Mclaren Vale vs The Range

The Range is the younger of the two, with a median age of 51 against 54 in McLaren Vale. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In The Range, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in The Range: a median of $2.75 million, against $955,000 in McLaren Vale, and rent is higher there too. McLaren Vale is closer to the city centre: 40.1 km, against 50.3 km. On these figures, McLaren Vale tends to suit people living alone, older residents, and buyers on a tighter budget, while The Range suits couples.

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

The Range

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (31/100 vs 53/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (68% vs 54%)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (100% vs 85%)
  • But McLaren Vale has more childcare (6 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here

  • Mclaren Vale has cheaper houses ($955,000 vs $2,750,000)
  • The Range leaves households under less mortgage stress (20% vs 27%)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

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

  • Mclaren Vale has cheaper rent ($328/wk vs $447/wk)
  • The Range leaves renters under less rental stress (18% vs 25%)

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

Commuting to the city

McLaren Vale

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (55/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (41 min vs 53 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (40.1 km vs 50.3 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

McLaren Vale

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (55/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more GPs (2 vs 0)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (33% vs 22%)
  • But The Range carries lower crime risk (31/100 vs 53/100)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Mclaren Vale The Range
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.

Mclaren Vale The Range
Walkability 55 / 0
Mclaren Vale — Walkability: 55/100 The Range — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 47 / 69
Mclaren Vale — Safety: 47/100 The Range — Safety: 69/100
Low fire risk 31 / 20
Mclaren Vale — Low fire risk: 31/100 The Range — Low fire risk: 20/100

Demographics

McLaren Vale has more residents (4,061 vs 159); The Range has higher household incomes ($132,600 vs $69,212).

Mclaren Vale The Range
Population 4,061
+96% vs other
 159
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +5.7% +6.7%
Median age 54 51
Median household income $69,212/yr $132,600/yr
+92% vs other
Median weekly rent $328/wk $447/wk
+36% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Mclaren Vale The Range
0-4 3.5% / 2.5%
Mclaren Vale — 0-4: 3.5% The Range — 0-4: 2.5%
5-14 10.0% / 7.5%
Mclaren Vale — 5-14: 10.0% The Range — 5-14: 7.5%
15-19 4.6% / 6.9%
Mclaren Vale — 15-19: 4.6% The Range — 15-19: 6.9%
20-24 4.1% / 3.1%
Mclaren Vale — 20-24: 4.1% The Range — 20-24: 3.1%
25-34 6.9% / 6.3%
Mclaren Vale — 25-34: 6.9% The Range — 25-34: 6.3%
35-44 9.8% / 6.9%
Mclaren Vale — 35-44: 9.8% The Range — 35-44: 6.9%
45-54 12.6% / 15.7%
Mclaren Vale — 45-54: 12.6% The Range — 45-54: 15.7%
55-64 15.6% / 23.3%
Mclaren Vale — 55-64: 15.6% The Range — 55-64: 23.3%
65-74 15.8% / 14.5%
Mclaren Vale — 65-74: 15.8% The Range — 65-74: 14.5%
75-84 12.4% / 7.5%
Mclaren Vale — 75-84: 12.4% The Range — 75-84: 7.5%
85+ 4.8% / —
Mclaren Vale — 85+: 4.8% The Range — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Mclaren Vale 39.9% couple families
Mclaren Vale — Couple Families: 39.9% Mclaren Vale — Lone Person: 43.1% Mclaren Vale — One Parent Families: 14.2% Mclaren Vale — Group Household: 2.0% Mclaren Vale — Other Families: 0.8%
The Range 67.9% couple families
The Range — Couple Families: 67.9% The Range — Lone Person: 32.1% The Range — One Parent Families: 0.0% The Range — Group Household: 0.0% The Range — Other Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Mclaren Vale 16.7% renting
Mclaren Vale — Owned Outright: 48.3% Mclaren Vale — Mortgage: 35.0% Mclaren Vale — Renting: 16.7%
The Range 15.4% renting
The Range — Owned Outright: 38.5% The Range — Mortgage: 46.2% The Range — Renting: 15.4%
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.

Mclaren Vale The Range
England 14.9% / 12.6%
Mclaren Vale — England: 14.9% The Range — England: 12.6%
New Zealand 1.2% / 1.9%
Mclaren Vale — New Zealand: 1.2% The Range — New Zealand: 1.9%
Scotland 1.8% / —
Mclaren Vale — Scotland: 1.8% The Range — Scotland: not among its largest
Italy 1.1% / —
Mclaren Vale — Italy: 1.1% The Range — Italy: not among its largest
Germany 0.9% / —
Mclaren Vale — Germany: 0.9% The Range — Germany: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (14.9%).

Qualifications

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

Mclaren Vale The Range
Certificate III & IV 16.3% / 13.8%
Mclaren Vale — Certificate III & IV: 16.3% The Range — Certificate III & IV: 13.8%
Bachelor Degree 11.1% / 10.1%
Mclaren Vale — Bachelor Degree: 11.1% The Range — Bachelor Degree: 10.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.4% / 10.7%
Mclaren Vale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.4% The Range — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.7%
Postgraduate Degree 2.6% / 8.8%
Mclaren Vale — Postgraduate Degree: 2.6% The Range — Postgraduate Degree: 8.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.3% / 3.1%
Mclaren Vale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.3% The Range — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.3%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Mclaren Vale 84.8% houses
Mclaren Vale — Houses: 84.8% Mclaren Vale — Townhouses: 10.5% Mclaren Vale — Flats / Apartments: 4.8%
The Range 100.0% houses
The Range — Houses: 100.0% The Range — Townhouses: 0.0% The Range — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Mclaren Vale The Range
Median house price $955,000 $2,750,000
Median unit price $627,500 —
Median land price $585,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 29 days
from 44 sales
 —

Zoning mix

The Range has more land zoned for conservation (63% vs 20%); McLaren Vale has more rural and farming land (70% vs 37%).

Mclaren Vale The Range
Rural and farming 70% 37%
Environmental 20% 63%
Residential 3% 0%
Parks and recreation 2% 0%
Industrial 2% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 2% 0%
Commercial 1% 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

Mclaren Vale The Range
New dwellings approved 1,367
across Onkaparinga
same for both
Approvals change year on year +58%
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.

Mclaren Vale The Range
Houses 3.3%
$630/wk on $999K
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within SA

Mclaren Vale The Range
House price Higher than 36% of SA —
Income Higher than 38% of SA Higher than 95% of SA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 82% of SA Higher than 48% of SA
Affordability Higher than 47% of SA —
EV adoption Higher than 68% of SA Higher than 89% of SA
NBN connectivity Higher than 96% of SA Higher than 66% of SA
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 25% of SA —

Liveability

McLaren Vale is more walkable (55 vs 0).

Mclaren Vale The Range
Grade C —
Score 38/100 —
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

McLaren Vale carries more crime risk (53 vs 31); The Range carries more bushfire risk (80 vs 69).

Mclaren Vale The Range
Bushfire Moderate
69/100
 High
80/100
Crime Moderate
53/100
 Low
31/100
Flood Low
39/100
 —
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 15
within 5 km
 4
within 5 km

Schools

Mclaren Vale The Range
Inside the suburb 1 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 1 0

Schools in Mclaren Vale

  • McLaren Vale Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in The Range

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

Amenities in the suburb

Mclaren Vale The Range
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 17 0
Parks & reserves 2
same for both
Childcare 6 0
GPs 2 0
Pharmacies 1 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Fuel stations 1 0
EV chargers 3 0

Mobility

The Range sits further from the CBD (50.3 km vs 40.1 km).

Mclaren Vale The Range
Walkability score 55/100 0/100
Distance to Adelaide 40.1 km 50.3 km
+25% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 41 min 53 min
Electric vehicle share 0.7%
postcode 5171
 1.5%
postcode 5172
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 90
postcode 5171
 96
postcode 5172

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.

Mclaren Vale The Range
Car (driver) 73.7% / 68.4%
Mclaren Vale — Car (driver): 73.7% The Range — Car (driver): 68.4%
Worked from Home 15.6% / 26.3%
Mclaren Vale — Worked from Home: 15.6% The Range — Worked from Home: 26.3%
Car (passenger) 3.2% / 5.3%
Mclaren Vale — Car (passenger): 3.2% The Range — Car (passenger): 5.3%
Walked Only 4.5% / —
Mclaren Vale — Walked Only: 4.5% The Range — Walked Only: not among its largest
Train 2.6% / —
Mclaren Vale — Train: 2.6% The Range — Train: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (73.7%).

Setting

Mclaren Vale The Range
Elevation 65 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 345 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 6.6 km 13.8 km

NBN connectivity

Mclaren Vale The Range
Connectivity score 88/100 30/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 83%
2,247 premises
 0%
61 premises

Climate

Mclaren Vale The Range
Annual rainfall 786 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Mclaren Vale The Range
PM2.5 —
same for both
PM10 19.5 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.34 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Mclaren Vale The Range
Average residential rate $2,008/yr
same for both
Council Onkaparinga
same for both

Federal electorate

Mclaren Vale The Range
Division Mayo
same for both
Member Rebekha Sharkie
same for both
Party Centre Alliance
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Mclaren Vale The Range
Grant amount $15,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Mclaren Vale

Outer Retirees Village Feel

The Range

Outer Professionals

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Mclaren Vale

Mclaren Vale vs Seaford Rise Mclaren Vale vs Onkaparinga Hills Mclaren Vale vs Willunga Mclaren Vale vs McLaren Flat Mclaren Vale vs Old Noarlunga Mclaren Vale vs Maslin Beach

Other comparisons with The Range

The Range vs Willunga The Range vs McLaren Flat The Range vs Kuitpo The Range vs Hope Forest The Range vs Dingabledinga
Full data on Mclaren Vale Full data on The Range
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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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