Pennington vs Cheltenham

Pennington is the younger of the two, with a median age of 41 against 44 in Cheltenham. In both, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. Houses cost more in Cheltenham: a median of $998,000, against $870,000 in Pennington, and rent is higher there too.

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

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Pennington has more childcare (4 vs 1)
  • Cheltenham carries lower crime risk (66/100 vs 88/100)

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

First-home buyers

Pennington

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($870,000 vs $998,250)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Pennington

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (40% vs 21%)
  • has cheaper rent ($250/wk vs $290/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Too close to call

Nothing among the 4 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • Pennington has more units and townhouses to downsize into (30% vs 20%)
  • Cheltenham carries lower crime risk (66/100 vs 88/100)

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

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

Pennington Cheltenham
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.

Pennington Cheltenham
Walkability 86 / 80
Pennington — Walkability: 86/100 Cheltenham — Walkability: 80/100
Safety 12 / 34
Pennington — Safety: 12/100 Cheltenham — Safety: 34/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Pennington — Low fire risk: 100/100 Cheltenham — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 20 / 24
Pennington — Low flood risk: 20/100 Cheltenham — Low flood risk: 24/100

Demographics

Pennington has more residents (3,773 vs 2,236); Cheltenham has higher household incomes ($79,768 vs $66,352).

Pennington Cheltenham
Population 3,773
+41% vs other
 2,236
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +3.5% +1.7%
Median age 41 44
Median household income $66,352/yr $79,768/yr
+20% vs other
Median weekly rent $250/wk $290/wk
+16% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Pennington Cheltenham
0-4 5.6% / 4.6%
Pennington — 0-4: 5.6% Cheltenham — 0-4: 4.6%
5-14 10.2% / 9.6%
Pennington — 5-14: 10.2% Cheltenham — 5-14: 9.6%
15-19 5.8% / 5.5%
Pennington — 15-19: 5.8% Cheltenham — 15-19: 5.5%
20-24 6.4% / 5.9%
Pennington — 20-24: 6.4% Cheltenham — 20-24: 5.9%
25-34 14.0% / 13.6%
Pennington — 25-34: 14.0% Cheltenham — 25-34: 13.6%
35-44 12.4% / 11.3%
Pennington — 35-44: 12.4% Cheltenham — 35-44: 11.3%
45-54 12.9% / 14.3%
Pennington — 45-54: 12.9% Cheltenham — 45-54: 14.3%
55-64 13.8% / 15.6%
Pennington — 55-64: 13.8% Cheltenham — 55-64: 15.6%
65-74 9.2% / 12.5%
Pennington — 65-74: 9.2% Cheltenham — 65-74: 12.5%
75-84 5.4% / 4.8%
Pennington — 75-84: 5.4% Cheltenham — 75-84: 4.8%
85+ 4.1% / 2.7%
Pennington — 85+: 4.1% Cheltenham — 85+: 2.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Pennington 39.4% lone person
Pennington — Lone Person: 39.4% Pennington — Couple Families: 34.0% Pennington — One Parent Families: 19.2% Pennington — Group Household: 4.8% Pennington — Other Families: 2.7%
Cheltenham 42.7% lone person
Cheltenham — Lone Person: 42.7% Cheltenham — Couple Families: 37.6% Cheltenham — One Parent Families: 15.7% Cheltenham — Group Household: 3.3% Cheltenham — Other Families: 0.7%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Pennington 39.7% renting
Pennington — Owned Outright: 25.6% Pennington — Mortgage: 34.7% Pennington — Renting: 39.7%
Cheltenham 21.3% renting
Cheltenham — Owned Outright: 36.7% Cheltenham — Mortgage: 42.0% Cheltenham — Renting: 21.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Pennington Cheltenham
Certificate III & IV 13.8% / 16.6%
Pennington — Certificate III & IV: 13.8% Cheltenham — Certificate III & IV: 16.6%
Bachelor Degree 9.4% / 13.6%
Pennington — Bachelor Degree: 9.4% Cheltenham — Bachelor Degree: 13.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 5.8% / 7.2%
Pennington — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.8% Cheltenham — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.2%
Postgraduate Degree 2.2% / 3.4%
Pennington — Postgraduate Degree: 2.2% Cheltenham — Postgraduate Degree: 3.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.1% / 1.7%
Pennington — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.1% Cheltenham — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.6%).

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.

Pennington Cheltenham
Vietnam 11.4% / 0.8%
Pennington — Vietnam: 11.4% Cheltenham — Vietnam: 0.8%
England 2.4% / 3.8%
Pennington — England: 2.4% Cheltenham — England: 3.8%
India 3.9% / 2.0%
Pennington — India: 3.9% Cheltenham — India: 2.0%
Philippines 2.8% / 0.9%
Pennington — Philippines: 2.8% Cheltenham — Philippines: 0.9%
Italy 0.9% / 1.4%
Pennington — Italy: 0.9% Cheltenham — Italy: 1.4%
Greece 1.2% / 0.7%
Pennington — Greece: 1.2% Cheltenham — Greece: 0.7%
China 0.6% / 1.1%
Pennington — China: 0.6% Cheltenham — China: 1.1%
Germany — / 1.1%
Pennington — Germany: not among its largest Cheltenham — Germany: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (11.4%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Pennington 70.2% houses
Pennington — Houses: 70.2% Pennington — Townhouses: 28.0% Pennington — Flats / Apartments: 1.9%
Cheltenham 80.5% houses
Cheltenham — Houses: 80.5% Cheltenham — Townhouses: 17.4% Cheltenham — Flats / Apartments: 2.1%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Pennington Cheltenham
Median house price $870,000 $998,250
Median unit price $625,000 $590,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 16 days
from 22 sales
 16 days
from 18 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.

Pennington Cheltenham
2 bed $737K / $1.01M
Pennington — 2 bed: $737K (7 sales) Cheltenham — 2 bed: $1.01M (5 sales)

7 vs 5 sales

3 bed $851K / $950K
Pennington — 3 bed: $851K (20 sales) Cheltenham — 3 bed: $950K (21 sales)

20 vs 21 sales

4 bed $980K / $1.29M
Pennington — 4 bed: $980K (9 sales) Cheltenham — 4 bed: $1.29M (14 sales)

9 vs 14 sales

Zoning mix

Pennington Cheltenham
Residential 89% 75%
Infrastructure and transport 0% 11%
Industrial 9% 5%
Parks and recreation 0% 5%
Commercial 1% 5%
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

Pennington Cheltenham
New dwellings approved 1,636
across Charles Sturt
same for both
Approvals change year on year +109%
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.

Pennington Cheltenham
Houses 4.1%
$650/wk on $819K
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within SA

Pennington Cheltenham
House price Higher than 23% of SA Higher than 52% of SA
Income Higher than 34% of SA Higher than 54% of SA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 96% of SA Higher than 92% of SA
Affordability Higher than 56% of SA Higher than 43% of SA
EV adoption Higher than 47% of SA Higher than 77% of SA
NBN connectivity Higher than 91% of SA Higher than 82% of SA
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 68% of SA —

Liveability

Cheltenham scores higher overall (54 vs 36).

Pennington Cheltenham
Grade C B
Score 36/100 54/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10

Risk profile

Pennington carries more crime risk (88 vs 66).

Pennington Cheltenham
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
88/100
 Moderate
66/100
Flood High
80/100
 High
76/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 33
within 5 km
 25
within 5 km

Schools

Pennington Cheltenham
Inside the suburb 2 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 1 0
Universities within 10 km 1
Adelaide University, Mawson Lakes Campus, 8.9 km
 3
Adelaide University, Adelaide City Campus, 9.5 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.9% 2.3%

Schools in Pennington

  • Pennington School R-6 Government · Primary below peers
  • Mount Carmel College Primary Campus Catholic · Primary

Schools in Cheltenham

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

Amenities in the suburb

Pennington Cheltenham
Cafes & restaurants 2 0
Parks & reserves 2 0
Childcare 4 1
GPs 1 0
Pharmacies 1 0
Fuel stations 1 0

Mobility

Pennington Cheltenham
Walkability score 86/100 80/100
Distance to Adelaide 12 km
+8% vs other
 11 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 20 min 19 min
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
 86/100
Rail · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 45.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 24.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 5013
 0.9%
postcode 5014
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 61
postcode 5013
 48
postcode 5014

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.

Pennington Cheltenham
Car (driver) 77.2% / 75.2%
Pennington — Car (driver): 77.2% Cheltenham — Car (driver): 75.2%
Worked from Home 7.6% / 9.9%
Pennington — Worked from Home: 7.6% Cheltenham — Worked from Home: 9.9%
Car (passenger) 6.0% / 4.5%
Pennington — Car (passenger): 6.0% Cheltenham — Car (passenger): 4.5%
Train 3.1% / 6.0%
Pennington — Train: 3.1% Cheltenham — Train: 6.0%
Bus 3.6% / 2.2%
Pennington — Bus: 3.6% Cheltenham — Bus: 2.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (77.2%).

Setting

Pennington Cheltenham
Elevation 4 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 8 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 5.0 km 4.3 km
4.3 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Pennington Cheltenham
Connectivity score 77/100 70/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 48%
1,743 premises
 45%
1,078 premises

Climate

Pennington Cheltenham
Annual rainfall 457 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 29.1°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 8.5°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Pennington Cheltenham
PM2.5 4.5 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 20.3 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Pennington Cheltenham
Average residential rate $1,726/yr
same for both
Council Charles Sturt
same for both

Federal electorate

Pennington Cheltenham
Division Hindmarsh
same for both
Member Mark Butler
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Pennington Cheltenham
Grant amount $15,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Pennington

Middle-Ring Multicultural Parks Townhouses

Cheltenham

Middle-Ring Trains Transport Hub

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Pennington

Pennington vs Rosewater Pennington vs Ottoway Pennington vs Woodville North Pennington vs St Clair Pennington vs Athol Park

Other comparisons with Cheltenham

Cheltenham vs Rosewater Cheltenham vs St Clair Cheltenham vs Woodville Cheltenham vs Queenstown Cheltenham vs Alberton Cheltenham vs Albert Park
Full data on Pennington Full data on Cheltenham
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.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or