Pinkerton Plains vs Mallala

Mallala is the younger of the two, with a median age of 37 against 42 in Pinkerton Plains. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Pinkerton Plains, the large majority of households are couple families. On these figures, Pinkerton Plains tends to suit couples, while Mallala 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

They split

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

  • Pinkerton Plains is already more of a family suburb (76% vs 54%)
  • Mallala carries lower crime risk (63/100 vs 75/100)

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

Pinkerton Plains

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (10% vs 18%)
  • has cheaper rent ($200/wk vs $278/wk)
  • But Mallala has a bigger rental market to choose from (24% vs 14%)

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

Commuting to the city

Mallala

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (45/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (48 min vs 61 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (60 km vs 72.3 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Mallala

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (45/100 vs 0/100)
  • carries lower crime risk (63/100 vs 75/100)

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

Investors

Mallala

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (16.6% vs -2.6%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Pinkerton Plains Mallala
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.

Pinkerton Plains Mallala
Walkability 0 / 45
Pinkerton Plains — Walkability: 0/100 Mallala — Walkability: 45/100
Safety 25 / 37
Pinkerton Plains — Safety: 25/100 Mallala — Safety: 37/100
Low fire risk 17 / 22
Pinkerton Plains — Low fire risk: 17/100 Mallala — Low fire risk: 22/100
Low flood risk 70 / 57
Pinkerton Plains — Low flood risk: 70/100 Mallala — Low flood risk: 57/100

Demographics

Mallala has more residents (1,042 vs 74); Mallala rents higher ($278/wk vs $200/wk).

Pinkerton Plains Mallala
Population 74 1,042
+1308% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -2.6% +16.6%
Median age 42 37
Median household income $100,724/yr
+21% vs other
 $79,924/yr
Median weekly rent $200/wk $278/wk
+39% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Pinkerton Plains Mallala
0-4 — / 6.0%
Pinkerton Plains — 0-4: not among its largest Mallala — 0-4: 6.0%
5-14 10.8% / 13.1%
Pinkerton Plains — 5-14: 10.8% Mallala — 5-14: 13.1%
15-19 5.4% / 5.5%
Pinkerton Plains — 15-19: 5.4% Mallala — 15-19: 5.5%
20-24 4.1% / 5.1%
Pinkerton Plains — 20-24: 4.1% Mallala — 20-24: 5.1%
25-34 10.8% / 15.7%
Pinkerton Plains — 25-34: 10.8% Mallala — 25-34: 15.7%
35-44 6.8% / 13.8%
Pinkerton Plains — 35-44: 6.8% Mallala — 35-44: 13.8%
45-54 13.5% / 9.8%
Pinkerton Plains — 45-54: 13.5% Mallala — 45-54: 9.8%
55-64 13.5% / 14.3%
Pinkerton Plains — 55-64: 13.5% Mallala — 55-64: 14.3%
65-74 9.5% / 8.1%
Pinkerton Plains — 65-74: 9.5% Mallala — 65-74: 8.1%
75-84 — / 6.0%
Pinkerton Plains — 75-84: not among its largest Mallala — 75-84: 6.0%
85+ 4.1% / 1.7%
Pinkerton Plains — 85+: 4.1% Mallala — 85+: 1.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Pinkerton Plains 76.5% couple families
Pinkerton Plains — Couple Families: 76.5% Pinkerton Plains — Lone Person: 23.5% Pinkerton Plains — One Parent Families: 0.0% Pinkerton Plains — Group Household: 0.0%
Mallala 36.4% couple families
Mallala — Couple Families: 36.4% Mallala — Lone Person: 34.5% Mallala — One Parent Families: 17.8% Mallala — Group Household: 11.2%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Pinkerton Plains 13.8% renting
Pinkerton Plains — Owned Outright: 51.7% Pinkerton Plains — Mortgage: 34.5% Pinkerton Plains — Renting: 13.8%
Mallala 24.2% renting
Mallala — Owned Outright: 34.6% Mallala — Mortgage: 41.3% Mallala — Renting: 24.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Pinkerton Plains Mallala
England 9.5% / 2.2%
Pinkerton Plains — England: 9.5% Mallala — England: 2.2%
New Zealand — / 0.9%
Pinkerton Plains — New Zealand: not among its largest Mallala — New Zealand: 0.9%
Netherlands — / 0.5%
Pinkerton Plains — Netherlands: not among its largest Mallala — Netherlands: 0.5%
Germany — / 0.4%
Pinkerton Plains — Germany: not among its largest Mallala — Germany: 0.4%
Iran — / 0.4%
Pinkerton Plains — Iran: not among its largest Mallala — Iran: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (9.5%).

Qualifications

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

Pinkerton Plains Mallala
Certificate III & IV 16.2% / 14.7%
Pinkerton Plains — Certificate III & IV: 16.2% Mallala — Certificate III & IV: 14.7%
Bachelor Degree 10.8% / 4.0%
Pinkerton Plains — Bachelor Degree: 10.8% Mallala — Bachelor Degree: 4.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma — / 3.7%
Pinkerton Plains — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: not among its largest Mallala — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 3.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 0.9%
Pinkerton Plains — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Mallala — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.9%
Postgraduate Degree — / 0.6%
Pinkerton Plains — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Mallala — Postgraduate Degree: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Pinkerton Plains 95.8% houses
Pinkerton Plains — Houses: 95.8% Pinkerton Plains — Flats / Apartments: 4.2% Pinkerton Plains — Townhouses: 0.0%
Mallala 86.6% houses
Mallala — Houses: 86.6% Mallala — Flats / Apartments: 10.9% Mallala — Townhouses: 2.5%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Pinkerton Plains Mallala
Median house price — $690,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) — 18 days
from 12 sales

Zoning mix

Pinkerton Plains Mallala
Rural and farming 100% 97%
Residential 0% 1%
Industrial 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

Pinkerton Plains Mallala
New dwellings approved 278
across Light
 106
across Adelaide Plains
Approvals change year on year +43% -21%

Ranking within SA

Pinkerton Plains Mallala
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 79% of SA Higher than 54% of SA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 5% of SA Higher than 79% of SA
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 53% of SA Higher than 51% of SA
NBN connectivity Higher than 51% of SA Higher than 55% of SA

Liveability

Mallala is more walkable (45 vs 0).

Pinkerton Plains Mallala
Grade — D
Score — 17/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Mallala carries more flood risk (43 vs 30); Pinkerton Plains carries more crime risk (75 vs 63).

Pinkerton Plains Mallala
Bushfire High
83/100
 High
78/100
Crime High
75/100
 Moderate
63/100
Flood Low
30/100
 Moderate
43/100
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

Pinkerton Plains Mallala
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 Pinkerton Plains

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

Schools in Mallala

  • Mallala Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Pinkerton Plains Mallala
Supermarkets 0 1
Parks & reserves 0 1
GPs 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1

Mobility

Pinkerton Plains sits further from the CBD (72.3 km vs 60 km).

Pinkerton Plains Mallala
Walkability score 0/100 45/100
Distance to Adelaide 72.3 km
+17% vs other
 60 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 61 min 48 min
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 5400
 0.5%
postcode 5502
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 97
postcode 5400
 78
postcode 5502

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.

Pinkerton Plains Mallala
Car (driver) 62.2% / 71.5%
Pinkerton Plains — Car (driver): 62.2% Mallala — Car (driver): 71.5%
Worked from Home 18.9% / 4.5%
Pinkerton Plains — Worked from Home: 18.9% Mallala — Worked from Home: 4.5%
Walked Only 18.9% / 3.2%
Pinkerton Plains — Walked Only: 18.9% Mallala — Walked Only: 3.2%
Bus — / 12.7%
Pinkerton Plains — Bus: not among its largest Mallala — Bus: 12.7%
Car (passenger) — / 7.2%
Pinkerton Plains — Car (passenger): not among its largest Mallala — Car (passenger): 7.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (71.5%).

Setting

Pinkerton Plains Mallala
Elevation 88 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 46 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 27.9 km 18.8 km

NBN connectivity

Pinkerton Plains Mallala
Connectivity score 30/100
same for both
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
36 premises
 0%
402 premises

Climate

Pinkerton Plains Mallala
Annual rainfall 460 mm 404 mm
Summer max (Jan) — 30.0°C
Winter min (Jul) — 6.6°C

Council rates

Pinkerton Plains Mallala
Average residential rate $2,297/yr $2,698/yr
Council Light Adelaide Plains

Federal electorate

Pinkerton Plains Mallala
Division Grey
same for both
Member Tom Venning
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Pinkerton Plains Mallala
Grant amount $15,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Pinkerton Plains

Rural

Mallala

Quiet Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Pinkerton Plains

Pinkerton Plains vs Wasleys Pinkerton Plains vs Hamley Bridge Pinkerton Plains vs Redbanks Pinkerton Plains vs Barabba Pinkerton Plains vs Magdala

Other comparisons with Mallala

Mallala vs Dublin Mallala vs Korunye Mallala vs Lower Light Mallala vs Redbanks Mallala vs Barabba Mallala vs Grace Plains
Full data on Pinkerton Plains Full data on Mallala
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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