Paechtown vs Totness
Totness is the younger of the two, with a median age of 47 against 51 in Paechtown. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Paechtown, most households are couple families. In Totness, most households are people living alone. Paechtown is closer to the city centre: 29.5 km, against 33.7 km. On these figures, Paechtown tends to suit couples, while Totness suits people living alone and families with children.
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
Paechtown
ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (13/100 vs 96/100)
- is already more of a family suburb (77% vs 37%)
- has more separate houses rather than flats (100% vs 88%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, 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
Totness
ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here
- has cheaper rent ($190/wk vs $480/wk)
- leaves renters under less rental stress (8% vs 20%)
- has a bigger rental market to choose from (24% vs 12%)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
They split
one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here
- Paechtown sits closer to the CBD (29.5 km vs 33.7 km)
- Totness is more walkable (17/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
They split
one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here
- Paechtown carries lower crime risk (13/100 vs 96/100)
- Totness is more walkable (17/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Totness
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (3.2% vs -3.8%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Paechtown and Totness 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
Paechtown rents higher ($480/wk vs $190/wk); Paechtown has more residents (204 vs 96).
| Paechtown | Totness | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 204 +53% vs other | 96 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -3.8% | +3.2% |
| Median age | 51 | 47 |
| Median household income | $124,072/yr | $123,448/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $480/wk +60% vs other | $190/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.8%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
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 (4.2%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.0%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Paechtown | Totness | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | — | $1,528,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — | $1,512,500 |
Zoning mix
Paechtown has more rural and farming land (100% vs 80%); Totness has more industrially zoned land (17% vs 0%).
| Paechtown | Totness | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 100% | 80% |
| Industrial | 0% | 17% |
| Environmental | 0% | 3% |
| 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
| Paechtown | Totness | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 657 across Mount Barker same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | -7% same for both | |
Ranking within SA
| Paechtown | Totness | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 94% of SA same for both | |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 6% of SA | Higher than 70% of SA |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 80% of SA | Higher than 79% of SA |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 44% of SA | Higher than 75% of SA |
Liveability
Totness is more walkable (17 vs 0).
| Paechtown | Totness | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | very advantaged area decile 10/10 | very advantaged area decile 9/10 |
Risk profile
Totness carries more crime risk (96 vs 13).
| Paechtown | Totness | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | High 72/100 | High 77/100 |
| Crime | Low 13/100 | High 96/100 |
| Flood | — same for both | |
| Coastal erosion | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 2 within 5 km | 6 within 5 km |
Schools
| Paechtown | Totness | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 0 same for both | |
| Rated above peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Amenities in the suburb
| Paechtown | Totness | |
|---|---|---|
| Cafes & restaurants | 0 | 2 |
| Fuel stations | 0 | 2 |
Mobility
Totness sits further from the CBD (33.7 km vs 29.5 km).
| Paechtown | Totness | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 | 17/100 |
| Distance to Adelaide | 29.5 km | 33.7 km +14% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 35 min | 32 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 1.1% postcode 5245 | 1.1% postcode 5250 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 73 postcode 5245 | 82 postcode 5250 |
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 (73.7%).
Setting
| Paechtown | Totness | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 395 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 425 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 27.4 km | 29.8 km |
NBN connectivity
| Paechtown | Totness | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 29/100 | 53/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless | Fibre to the node |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 80 premises | 21% 175 premises |
Climate
| Paechtown | Totness | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 730 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | 27.8°C same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | 5.7°C same for both | |
Air quality (annual mean)
| Paechtown | Totness | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Paechtown | Totness | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $2,485/yr same for both | |
| Council | Mount Barker same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Paechtown | Totness | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Mayo same for both | |
| Member | Rebekha Sharkie same for both | |
| Party | Centre Alliance same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Paechtown | Totness | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $15,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | — same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Paechtown
Other comparisons with Totness
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.