Murray Bridge vs Northern Heights

In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Murray Bridge, about half of households are people living alone. In Northern Heights, about half of households are couple families. On these figures, Murray Bridge tends to suit people living alone, while Northern Heights 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

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Murray Bridge has more parks and reserves (17 vs 0)
  • Northern Heights carries lower crime risk (64/100 vs 88/100)

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

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Murray Bridge has cheaper land ($325,000 vs $375,000)
  • Northern Heights leaves households under less mortgage stress (20% vs 25%)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Murray Bridge has a bigger rental market to choose from (42% vs 23%)
  • Northern Heights leaves renters under less rental stress (17% vs 24%)

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

Commuting to the city

Murray Bridge

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (89/100 vs 12/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (75.8 km vs 78 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Murray Bridge

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (89/100 vs 12/100)
  • has more GPs (6 vs 0)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (23% vs 16%)
  • But Northern Heights carries lower crime risk (64/100 vs 88/100)

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

Investors

Northern Heights

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (13.4% vs 3.3%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Murray Bridge and Northern Heights drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Murray Bridge Northern Heights
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.

Murray Bridge Northern Heights
Walkability 89 / 12
Murray Bridge — Walkability: 89/100 Northern Heights — Walkability: 12/100
Safety 12 / 36
Murray Bridge — Safety: 12/100 Northern Heights — Safety: 36/100
Low fire risk 61 / 100
Murray Bridge — Low fire risk: 61/100 Northern Heights — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Murray Bridge has more residents (15,043 vs 305); Northern Heights has higher household incomes ($71,968 vs $52,260).

Murray Bridge Northern Heights
Population 15,043
+98% vs other
 305
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +3.3% +13.4%
Median age 42
same for both
Median household income $52,260/yr $71,968/yr
+38% vs other
Median weekly rent $240/wk
same for both

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Murray Bridge Northern Heights
0-4 5.4% / 5.2%
Murray Bridge — 0-4: 5.4% Northern Heights — 0-4: 5.2%
5-14 11.5% / 11.1%
Murray Bridge — 5-14: 11.5% Northern Heights — 5-14: 11.1%
15-19 5.5% / 5.9%
Murray Bridge — 15-19: 5.5% Northern Heights — 15-19: 5.9%
20-24 6.0% / 7.2%
Murray Bridge — 20-24: 6.0% Northern Heights — 20-24: 7.2%
25-34 13.2% / 13.4%
Murray Bridge — 25-34: 13.2% Northern Heights — 25-34: 13.4%
35-44 11.4% / 7.9%
Murray Bridge — 35-44: 11.4% Northern Heights — 35-44: 7.9%
45-54 11.5% / 13.1%
Murray Bridge — 45-54: 11.5% Northern Heights — 45-54: 13.1%
55-64 12.3% / 16.4%
Murray Bridge — 55-64: 12.3% Northern Heights — 55-64: 16.4%
65-74 11.4% / 11.1%
Murray Bridge — 65-74: 11.4% Northern Heights — 65-74: 11.1%
75-84 8.5% / 3.9%
Murray Bridge — 75-84: 8.5% Northern Heights — 75-84: 3.9%
85+ 3.4% / 1.3%
Murray Bridge — 85+: 3.4% Northern Heights — 85+: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.4%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Murray Bridge 47.1% lone person
Murray Bridge — Lone Person: 47.1% Murray Bridge — Couple Families: 27.7% Murray Bridge — One Parent Families: 19.3% Murray Bridge — Group Household: 4.4% Murray Bridge — Other Families: 1.5%
Northern Heights 37.9% lone person
Northern Heights — Lone Person: 37.9% Northern Heights — Couple Families: 47.0% Northern Heights — One Parent Families: 15.2% Northern Heights — Group Household: 0.0% Northern Heights — Other Families: 0.0%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Murray Bridge 42.0% renting
Murray Bridge — Owned Outright: 29.9% Murray Bridge — Mortgage: 28.1% Murray Bridge — Renting: 42.0%
Northern Heights 22.9% renting
Northern Heights — Owned Outright: 30.3% Northern Heights — Mortgage: 46.8% Northern Heights — Renting: 22.9%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Murray Bridge Northern Heights
England 2.6% / 3.0%
Murray Bridge — England: 2.6% Northern Heights — England: 3.0%
Philippines 2.9% / 2.0%
Murray Bridge — Philippines: 2.9% Northern Heights — Philippines: 2.0%
China 1.2% / —
Murray Bridge — China: 1.2% Northern Heights — China: not among its largest
New Zealand 1.0% / —
Murray Bridge — New Zealand: 1.0% Northern Heights — New Zealand: not among its largest
Vietnam 0.8% / —
Murray Bridge — Vietnam: 0.8% Northern Heights — Vietnam: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.0%).

Qualifications

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

Murray Bridge Northern Heights
Certificate III & IV 16.3% / 21.3%
Murray Bridge — Certificate III & IV: 16.3% Northern Heights — Certificate III & IV: 21.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.6% / 3.9%
Murray Bridge — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.6% Northern Heights — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 3.9%
Bachelor Degree 4.7% / 3.0%
Murray Bridge — Bachelor Degree: 4.7% Northern Heights — Bachelor Degree: 3.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.9% / 1.3%
Murray Bridge — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.9% Northern Heights — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.3%
Postgraduate Degree 0.9% / —
Murray Bridge — Postgraduate Degree: 0.9% Northern Heights — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.3%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Murray Bridge 85.0% houses
Murray Bridge — Houses: 85.0% Murray Bridge — Townhouses: 13.4% Murray Bridge — Flats / Apartments: 1.7%
Northern Heights 100.0% houses
Northern Heights — Houses: 100.0% Northern Heights — Townhouses: 0.0% Northern Heights — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Murray Bridge Northern Heights
Median house price $592,000 $620,000
Median unit price $488,000 —
Median land price $325,000 $375,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 27 days
from 114 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Northern Heights has more rural and farming land (77% vs 14%).

Murray Bridge Northern Heights
Rural and farming 14% 77%
Residential 49% 14%
Environmental 12% 2%
Industrial 8% 7%
Other and special use 7% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 7% 0%
Commercial 2% 0%
Parks and recreation 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

Murray Bridge Northern Heights
New dwellings approved 274
across Murray Bridge
same for both
Approvals change year on year +51%
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.

Murray Bridge Northern Heights
Houses 4.3%
$540/wk on $650K
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within SA

Murray Bridge Northern Heights
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 17% of SA Higher than 45% of SA
Schools Higher than 1% of SA —
Walkability Higher than 98% of SA Higher than 66% of SA
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 31% of SA
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 75% of SA Higher than 54% of SA
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 81% of SA —

Liveability

Murray Bridge is more walkable (89 vs 12).

Murray Bridge Northern Heights
Grade D —
Score 23/100 —
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
same for both

Risk profile

Murray Bridge carries more bushfire risk (39 vs 0); Murray Bridge carries more crime risk (88 vs 64).

Murray Bridge Northern Heights
Bushfire Low
39/100
 None
0/100
Crime High
88/100
 Moderate
64/100
Flood —
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 2
within 5 km
 3
within 5 km

Schools

Murray Bridge Northern Heights
Inside the suburb 8 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 2 0
Rated below peers 5 0

Schools in Murray Bridge

  • Murray Bridge North School Government · Primary at peers
  • St Joseph's School Catholic · Combined at peers
  • Fraser Park Primary School Government · Primary below peers
  • Murray Bridge High School Government · Secondary below peers
  • Murray Bridge South Primary School Government · Primary below peers
  • Tyndale Christian School Murray Bridge Independent · Combined below peers

Schools in Northern Heights

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Amenities in the suburb

Murray Bridge Northern Heights
Supermarkets 6 0
Cafes & restaurants 7 0
Parks & reserves 17 0
Childcare 15 0
GPs 6 0
Pharmacies 5 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 7 0
Fuel stations 5 0
EV chargers 2 0
Waterways 2 0

Mobility

Northern Heights sits further from the CBD (78 km vs 75.8 km).

Murray Bridge Northern Heights
Walkability score 89/100 12/100
Distance to Adelaide 75.8 km 78 km
+3% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 59 min 62 min
Electric vehicle share 0.2%
postcode 5253
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 66
postcode 5253
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.

Murray Bridge Northern Heights
Car (driver) 82.1% / 82.6%
Murray Bridge — Car (driver): 82.1% Northern Heights — Car (driver): 82.6%
Car (passenger) 9.3% / 8.3%
Murray Bridge — Car (passenger): 9.3% Northern Heights — Car (passenger): 8.3%
Worked from Home 4.2% / 5.0%
Murray Bridge — Worked from Home: 4.2% Northern Heights — Worked from Home: 5.0%
Walked Only 3.8% / 4.1%
Murray Bridge — Walked Only: 3.8% Northern Heights — Walked Only: 4.1%
Bicycle 0.3% / —
Murray Bridge — Bicycle: 0.3% Northern Heights — Bicycle: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (82.6%).

Setting

Murray Bridge Northern Heights
Elevation 29 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 30 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre

NBN connectivity

Murray Bridge Northern Heights
Connectivity score 55/100 30/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 18%
8,230 premises
 0%
121 premises

Climate

Murray Bridge Northern Heights
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

Murray Bridge Northern Heights
Average residential rate $2,478/yr
same for both
Council Murray Bridge
same for both

Federal electorate

Murray Bridge Northern Heights
Division Barker
same for both
Member Tony Pasin
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Murray Bridge Northern Heights
Grant amount $15,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Murray Bridge

Affordable Parks Regional Centre

Northern Heights

Acreage

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Murray Bridge

Murray Bridge vs Murray Bridge East Murray Bridge vs Murray Bridge South Murray Bridge vs Swanport Murray Bridge vs Rocky Gully Murray Bridge vs White Hill Murray Bridge vs Monteith

Other comparisons with Northern Heights

Northern Heights vs Murray Bridge North Northern Heights vs Rocky Gully
Full data on Murray Bridge Full data on Northern Heights
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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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