Mawson Lakes vs Parafield Gardens

Mawson Lakes is the younger of the two, with a median age of 33 against 36 in Parafield Gardens. In both, most households own their home, most homes are detached houses, and about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Mawson Lakes: a median of $880,000, against $800,000 in Parafield Gardens, and rent is higher there too. Mawson Lakes is closer to the city centre: 15.2 km, against 21.4 km.

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

Parafield Gardens

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools inside the suburb (6 vs 2)
  • has more childcare (11 vs 8)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (89% vs 66%)
  • But Mawson Lakes has more parks and reserves (14 vs 8)

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

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here

  • Mawson Lakes has cheaper units ($530,000 vs $592,500)
  • Parafield Gardens has cheaper houses ($800,000 vs $880,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Mawson Lakes has a bigger rental market to choose from (40% vs 29%)
  • Parafield Gardens has cheaper rent ($300/wk vs $360/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Mawson Lakes

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (15.2 km vs 21.4 km)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Mawson Lakes

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (34% vs 11%)
  • has more GPs (6 vs 4)
  • But Parafield Gardens has more residents already 65 and over (15% vs 8%)

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

Investors

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Mawson Lakes returns a higher gross yield on units (5.1% vs 4.3%)
  • Parafield Gardens is growing faster (9.0% vs 3.7%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Mawson Lakes Parafield Gardens
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.

Mawson Lakes Parafield Gardens
Walkability 84 / 79
Mawson Lakes — Walkability: 84/100 Parafield Gardens — Walkability: 79/100
Safety 27 / 33
Mawson Lakes — Safety: 27/100 Parafield Gardens — Safety: 33/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Mawson Lakes — Low fire risk: 100/100 Parafield Gardens — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 16 / 23
Mawson Lakes — Low flood risk: 16/100 Parafield Gardens — Low flood risk: 23/100

Demographics

Mawson Lakes has higher household incomes ($100,880 vs $71,968); Parafield Gardens has more residents (18,467 vs 13,794).

Mawson Lakes Parafield Gardens
Population 13,794 18,467
+34% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +3.7% +9.0%
Median age 33 36
Median household income $100,880/yr
+29% vs other
 $71,968/yr
Median weekly rent $360/wk
+17% vs other
 $300/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Mawson Lakes Parafield Gardens
0-4 6.1% / 6.7%
Mawson Lakes — 0-4: 6.1% Parafield Gardens — 0-4: 6.7%
5-14 12.5% / 14.0%
Mawson Lakes — 5-14: 12.5% Parafield Gardens — 5-14: 14.0%
15-19 6.1% / 6.2%
Mawson Lakes — 15-19: 6.1% Parafield Gardens — 15-19: 6.2%
20-24 9.5% / 6.8%
Mawson Lakes — 20-24: 9.5% Parafield Gardens — 20-24: 6.8%
25-34 19.3% / 14.2%
Mawson Lakes — 25-34: 19.3% Parafield Gardens — 25-34: 14.2%
35-44 16.9% / 14.4%
Mawson Lakes — 35-44: 16.9% Parafield Gardens — 35-44: 14.4%
45-54 12.4% / 11.2%
Mawson Lakes — 45-54: 12.4% Parafield Gardens — 45-54: 11.2%
55-64 9.0% / 11.6%
Mawson Lakes — 55-64: 9.0% Parafield Gardens — 55-64: 11.6%
65-74 5.4% / 8.5%
Mawson Lakes — 65-74: 5.4% Parafield Gardens — 65-74: 8.5%
75-84 2.0% / 4.7%
Mawson Lakes — 75-84: 2.0% Parafield Gardens — 75-84: 4.7%
85+ 0.8% / 1.5%
Mawson Lakes — 85+: 0.8% Parafield Gardens — 85+: 1.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Mawson Lakes 45.3% couple families
Mawson Lakes — Couple Families: 45.3% Mawson Lakes — Lone Person: 30.9% Mawson Lakes — One Parent Families: 13.4% Mawson Lakes — Group Household: 8.6% Mawson Lakes — Other Families: 1.8%
Parafield Gardens 48.9% couple families
Parafield Gardens — Couple Families: 48.9% Parafield Gardens — Lone Person: 25.7% Parafield Gardens — One Parent Families: 20.1% Parafield Gardens — Group Household: 3.4% Parafield Gardens — Other Families: 1.9%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Mawson Lakes 39.6% renting
Mawson Lakes — Owned Outright: 17.8% Mawson Lakes — Mortgage: 42.6% Mawson Lakes — Renting: 39.6%
Parafield Gardens 29.3% renting
Parafield Gardens — Owned Outright: 28.8% Parafield Gardens — Mortgage: 41.9% Parafield Gardens — Renting: 29.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Mawson Lakes Parafield Gardens
Bachelor Degree 17.9% / 9.1%
Mawson Lakes — Bachelor Degree: 17.9% Parafield Gardens — Bachelor Degree: 9.1%
Certificate III & IV 11.4% / 12.7%
Mawson Lakes — Certificate III & IV: 11.4% Parafield Gardens — Certificate III & IV: 12.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.9% / 5.2%
Mawson Lakes — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.9% Parafield Gardens — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.2%
Postgraduate Degree 8.8% / 3.0%
Mawson Lakes — Postgraduate Degree: 8.8% Parafield Gardens — Postgraduate Degree: 3.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.9% / 0.9%
Mawson Lakes — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.9% Parafield Gardens — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.9%).

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.

Mawson Lakes Parafield Gardens
India 8.7% / 8.2%
Mawson Lakes — India: 8.7% Parafield Gardens — India: 8.2%
Vietnam 3.4% / 5.1%
Mawson Lakes — Vietnam: 3.4% Parafield Gardens — Vietnam: 5.1%
England 3.7% / 3.6%
Mawson Lakes — England: 3.7% Parafield Gardens — England: 3.6%
Afghanistan 1.5% / 3.5%
Mawson Lakes — Afghanistan: 1.5% Parafield Gardens — Afghanistan: 3.5%
Philippines 1.7% / 2.5%
Mawson Lakes — Philippines: 1.7% Parafield Gardens — Philippines: 2.5%
China 3.6% / —
Mawson Lakes — China: 3.6% Parafield Gardens — China: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (8.7%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Mawson Lakes 66.5% houses
Mawson Lakes — Houses: 66.5% Mawson Lakes — Townhouses: 17.9% Mawson Lakes — Flats / Apartments: 15.6%
Parafield Gardens 89.3% houses
Parafield Gardens — Houses: 89.3% Parafield Gardens — Townhouses: 8.4% Parafield Gardens — Flats / Apartments: 2.4%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Mawson Lakes Parafield Gardens
Median house price $880,000 $800,000
Median unit price $530,000 $592,500
Median land price $845,000 $830,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 23 days
from 119 sales
 18 days
from 192 sales

Unit price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Mawson Lakes Parafield Gardens
2 bed $525K / $585K
Mawson Lakes — 2 bed: $525K (95 sales) Parafield Gardens — 2 bed: $585K (5 sales)

95 vs 5 sales

3 bed $555K / $601K
Mawson Lakes — 3 bed: $555K (15 sales) Parafield Gardens — 3 bed: $601K (5 sales)

15 vs 5 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.

Mawson Lakes Parafield Gardens
2 bed $602K / $625K
Mawson Lakes — 2 bed: $602K (19 sales) Parafield Gardens — 2 bed: $625K (7 sales)

19 vs 7 sales

3 bed $810K / $780K
Mawson Lakes — 3 bed: $810K (115 sales) Parafield Gardens — 3 bed: $780K (155 sales)

115 vs 155 sales

4 bed $1.11M / $875K
Mawson Lakes — 4 bed: $1.11M (66 sales) Parafield Gardens — 4 bed: $875K (81 sales)

66 vs 81 sales

5 bed $1.28M / $980K
Mawson Lakes — 5 bed: $1.28M (17 sales) Parafield Gardens — 5 bed: $980K (19 sales)

17 vs 19 sales

Zoning mix

Mawson Lakes has more commercially zoned land (17% vs 3%).

Mawson Lakes Parafield Gardens
Residential 51% 89%
Parks and recreation 25% 3%
Commercial 17% 3%
Industrial 8% 5%
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

Mawson Lakes Parafield Gardens
New dwellings approved 949
across Salisbury
same for both
Approvals change year on year -30%
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.

Mawson Lakes Parafield Gardens
Houses 4.3%
$680/wk on $820K
 4.3%
$650/wk on $792K
Units 5.1%
$545/wk on $555K
 4.3%
$500/wk on $602K

Ranking within SA

Mawson Lakes Parafield Gardens
House price Higher than 43% of SA Higher than 27% of SA
Income Higher than 80% of SA Higher than 45% of SA
Schools — Higher than 74% of SA
Walkability Higher than 95% of SA Higher than 92% of SA
Affordability Higher than 82% of SA Higher than 64% of SA
EV adoption Higher than 78% of SA Higher than 59% of SA
NBN connectivity Higher than 82% of SA Higher than 90% of SA
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 80% of SA Higher than 77% of SA
Rental yield (units) Higher than 75% of SA Higher than 31% of SA

Liveability

Mawson Lakes scores higher overall (56 vs 46).

Mawson Lakes Parafield Gardens
Grade B C
Score 56/100 46/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
 high-need area
decile 1/10

Risk profile

Mawson Lakes Parafield Gardens
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
73/100
 Moderate
67/100
Flood High
84/100
 High
77/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise High
83/100
 Moderate
50/100
Industrial facilities nearby 23
within 5 km
 13
within 5 km

Schools

Mawson Lakes Parafield Gardens
Inside the suburb 2 6
Rated above peers 1 2
Rated at peers 1 3
Rated below peers 0 1
Universities within 10 km 1
Adelaide University, Mawson Lakes Campus, 0.0 km
 1
Adelaide University, Mawson Lakes Campus, 3.1 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 5.0% 2.5%

Schools in Mawson Lakes

  • Endeavour College Independent · Secondary above peers
  • Mawson Lakes School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Parafield Gardens

  • Garden College Independent · Combined above peers
  • The Pines School Government · Primary above peers
  • Holy Family Catholic School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Parafield Gardens High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • Parafield Gardens Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Karrendi Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Mawson Lakes Parafield Gardens
Supermarkets 2 3
Cafes & restaurants 14 1
Parks & reserves 14 8
Childcare 8 11
GPs 6 4
Pharmacies 2
same for both
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 2 3
Waterways 5 3

Mobility

Parafield Gardens sits further from the CBD (21.4 km vs 15.2 km).

Mawson Lakes Parafield Gardens
Walkability score 84/100 79/100
Distance to Adelaide 15.2 km 21.4 km
+41% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 23 min 25 min
Public transport score 92/100
Rail · Bus
 79/100
Rail · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 315.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 190.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.0%
postcode 5095
 0.6%
postcode 5107
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 57
postcode 5095
 72
postcode 5107

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.

Mawson Lakes Parafield Gardens
Car (driver) 74.1% / 83.0%
Mawson Lakes — Car (driver): 74.1% Parafield Gardens — Car (driver): 83.0%
Worked from Home 11.1% / 5.6%
Mawson Lakes — Worked from Home: 11.1% Parafield Gardens — Worked from Home: 5.6%
Car (passenger) 4.9% / 6.2%
Mawson Lakes — Car (passenger): 4.9% Parafield Gardens — Car (passenger): 6.2%
Bus 6.9% / 4.0%
Mawson Lakes — Bus: 6.9% Parafield Gardens — Bus: 4.0%
Walked Only 2.0% / 0.6%
Mawson Lakes — Walked Only: 2.0% Parafield Gardens — Walked Only: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (83.0%).

Setting

Mawson Lakes Parafield Gardens
Elevation 10 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 18 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 5.0 km 5.3 km

NBN connectivity

Mawson Lakes Parafield Gardens
Connectivity score 70/100 76/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Hybrid fibre-coaxial
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 34%
6,012 premises
 11%
6,919 premises

Climate

Mawson Lakes Parafield Gardens
Annual rainfall 404 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 30.4°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 6.5°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Mawson Lakes Parafield Gardens
PM2.5 —
same for both
PM10 —
same for both
NO₂ 0.51 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Mawson Lakes Parafield Gardens
Average residential rate $1,722/yr
same for both
Council Salisbury
same for both

Federal electorate

Mawson Lakes Parafield Gardens
Division Makin
same for both
Member Tony Zappia
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Mawson Lakes Parafield Gardens
Grant amount $15,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Mawson Lakes

Easy Commute Middle-Ring Multicultural Parks River Transport Hub

Parafield Gardens

Middle-Ring Multicultural Parks

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Other comparisons with Parafield Gardens

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Full data on Mawson Lakes Full data on Parafield Gardens
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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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