.6% Marden — Group Household: 5.7% Marden — Other Families: 1.9%
Payneham 53.5% lone person
Payneham — Lone Person: 53.5% Payneham — Couple Families: 26.8% Payneham — One Parent Families: 12.1% Payneham — Group Household: 6.0% Payneham — Other Families: 1.6%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Marden 43.9% renting
Marden — Owned Outright: 26.0% Marden — Mortgage: 30.0% Marden — Renting: 43.9%
Payneham 42.0% renting
Payneham — Owned Outright: 28.7% Payneham — Mortgage: 29.3% Payneham — Renting: 42.0%
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.

Marden Payneham
India 6.1% / 4.5%
Marden — India: 6.1% Payneham — India: 4.5%
China 5.9% / 4.2%
Marden — China: 5.9% Payneham — China: 4.2%
Italy 3.3% / 5.5%
Marden — Italy: 3.3% Payneham — Italy: 5.5%
England 3.3% / 3.4%
Marden — England: 3.3% Payneham — England: 3.4%
Nepal 1.6% / 2.1%
Marden — Nepal: 1.6% Payneham — Nepal: 2.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.1%).

Qualifications

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

Marden Payneham
Bachelor Degree 22.6% / 21.4%
Marden — Bachelor Degree: 22.6% Payneham — Bachelor Degree: 21.4%
Certificate III & IV 9.7% / 9.4%
Marden — Certificate III & IV: 9.7% Payneham — Certificate III & IV: 9.4%
Postgraduate Degree 10.1% / 8.6%
Marden — Postgraduate Degree: 10.1% Payneham — Postgraduate Degree: 8.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.1% / 8.4%
Marden — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.1% Payneham — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.4% / 3.4%
Marden — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.4% Payneham — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.4%

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

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Marden 44.1% houses
Marden — Houses: 44.1% Marden — Flats / Apartments: 22.5% Marden — Townhouses: 33.4%
Payneham 41.6% houses
Payneham — Houses: 41.6% Payneham — Flats / Apartments: 35.0% Payneham — Townhouses: 23.4%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Marden Payneham
Median house price $1,325,000 $1,200,000
Median unit price $638,750 $584,000
Median land price $1,370,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 16 days
from 16 sales
 20 days
from 32 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.

Marden Payneham
3 bed $1.26M / $1.18M
Marden — 3 bed: $1.26M (19 sales) Payneham — 3 bed: $1.18M (37 sales)

19 vs 37 sales

4 bed $1.5M / $1.6M
Marden — 4 bed: $1.5M (9 sales) Payneham — 4 bed: $1.6M (14 sales)

9 vs 14 sales

Zoning mix

Marden Payneham
Residential 69% 98%
Parks and recreation 19% 0%
Commercial 6% 2%
Infrastructure and transport 6% 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

Marden Payneham
New dwellings approved 227
across Norwood Payneham and St Peters
same for both
Approvals change year on year +141%
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.

Marden Payneham
Houses 3.2%
$700/wk on $1.15M
 2.2%
$550/wk on $1.3M
Units 4.5%
$530/wk on $612K
 4.3%
$550/wk on $662K

Ranking within SA

Marden Payneham
House price Higher than 84% of SA Higher than 82% of SA
Income Higher than 54% of SA Higher than 47% of SA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 94% of SA Higher than 95% of SA
Affordability Higher than 9% of SA Higher than 8% of SA
EV adoption Higher than 86% of SA
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 95% of SA Higher than 91% of SA
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 20% of SA Higher than 4% of SA
Rental yield (units) Higher than 44% of SA Higher than 32% of SA

Liveability

Payneham scores higher overall (69 vs 57).

Marden Payneham
Grade B A
Score 57/100 69/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
same for both

Risk profile

Marden carries more crime risk (77 vs 39).

Marden Payneham
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
77/100
 Low
39/100
Flood High
83/100
 High
85/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 2
within 5 km
 3
within 5 km

Schools

Marden Payneham
Inside the suburb 2 0
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 3
Adelaide University, Magill Campus, 4.1 km
 3
Adelaide University, Magill Campus, 3.2 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 3.7% 2.7%

Schools in Marden

  • Open Access College Government · Combined above peers
  • Marden Senior College Government · Secondary

Schools in Payneham

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

Amenities in the suburb

Marden Payneham
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 0 1
Parks & reserves 1 3
Childcare 1 0
GPs 2 1
Pharmacies 2 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
EV chargers 0 2
Waterways 0 11

Mobility

Marden Payneham
Walkability score 83/100 84/100
Distance to Adelaide 6.3 km
+2% vs other
 6.2 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 12 min 13 min
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 46.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 37.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.4%
postcode 5070
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 47
postcode 5070
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.

Marden Payneham
Car (driver) 66.4% / 70.2%
Marden — Car (driver): 66.4% Payneham — Car (driver): 70.2%
Bus 12.7% / 9.7%
Marden — Bus: 12.7% Payneham — Bus: 9.7%
Worked from Home 11.4% / 10.2%
Marden — Worked from Home: 11.4% Payneham — Worked from Home: 10.2%
Car (passenger) 6.0% / 5.3%
Marden — Car (passenger): 6.0% Payneham — Car (passenger): 5.3%
Walked Only 1.7% / 2.3%
Marden — Walked Only: 1.7% Payneham — Walked Only: 2.3%
Bicycle 1.9% / 2.0%
Marden — Bicycle: 1.9% Payneham — Bicycle: 2.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (70.2%).

Setting

Marden Payneham
Elevation 47 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 62 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 12.3 km 13.2 km

NBN connectivity

Marden Payneham
Connectivity score 86/100 78/100
Most common technology Fibre to the curb Hybrid fibre-coaxial
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 36%
1,481 premises
 9%
1,422 premises

Climate

Marden Payneham
Annual rainfall 457 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 29.1°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 8.5°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Marden Payneham
PM2.5 —
same for both
PM10 —
same for both
NO₂ 0.51 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Marden Payneham
Average residential rate $1,995/yr
same for both
Council Norwood Payneham and St Peters
same for both

Federal electorate

Marden Payneham
Division Sturt
same for both
Member Claire Clutterham
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Marden Payneham
Grant amount $15,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Marden

Inner Parks Professionals Townhouses

Payneham

Apartments Inner Parks River Townhouses Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Marden

Marden vs Klemzig Marden vs Walkerville Marden vs Felixstow Marden vs Vale Park Marden vs Royston Park

Other comparisons with Payneham

Payneham vs Felixstow Payneham vs Glynde Payneham vs Payneham South Payneham vs Firle Payneham vs Evandale Payneham vs Royston Park
Full data on Marden Full data on Payneham
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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