Marleston vs Netley

Marleston is the younger of the two, with a median age of 37 against 42 in Netley. In Marleston, about half of households rent and about half of households are people living alone. In Netley, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. Houses cost more in Netley: a median of $1.05 million, against $950,000 in Marleston, and rent is higher there too. Marleston is closer to the city centre: 4.9 km, against 6.7 km. On these figures, Marleston tends to suit renters, young adults, and share households.

Marleston and Netley are similar in population and socio-economic standing, but differ notably in location and affordability. Marleston is closer to the CBD at 4.9 km versus Netley's 6.7 km, and offers better walkability (72 versus 65) and lower house prices ($950,000 versus $1,025,000). Netley has a younger median age of 42 years compared to Marleston's 37, and scores higher on liveability (51 versus 46), though it carries higher weekly rents ($353 versus $290). Marleston may suit those prioritising proximity to the city and walkable streets, while Netley appeals to buyers seeking a more established community feel.

Written by an AI language model from the figures below. Every number in it is checked against those figures before it is published.

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

Netley

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (5 vs 1)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (79% vs 51%)
  • is already more of a family suburb (53% vs 38%)

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

First-home buyers

Marleston

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (25% vs 30%)
  • has cheaper houses ($950,000 vs $1,048,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Marleston

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (47% vs 21%)
  • leaves renters under less rental stress (20% vs 26%)
  • has cheaper rent ($290/wk vs $353/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Too close to call

Nothing among the 4 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Netley

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more residents already 65 and over (26% vs 18%)
  • carries lower crime risk (55/100 vs 74/100)
  • But Marleston has more units and townhouses to downsize into (49% vs 21%)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 2 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Marleston Netley
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.

Marleston Netley
Walkability 72 / 65
Marleston — Walkability: 72/100 Netley — Walkability: 65/100
Safety 26 / 45
Marleston — Safety: 26/100 Netley — Safety: 45/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Marleston — Low fire risk: 100/100 Netley — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 6 / 11
Marleston — Low flood risk: 6/100 Netley — Low flood risk: 11/100

Demographics

Netley rents higher ($353/wk vs $290/wk); Netley skews older (42 vs 37).

Marleston Netley
Population 1,950
+2% vs other
 1,910
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +6.2% +7.5%
Median age 37 42
Median household income $73,736/yr
+6% vs other
 $69,316/yr
Median weekly rent $290/wk $353/wk
+22% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Marleston Netley
0-4 5.4% / 6.0%
Marleston — 0-4: 5.4% Netley — 0-4: 6.0%
5-14 7.1% / 10.7%
Marleston — 5-14: 7.1% Netley — 5-14: 10.7%
15-19 3.8% / 3.6%
Marleston — 15-19: 3.8% Netley — 15-19: 3.6%
20-24 9.6% / 7.0%
Marleston — 20-24: 9.6% Netley — 20-24: 7.0%
25-34 20.1% / 13.5%
Marleston — 25-34: 20.1% Netley — 25-34: 13.5%
35-44 16.3% / 13.0%
Marleston — 35-44: 16.3% Netley — 35-44: 13.0%
45-54 10.6% / 10.2%
Marleston — 45-54: 10.6% Netley — 45-54: 10.2%
55-64 8.9% / 10.2%
Marleston — 55-64: 8.9% Netley — 55-64: 10.2%
65-74 6.8% / 8.7%
Marleston — 65-74: 6.8% Netley — 65-74: 8.7%
75-84 5.8% / 11.0%
Marleston — 75-84: 5.8% Netley — 75-84: 11.0%
85+ 5.6% / 6.4%
Marleston — 85+: 5.6% Netley — 85+: 6.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Marleston 47.9% lone person
Marleston — Lone Person: 47.9% Marleston — Couple Families: 26.1% Marleston — One Parent Families: 11.5% Marleston — Group Household: 11.0% Marleston — Other Families: 3.4%
Netley 41.2% lone person
Netley — Lone Person: 41.2% Netley — Couple Families: 41.6% Netley — One Parent Families: 11.3% Netley — Group Household: 4.9% Netley — Other Families: 1.1%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Marleston 47.2% renting
Marleston — Owned Outright: 22.4% Marleston — Mortgage: 30.5% Marleston — Renting: 47.2%
Netley 21.2% renting
Netley — Owned Outright: 42.9% Netley — Mortgage: 35.9% Netley — Renting: 21.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Marleston Netley
Bachelor Degree 18.4% / 12.3%
Marleston — Bachelor Degree: 18.4% Netley — Bachelor Degree: 12.3%
Certificate III & IV 12.4% / 13.7%
Marleston — Certificate III & IV: 12.4% Netley — Certificate III & IV: 13.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.5% / 8.7%
Marleston — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.5% Netley — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.7%
Postgraduate Degree 7.5% / 4.7%
Marleston — Postgraduate Degree: 7.5% Netley — Postgraduate Degree: 4.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.4% / 1.8%
Marleston — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.4% Netley — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.4%).

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.

Marleston Netley
India 7.6% / 5.0%
Marleston — India: 7.6% Netley — India: 5.0%
China 4.4% / 2.4%
Marleston — China: 4.4% Netley — China: 2.4%
England 2.6% / 2.5%
Marleston — England: 2.6% Netley — England: 2.5%
Greece 2.3% / 2.2%
Marleston — Greece: 2.3% Netley — Greece: 2.2%
Italy 1.5% / 1.8%
Marleston — Italy: 1.5% Netley — Italy: 1.8%
Nepal 2.8% / —
Marleston — Nepal: 2.8% Netley — Nepal: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (7.6%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Marleston 50.8% houses
Marleston — Houses: 50.8% Marleston — Townhouses: 31.7% Marleston — Flats / Apartments: 17.5%
Netley 78.9% houses
Netley — Houses: 78.9% Netley — Townhouses: 17.7% Netley — Flats / Apartments: 3.4%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Marleston Netley
Median house price $950,000 $1,048,000
Median unit price $581,500 —
Median land price $1,041,500 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 19 days
from 18 sales
 24 days
from 12 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.

Marleston Netley
2 bed $714K / $1.11M
Marleston — 2 bed: $714K (5 sales) Netley — 2 bed: $1.11M (5 sales)

5 vs 5 sales

3 bed $920K / $998K
Marleston — 3 bed: $920K (25 sales) Netley — 3 bed: $998K (24 sales)

25 vs 24 sales

4 bed $1.05M / $1.08M
Marleston — 4 bed: $1.05M (9 sales) Netley — 4 bed: $1.08M (5 sales)

9 vs 5 sales

Zoning mix

Marleston has more industrially zoned land (44% vs 32%).

Marleston Netley
Residential 53% 68%
Industrial 44% 32%
Commercial 3% 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

Marleston Netley
New dwellings approved 578
across West Torrens
same for both
Approvals change year on year +103%
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.

Marleston Netley
Houses 3.9%
$750/wk on $1.01M
 3.5%
$750/wk on $1.1M
Units 4.1%
$522/wk on $655K
 —

Ranking within SA

Marleston Netley
House price Higher than 38% of SA Higher than 63% of SA
Income Higher than 48% of SA Higher than 39% of SA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 89% of SA Higher than 86% of SA
Affordability Higher than 51% of SA Higher than 17% of SA
EV adoption Higher than 60% of SA Higher than 75% of SA
NBN connectivity Higher than 89% of SA Higher than 85% of SA
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 46% of SA Higher than 31% of SA
Rental yield (units) Higher than 21% of SA —

Liveability

Netley scores higher overall (51 vs 46).

Marleston Netley
Grade C B
Score 46/100 51/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10
same for both

Risk profile

Marleston carries more crime risk (74 vs 55).

Marleston Netley
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
74/100
 Moderate
55/100
Flood High
94/100
 High
89/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise High
70/100
 High
91/100
Industrial facilities nearby 6
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Marleston Netley
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
Universities within 10 km 3
Adelaide University, Adelaide City Campus, 4.0 km
 3
Adelaide University, Adelaide City Campus, 5.3 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 3.9% 3.1%

Amenities in the suburb

Marleston Netley
Cafes & restaurants 1 0
Parks & reserves 1 5
Childcare 0 1
GPs 1 0
Pharmacies 1 0
Police stations 0 1
Fuel stations 0 1
Waterways 0 1

Mobility

Marleston Netley
Walkability score 72/100 65/100
Distance to Adelaide 4.9 km 6.7 km
+37% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 11 min 12 min
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
 78/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 57.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 43.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 5033
 0.9%
postcode 5037
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 42
postcode 5033
 45
postcode 5037

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.

Marleston Netley
Car (driver) 67.4% / 75.4%
Marleston — Car (driver): 67.4% Netley — Car (driver): 75.4%
Worked from Home 10.0% / 10.1%
Marleston — Worked from Home: 10.0% Netley — Worked from Home: 10.1%
Bus 9.8% / 6.3%
Marleston — Bus: 9.8% Netley — Bus: 6.3%
Car (passenger) 6.5% / 5.0%
Marleston — Car (passenger): 6.5% Netley — Car (passenger): 5.0%
Walked Only 3.8% / 1.6%
Marleston — Walked Only: 3.8% Netley — Walked Only: 1.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (75.4%).

Setting

Marleston Netley
Elevation 20 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 17 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 5.3 km 4.1 km

NBN connectivity

Marleston Netley
Connectivity score 76/100 74/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 5%
1,128 premises
 1%
912 premises

Climate

Marleston Netley
Annual rainfall 457 mm 394 mm
Summer max (Jan) 29.1°C 28.1°C
Winter min (Jul) 8.5°C 7.8°C

Air quality (annual mean)

Marleston Netley
PM2.5 6.0 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 17.8 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 1.12 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Marleston Netley
Average residential rate $1,532/yr
same for both
Council West Torrens
same for both

Federal electorate

Marleston Netley
Division Adelaide Hindmarsh
Member Steve Georganas Mark Butler
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Marleston Netley
Grant amount $15,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Marleston

Inner Multicultural Parks Townhouses

Netley

Inner Parks Retirees River

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Marleston

Marleston vs North Plympton Marleston vs Richmond Marleston vs Kurralta Park Marleston vs Ashford Marleston vs West Richmond Marleston vs Keswick

Other comparisons with Netley

Netley vs North Plympton Netley vs Richmond Netley vs West Richmond
Full data on Marleston Full data on Netley
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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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