Northfield vs Oakden

Northfield is the younger of the two, with a median age of 35 against 42 in Oakden. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. On these figures, Northfield tends to suit young adults, while Oakden suits older residents.

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

Oakden

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (7 vs 3)
  • carries lower crime risk (67/100 vs 88/100)

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

First-home buyers

Northfield

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has cheaper land ($633,500 vs $775,000)
  • has cheaper units ($610,500 vs $730,000)

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

Renters

They split

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

  • Northfield has a bigger rental market to choose from (42% vs 31%)
  • Oakden has cheaper rent ($283/wk vs $307/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Oakden

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (66/100 vs 58/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Oakden

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more residents already 65 and over (20% vs 12%)
  • carries lower crime risk (67/100 vs 88/100)
  • is more walkable (66/100 vs 58/100)

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

Investors

Northfield

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (8.8% vs -2.1%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Northfield Oakden
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.

Northfield Oakden
Walkability 58 / 66
Northfield — Walkability: 58/100 Oakden — Walkability: 66/100
Safety 12 / 33
Northfield — Safety: 12/100 Oakden — Safety: 33/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Northfield — Low fire risk: 100/100 Oakden — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Northfield has more residents (5,043 vs 3,583); Oakden skews older (42 vs 35).

Northfield Oakden
Population 5,043
+29% vs other
 3,583
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +8.8% -2.1%
Median age 35 42
Median household income $73,840/yr $76,024/yr
+3% vs other
Median weekly rent $307/wk
+8% vs other
 $283/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Northfield Oakden
0-4 6.3% / 5.0%
Northfield — 0-4: 6.3% Oakden — 0-4: 5.0%
5-14 11.0% / 10.4%
Northfield — 5-14: 11.0% Oakden — 5-14: 10.4%
15-19 4.1% / 5.6%
Northfield — 15-19: 4.1% Oakden — 15-19: 5.6%
20-24 7.0% / 6.3%
Northfield — 20-24: 7.0% Oakden — 20-24: 6.3%
25-34 20.9% / 12.4%
Northfield — 25-34: 20.9% Oakden — 25-34: 12.4%
35-44 20.1% / 13.0%
Northfield — 35-44: 20.1% Oakden — 35-44: 13.0%
45-54 10.9% / 14.3%
Northfield — 45-54: 10.9% Oakden — 45-54: 14.3%
55-64 8.1% / 12.6%
Northfield — 55-64: 8.1% Oakden — 55-64: 12.6%
65-74 6.2% / 11.4%
Northfield — 65-74: 6.2% Oakden — 65-74: 11.4%
75-84 3.9% / 6.3%
Northfield — 75-84: 3.9% Oakden — 75-84: 6.3%
85+ 1.4% / 2.5%
Northfield — 85+: 1.4% Oakden — 85+: 2.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.9%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Northfield 42.5% couple families
Northfield — Couple Families: 42.5% Northfield — Lone Person: 34.3% Northfield — One Parent Families: 14.6% Northfield — Group Household: 5.6% Northfield — Other Families: 2.9%
Oakden 39.1% couple families
Oakden — Couple Families: 39.1% Oakden — Lone Person: 40.1% Oakden — One Parent Families: 16.9% Oakden — Group Household: 3.3% Oakden — Other Families: 0.6%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Northfield 41.9% renting
Northfield — Owned Outright: 20.6% Northfield — Mortgage: 37.5% Northfield — Renting: 41.9%
Oakden 31.4% renting
Oakden — Owned Outright: 32.5% Oakden — Mortgage: 36.1% Oakden — Renting: 31.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Northfield Oakden
Bachelor Degree 12.6% / 15.3%
Northfield — Bachelor Degree: 12.6% Oakden — Bachelor Degree: 15.3%
Certificate III & IV 9.4% / 11.0%
Northfield — Certificate III & IV: 9.4% Oakden — Certificate III & IV: 11.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 5.1% / 8.2%
Northfield — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.1% Oakden — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.2%
Postgraduate Degree 6.4% / 6.4%
Northfield — Postgraduate Degree: 6.4% Oakden — Postgraduate Degree: 6.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.1% / 2.1%
Northfield — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.1% Oakden — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.3%).

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.

Northfield Oakden
India 15.3% / 5.7%
Northfield — India: 15.3% Oakden — India: 5.7%
England 2.1% / 4.2%
Northfield — England: 2.1% Oakden — England: 4.2%
China 1.5% / 4.6%
Northfield — China: 1.5% Oakden — China: 4.6%
Vietnam 1.6% / 1.6%
Northfield — Vietnam: 1.6% Oakden — Vietnam: 1.6%
Afghanistan 2.8% / —
Northfield — Afghanistan: 2.8% Oakden — Afghanistan: not among its largest
Philippines 1.9% / —
Northfield — Philippines: 1.9% Oakden — Philippines: not among its largest
Italy — / 1.0%
Northfield — Italy: not among its largest Oakden — Italy: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.3%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Northfield 80.6% houses
Northfield — Houses: 80.6% Northfield — Townhouses: 16.8% Northfield — Flats / Apartments: 2.6%
Oakden 82.6% houses
Oakden — Houses: 82.6% Oakden — Townhouses: 14.3% Oakden — Flats / Apartments: 3.1%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Northfield Oakden
Median house price $867,500 $895,500
Median unit price $610,500 $730,000
Median land price $633,500 $775,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 21 days
from 51 sales
 16 days
from 36 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.

Northfield Oakden
3 bed $850K / $865K
Northfield — 3 bed: $850K (90 sales) Oakden — 3 bed: $865K (36 sales)

90 vs 36 sales

4 bed $1.01M / $1.12M
Northfield — 4 bed: $1.01M (18 sales) Oakden — 4 bed: $1.12M (15 sales)

18 vs 15 sales

Zoning mix

Northfield Oakden
Residential 94% 100%
Parks and recreation 3% 0%
Commercial 2% 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

Northfield Oakden
New dwellings approved 1,176
across Port Adelaide Enfield
same for both
Approvals change year on year +23%
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.

Northfield Oakden
Houses 3.6%
$650/wk on $945K
 4.1%
$700/wk on $894K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within SA

Northfield Oakden
House price Higher than 28% of SA Higher than 42% of SA
Income Higher than 48% of SA Higher than 51% of SA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 84% of SA Higher than 86% of SA
Affordability Higher than 65% of SA Higher than 50% of SA
EV adoption Higher than 84% of SA Higher than 72% of SA
NBN connectivity Higher than 82% of SA Higher than 96% of SA
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 32% of SA Higher than 62% of SA

Liveability

Oakden scores higher overall (61 vs 42); Oakden is more walkable (66 vs 58).

Northfield Oakden
Grade C B
Score 42/100 61/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10

Risk profile

Northfield carries more crime risk (88 vs 67).

Northfield Oakden
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
88/100
 Moderate
67/100
Flood Moderate
42/100
 —
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 21
within 5 km
 8
within 5 km

Schools

Northfield Oakden
Inside the suburb 1
same for both
Rated above peers 1
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 3
Adelaide University, Mawson Lakes Campus, 4.6 km
 3
Adelaide University, Mawson Lakes Campus, 5.5 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.3% 3.1%

Schools in Northfield

  • Northfield Primary School Government · Primary above peers

Schools in Oakden

  • Heritage College Incorporated Independent · Combined above peers

Amenities in the suburb

Northfield Oakden
Cafes & restaurants 2 1
Parks & reserves 3 7
Childcare 2 0

Mobility

Northfield Oakden
Walkability score 58/100 66/100
Distance to Adelaide 11.1 km
+4% vs other
 10.7 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 18 min 19 min
Public transport score 78/100
Bus
 79/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 48.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 41.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.3%
postcode 5085
 0.8%
postcode 5086
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 62
postcode 5085
 63
postcode 5086

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.

Northfield Oakden
Car (driver) 76.4% / 72.8%
Northfield — Car (driver): 76.4% Oakden — Car (driver): 72.8%
Worked from Home 7.5% / 10.7%
Northfield — Worked from Home: 7.5% Oakden — Worked from Home: 10.7%
Bus 8.6% / 9.1%
Northfield — Bus: 8.6% Oakden — Bus: 9.1%
Car (passenger) 5.5% / 4.5%
Northfield — Car (passenger): 5.5% Oakden — Car (passenger): 4.5%
Walked Only 0.9% / 1.3%
Northfield — Walked Only: 0.9% Oakden — Walked Only: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (76.4%).

Setting

Northfield Oakden
Elevation 81 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 90 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 8.2 km 9.7 km

NBN connectivity

Northfield Oakden
Connectivity score 70/100 88/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fibre to the curb
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 45%
1,874 premises
 45%
1,666 premises

Climate

Northfield Oakden
Annual rainfall 404 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 30.4°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 6.5°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Northfield Oakden
PM2.5 —
same for both
PM10 —
same for both
NO₂ 0.51 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Northfield Oakden
Average residential rate $1,311/yr
same for both
Council Port Adelaide Enfield
same for both

Federal electorate

Northfield Oakden
Division Adelaide Sturt
Member Steve Georganas Claire Clutterham
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Northfield Oakden
Grant amount $15,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Northfield

Middle-Ring Multicultural Parks

Oakden

Middle-Ring Parks Quiet

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Northfield

Northfield vs Pooraka Northfield vs Lightsview Northfield vs Clearview Northfield vs Walkley Heights Northfield vs Northgate Northfield vs Gepps Cross

Other comparisons with Oakden

Oakden vs Valley View Oakden vs Lightsview Oakden vs Gilles Plains Oakden vs Hillcrest Oakden vs Walkley Heights Oakden vs Northgate
Full data on Northfield Full data on Oakden
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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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