Onkaparinga Hills vs Mclaren Vale

Onkaparinga Hills is the younger of the two, with a median age of 45 against 54 in McLaren Vale. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Onkaparinga Hills, most households are couple families. Onkaparinga Hills is closer to the city centre: 27.2 km, against 40.1 km. On these figures, Onkaparinga Hills tends to suit couples, while McLaren Vale suits people living alone and 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

Onkaparinga Hills

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (8 vs 2)
  • carries lower crime risk (21/100 vs 53/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (79% vs 54%)
  • But McLaren Vale has more childcare (6 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Onkaparinga Hills

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (18% vs 27%)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

McLaren Vale

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (17% vs 4%)
  • has cheaper rent ($328/wk vs $385/wk)
  • But Onkaparinga Hills leaves renters under less rental stress (18% vs 25%)

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

Commuting to the city

Onkaparinga Hills

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (27.2 km vs 40.1 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (32 min vs 41 min)
  • But McLaren Vale is more walkable (55/100 vs 0/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

McLaren Vale

ahead on 4 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (55/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (15% vs 1%)
  • has more GPs (2 vs 0)
  • But Onkaparinga Hills carries lower crime risk (21/100 vs 53/100)

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 population growth.

Where they sit

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

Onkaparinga Hills Mclaren Vale
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.

Onkaparinga Hills Mclaren Vale
Walkability 0 / 55
Onkaparinga Hills — Walkability: 0/100 Mclaren Vale — Walkability: 55/100
Safety 79 / 47
Onkaparinga Hills — Safety: 79/100 Mclaren Vale — Safety: 47/100
Low fire risk 57 / 31
Onkaparinga Hills — Low fire risk: 57/100 Mclaren Vale — Low fire risk: 31/100

Demographics

Onkaparinga Hills has higher household incomes ($108,056 vs $69,212); McLaren Vale has more residents (4,061 vs 2,610).

Onkaparinga Hills Mclaren Vale
Population 2,610 4,061
+56% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +3.2% +5.7%
Median age 45 54
Median household income $108,056/yr
+36% vs other
 $69,212/yr
Median weekly rent $385/wk
+15% vs other
 $328/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Onkaparinga Hills Mclaren Vale
0-4 3.9% / 3.5%
Onkaparinga Hills — 0-4: 3.9% Mclaren Vale — 0-4: 3.5%
5-14 12.5% / 10.0%
Onkaparinga Hills — 5-14: 12.5% Mclaren Vale — 5-14: 10.0%
15-19 7.6% / 4.6%
Onkaparinga Hills — 15-19: 7.6% Mclaren Vale — 15-19: 4.6%
20-24 5.6% / 4.1%
Onkaparinga Hills — 20-24: 5.6% Mclaren Vale — 20-24: 4.1%
25-34 9.1% / 6.9%
Onkaparinga Hills — 25-34: 9.1% Mclaren Vale — 25-34: 6.9%
35-44 10.7% / 9.8%
Onkaparinga Hills — 35-44: 10.7% Mclaren Vale — 35-44: 9.8%
45-54 15.7% / 12.6%
Onkaparinga Hills — 45-54: 15.7% Mclaren Vale — 45-54: 12.6%
55-64 16.9% / 15.6%
Onkaparinga Hills — 55-64: 16.9% Mclaren Vale — 55-64: 15.6%
65-74 12.1% / 15.8%
Onkaparinga Hills — 65-74: 12.1% Mclaren Vale — 65-74: 15.8%
75-84 5.4% / 12.4%
Onkaparinga Hills — 75-84: 5.4% Mclaren Vale — 75-84: 12.4%
85+ 0.3% / 4.8%
Onkaparinga Hills — 85+: 0.3% Mclaren Vale — 85+: 4.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.9%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Onkaparinga Hills 66.0% couple families
Onkaparinga Hills — Couple Families: 66.0% Onkaparinga Hills — Lone Person: 17.7% Onkaparinga Hills — One Parent Families: 13.3% Onkaparinga Hills — Group Household: 3.0% Onkaparinga Hills — Other Families: 0.0%
Mclaren Vale 39.9% couple families
Mclaren Vale — Couple Families: 39.9% Mclaren Vale — Lone Person: 43.1% Mclaren Vale — One Parent Families: 14.2% Mclaren Vale — Group Household: 2.0% Mclaren Vale — Other Families: 0.8%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Onkaparinga Hills 4.5% renting
Onkaparinga Hills — Owned Outright: 40.3% Onkaparinga Hills — Mortgage: 55.2% Onkaparinga Hills — Renting: 4.5%
Mclaren Vale 16.7% renting
Mclaren Vale — Owned Outright: 48.3% Mclaren Vale — Mortgage: 35.0% Mclaren Vale — Renting: 16.7%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Onkaparinga Hills Mclaren Vale
Certificate III & IV 22.2% / 16.3%
Onkaparinga Hills — Certificate III & IV: 22.2% Mclaren Vale — Certificate III & IV: 16.3%
Bachelor Degree 8.6% / 11.1%
Onkaparinga Hills — Bachelor Degree: 8.6% Mclaren Vale — Bachelor Degree: 11.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.5% / 9.4%
Onkaparinga Hills — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.5% Mclaren Vale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.4%
Postgraduate Degree 2.3% / 2.6%
Onkaparinga Hills — Postgraduate Degree: 2.3% Mclaren Vale — Postgraduate Degree: 2.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.7% / 2.3%
Onkaparinga Hills — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.7% Mclaren Vale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.2%).

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.

Onkaparinga Hills Mclaren Vale
England 10.4% / 14.9%
Onkaparinga Hills — England: 10.4% Mclaren Vale — England: 14.9%
Scotland 0.8% / 1.8%
Onkaparinga Hills — Scotland: 0.8% Mclaren Vale — Scotland: 1.8%
Germany 1.0% / 0.9%
Onkaparinga Hills — Germany: 1.0% Mclaren Vale — Germany: 0.9%
New Zealand 0.5% / 1.2%
Onkaparinga Hills — New Zealand: 0.5% Mclaren Vale — New Zealand: 1.2%
Italy 0.3% / 1.1%
Onkaparinga Hills — Italy: 0.3% Mclaren Vale — Italy: 1.1%
Netherlands 0.8% / 0.6%
Onkaparinga Hills — Netherlands: 0.8% Mclaren Vale — Netherlands: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (14.9%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Onkaparinga Hills 99.2% houses
Onkaparinga Hills — Houses: 99.2% Onkaparinga Hills — Townhouses: 0.6% Onkaparinga Hills — Flats / Apartments: 0.2%
Mclaren Vale 84.8% houses
Mclaren Vale — Houses: 84.8% Mclaren Vale — Townhouses: 10.5% Mclaren Vale — Flats / Apartments: 4.8%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Onkaparinga Hills Mclaren Vale
Median house price $988,000 $955,000
Median unit price — $627,500
Median land price — $585,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 22 days
from 20 sales
 29 days
from 44 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.

Onkaparinga Hills Mclaren Vale
3 bed $855K / $886K
Onkaparinga Hills — 3 bed: $855K (13 sales) Mclaren Vale — 3 bed: $886K (33 sales)

13 vs 33 sales

4 bed $989K / $1.15M
Onkaparinga Hills — 4 bed: $989K (28 sales) Mclaren Vale — 4 bed: $1.15M (27 sales)

28 vs 27 sales

5 bed $1.25M / $1.11M
Onkaparinga Hills — 5 bed: $1.25M (10 sales) Mclaren Vale — 5 bed: $1.11M (5 sales)

10 vs 5 sales

Zoning mix

Onkaparinga Hills has more land zoned for conservation (95% vs 20%); McLaren Vale has more rural and farming land (70% vs 1%).

Onkaparinga Hills Mclaren Vale
Environmental 95% 20%
Rural and farming 1% 70%
Residential 5% 3%
Parks and recreation 0% 2%
Industrial 0% 2%
Infrastructure and transport 0% 2%
Commercial 0% 1%
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

Onkaparinga Hills Mclaren Vale
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.

Onkaparinga Hills Mclaren Vale
Houses — 3.3%
$630/wk on $999K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within SA

Onkaparinga Hills Mclaren Vale
House price Higher than 40% of SA Higher than 36% of SA
Income Higher than 85% of SA Higher than 38% of SA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 8% of SA Higher than 82% of SA
Affordability Higher than 89% of SA Higher than 47% of SA
EV adoption Higher than 50% of SA Higher than 68% of SA
NBN connectivity Higher than 81% of SA Higher than 96% of SA
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 25% of SA

Liveability

McLaren Vale is more walkable (55 vs 0); Onkaparinga Hills scores higher overall (54 vs 38).

Onkaparinga Hills Mclaren Vale
Grade B C
Score 54/100 38/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 7/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

McLaren Vale carries more crime risk (53 vs 21); McLaren Vale carries more bushfire risk (69 vs 43).

Onkaparinga Hills Mclaren Vale
Bushfire Moderate
43/100
 Moderate
69/100
Crime Low
21/100
 Moderate
53/100
Flood — Low
39/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
 15
within 5 km

Schools

Onkaparinga Hills Mclaren Vale
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in Onkaparinga Hills

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

Schools in Mclaren Vale

  • McLaren Vale Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Onkaparinga Hills Mclaren Vale
Supermarkets 0 1
Cafes & restaurants 0 17
Parks & reserves 8 2
Childcare 0 6
GPs 0 2
Pharmacies 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 0 1
EV chargers 0 3
Waterways 1 0

Mobility

McLaren Vale sits further from the CBD (40.1 km vs 27.2 km).

Onkaparinga Hills Mclaren Vale
Walkability score 0/100 55/100
Distance to Adelaide 27.2 km 40.1 km
+47% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 32 min 41 min
Public transport score 55/100
Bus
 78/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 19.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 45.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 5163
 0.7%
postcode 5171
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 67
postcode 5163
 90
postcode 5171

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.

Onkaparinga Hills Mclaren Vale
Car (driver) 81.4% / 73.7%
Onkaparinga Hills — Car (driver): 81.4% Mclaren Vale — Car (driver): 73.7%
Worked from Home 10.8% / 15.6%
Onkaparinga Hills — Worked from Home: 10.8% Mclaren Vale — Worked from Home: 15.6%
Car (passenger) 3.9% / 3.2%
Onkaparinga Hills — Car (passenger): 3.9% Mclaren Vale — Car (passenger): 3.2%
Walked Only 0.4% / 4.5%
Onkaparinga Hills — Walked Only: 0.4% Mclaren Vale — Walked Only: 4.5%
Train 1.1% / 2.6%
Onkaparinga Hills — Train: 1.1% Mclaren Vale — Train: 2.6%
Bus 1.6% / 0.3%
Onkaparinga Hills — Bus: 1.6% Mclaren Vale — Bus: 0.3%

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

Setting

Onkaparinga Hills Mclaren Vale
Elevation 234 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 65 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 8.8 km 6.6 km

NBN connectivity

Onkaparinga Hills Mclaren Vale
Connectivity score 68/100 88/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 45%
953 premises
 83%
2,247 premises

Climate

Onkaparinga Hills Mclaren Vale
Annual rainfall 394 mm 786 mm
Summer max (Jan) 28.1°C —
Winter min (Jul) 7.8°C —

Air quality (annual mean)

Onkaparinga Hills Mclaren Vale
PM2.5 —
same for both
PM10 19.5 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.34 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Onkaparinga Hills Mclaren Vale
Average residential rate $2,008/yr
same for both
Council Onkaparinga
same for both

Federal electorate

Onkaparinga Hills Mclaren Vale
Division Kingston Mayo
Member Amanda Rishworth Rebekha Sharkie
Party Australian Labor Party Centre Alliance

First Home Owner Grant

Onkaparinga Hills Mclaren Vale
Grant amount $15,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Onkaparinga Hills

Acreage Outer

Mclaren Vale

Outer Retirees Village Feel

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Onkaparinga Hills

Onkaparinga Hills vs Morphett Vale Onkaparinga Hills vs Woodcroft Onkaparinga Hills vs Hackham Onkaparinga Hills vs Old Noarlunga Onkaparinga Hills vs Chandlers Hill Onkaparinga Hills vs Clarendon

Other comparisons with Mclaren Vale

Mclaren Vale vs Seaford Rise Mclaren Vale vs Willunga Mclaren Vale vs McLaren Flat Mclaren Vale vs Old Noarlunga Mclaren Vale vs Maslin Beach Mclaren Vale vs Seaford Heights
Full data on Onkaparinga Hills Full data on Mclaren Vale
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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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