Monarto vs Pallamana
Monarto is the younger of the two, with a median age of 45 against 50 in Pallamana. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Pallamana, most households are couple families. On these figures, Pallamana tends to suit couples and older residents.
Monarto is the larger and more established community with 203 residents compared to Pallamana's 68, and sits closer to Adelaide's CBD at 68.4 km versus 78.7 km. Household incomes in Monarto are notably higher at $76,492 annually against $66,612, and rental costs reflect this at $250 per week compared to $188. The key trade-off is safety: Monarto has a significantly lower crime risk score of 36 versus Pallamana's 82, though Monarto carries a slightly higher bushfire risk. Monarto suits buyers seeking a more active community with better income levels and lower crime, while Pallamana may appeal to those prioritising a quieter, more remote setting.
Written by an AI language model from the figures below. Every number in it is checked against those figures before it is published.
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
Monarto
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- carries lower crime risk (36/100 vs 82/100)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Too close to call
Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Pallamana
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($188/wk vs $250/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Monarto
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- sits closer to the CBD (68.4 km vs 78.7 km)
- has a shorter drive in (53 min vs 59 min)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
They split
one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here
- Monarto carries lower crime risk (36/100 vs 82/100)
- Pallamana has more residents already 65 and over (26% vs 13%)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Monarto
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (-2.9% vs -16.0%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Monarto and Pallamana 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
Monarto has more residents (203 vs 68); Monarto rents higher ($250/wk vs $188/wk).
| Monarto | Pallamana | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 203 +67% vs other | 68 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -2.9% | -16.0% |
| Median age | 45 | 50 |
| Median household income | $76,492/yr +13% vs other | $66,612/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $250/wk +25% vs other | $188/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.2%).
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.4%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 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 (23.6%).
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Monarto | Pallamana | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $898,750 | — |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
Zoning mix
Monarto has more commercially zoned land (16% vs 0%); Pallamana has more rural and farming land (100% vs 84%).
| Monarto | Pallamana | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 84% | 100% |
| Commercial | 16% | 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
| Monarto | Pallamana | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 274 across Murray Bridge same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +51% same for both | |
Ranking within SA
| Monarto | Pallamana | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 52% of SA | Higher than 34% of SA |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 4% of SA | Higher than 49% of SA |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 15% of SA same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 51% of SA | Higher than 67% of SA |
Liveability
| Monarto | Pallamana | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 5/10 | mid-range socio-economic decile 4/10 |
Risk profile
Pallamana carries more crime risk (82 vs 36).
| Monarto | Pallamana | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Moderate 56/100 | Moderate 52/100 |
| Crime | Low 36/100 | High 82/100 |
| Flood | — same for both | |
| Coastal erosion | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 0 within 5 km | 1 within 5 km |
Schools
| Monarto | Pallamana | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 0 same for both | |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Amenities in the suburb
| Monarto | Pallamana | |
|---|---|---|
| Cafes & restaurants | 1 | 0 |
| Parks & reserves | 3 | 4 |
| Waterways | 4 same for both | |
Mobility
Pallamana sits further from the CBD (78.7 km vs 68.4 km).
| Monarto | Pallamana | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Adelaide | 68.4 km | 78.7 km +15% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 53 min | 59 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.1% postcode 5254 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 89 postcode 5254 same for both | |
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 (82.6%).
Setting
| Monarto | Pallamana | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 129 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 65 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Monarto | Pallamana | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 30/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 87 premises | 0% 38 premises |
Climate
| Monarto | Pallamana | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 337 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 30.0°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 5.7°C same for both | |
Council rates
| Monarto | Pallamana | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $2,478/yr same for both | |
| Council | Murray Bridge same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Monarto | Pallamana | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Barker same for both | |
| Member | Tony Pasin same for both | |
| Party | Liberal same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Monarto | Pallamana | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $15,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | — same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Monarto
Pallamana
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Monarto
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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.