Petwood vs Red Creek

Red Creek is the younger of the two, with a median age of 39 against 42 in Petwood. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Petwood, about half of households are couple families. In Red Creek, most households are couple families. Petwood is closer to the city centre: 46.4 km, against 59.4 km. On these figures, Petwood tends to suit people living alone and families with children, while Red Creek suits 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

Red Creek

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (23/100 vs 37/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (67% vs 48%)

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

Red Creek

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($225/wk vs $248/wk)

Weighs rent and rental stress.

Commuting to the city

Petwood

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (46.4 km vs 59.4 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (50 min vs 58 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here

  • Petwood has more residents already 65 and over (20% vs 12%)
  • Red Creek carries lower crime risk (23/100 vs 37/100)

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

Investors

Petwood

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (32.4% vs 17.9%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Petwood Red Creek
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.

Petwood Red Creek
Walkability 0 / 0
Petwood — Walkability: 0/100 Red Creek — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 63 / 77
Petwood — Safety: 63/100 Red Creek — Safety: 77/100
Low fire risk 40 / 43
Petwood — Low fire risk: 40/100 Red Creek — Low fire risk: 43/100

Demographics

Red Creek has more residents (145 vs 90); Red Creek has higher household incomes ($115,128 vs $94,224).

Petwood Red Creek
Population 90 145
+61% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +32.4% +17.9%
Median age 42 39
Median household income $94,224/yr $115,128/yr
+22% vs other
Median weekly rent $248/wk
+9% vs other
 $225/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Petwood Red Creek
0-4 14.4% / 9.0%
Petwood — 0-4: 14.4% Red Creek — 0-4: 9.0%
5-14 14.4% / 9.7%
Petwood — 5-14: 14.4% Red Creek — 5-14: 9.7%
15-19 10.0% / 6.9%
Petwood — 15-19: 10.0% Red Creek — 15-19: 6.9%
20-24 — / 6.9%
Petwood — 20-24: not among its largest Red Creek — 20-24: 6.9%
25-34 5.6% / 8.3%
Petwood — 25-34: 5.6% Red Creek — 25-34: 8.3%
35-44 10.0% / 9.0%
Petwood — 35-44: 10.0% Red Creek — 35-44: 9.0%
45-54 11.1% / 20.0%
Petwood — 45-54: 11.1% Red Creek — 45-54: 20.0%
55-64 16.7% / 11.7%
Petwood — 55-64: 16.7% Red Creek — 55-64: 11.7%
65-74 15.6% / 7.6%
Petwood — 65-74: 15.6% Red Creek — 65-74: 7.6%
75-84 4.4% / 4.8%
Petwood — 75-84: 4.4% Red Creek — 75-84: 4.8%
85+ — / —
Petwood — 85+: not among its largest Red Creek — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.0%).

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.

Petwood Red Creek
England 10.0% / 6.2%
Petwood — England: 10.0% Red Creek — England: 6.2%
South Africa — / 2.1%
Petwood — South Africa: not among its largest Red Creek — South Africa: 2.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (10.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Petwood 48.1% couple families
Petwood — Couple Families: 48.1% Petwood — Lone Person: 37.0% Petwood — Group Household: 14.8% Petwood — Other Families: 0.0%
Red Creek 66.7% couple families
Red Creek — Couple Families: 66.7% Red Creek — Lone Person: 24.2% Red Creek — Group Household: 0.0% Red Creek — Other Families: 9.1%
Couple Families Lone Person Group Household Other Families

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Petwood 100.0% houses
Petwood — Houses: 100.0%
Red Creek 100.0% houses
Red Creek — Houses: 100.0%
Houses

Qualifications

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

Petwood Red Creek
Certificate III & IV 21.1% / 17.2%
Petwood — Certificate III & IV: 21.1% Red Creek — Certificate III & IV: 17.2%
Bachelor Degree 17.8% / 9.7%
Petwood — Bachelor Degree: 17.8% Red Creek — Bachelor Degree: 9.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 3.3% / 6.2%
Petwood — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 3.3% Red Creek — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.2%
Postgraduate Degree — / 2.8%
Petwood — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Red Creek — Postgraduate Degree: 2.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 2.8%
Petwood — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Red Creek — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.1%).

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Petwood 12.1% renting
Petwood — Owned Outright: 39.4% Petwood — Mortgage: 48.5% Petwood — Renting: 12.1%
Red Creek 0.0% renting
Red Creek — Owned Outright: 28.1% Red Creek — Mortgage: 71.9% Red Creek — Renting: 0.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Zoning mix

Petwood Red Creek
Rural and farming 100%
same for both
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

Petwood Red Creek
New dwellings approved 657
across Mount Barker
 429
across Alexandrina
Approvals change year on year -7% +25%

Ranking within SA

Petwood Red Creek
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 73% of SA Higher than 89% of SA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 38% of SA Higher than 6% of SA
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 74% of SA Higher than 64% of SA
NBN connectivity Higher than 40% of SA Higher than 45% of SA

Liveability

Petwood Red Creek
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
same for both

Risk profile

Petwood carries more crime risk (37 vs 23).

Petwood Red Creek
Bushfire Moderate
60/100
 Moderate
57/100
Crime Low
37/100
 Low
23/100
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
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Petwood Red Creek
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

Petwood Red Creek
Parks & reserves 0 2
Waterways 5 0

Mobility

Red Creek sits further from the CBD (59.4 km vs 46.4 km).

Petwood Red Creek
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Adelaide 46.4 km 59.4 km
+28% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 50 min 58 min
Electric vehicle share 0.9%
postcode 5252
 0.7%
postcode 5255
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 73
postcode 5252
 85
postcode 5255

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.

Petwood Red Creek
Car (driver) 67.4% / 72.0%
Petwood — Car (driver): 67.4% Red Creek — Car (driver): 72.0%
Worked from Home 32.6% / 19.5%
Petwood — Worked from Home: 32.6% Red Creek — Worked from Home: 19.5%
Walked Only — / 4.9%
Petwood — Walked Only: not among its largest Red Creek — Walked Only: 4.9%
Bus — / 3.7%
Petwood — Bus: not among its largest Red Creek — Bus: 3.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (72.0%).

Setting

Petwood Red Creek
Elevation 244 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 154 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 40.6 km 44.1 km

NBN connectivity

Petwood Red Creek
Connectivity score 27/100 29/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
21 premises
 0%
44 premises

Climate

Petwood Red Creek
Annual rainfall 730 mm 466 mm
Summer max (Jan) 27.8°C —
Winter min (Jul) 5.7°C —

Council rates

Petwood Red Creek
Average residential rate $2,485/yr $2,523/yr
Council Mount Barker Alexandrina

Federal electorate

Petwood Red Creek
Division Mayo
same for both
Member Rebekha Sharkie
same for both
Party Centre Alliance
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Petwood Red Creek
Grant amount $15,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Petwood

Family Outer Young Families

Red Creek

Outer Young Families

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Petwood

Petwood vs Nairne Petwood vs Kanmantoo Petwood vs Dawesley Petwood vs Wistow Petwood vs Mount Barker Springs Petwood vs Mount Barker Summit

Other comparisons with Red Creek

Red Creek vs Callington Red Creek vs Highland Valley Red Creek vs Wistow Red Creek vs Woodchester Red Creek vs Hartley
Full data on Petwood Full data on Red Creek
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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