Melrose Park vs Colonel Light Gardens

Melrose Park is the younger of the two, with a median age of 38 against 42 in Colonel Light Gardens. In both, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. In Colonel Light Gardens, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Colonel Light Gardens: a median of $1.69 million, against $1.12 million in Melrose Park, and rent is higher there too. Colonel Light Gardens is closer to the city centre: 7.5 km, against 8.4 km. On these figures, Melrose Park tends to suit people living alone and buyers on a tighter budget, while Colonel Light Gardens 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

Colonel Light Gardens

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (27/100 vs 80/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (74% vs 50%)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (91% vs 75%)
  • But Melrose Park has more parks and reserves (8 vs 5)

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

  • Melrose Park has cheaper houses ($1,120,500 vs $1,691,000)
  • Colonel Light Gardens leaves households under less mortgage stress (20% vs 28%)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Melrose Park

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (27% vs 12%)
  • has cheaper rent ($350/wk vs $400/wk)
  • But Colonel Light Gardens leaves renters under less rental stress (16% vs 22%)

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

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • Melrose Park has more units and townhouses to downsize into (25% vs 9%)
  • Colonel Light Gardens carries lower crime risk (27/100 vs 80/100)

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

Investors

Melrose Park

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • is growing faster (4.9% vs -1.1%)
  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (3.2% vs 2.3%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

Melrose Park and Colonel Light 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.

Melrose Park Colonel Light 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.

Melrose Park Colonel Light Gardens
Walkability 88 / 82
Melrose Park — Walkability: 88/100 Colonel Light Gardens — Walkability: 82/100
Safety 20 / 73
Melrose Park — Safety: 20/100 Colonel Light Gardens — Safety: 73/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Melrose Park — Low fire risk: 100/100 Colonel Light Gardens — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 18 / 29
Melrose Park — Low flood risk: 18/100 Colonel Light Gardens — Low flood risk: 29/100

Demographics

Colonel Light Gardens has higher household incomes ($129,532 vs $82,316); Colonel Light Gardens has more residents (3,311 vs 2,319).

Melrose Park Colonel Light Gardens
Population 2,319 3,311
+43% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +4.9% -1.1%
Median age 38 42
Median household income $82,316/yr $129,532/yr
+57% vs other
Median weekly rent $350/wk $400/wk
+14% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Melrose Park Colonel Light Gardens
0-4 6.9% / 5.1%
Melrose Park — 0-4: 6.9% Colonel Light Gardens — 0-4: 5.1%
5-14 12.0% / 15.3%
Melrose Park — 5-14: 12.0% Colonel Light Gardens — 5-14: 15.3%
15-19 4.6% / 7.5%
Melrose Park — 15-19: 4.6% Colonel Light Gardens — 15-19: 7.5%
20-24 5.3% / 5.9%
Melrose Park — 20-24: 5.3% Colonel Light Gardens — 20-24: 5.9%
25-34 14.5% / 7.3%
Melrose Park — 25-34: 14.5% Colonel Light Gardens — 25-34: 7.3%
35-44 15.9% / 12.5%
Melrose Park — 35-44: 15.9% Colonel Light Gardens — 35-44: 12.5%
45-54 11.3% / 17.5%
Melrose Park — 45-54: 11.3% Colonel Light Gardens — 45-54: 17.5%
55-64 10.9% / 14.4%
Melrose Park — 55-64: 10.9% Colonel Light Gardens — 55-64: 14.4%
65-74 8.7% / 9.8%
Melrose Park — 65-74: 8.7% Colonel Light Gardens — 65-74: 9.8%
75-84 5.6% / 3.8%
Melrose Park — 75-84: 5.6% Colonel Light Gardens — 75-84: 3.8%
85+ 4.1% / 1.0%
Melrose Park — 85+: 4.1% Colonel Light Gardens — 85+: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Melrose Park 36.5% couple families
Melrose Park — Couple Families: 36.5% Melrose Park — Lone Person: 43.6% Melrose Park — One Parent Families: 13.4% Melrose Park — Group Household: 4.8% Melrose Park — Other Families: 1.7%
Colonel Light Gardens 62.8% couple families
Colonel Light Gardens — Couple Families: 62.8% Colonel Light Gardens — Lone Person: 22.2% Colonel Light Gardens — One Parent Families: 11.6% Colonel Light Gardens — Group Household: 2.0% Colonel Light Gardens — Other Families: 1.3%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Melrose Park 27.3% renting
Melrose Park — Owned Outright: 32.2% Melrose Park — Mortgage: 40.5% Melrose Park — Renting: 27.3%
Colonel Light Gardens 11.8% renting
Colonel Light Gardens — Owned Outright: 42.1% Colonel Light Gardens — Mortgage: 46.1% Colonel Light Gardens — Renting: 11.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Melrose Park Colonel Light Gardens
Bachelor Degree 16.7% / 20.8%
Melrose Park — Bachelor Degree: 16.7% Colonel Light Gardens — Bachelor Degree: 20.8%
Certificate III & IV 12.9% / 9.8%
Melrose Park — Certificate III & IV: 12.9% Colonel Light Gardens — Certificate III & IV: 9.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.2% / 8.8%
Melrose Park — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.2% Colonel Light Gardens — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.8%
Postgraduate Degree 5.7% / 6.9%
Melrose Park — Postgraduate Degree: 5.7% Colonel Light Gardens — Postgraduate Degree: 6.9%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.0% / 4.4%
Melrose Park — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.0% Colonel Light Gardens — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.8%).

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.

Melrose Park Colonel Light Gardens
England 2.8% / 4.1%
Melrose Park — England: 2.8% Colonel Light Gardens — England: 4.1%
China 2.4% / 0.9%
Melrose Park — China: 2.4% Colonel Light Gardens — China: 0.9%
Greece 1.9% / 1.0%
Melrose Park — Greece: 1.9% Colonel Light Gardens — Greece: 1.0%
India 2.2% / 0.6%
Melrose Park — India: 2.2% Colonel Light Gardens — India: 0.6%
Nepal 2.1% / —
Melrose Park — Nepal: 2.1% Colonel Light Gardens — Nepal: not among its largest
New Zealand 1.0% / 0.7%
Melrose Park — New Zealand: 1.0% Colonel Light Gardens — New Zealand: 0.7%
Italy 0.7% / 0.6%
Melrose Park — Italy: 0.7% Colonel Light Gardens — Italy: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.1%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Melrose Park 74.6% houses
Melrose Park — Houses: 74.6% Melrose Park — Flats / Apartments: 13.8% Melrose Park — Townhouses: 11.6%
Colonel Light Gardens 91.2% houses
Colonel Light Gardens — Houses: 91.2% Colonel Light Gardens — Flats / Apartments: 3.8% Colonel Light Gardens — Townhouses: 5.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Melrose Park Colonel Light Gardens
Median house price $1,120,500 $1,691,000
Median unit price $650,000 —
Median land price $740,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 17 days
from 24 sales
 20 days
from 17 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.

Melrose Park Colonel Light Gardens
3 bed $1.1M / $1.55M
Melrose Park — 3 bed: $1.1M (27 sales) Colonel Light Gardens — 3 bed: $1.55M (17 sales)

27 vs 17 sales

4 bed $1.45M / $1.77M
Melrose Park — 4 bed: $1.45M (11 sales) Colonel Light Gardens — 4 bed: $1.77M (17 sales)

11 vs 17 sales

Zoning mix

Melrose Park has more industrially zoned land (39% vs 0%).

Melrose Park Colonel Light Gardens
Residential 61% 92%
Industrial 39% 0%
Parks and recreation 0% 7%
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

Melrose Park Colonel Light Gardens
New dwellings approved 188
across Mitcham
same for both
Approvals change year on year +32%
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.

Melrose Park Colonel Light Gardens
Houses 3.2%
$700/wk on $1.12M
 2.3%
$650/wk on $1.5M
Units —
same for both

Ranking within SA

Melrose Park Colonel Light Gardens
House price Higher than 54% of SA Higher than 85% of SA
Income Higher than 58% of SA Higher than 95% of SA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 97% of SA Higher than 94% of SA
Affordability Higher than 43% of SA Higher than 48% of SA
EV adoption Higher than 79% of SA Higher than 83% of SA
NBN connectivity Higher than 96% of SA Higher than 99% of SA
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 23% of SA Higher than 5% of SA

Liveability

Colonel Light Gardens scores higher overall (83 vs 57).

Melrose Park Colonel Light Gardens
Grade B A+
Score 57/100 83/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
 very advantaged area
decile 10/10

Risk profile

Melrose Park carries more crime risk (80 vs 27); Melrose Park carries more flood risk (82 vs 71).

Melrose Park Colonel Light Gardens
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
80/100
 Low
27/100
Flood High
82/100
 High
71/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 5
within 5 km
 4
within 5 km

Schools

Melrose Park Colonel Light Gardens
Inside the suburb 1 2
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1
same for both
Rated below peers 0 1
Universities within 10 km 3
Tonsley, 1.6 km
 3
Tonsley, 2.7 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.4% 3.9%

Schools in Melrose Park

  • Edwardstown Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Colonel Light Gardens

  • St Therese School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Colonel Light Gardens Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Melrose Park Colonel Light Gardens
Cafes & restaurants 5 3
Parks & reserves 8 5
Childcare 1 3
GPs 1
same for both
Pharmacies 1 2
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Fuel stations 1 0
EV chargers 1 0

Mobility

Melrose Park Colonel Light Gardens
Walkability score 88/100 82/100
Distance to Adelaide 8.4 km
+11% vs other
 7.5 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 14 min
same for both
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 57.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 96.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.1%
postcode 5039
 1.3%
postcode 5041
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 55
postcode 5039
 58
postcode 5041

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.

Melrose Park Colonel Light Gardens
Car (driver) 70.4% / 68.9%
Melrose Park — Car (driver): 70.4% Colonel Light Gardens — Car (driver): 68.9%
Worked from Home 12.5% / 15.8%
Melrose Park — Worked from Home: 12.5% Colonel Light Gardens — Worked from Home: 15.8%
Bus 5.9% / 5.0%
Melrose Park — Bus: 5.9% Colonel Light Gardens — Bus: 5.0%
Car (passenger) 3.7% / 5.0%
Melrose Park — Car (passenger): 3.7% Colonel Light Gardens — Car (passenger): 5.0%
Walked Only 4.0% / 1.6%
Melrose Park — Walked Only: 4.0% Colonel Light Gardens — Walked Only: 1.6%
Bicycle 1.6% / 2.9%
Melrose Park — Bicycle: 1.6% Colonel Light Gardens — Bicycle: 2.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (70.4%).

Setting

Melrose Park Colonel Light Gardens
Elevation 39 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 56 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 6.2 km 7.6 km

NBN connectivity

Melrose Park Colonel Light Gardens
Connectivity score 90/100 98/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 73%
1,393 premises
 96%
1,275 premises

Climate

Melrose Park Colonel Light Gardens
Annual rainfall 394 mm 457 mm
Summer max (Jan) 28.1°C 29.1°C
Winter min (Jul) 7.8°C 8.5°C

Air quality (annual mean)

Melrose Park Colonel Light Gardens
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

Melrose Park Colonel Light Gardens
Average residential rate $2,296/yr
same for both
Council Mitcham
same for both

Federal electorate

Melrose Park Colonel Light Gardens
Division Boothby
same for both
Member Louise Miller-Frost
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Melrose Park Colonel Light Gardens
Grant amount $15,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Melrose Park

Inner Parks

Colonel Light Gardens

Inner Parks Premium Professionals

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Melrose Park

Melrose Park vs Edwardstown Melrose Park vs Clovelly Park Melrose Park vs Pasadena Melrose Park vs St Marys Melrose Park vs Daw Park Melrose Park vs Cumberland Park

Other comparisons with Colonel Light Gardens

Colonel Light Gardens vs Daw Park Colonel Light Gardens vs Cumberland Park Colonel Light Gardens vs Westbourne Park Colonel Light Gardens vs Panorama Colonel Light Gardens vs Hawthorn Colonel Light Gardens vs Lower Mitcham
Full data on Melrose Park Full data on Colonel Light 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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