Northgate vs Oakden

Northgate is the younger of the two, with a median age of 38 against 42 in Oakden. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Northgate, most households are couple families. On these figures, Northgate tends to suit families with children and couples, while Oakden suits people living alone.

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

Northgate

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (47/100 vs 67/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (78% vs 56%)

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

First-home buyers

Northgate

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (18% vs 24%)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Oakden

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($283/wk vs $395/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Northgate

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (82/100 vs 66/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Northgate

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (47/100 vs 67/100)
  • is more walkable (82/100 vs 66/100)
  • But Oakden has more residents already 65 and over (20% vs 12%)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house yield.

Where they sit

Northgate 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.

Northgate 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.

Northgate Oakden
Walkability 82 / 66
Northgate — Walkability: 82/100 Oakden — Walkability: 66/100
Safety 53 / 33
Northgate — Safety: 53/100 Oakden — Safety: 33/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Northgate — Low fire risk: 100/100 Oakden — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Northgate has higher household incomes ($114,764 vs $76,024); Northgate rents higher ($395/wk vs $283/wk).

Northgate Oakden
Population 3,184 3,583
+13% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) — -2.1%
Median age 38 42
Median household income $114,764/yr
+34% vs other
 $76,024/yr
Median weekly rent $395/wk
+28% vs other
 $283/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Northgate Oakden
0-4 5.9% / 5.0%
Northgate — 0-4: 5.9% Oakden — 0-4: 5.0%
5-14 16.3% / 10.4%
Northgate — 5-14: 16.3% Oakden — 5-14: 10.4%
15-19 6.3% / 5.6%
Northgate — 15-19: 6.3% Oakden — 15-19: 5.6%
20-24 5.7% / 6.3%
Northgate — 20-24: 5.7% Oakden — 20-24: 6.3%
25-34 11.0% / 12.4%
Northgate — 25-34: 11.0% Oakden — 25-34: 12.4%
35-44 16.0% / 13.0%
Northgate — 35-44: 16.0% Oakden — 35-44: 13.0%
45-54 15.2% / 14.3%
Northgate — 45-54: 15.2% Oakden — 45-54: 14.3%
55-64 11.1% / 12.6%
Northgate — 55-64: 11.1% Oakden — 55-64: 12.6%
65-74 7.9% / 11.4%
Northgate — 65-74: 7.9% Oakden — 65-74: 11.4%
75-84 3.7% / 6.3%
Northgate — 75-84: 3.7% Oakden — 75-84: 6.3%
85+ 0.8% / 2.5%
Northgate — 85+: 0.8% Oakden — 85+: 2.5%

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

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Northgate 65.1% couple families
Northgate — Couple Families: 65.1% Northgate — Lone Person: 17.6% Northgate — One Parent Families: 13.2% Northgate — Group Household: 2.8% Northgate — Other Families: 1.3%
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.

Northgate 23.0% renting
Northgate — Owned Outright: 29.7% Northgate — Mortgage: 47.3% Northgate — Renting: 23.0%
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.

Northgate Oakden
Bachelor Degree 18.0% / 15.3%
Northgate — Bachelor Degree: 18.0% Oakden — Bachelor Degree: 15.3%
Certificate III & IV 10.4% / 11.0%
Northgate — Certificate III & IV: 10.4% Oakden — Certificate III & IV: 11.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.9% / 8.2%
Northgate — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.9% Oakden — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.2%
Postgraduate Degree 7.1% / 6.4%
Northgate — Postgraduate Degree: 7.1% Oakden — Postgraduate Degree: 6.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.1% / 2.1%
Northgate — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.1% Oakden — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.0%).

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.

Northgate Oakden
India 7.6% / 5.7%
Northgate — India: 7.6% Oakden — India: 5.7%
China 4.8% / 4.6%
Northgate — China: 4.8% Oakden — China: 4.6%
England 3.1% / 4.2%
Northgate — England: 3.1% Oakden — England: 4.2%
Vietnam 2.9% / 1.6%
Northgate — Vietnam: 2.9% Oakden — Vietnam: 1.6%
Malaysia 1.5% / 0.9%
Northgate — Malaysia: 1.5% Oakden — Malaysia: 0.9%
Italy — / 1.0%
Northgate — Italy: not among its largest Oakden — Italy: 1.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (7.6%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Northgate 88.7% houses
Northgate — Houses: 88.7% Northgate — Townhouses: 10.8% Northgate — Flats / Apartments: 0.6%
Oakden 82.6% houses
Oakden — Houses: 82.6% Oakden — Townhouses: 14.3% Oakden — Flats / Apartments: 3.1%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Northgate Oakden
Median house price $957,000 $895,500
Median unit price — $730,000
Median land price — $775,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 17 days
from 21 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.

Northgate Oakden
3 bed $900K / $865K
Northgate — 3 bed: $900K (33 sales) Oakden — 3 bed: $865K (36 sales)

33 vs 36 sales

4 bed $1.19M / $1.12M
Northgate — 4 bed: $1.19M (15 sales) Oakden — 4 bed: $1.12M (15 sales)

15 vs 15 sales

Zoning mix

Northgate Oakden
Residential 98% 100%
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

Northgate 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.

Northgate Oakden
Houses 4.1%
$720/wk on $920K
 4.1%
$700/wk on $894K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within SA

Northgate Oakden
House price Higher than 63% of SA Higher than 42% of SA
Income Higher than 89% of SA Higher than 51% of SA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 93% of SA Higher than 86% of SA
Affordability Higher than 74% of SA Higher than 50% of SA
EV adoption Higher than 83% of SA Higher than 72% of SA
NBN connectivity Higher than 97% of SA Higher than 96% of SA
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 62% of SA
same for both

Liveability

Northgate scores higher overall (79 vs 61); Northgate is more walkable (82 vs 66).

Northgate Oakden
Grade A B
Score 79/100 61/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10

Risk profile

Oakden carries more crime risk (67 vs 47).

Northgate Oakden
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
47/100
 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 15
within 5 km
 8
within 5 km

Schools

Northgate 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, 5.5 km
same for both
Full-time students aged 15–24 3.8% 3.1%

Schools in Northgate

  • Cedar College Independent · Combined above peers

Schools in Oakden

  • Heritage College Incorporated Independent · Combined above peers

Amenities in the suburb

Northgate Oakden
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 1
same for both
Parks & reserves 5 7
Childcare 2 0
Pharmacies 1 0

Mobility

Northgate Oakden
Walkability score 82/100 66/100
Distance to Adelaide 10.1 km 10.7 km
+6% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 17 min 19 min
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 50.8
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.

Northgate Oakden
Car (driver) 74.8% / 72.8%
Northgate — Car (driver): 74.8% Oakden — Car (driver): 72.8%
Worked from Home 12.0% / 10.7%
Northgate — Worked from Home: 12.0% Oakden — Worked from Home: 10.7%
Bus 5.7% / 9.1%
Northgate — Bus: 5.7% Oakden — Bus: 9.1%
Car (passenger) 5.7% / 4.5%
Northgate — Car (passenger): 5.7% Oakden — Car (passenger): 4.5%
Walked Only 0.7% / 1.3%
Northgate — Walked Only: 0.7% Oakden — Walked Only: 1.3%
Bicycle 0.8% / 1.1%
Northgate — Bicycle: 0.8% Oakden — Bicycle: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (74.8%).

Setting

Northgate Oakden
Elevation 77 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 90 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 9.1 km 9.7 km

NBN connectivity

Northgate Oakden
Connectivity score 91/100 88/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fibre to the curb
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 55%
1,101 premises
 45%
1,666 premises

Climate

Northgate 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)

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

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Northgate

Family Middle-Ring Parks Quiet Urban

Oakden

Middle-Ring Parks Quiet

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Northgate

Northgate vs Lightsview Northgate vs Northfield

Other comparisons with Oakden

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