Morphett Vale vs Christie Downs

In both, the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Morphett Vale, most households own their home. In Christie Downs, about half of households rent and about half of households are people living alone. Morphett Vale is closer to the city centre: 25.5 km, against 29.5 km. On these figures, Christie Downs tends to suit renters.

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

Morphett Vale

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (30 vs 4)
  • has more parks and reserves (13 vs 3)
  • has more schools rated above their peers (3 vs 1)

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

First-home buyers

Christie Downs

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper land ($335,000 vs $730,000)

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

Renters

Christie Downs

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (48% vs 29%)
  • has cheaper rent ($250/wk vs $295/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Morphett Vale

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (25.5 km vs 29.5 km)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Morphett Vale

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (7 vs 1)
  • carries lower crime risk (74/100 vs 91/100)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 2 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Morphett Vale Christie Downs
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.

Morphett Vale Christie Downs
Walkability 81 / 81
Morphett Vale — Walkability: 81/100 Christie Downs — Walkability: 81/100
Safety 26 / 9
Morphett Vale — Safety: 26/100 Christie Downs — Safety: 9/100
Low fire risk 100 / 70
Morphett Vale — Low fire risk: 100/100 Christie Downs — Low fire risk: 70/100

Demographics

Morphett Vale has more residents (24,002 vs 5,239); Morphett Vale has higher household incomes ($62,348 vs $46,228).

Morphett Vale Christie Downs
Population 24,002
+78% vs other
 5,239
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +3.7% -0.9%
Median age 40 41
Median household income $62,348/yr
+26% vs other
 $46,228/yr
Median weekly rent $295/wk
+15% vs other
 $250/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Morphett Vale Christie Downs
0-4 5.5% / 4.9%
Morphett Vale — 0-4: 5.5% Christie Downs — 0-4: 4.9%
5-14 11.0% / 12.3%
Morphett Vale — 5-14: 11.0% Christie Downs — 5-14: 12.3%
15-19 5.3% / 5.7%
Morphett Vale — 15-19: 5.3% Christie Downs — 15-19: 5.7%
20-24 6.2% / 6.0%
Morphett Vale — 20-24: 6.2% Christie Downs — 20-24: 6.0%
25-34 14.1% / 12.6%
Morphett Vale — 25-34: 14.1% Christie Downs — 25-34: 12.6%
35-44 12.5% / 13.2%
Morphett Vale — 35-44: 12.5% Christie Downs — 35-44: 13.2%
45-54 12.4% / 12.1%
Morphett Vale — 45-54: 12.4% Christie Downs — 45-54: 12.1%
55-64 12.0% / 11.2%
Morphett Vale — 55-64: 12.0% Christie Downs — 55-64: 11.2%
65-74 12.2% / 12.5%
Morphett Vale — 65-74: 12.2% Christie Downs — 65-74: 12.5%
75-84 6.7% / 6.6%
Morphett Vale — 75-84: 6.7% Christie Downs — 75-84: 6.6%
85+ 2.1% / 2.7%
Morphett Vale — 85+: 2.1% Christie Downs — 85+: 2.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (14.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Morphett Vale 41.2% lone person
Morphett Vale — Lone Person: 41.2% Morphett Vale — Couple Families: 31.9% Morphett Vale — One Parent Families: 21.0% Morphett Vale — Group Household: 4.2% Morphett Vale — Other Families: 1.8%
Christie Downs 47.8% lone person
Christie Downs — Lone Person: 47.8% Christie Downs — Couple Families: 22.5% Christie Downs — One Parent Families: 22.7% Christie Downs — Group Household: 5.0% Christie Downs — Other Families: 1.9%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Morphett Vale 29.0% renting
Morphett Vale — Owned Outright: 28.5% Morphett Vale — Mortgage: 42.5% Morphett Vale — Renting: 29.0%
Christie Downs 47.9% renting
Christie Downs — Owned Outright: 23.9% Christie Downs — Mortgage: 28.2% Christie Downs — Renting: 47.9%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Morphett Vale Christie Downs
Certificate III & IV 20.4% / 16.6%
Morphett Vale — Certificate III & IV: 20.4% Christie Downs — Certificate III & IV: 16.6%
Bachelor Degree 6.7% / 4.7%
Morphett Vale — Bachelor Degree: 6.7% Christie Downs — Bachelor Degree: 4.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.4% / 4.7%
Morphett Vale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.4% Christie Downs — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.7%
Postgraduate Degree 1.3% / 1.0%
Morphett Vale — Postgraduate Degree: 1.3% Christie Downs — Postgraduate Degree: 1.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.1% / 0.6%
Morphett Vale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.1% Christie Downs — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.4%).

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.

Morphett Vale Christie Downs
England 8.1% / 7.7%
Morphett Vale — England: 8.1% Christie Downs — England: 7.7%
New Zealand 1.1% / 0.9%
Morphett Vale — New Zealand: 1.1% Christie Downs — New Zealand: 0.9%
Scotland 0.9% / 0.8%
Morphett Vale — Scotland: 0.9% Christie Downs — Scotland: 0.8%
India 1.0% / 0.6%
Morphett Vale — India: 1.0% Christie Downs — India: 0.6%
Philippines 0.8% / 0.7%
Morphett Vale — Philippines: 0.8% Christie Downs — Philippines: 0.7%
Netherlands 0.4% / 0.7%
Morphett Vale — Netherlands: 0.4% Christie Downs — Netherlands: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (8.1%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Morphett Vale 84.9% houses
Morphett Vale — Houses: 84.9% Morphett Vale — Townhouses: 14.7% Morphett Vale — Flats / Apartments: 0.4%
Christie Downs 76.9% houses
Christie Downs — Houses: 76.9% Christie Downs — Townhouses: 22.2% Christie Downs — Flats / Apartments: 0.9%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Morphett Vale Christie Downs
Median house price $771,000 $740,000
Median unit price $593,999 $550,000
Median land price $730,000 $335,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 20 days
from 319 sales
 19 days
from 46 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.

Morphett Vale Christie Downs
2 bed $654K / $620K
Morphett Vale — 2 bed: $654K (32 sales) Christie Downs — 2 bed: $620K (5 sales)

32 vs 5 sales

3 bed $762K / $740K
Morphett Vale — 3 bed: $762K (445 sales) Christie Downs — 3 bed: $740K (130 sales)

445 vs 130 sales

4 bed $840K / $750K
Morphett Vale — 4 bed: $840K (109 sales) Christie Downs — 4 bed: $750K (17 sales)

109 vs 17 sales

Zoning mix

Morphett Vale Christie Downs
Residential 89% 98%
Parks and recreation 5% 0%
Commercial 5% 2%
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

Morphett Vale Christie Downs
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.

Morphett Vale Christie Downs
Houses 4.1%
$620/wk on $780K
 4.1%
$580/wk on $732K
Units 4.7%
$520/wk on $575K
 —

Ranking within SA

Morphett Vale Christie Downs
House price Higher than 15% of SA Higher than 12% of SA
Income Higher than 30% of SA Higher than 11% of SA
Schools Higher than 53% of SA Higher than 42% of SA
Walkability Higher than 93% of SA
same for both
Affordability Higher than 60% of SA Higher than 24% of SA
EV adoption Higher than 54% of SA Higher than 29% of SA
NBN connectivity Higher than 80% of SA Higher than 79% of SA
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 68% of SA Higher than 67% of SA
Rental yield (units) Higher than 62% of SA —

Liveability

Morphett Vale scores higher overall (48 vs 28).

Morphett Vale Christie Downs
Grade C D
Score 48/100 28/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
 high-need area
decile 1/10

Risk profile

Christie Downs carries more bushfire risk (30 vs 0); Christie Downs carries more crime risk (91 vs 74).

Morphett Vale Christie Downs
Bushfire None
0/100
 Low
30/100
Crime High
74/100
 High
91/100
Flood Low
39/100
 —
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 8
within 5 km
 9
within 5 km

Schools

Morphett Vale Christie Downs
Inside the suburb 13 8
Rated above peers 3 1
Rated at peers 8 0
Rated below peers 1 3

Schools in Morphett Vale

  • Coorara Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Flaxmill School P-6 Government · Primary above peers
  • Sunrise Christian School Morphett Vale Independent · Primary above peers
  • Antonio Catholic School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Calvary Lutheran Primary School Independent · Primary at peers
  • Morphett Vale East School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Christie Downs

  • Lonsdale Heights Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Christie Downs Primary School Government · Primary below peers
  • Christies Beach High School Government · Secondary below peers
  • FAME - Flexible Accredited Meaningful Engagement Catholic · Secondary · Special school below peers
  • Cardijn College - Marcellin Campus Catholic · Secondary
  • Bowden Brompton Community School - Beach Campus Government · Combined · Special school

Amenities in the suburb

Morphett Vale Christie Downs
Supermarkets 8 1
Cafes & restaurants 14 0
Parks & reserves 13 3
Childcare 30 4
GPs 7 1
Pharmacies 7 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 4 0
Fuel stations 3 0
Waterways 30 0

Mobility

Christie Downs sits further from the CBD (29.5 km vs 25.5 km).

Morphett Vale Christie Downs
Walkability score 81/100
same for both
Distance to Adelaide 25.5 km 29.5 km
+16% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 31 min 33 min
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
 91/100
Rail · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 456.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 131.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 5162
 0.2%
postcode 5164
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 64
postcode 5162
 45
postcode 5164

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.

Morphett Vale Christie Downs
Car (driver) 81.4% / 76.9%
Morphett Vale — Car (driver): 81.4% Christie Downs — Car (driver): 76.9%
Worked from Home 7.3% / 5.8%
Morphett Vale — Worked from Home: 7.3% Christie Downs — Worked from Home: 5.8%
Car (passenger) 5.2% / 7.4%
Morphett Vale — Car (passenger): 5.2% Christie Downs — Car (passenger): 7.4%
Train 1.7% / 5.5%
Morphett Vale — Train: 1.7% Christie Downs — Train: 5.5%
Bus 3.1% / 1.9%
Morphett Vale — Bus: 3.1% Christie Downs — Bus: 1.9%
Walked Only 0.9% / 2.1%
Morphett Vale — Walked Only: 0.9% Christie Downs — Walked Only: 2.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (81.4%).

Setting

Morphett Vale Christie Downs
Elevation 103 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 65 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 5.1 km 2.5 km

NBN connectivity

Morphett Vale Christie Downs
Connectivity score 67/100 65/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 38%
11,669 premises
 37%
2,641 premises

Climate

Morphett Vale Christie Downs
Annual rainfall 394 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 28.1°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 7.8°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Morphett Vale Christie Downs
PM2.5 —
same for both
PM10 19.5 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.34 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Morphett Vale Christie Downs
Average residential rate $2,008/yr
same for both
Council Onkaparinga
same for both

Federal electorate

Morphett Vale Christie Downs
Division Kingston
same for both
Member Amanda Rishworth
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Morphett Vale Christie Downs
Grant amount $15,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Morphett Vale

Outer River

Christie Downs

Coastal Easy Commute Outer Townhouses Transport Hub

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Morphett Vale

Morphett Vale vs Woodcroft Morphett Vale vs Reynella Morphett Vale vs Hackham Morphett Vale vs Hackham West Morphett Vale vs Old Reynella Morphett Vale vs Onkaparinga Hills

Other comparisons with Christie Downs

Christie Downs vs Christies Beach Christie Downs vs Hackham West Christie Downs vs Noarlunga Centre
Full data on Morphett Vale Full data on Christie Downs
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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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