Pooraka vs Walkley Heights

Pooraka is the younger of the two, with a median age of 38 against 42 in Walkley Heights. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Walkley Heights, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Walkley Heights: a median of $1.04 million, against $825,000 in Pooraka, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Pooraka tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget, while Walkley Heights 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

Walkley Heights

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (45/100 vs 84/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (68% vs 57%)
  • But Pooraka has more childcare (6 vs 1)

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

First-home buyers

Pooraka

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper land ($815,500 vs $1,131,250)
  • has cheaper houses ($825,000 vs $1,045,000)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Pooraka

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (30% vs 14%)
  • has cheaper rent ($300/wk vs $370/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

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

  • Pooraka has more GPs (2 vs 0)
  • Walkley Heights carries lower crime risk (45/100 vs 84/100)

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

Investors

Pooraka

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (3.8% vs 3.1%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Pooraka Walkley Heights
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.

Pooraka Walkley Heights
Walkability 63 / 61
Pooraka — Walkability: 63/100 Walkley Heights — Walkability: 61/100
Safety 16 / 55
Pooraka — Safety: 16/100 Walkley Heights — Safety: 55/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Pooraka — Low fire risk: 100/100 Walkley Heights — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 21 / 42
Pooraka — Low flood risk: 21/100 Walkley Heights — Low flood risk: 42/100

Demographics

Pooraka has more residents (7,583 vs 3,513); Walkley Heights has higher household incomes ($92,196 vs $63,700).

Pooraka Walkley Heights
Population 7,583
+54% vs other
 3,513
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +4.9% +0.5%
Median age 38 42
Median household income $63,700/yr $92,196/yr
+45% vs other
Median weekly rent $300/wk $370/wk
+23% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Pooraka Walkley Heights
0-4 6.5% / 4.1%
Pooraka — 0-4: 6.5% Walkley Heights — 0-4: 4.1%
5-14 11.7% / 14.5%
Pooraka — 5-14: 11.7% Walkley Heights — 5-14: 14.5%
15-19 6.0% / 6.2%
Pooraka — 15-19: 6.0% Walkley Heights — 15-19: 6.2%
20-24 6.7% / 6.2%
Pooraka — 20-24: 6.7% Walkley Heights — 20-24: 6.2%
25-34 13.8% / 8.2%
Pooraka — 25-34: 13.8% Walkley Heights — 25-34: 8.2%
35-44 13.6% / 13.7%
Pooraka — 35-44: 13.6% Walkley Heights — 35-44: 13.7%
45-54 12.1% / 15.1%
Pooraka — 45-54: 12.1% Walkley Heights — 45-54: 15.1%
55-64 11.8% / 10.2%
Pooraka — 55-64: 11.8% Walkley Heights — 55-64: 10.2%
65-74 9.8% / 8.9%
Pooraka — 65-74: 9.8% Walkley Heights — 65-74: 8.9%
75-84 5.9% / 8.4%
Pooraka — 75-84: 5.9% Walkley Heights — 75-84: 8.4%
85+ 2.0% / 4.5%
Pooraka — 85+: 2.0% Walkley Heights — 85+: 4.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Pooraka 39.0% couple families
Pooraka — Couple Families: 39.0% Pooraka — Lone Person: 36.4% Pooraka — One Parent Families: 18.3% Pooraka — Group Household: 4.5% Pooraka — Other Families: 1.8%
Walkley Heights 52.7% couple families
Walkley Heights — Couple Families: 52.7% Walkley Heights — Lone Person: 30.4% Walkley Heights — One Parent Families: 15.0% Walkley Heights — Group Household: 1.6% Walkley Heights — Other Families: 0.3%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Pooraka 30.5% renting
Pooraka — Owned Outright: 33.9% Pooraka — Mortgage: 35.6% Pooraka — Renting: 30.5%
Walkley Heights 14.3% renting
Walkley Heights — Owned Outright: 35.2% Walkley Heights — Mortgage: 50.5% Walkley Heights — Renting: 14.3%
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.

Pooraka Walkley Heights
India 6.4% / 7.5%
Pooraka — India: 6.4% Walkley Heights — India: 7.5%
England 3.3% / 5.5%
Pooraka — England: 3.3% Walkley Heights — England: 5.5%
Vietnam 6.0% / 1.8%
Pooraka — Vietnam: 6.0% Walkley Heights — Vietnam: 1.8%
Afghanistan 4.1% / 1.6%
Pooraka — Afghanistan: 4.1% Walkley Heights — Afghanistan: 1.6%
Philippines 1.9% / 1.1%
Pooraka — Philippines: 1.9% Walkley Heights — Philippines: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (7.5%).

Qualifications

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

Pooraka Walkley Heights
Certificate III & IV 14.1% / 12.6%
Pooraka — Certificate III & IV: 14.1% Walkley Heights — Certificate III & IV: 12.6%
Bachelor Degree 9.1% / 12.8%
Pooraka — Bachelor Degree: 9.1% Walkley Heights — Bachelor Degree: 12.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 5.9% / 7.7%
Pooraka — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.9% Walkley Heights — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.7%
Postgraduate Degree 3.8% / 4.0%
Pooraka — Postgraduate Degree: 3.8% Walkley Heights — Postgraduate Degree: 4.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.9% / 1.9%
Pooraka — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.9% Walkley Heights — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (14.1%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Pooraka 85.7% houses
Pooraka — Houses: 85.7% Pooraka — Townhouses: 12.5% Pooraka — Flats / Apartments: 1.8%
Walkley Heights 81.0% houses
Walkley Heights — Houses: 81.0% Walkley Heights — Townhouses: 17.8% Walkley Heights — Flats / Apartments: 1.2%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Pooraka Walkley Heights
Median house price $825,000 $1,045,000
Median unit price $590,500 —
Median land price $815,500 $1,131,250
Typical days to sell (houses) 16 days
from 64 sales
 17 days
from 23 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.

Pooraka Walkley Heights
3 bed $811K / $889K
Pooraka — 3 bed: $811K (101 sales) Walkley Heights — 3 bed: $889K (20 sales)

101 vs 20 sales

4 bed $910K / $1.2M
Pooraka — 4 bed: $910K (40 sales) Walkley Heights — 4 bed: $1.2M (24 sales)

40 vs 24 sales

Zoning mix

Pooraka has more industrially zoned land (39% vs 11%).

Pooraka Walkley Heights
Residential 51% 65%
Industrial 39% 11%
Parks and recreation 8% 24%
Commercial 1%
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

Pooraka Walkley Heights
New dwellings approved 949
across Salisbury
same for both
Approvals change year on year -30%
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.

Pooraka Walkley Heights
Houses 3.8%
$600/wk on $820K
 3.1%
$715/wk on $1.19M
Units —
same for both

Ranking within SA

Pooraka Walkley Heights
House price Higher than 30% of SA Higher than 63% of SA
Income Higher than 32% of SA Higher than 71% of SA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 85% of SA Higher than 84% of SA
Affordability Higher than 42% of SA Higher than 47% of SA
EV adoption Higher than 78% of SA Higher than 52% of SA
NBN connectivity Higher than 80% of SA Higher than 81% of SA
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 42% of SA Higher than 18% of SA

Liveability

Walkley Heights scores higher overall (63 vs 29).

Pooraka Walkley Heights
Grade D B
Score 29/100 63/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
 advantaged area
decile 7/10

Risk profile

Pooraka carries more crime risk (84 vs 45); Pooraka carries more flood risk (79 vs 58).

Pooraka Walkley Heights
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
84/100
 Moderate
45/100
Flood High
79/100
 Moderate
58/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise High
70/100
 None
0/100
Industrial facilities nearby 22
within 5 km
 14
within 5 km

Schools

Pooraka Walkley Heights
Inside the suburb 1 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 1
Adelaide University, Mawson Lakes Campus, 2.0 km
 2
Adelaide University, Mawson Lakes Campus, 4.1 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.6% 3.4%

Schools in Pooraka

  • Pooraka Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Walkley Heights

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

Amenities in the suburb

Pooraka Walkley Heights
Supermarkets 0 1
Cafes & restaurants 1 2
Parks & reserves 3 1
Childcare 6 1
GPs 2 0
Pharmacies 2 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Fuel stations 4 0
Waterways 1
same for both

Mobility

Pooraka Walkley Heights
Walkability score 63/100 61/100
Distance to Adelaide 13.3 km 13.5 km
+2% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 20 min 23 min
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 189.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 51.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 1.0%
postcode 5095
 0.5%
postcode 5098
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 57
postcode 5095
 70
postcode 5098

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.

Pooraka Walkley Heights
Car (driver) 79.6% / 78.5%
Pooraka — Car (driver): 79.6% Walkley Heights — Car (driver): 78.5%
Worked from Home 6.6% / 8.7%
Pooraka — Worked from Home: 6.6% Walkley Heights — Worked from Home: 8.7%
Bus 6.1% / 6.8%
Pooraka — Bus: 6.1% Walkley Heights — Bus: 6.8%
Car (passenger) 6.0% / 5.1%
Pooraka — Car (passenger): 6.0% Walkley Heights — Car (passenger): 5.1%
Walked Only 1.0% / 0.5%
Pooraka — Walked Only: 1.0% Walkley Heights — Walked Only: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (79.6%).

Setting

Pooraka Walkley Heights
Elevation 23 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 88 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 6.6 km 8.5 km

NBN connectivity

Pooraka Walkley Heights
Connectivity score 67/100 68/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 40%
3,775 premises
 37%
1,389 premises

Climate

Pooraka Walkley Heights
Annual rainfall 404 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 30.4°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 6.5°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Pooraka Walkley Heights
PM2.5 —
same for both
PM10 —
same for both
NO₂ 0.51 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Pooraka Walkley Heights
Average residential rate $1,722/yr
same for both
Council Salisbury
same for both

Federal electorate

Pooraka Walkley Heights
Division Makin
same for both
Member Tony Zappia
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Pooraka Walkley Heights
Grant amount $15,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Pooraka

Large Blocks Middle-Ring Multicultural River

Walkley Heights

Middle-Ring Quiet

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Pooraka

Pooraka vs Mawson Lakes Pooraka vs Ingle Farm Pooraka vs Para Hills Pooraka vs Northfield Pooraka vs Para Hills West Pooraka vs Gepps Cross

Other comparisons with Walkley Heights

Walkley Heights vs Ingle Farm Walkley Heights vs Valley View Walkley Heights vs Northfield Walkley Heights vs Gilles Plains Walkley Heights vs Oakden Walkley Heights vs Gepps Cross
Full data on Pooraka Full data on Walkley Heights
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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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