North Plympton vs Novar Gardens

North Plympton is the younger of the two, with a median age of 40 against 45 in Novar Gardens. In both, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. Houses cost more in Novar Gardens: a median of $1.32 million, against $1.13 million in North Plympton, though rent is higher in North Plympton. North Plympton is closer to the city centre: 7.5 km, against 9.8 km.

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

Novar Gardens

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (10 vs 3)
  • has more schools rated above their peers (2 vs 0)
  • But North Plympton carries lower crime risk (45/100 vs 79/100)

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

First-home buyers

North Plympton

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (25% vs 32%)
  • has cheaper houses ($1,130,000 vs $1,320,000)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Novar Gardens

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper rent ($165/wk vs $360/wk)
  • leaves renters under less rental stress (11% vs 22%)

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

Commuting to the city

North Plympton

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (7.5 km vs 9.8 km)
  • is more walkable (82/100 vs 72/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

North Plympton

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (45/100 vs 79/100)
  • is more walkable (82/100 vs 72/100)

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

Investors

North Plympton

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (11.9% vs 0.2%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

North Plympton and Novar 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.

North Plympton Novar 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.

North Plympton Novar Gardens
Walkability 82 / 72
North Plympton — Walkability: 82/100 Novar Gardens — Walkability: 72/100
Safety 55 / 21
North Plympton — Safety: 55/100 Novar Gardens — Safety: 21/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
North Plympton — Low fire risk: 100/100 Novar Gardens — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 37 / 78
North Plympton — Low flood risk: 37/100 Novar Gardens — Low flood risk: 78/100

Demographics

North Plympton rents higher ($360/wk vs $165/wk); North Plympton has more residents (3,610 vs 2,508).

North Plympton Novar Gardens
Population 3,610
+31% vs other
 2,508
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +11.9% +0.2%
Median age 40 45
Median household income $85,800/yr
+11% vs other
 $76,336/yr
Median weekly rent $360/wk
+54% vs other
 $165/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

North Plympton Novar Gardens
0-4 5.5% / 4.2%
North Plympton — 0-4: 5.5% Novar Gardens — 0-4: 4.2%
5-14 8.3% / 11.6%
North Plympton — 5-14: 8.3% Novar Gardens — 5-14: 11.6%
15-19 4.1% / 10.0%
North Plympton — 15-19: 4.1% Novar Gardens — 15-19: 10.0%
20-24 7.7% / 4.9%
North Plympton — 20-24: 7.7% Novar Gardens — 20-24: 4.9%
25-34 16.3% / 7.9%
North Plympton — 25-34: 16.3% Novar Gardens — 25-34: 7.9%
35-44 13.2% / 10.4%
North Plympton — 35-44: 13.2% Novar Gardens — 35-44: 10.4%
45-54 10.3% / 11.2%
North Plympton — 45-54: 10.3% Novar Gardens — 45-54: 11.2%
55-64 8.9% / 14.2%
North Plympton — 55-64: 8.9% Novar Gardens — 55-64: 14.2%
65-74 8.4% / 12.4%
North Plympton — 65-74: 8.4% Novar Gardens — 65-74: 12.4%
75-84 7.8% / 10.1%
North Plympton — 75-84: 7.8% Novar Gardens — 75-84: 10.1%
85+ 9.4% / 3.1%
North Plympton — 85+: 9.4% Novar Gardens — 85+: 3.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

North Plympton 43.2% lone person
North Plympton — Lone Person: 43.2% North Plympton — Couple Families: 34.7% North Plympton — One Parent Families: 13.0% North Plympton — Group Household: 7.2% North Plympton — Other Families: 1.9%
Novar Gardens 40.6% lone person
Novar Gardens — Lone Person: 40.6% Novar Gardens — Couple Families: 42.9% Novar Gardens — One Parent Families: 12.0% Novar Gardens — Group Household: 3.0% Novar Gardens — Other Families: 1.4%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

North Plympton 32.4% renting
North Plympton — Owned Outright: 30.2% North Plympton — Mortgage: 37.5% North Plympton — Renting: 32.4%
Novar Gardens 27.1% renting
Novar Gardens — Owned Outright: 40.3% Novar Gardens — Mortgage: 32.6% Novar Gardens — Renting: 27.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

North Plympton Novar Gardens
Bachelor Degree 17.4% / 13.8%
North Plympton — Bachelor Degree: 17.4% Novar Gardens — Bachelor Degree: 13.8%
Certificate III & IV 11.7% / 11.7%
North Plympton — Certificate III & IV: 11.7% Novar Gardens — Certificate III & IV: 11.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.2% / 7.5%
North Plympton — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.2% Novar Gardens — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.5%
Postgraduate Degree 5.9% / 4.5%
North Plympton — Postgraduate Degree: 5.9% Novar Gardens — Postgraduate Degree: 4.5%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.7% / 1.7%
North Plympton — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.7% Novar Gardens — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.4%).

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.

North Plympton Novar Gardens
England 3.1% / 3.8%
North Plympton — England: 3.1% Novar Gardens — England: 3.8%
India 5.4% / 1.1%
North Plympton — India: 5.4% Novar Gardens — India: 1.1%
China 3.0% / 3.4%
North Plympton — China: 3.0% Novar Gardens — China: 3.4%
Greece 1.9% / 0.6%
North Plympton — Greece: 1.9% Novar Gardens — Greece: 0.6%
Malaysia 1.1% / 0.7%
North Plympton — Malaysia: 1.1% Novar Gardens — Malaysia: 0.7%
Italy 1.2% / 0.6%
North Plympton — Italy: 1.2% Novar Gardens — Italy: 0.6%
Nepal 1.6% / —
North Plympton — Nepal: 1.6% Novar Gardens — Nepal: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.4%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

North Plympton 69.8% houses
North Plympton — Houses: 69.8% North Plympton — Townhouses: 27.6% North Plympton — Flats / Apartments: 2.7%
Novar Gardens 79.5% houses
Novar Gardens — Houses: 79.5% Novar Gardens — Townhouses: 20.2% Novar Gardens — Flats / Apartments: 0.3%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

North Plympton Novar Gardens
Median house price $1,130,000 $1,320,000
Median unit price $765,000 —
Median land price $1,290,000 $1,210,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 16 days
from 29 sales
 16 days
from 18 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.

North Plympton Novar Gardens
3 bed $1.08M / $1.17M
North Plympton — 3 bed: $1.08M (43 sales) Novar Gardens — 3 bed: $1.17M (28 sales)

43 vs 28 sales

4 bed $1.26M / $1.42M
North Plympton — 4 bed: $1.26M (19 sales) Novar Gardens — 4 bed: $1.42M (13 sales)

19 vs 13 sales

Zoning mix

North Plympton has more industrially zoned land (28% vs 0%).

North Plympton Novar Gardens
Residential 71%
same for both
Parks and recreation 0% 28%
Industrial 28% 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

North Plympton Novar Gardens
New dwellings approved 578
across West Torrens
same for both
Approvals change year on year +103%
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.

North Plympton Novar Gardens
Houses 4.0%
$750/wk on $968K
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within SA

North Plympton Novar Gardens
House price Higher than 56% of SA Higher than 76% of SA
Income Higher than 64% of SA Higher than 51% of SA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 93% of SA Higher than 89% of SA
Affordability Higher than 47% of SA Higher than 13% of SA
EV adoption Higher than 75% of SA Higher than 87% of SA
NBN connectivity Higher than 89% of SA Higher than 93% of SA
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 59% of SA —

Liveability

North Plympton is more walkable (82 vs 72).

North Plympton Novar Gardens
Grade A
same for both
Score 70/100 69/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
same for both

Risk profile

North Plympton carries more flood risk (63 vs 22); Novar Gardens carries more crime risk (79 vs 45).

North Plympton Novar Gardens
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
45/100
 High
79/100
Flood Moderate
63/100
 Low
22/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise Moderate
50/100
 High
83/100
Industrial facilities nearby 6
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

North Plympton Novar Gardens
Inside the suburb 0 2
Rated above peers 0 2
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 3
Tonsley, 5.1 km
same for both
Full-time students aged 15–24 3.4% 2.4%

Schools in North Plympton

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

Schools in Novar Gardens

  • Immanuel College Independent · Secondary above peers
  • Immanuel Primary School Independent · Primary above peers

Amenities in the suburb

North Plympton Novar Gardens
Supermarkets 0 1
Cafes & restaurants 2
same for both
Parks & reserves 3 10
Childcare 1 2
GPs 1 0
Pharmacies 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Waterways 0 1

Mobility

Novar Gardens sits further from the CBD (9.8 km vs 7.5 km).

North Plympton Novar Gardens
Walkability score 82/100 72/100
Distance to Adelaide 7.5 km 9.8 km
+31% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 14 min 17 min
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 99.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 51.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.9%
postcode 5037
 1.4%
postcode 5040
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 45
postcode 5037
 62
postcode 5040

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.

North Plympton Novar Gardens
Car (driver) 72.8% / 70.1%
North Plympton — Car (driver): 72.8% Novar Gardens — Car (driver): 70.1%
Worked from Home 10.4% / 16.1%
North Plympton — Worked from Home: 10.4% Novar Gardens — Worked from Home: 16.1%
Bus 7.3% / 3.4%
North Plympton — Bus: 7.3% Novar Gardens — Bus: 3.4%
Car (passenger) 5.3% / 4.8%
North Plympton — Car (passenger): 5.3% Novar Gardens — Car (passenger): 4.8%
Walked Only 2.1% / 2.6%
North Plympton — Walked Only: 2.1% Novar Gardens — Walked Only: 2.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (72.8%).

Setting

North Plympton Novar Gardens
Elevation 17 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 11 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 3.9 km 2.0 km

NBN connectivity

North Plympton Novar Gardens
Connectivity score 76/100 81/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 5%
1,977 premises
 18%
1,076 premises

Climate

North Plympton Novar Gardens
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)

North Plympton Novar 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

North Plympton Novar Gardens
Average residential rate $1,532/yr
same for both
Council West Torrens
same for both

Federal electorate

North Plympton Novar Gardens
Division Hindmarsh
same for both
Member Mark Butler
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

North Plympton Novar Gardens
Grant amount $15,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

North Plympton

Inner Parks Retirees River Townhouses

Novar Gardens

Coastal Inner Parks Quiet Retirees Townhouses

More comparisons

Other comparisons with North Plympton

North Plympton vs Plympton North Plympton vs Camden Park North Plympton vs Kurralta Park North Plympton vs Marleston North Plympton vs Netley

Other comparisons with Novar Gardens

Novar Gardens vs Glenelg North Novar Gardens vs Glenelg East Novar Gardens vs Camden Park
Full data on North Plympton Full data on Novar Gardens
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

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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