Mclaren Vale vs Willunga

Willunga is the younger of the two, with a median age of 47 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 Willunga, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Willunga: a median of $1.09 million, against $955,000 in McLaren Vale. McLaren Vale is closer to the city centre: 40.1 km, against 46.6 km. On these figures, McLaren Vale tends to suit people living alone and older residents, while Willunga suits families with children and 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

Willunga

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools inside the suburb (3 vs 1)
  • carries lower crime risk (30/100 vs 53/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (66% vs 54%)
  • But McLaren Vale has more childcare (6 vs 3)

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

First-home buyers

McLaren Vale

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has cheaper land ($585,000 vs $885,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($955,000 vs $1,090,000)

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

Renters

Willunga

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (20% vs 25%)

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

Commuting to the city

They split

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

  • Mclaren Vale sits closer to the CBD (40.1 km vs 46.6 km)
  • Willunga is more walkable (65/100 vs 55/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

McLaren Vale

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (15% vs 3%)
  • has more GPs (2 vs 0)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (33% vs 23%)
  • But Willunga carries lower crime risk (30/100 vs 53/100)

Weighs smaller dwellings, 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 Willunga 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 Willunga
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 Willunga
Walkability 55 / 65
Mclaren Vale — Walkability: 55/100 Willunga — Walkability: 65/100
Safety 47 / 70
Mclaren Vale — Safety: 47/100 Willunga — Safety: 70/100
Low fire risk 31 / 65
Mclaren Vale — Low fire risk: 31/100 Willunga — Low fire risk: 65/100

Demographics

McLaren Vale has more residents (4,061 vs 2,445); Willunga has higher household incomes ($87,412 vs $69,212).

Mclaren Vale Willunga
Population 4,061
+40% vs other
 2,445
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +5.7% +5.9%
Median age 54 47
Median household income $69,212/yr $87,412/yr
+26% vs other
Median weekly rent $328/wk $330/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Mclaren Vale Willunga
0-4 3.5% / 4.0%
Mclaren Vale — 0-4: 3.5% Willunga — 0-4: 4.0%
5-14 10.0% / 14.0%
Mclaren Vale — 5-14: 10.0% Willunga — 5-14: 14.0%
15-19 4.6% / 5.6%
Mclaren Vale — 15-19: 4.6% Willunga — 15-19: 5.6%
20-24 4.1% / 4.3%
Mclaren Vale — 20-24: 4.1% Willunga — 20-24: 4.3%
25-34 6.9% / 6.7%
Mclaren Vale — 25-34: 6.9% Willunga — 25-34: 6.7%
35-44 9.8% / 11.9%
Mclaren Vale — 35-44: 9.8% Willunga — 35-44: 11.9%
45-54 12.6% / 15.3%
Mclaren Vale — 45-54: 12.6% Willunga — 45-54: 15.3%
55-64 15.6% / 14.9%
Mclaren Vale — 55-64: 15.6% Willunga — 55-64: 14.9%
65-74 15.8% / 14.2%
Mclaren Vale — 65-74: 15.8% Willunga — 65-74: 14.2%
75-84 12.4% / 7.2%
Mclaren Vale — 75-84: 12.4% Willunga — 75-84: 7.2%
85+ 4.8% / 1.9%
Mclaren Vale — 85+: 4.8% Willunga — 85+: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.8%).

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%
Willunga 51.1% couple families
Willunga — Couple Families: 51.1% Willunga — Lone Person: 31.6% Willunga — One Parent Families: 14.8% Willunga — Group Household: 2.0% Willunga — Other Families: 0.5%
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%
Willunga 15.2% renting
Willunga — Owned Outright: 43.7% Willunga — Mortgage: 41.1% Willunga — Renting: 15.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Mclaren Vale Willunga
Certificate III & IV 16.3% / 14.7%
Mclaren Vale — Certificate III & IV: 16.3% Willunga — Certificate III & IV: 14.7%
Bachelor Degree 11.1% / 15.5%
Mclaren Vale — Bachelor Degree: 11.1% Willunga — Bachelor Degree: 15.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.4% / 9.1%
Mclaren Vale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.4% Willunga — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.1%
Postgraduate Degree 2.6% / 4.0%
Mclaren Vale — Postgraduate Degree: 2.6% Willunga — Postgraduate Degree: 4.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.3% / 3.9%
Mclaren Vale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.3% Willunga — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.9%

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

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 Willunga
England 14.9% / 12.1%
Mclaren Vale — England: 14.9% Willunga — England: 12.1%
Scotland 1.8% / 1.3%
Mclaren Vale — Scotland: 1.8% Willunga — Scotland: 1.3%
New Zealand 1.2% / 1.1%
Mclaren Vale — New Zealand: 1.2% Willunga — New Zealand: 1.1%
Germany 0.9% / 0.6%
Mclaren Vale — Germany: 0.9% Willunga — Germany: 0.6%
Italy 1.1% / 0.2%
Mclaren Vale — Italy: 1.1% Willunga — Italy: 0.2%
South Africa 0.5% / 0.6%
Mclaren Vale — South Africa: 0.5% Willunga — South Africa: 0.6%

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

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%
Willunga 96.5% houses
Willunga — Houses: 96.5% Willunga — Townhouses: 1.7% Willunga — Flats / Apartments: 1.7%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Mclaren Vale Willunga
Median house price $955,000 $1,090,000
Median unit price $627,500 $630,000
Median land price $585,000 $885,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 29 days
from 44 sales
 32 days
from 30 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.

Mclaren Vale Willunga
3 bed $886K / $958K
Mclaren Vale — 3 bed: $886K (33 sales) Willunga — 3 bed: $958K (42 sales)

33 vs 42 sales

4 bed $1.15M / $1.18M
Mclaren Vale — 4 bed: $1.15M (27 sales) Willunga — 4 bed: $1.18M (24 sales)

27 vs 24 sales

5 bed $1.11M / $1.2M
Mclaren Vale — 5 bed: $1.11M (5 sales) Willunga — 5 bed: $1.2M (7 sales)

5 vs 7 sales

Zoning mix

McLaren Vale has more rural and farming land (70% vs 32%); Willunga has more land zoned for conservation (56% vs 20%).

Mclaren Vale Willunga
Rural and farming 70% 32%
Environmental 20% 56%
Residential 3% 8%
Parks and recreation 2% 3%
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 Willunga
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 Willunga
Houses 3.3%
$630/wk on $999K
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within SA

Mclaren Vale Willunga
House price Higher than 36% of SA Higher than 52% of SA
Income Higher than 38% of SA Higher than 65% of SA
Schools — Higher than 66% of SA
Walkability Higher than 82% of SA Higher than 86% of SA
Affordability Higher than 47% of SA Higher than 58% of SA
EV adoption Higher than 68% of SA Higher than 88% of SA
NBN connectivity Higher than 96% of SA Higher than 97% of SA
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 25% of SA —

Liveability

Willunga scores higher overall (66 vs 38); Willunga is more walkable (65 vs 55).

Mclaren Vale Willunga
Grade C A
Score 38/100 66/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

McLaren Vale carries more bushfire risk (69 vs 35); McLaren Vale carries more crime risk (53 vs 30).

Mclaren Vale Willunga
Bushfire Moderate
69/100
 Low
35/100
Crime Moderate
53/100
 Low
30/100
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
 2
within 5 km

Schools

Mclaren Vale Willunga
Inside the suburb 1 3
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 1 2

Schools in Mclaren Vale

  • McLaren Vale Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Willunga

  • Willunga Waldorf School Independent · Combined above peers
  • Willunga High School Government · Secondary below peers
  • Willunga Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Mclaren Vale Willunga
Supermarkets 1
same for both
Cafes & restaurants 17 5
Parks & reserves 2 4
Childcare 6 3
GPs 2 0
Pharmacies 1
same for both
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1
same for both
Fuel stations 1
same for both
EV chargers 3 0

Mobility

Willunga sits further from the CBD (46.6 km vs 40.1 km).

Mclaren Vale Willunga
Walkability score 55/100 65/100
Distance to Adelaide 40.1 km 46.6 km
+16% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 41 min 45 min
Public transport score 78/100
Bus
 77/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 45.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 30.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
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 Willunga
Car (driver) 73.7% / 71.8%
Mclaren Vale — Car (driver): 73.7% Willunga — Car (driver): 71.8%
Worked from Home 15.6% / 18.2%
Mclaren Vale — Worked from Home: 15.6% Willunga — Worked from Home: 18.2%
Walked Only 4.5% / 3.4%
Mclaren Vale — Walked Only: 4.5% Willunga — Walked Only: 3.4%
Car (passenger) 3.2% / 3.1%
Mclaren Vale — Car (passenger): 3.2% Willunga — Car (passenger): 3.1%
Train 2.6% / 3.0%
Mclaren Vale — Train: 2.6% Willunga — Train: 3.0%

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

Setting

Mclaren Vale Willunga
Elevation 65 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 122 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 6.6 km 8.5 km

NBN connectivity

Mclaren Vale Willunga
Connectivity score 88/100 93/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 83%
2,247 premises
 90%
1,195 premises

Climate

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

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

Mclaren Vale Willunga
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

Willunga

Acreage Outer

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Mclaren Vale

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

Other comparisons with Willunga

Willunga vs Willunga South Willunga vs Whites Valley Willunga vs Tatachilla Willunga vs The Range Willunga vs Willunga Hill Willunga vs Hope Forest
Full data on Mclaren Vale Full data on Willunga
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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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