Marion Bay vs Warooka

Warooka is the younger of the two, with a median age of 49 against 54 in Marion Bay. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Marion Bay: a median of $590,000, against $220,000 in Warooka, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Warooka tends to suit older residents and buyers on a tighter budget.

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

Warooka

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (20/100 vs 31/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (46% vs 37%)
  • But Marion Bay has more parks and reserves (12 vs 3)

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

First-home buyers

Warooka

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($220,000 vs $590,000)
  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (17% vs 24%)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Warooka

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (17% vs 24%)
  • has cheaper rent ($168/wk vs $200/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Warooka

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (42/100 vs 13/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (167 min vs 204 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (236.2 km vs 286.6 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Warooka

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (42/100 vs 13/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (26% vs 16%)
  • carries lower crime risk (20/100 vs 31/100)

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

Investors

Marion Bay

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (22.1% vs 3.4%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Marion Bay Warooka
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.

Marion Bay Warooka
Walkability 13 / 42
Marion Bay — Walkability: 13/100 Warooka — Walkability: 42/100
Safety 69 / 80
Marion Bay — Safety: 69/100 Warooka — Safety: 80/100
Low fire risk 49 / 58
Marion Bay — Low fire risk: 49/100 Warooka — Low fire risk: 58/100

Demographics

Warooka has more residents (360 vs 210); Marion Bay rents higher ($200/wk vs $168/wk).

Marion Bay Warooka
Population 210 360
+71% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +22.1% +3.4%
Median age 54 49
Median household income $43,576/yr $51,584/yr
+18% vs other
Median weekly rent $200/wk
+16% vs other
 $168/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Marion Bay Warooka
0-4 1.4% / 5.3%
Marion Bay — 0-4: 1.4% Warooka — 0-4: 5.3%
5-14 9.0% / 11.7%
Marion Bay — 5-14: 9.0% Warooka — 5-14: 11.7%
15-19 5.2% / 6.7%
Marion Bay — 15-19: 5.2% Warooka — 15-19: 6.7%
20-24 3.8% / 5.0%
Marion Bay — 20-24: 3.8% Warooka — 20-24: 5.0%
25-34 9.0% / 10.6%
Marion Bay — 25-34: 9.0% Warooka — 25-34: 10.6%
35-44 10.5% / 9.4%
Marion Bay — 35-44: 10.5% Warooka — 35-44: 9.4%
45-54 11.9% / 10.8%
Marion Bay — 45-54: 11.9% Warooka — 45-54: 10.8%
55-64 29.5% / 17.8%
Marion Bay — 55-64: 29.5% Warooka — 55-64: 17.8%
65-74 10.5% / 14.7%
Marion Bay — 65-74: 10.5% Warooka — 65-74: 14.7%
75-84 5.7% / 8.3%
Marion Bay — 75-84: 5.7% Warooka — 75-84: 8.3%
85+ — / 3.1%
Marion Bay — 85+: not among its largest Warooka — 85+: 3.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (29.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Marion Bay 54.8% lone person
Marion Bay — Lone Person: 54.8% Marion Bay — Couple Families: 17.7% Marion Bay — One Parent Families: 19.4% Marion Bay — Group Household: 8.1%
Warooka 54.5% lone person
Warooka — Lone Person: 54.5% Warooka — Couple Families: 32.7% Warooka — One Parent Families: 12.9% Warooka — Group Household: 0.0%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Marion Bay 18.8% renting
Marion Bay — Owned Outright: 54.1% Marion Bay — Mortgage: 27.1% Marion Bay — Renting: 18.8%
Warooka 21.1% renting
Warooka — Owned Outright: 50.7% Warooka — Mortgage: 28.2% Warooka — Renting: 21.1%
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.

Marion Bay Warooka
England 3.8% / 4.4%
Marion Bay — England: 3.8% Warooka — England: 4.4%
Netherlands 1.9% / —
Marion Bay — Netherlands: 1.9% Warooka — Netherlands: not among its largest
Brazil 1.4% / —
Marion Bay — Brazil: 1.4% Warooka — Brazil: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.4%).

Qualifications

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

Marion Bay Warooka
Certificate III & IV 18.6% / 18.1%
Marion Bay — Certificate III & IV: 18.6% Warooka — Certificate III & IV: 18.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.7% / 4.4%
Marion Bay — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.7% Warooka — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.4%
Bachelor Degree 4.8% / 1.7%
Marion Bay — Bachelor Degree: 4.8% Warooka — Bachelor Degree: 1.7%
Postgraduate Degree 2.4% / 1.4%
Marion Bay — Postgraduate Degree: 2.4% Warooka — Postgraduate Degree: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.6%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Marion Bay 93.2% houses
Marion Bay — Houses: 93.2% Marion Bay — Flats / Apartments: 6.8%
Warooka 98.7% houses
Warooka — Houses: 98.7% Warooka — Flats / Apartments: 1.3%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Marion Bay Warooka
Median house price $590,000 $220,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $197,340 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 26 days
from 7 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Warooka has more rural and farming land (98% vs 81%); Marion Bay has more land zoned for conservation (19% vs 2%).

Marion Bay Warooka
Rural and farming 81% 98%
Environmental 19% 2%
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

Marion Bay Warooka
New dwellings approved 97
across Yorke Peninsula
same for both
Approvals change year on year -18%
same for both

Ranking within SA

Marion Bay Warooka
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 9% of SA Higher than 17% of SA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 66% of SA Higher than 78% of SA
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 10% of SA —
NBN connectivity Higher than 59% of SA Higher than 57% of SA

Liveability

Warooka is more walkable (42 vs 13).

Marion Bay Warooka
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
same for both

Risk profile

Marion Bay carries more crime risk (31 vs 20).

Marion Bay Warooka
Bushfire Moderate
51/100
 Moderate
42/100
Crime Low
31/100
 Low
20/100
Flood —
same for both
Coastal erosion High
75/100
 Low
24/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Marion Bay Warooka
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Marion Bay

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

Schools in Warooka

  • Warooka Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Marion Bay Warooka
Supermarkets 0 1
Cafes & restaurants 2 0
Parks & reserves 12 3
Childcare 0 1
Pharmacies 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 0 1
EV chargers 1 0
Beaches 4 0
Waterways 0 3

Mobility

Marion Bay sits further from the CBD (286.6 km vs 236.2 km).

Marion Bay Warooka
Walkability score 13/100 42/100
Distance to Adelaide 286.6 km
+18% vs other
 236.2 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 204 min 167 min
Electric vehicle share 0.1%
postcode 5575
 0.0%
postcode 5577
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 64
postcode 5575
 40
postcode 5577

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.

Marion Bay Warooka
Car (driver) 62.7% / 73.6%
Marion Bay — Car (driver): 62.7% Warooka — Car (driver): 73.6%
Worked from Home 19.4% / 16.5%
Marion Bay — Worked from Home: 19.4% Warooka — Worked from Home: 16.5%
Walked Only 10.4% / 7.4%
Marion Bay — Walked Only: 10.4% Warooka — Walked Only: 7.4%
Bicycle 7.5% / —
Marion Bay — Bicycle: 7.5% Warooka — Bicycle: not among its largest
Car (passenger) — / 2.5%
Marion Bay — Car (passenger): not among its largest Warooka — Car (passenger): 2.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (73.6%).

Setting

Marion Bay Warooka
Elevation 6 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 54 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 131 m
2.6 km to a named beach
 4.6 km
4.9 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Marion Bay Warooka
Connectivity score 30/100
same for both
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
306 premises
 0%
203 premises

Climate

Marion Bay Warooka
Annual rainfall 425 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 26.9°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 8.1°C
same for both

Council rates

Marion Bay Warooka
Average residential rate $1,494/yr
same for both
Council Yorke Peninsula
same for both

Federal electorate

Marion Bay Warooka
Division Grey
same for both
Member Tom Venning
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Marion Bay Warooka
Grant amount $15,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Marion Bay

Coastal Quiet Rural

Warooka

Quiet Retirees Rural
Full data on Marion Bay Full data on Warooka
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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