Padthaway vs Woolumbool
Woolumbool is the younger of the two, with a median age of 31 against 44 in Padthaway. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Padthaway, about half of households are people living alone. In Woolumbool, the large majority of households are couple families. On these figures, Padthaway tends to suit people living alone, while Woolumbool suits young adults, families with children, and 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
Woolumbool
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is already more of a family suburb (79% vs 46%)
Weighs schools, house stock, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Too close to call
Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Woolumbool
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has a bigger rental market to choose from (33% vs 18%)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Padthaway
ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here
- is more walkable (25/100 vs 0/100)
- has a shorter drive in (187 min vs 212 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (287.1 km vs 309.6 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Padthaway
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- is more walkable (25/100 vs 0/100)
- has more residents already 65 and over (19% vs 13%)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, and walkability.
Investors
Woolumbool
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (10.3% vs 0.9%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Padthaway and Woolumbool drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.
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.
Demographics
Padthaway has more residents (321 vs 75); Woolumbool has higher household incomes ($94,224 vs $65,520).
| Padthaway | Woolumbool | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 321 +77% vs other | 75 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +0.9% | +10.3% |
| Median age | 44 | 31 |
| Median household income | $65,520/yr | $94,224/yr +44% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $150/wk same for both | |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.3%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (13.7%).
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (8.0%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Zoning mix
| Padthaway | Woolumbool | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 97% | 96% |
| Environmental | 3% | 4% |
| 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
| Padthaway | Woolumbool | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 12 across Tatiara | 17 across Naracoorte Lucindale |
| Approvals change year on year | -33% | +300% |
Ranking within SA
| Padthaway | Woolumbool | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 33% of SA | Higher than 73% of SA |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 74% of SA | Higher than 44% of SA |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 8% of SA | — |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 21% of SA | Higher than 28% of SA |
Liveability
Padthaway is more walkable (25 vs 0).
| Padthaway | Woolumbool | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | below-average income decile 3/10 | advantaged area decile 7/10 |
Risk profile
Woolumbool carries more bushfire risk (56 vs 40).
| Padthaway | Woolumbool | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Moderate 40/100 | Moderate 56/100 |
| Crime | Moderate 45/100 | — |
| Flood | — same for both | |
| Coastal erosion | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 0 within 5 km same for both | |
Schools
| Padthaway | Woolumbool | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 1 | 0 |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 1 | 0 |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Schools in Padthaway
- Padthaway Primary School Government · Primary at peers
Schools in Woolumbool
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Amenities in the suburb
| Padthaway | Woolumbool | |
|---|---|---|
| Cafes & restaurants | 1 | 0 |
| Parks & reserves | 10 | 8 |
| Childcare | 1 | 0 |
| GPs | 1 | 0 |
| Banks & Bank@Post | 1 | 0 |
Mobility
Woolumbool sits further from the CBD (309.6 km vs 287.1 km).
| Padthaway | Woolumbool | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 25/100 | 0/100 |
| Distance to Adelaide | 287.1 km | 309.6 km +8% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 187 min | 212 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.1% postcode 5271 | 0.0% postcode 5272 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 50 postcode 5271 | 40 postcode 5272 |
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (75.6%).
Setting
| Padthaway | Woolumbool | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 36 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 29 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Padthaway | Woolumbool | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 15/100 | 17/100 |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 28 premises | 0% 9 premises |
Climate
| Padthaway | Woolumbool | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 527 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | — same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Padthaway | Woolumbool | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,656/yr | $1,794/yr |
| Council | Tatiara | Naracoorte Lucindale |
Federal electorate
| Padthaway | Woolumbool | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Barker same for both | |
| Member | Tony Pasin same for both | |
| Party | Liberal same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Padthaway | Woolumbool | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $15,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | — same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Woolumbool
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Padthaway
Other comparisons with Woolumbool
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.