Melrose vs Baroota
Melrose is the younger of the two, with a median age of 48 against 54 in Baroota. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Melrose, about half of households are couple families. In Baroota, about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Melrose tends to suit 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
Melrose
ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here
- has more parks and reserves (5 vs 1)
- carries lower crime risk (24/100 vs 78/100)
- has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Baroota
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (14% vs 20%)
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Melrose
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- leaves renters under less rental stress (13% vs 42%)
- has cheaper rent ($180/wk vs $575/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Baroota
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (173 min vs 187 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (259.9 km vs 269.9 km)
- But Melrose is more walkable (38/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Melrose
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- is more walkable (38/100 vs 0/100)
- carries lower crime risk (24/100 vs 78/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Melrose
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (-1.4% vs -8.8%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Melrose and Baroota drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.
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.
Demographics
Melrose has more residents (342 vs 52); Baroota rents higher ($575/wk vs $180/wk).
| Melrose | Baroota | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 342 +85% vs other | 52 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -1.4% | -8.8% |
| Median age | 48 | 54 |
| Median household income | $73,632/yr +3% vs other | $71,500/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $180/wk | $575/wk +219% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.1%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.0%).
Property market
| Melrose | Baroota | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $310,000 | — |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | $231,500 | — |
Zoning mix
| Melrose | Baroota | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 87% | 83% |
| Environmental | 12% | 17% |
| 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 | Baroota | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 13 across Mount Remarkable same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +200% same for both | |
Ranking within SA
| Melrose | Baroota | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 47% of SA | Higher than 42% of SA |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 77% of SA | Higher than 13% of SA |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | — same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 46% of SA | Higher than 31% of SA |
Liveability
Melrose is more walkable (38 vs 0).
| Melrose | Baroota | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 6/10 | advantaged area decile 7/10 |
Risk profile
Baroota carries more crime risk (78 vs 24).
| Melrose | Baroota | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Moderate 59/100 | Moderate 65/100 |
| Crime | Low 24/100 | High 78/100 |
| Flood | — same for both | |
| Coastal erosion | None 0/100 | Moderate 54/100 |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 0 within 5 km same for both | |
Schools
| Melrose | Baroota | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 1 | 0 |
| Rated above peers | 1 | 0 |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Schools in Melrose
- Melrose Primary School Government · Primary above peers
Schools in Baroota
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Amenities in the suburb
| Melrose | Baroota | |
|---|---|---|
| Cafes & restaurants | 3 | 0 |
| Parks & reserves | 5 | 1 |
| Childcare | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel stations | 1 | 0 |
| Waterways | 7 | 1 |
Mobility
Melrose sits further from the CBD (269.9 km vs 259.9 km).
| Melrose | Baroota | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 38/100 | 0/100 |
| Distance to Adelaide | 269.9 km +4% vs other | 259.9 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 187 min | 173 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.0% postcode 5483 | 0.0% postcode 5495 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 65 postcode 5483 | 67 postcode 5495 |
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (60.9%).
Setting
| Melrose | Baroota | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 384 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 45 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 24.7 km | 7.9 km |
NBN connectivity
| Melrose | Baroota | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 29/100 | 21/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless | Satellite (Sky Muster) |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 168 premises | 0% 13 premises |
Council rates
| Melrose | Baroota | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,600/yr same for both | |
| Council | Mount Remarkable same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Melrose | Baroota | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Grey same for both | |
| Member | Tom Venning same for both | |
| Party | Liberal same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Melrose | Baroota | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $15,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | — same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Melrose
Other comparisons with Baroota
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.