Seaford Heights vs Mclaren Vale

Seaford Heights is the younger of the two, with a median age of 29 against 54 in McLaren Vale. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Seaford Heights, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in McLaren Vale: a median of $955,000, against $865,000 in Seaford Heights, though rent is higher in Seaford Heights. Seaford Heights is closer to the city centre: 35.6 km, against 40.1 km. On these figures, Seaford Heights tends to suit young adults, families with children, and couples, while McLaren Vale suits people living alone and older residents.

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

  • Seaford Heights is already more of a family suburb (70% vs 54%)
  • Mclaren Vale has more childcare (6 vs 1)

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

First-home buyers

Seaford Heights

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (18% vs 27%)
  • has cheaper houses ($865,000 vs $955,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Seaford Heights leaves renters under less rental stress (18% vs 25%)
  • Mclaren Vale has cheaper rent ($328/wk vs $380/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

They split

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

  • Seaford Heights sits closer to the CBD (35.6 km vs 40.1 km)
  • Mclaren Vale is more walkable (55/100 vs 43/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

McLaren Vale

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more residents already 65 and over (33% vs 5%)
  • is more walkable (55/100 vs 43/100)

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

Investors

Seaford Heights

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • is growing faster (1935.8% vs 5.7%)
  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (4.4% vs 3.3%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Seaford Heights Mclaren Vale
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.

Seaford Heights Mclaren Vale
Walkability 43 / 55
Seaford Heights — Walkability: 43/100 Mclaren Vale — Walkability: 55/100
Safety 46 / 47
Seaford Heights — Safety: 46/100 Mclaren Vale — Safety: 47/100
Low fire risk 100 / 31
Seaford Heights — Low fire risk: 100/100 Mclaren Vale — Low fire risk: 31/100

Demographics

McLaren Vale has more residents (4,061 vs 1,079); McLaren Vale skews older (54 vs 29).

Seaford Heights Mclaren Vale
Population 1,079 4,061
+276% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +1935.8% +5.7%
Median age 29 54
Median household income $112,840/yr
+39% vs other
 $69,212/yr
Median weekly rent $380/wk
+14% vs other
 $328/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Seaford Heights Mclaren Vale
0-4 10.9% / 3.5%
Seaford Heights — 0-4: 10.9% Mclaren Vale — 0-4: 3.5%
5-14 12.6% / 10.0%
Seaford Heights — 5-14: 12.6% Mclaren Vale — 5-14: 10.0%
15-19 4.2% / 4.6%
Seaford Heights — 15-19: 4.2% Mclaren Vale — 15-19: 4.6%
20-24 6.8% / 4.1%
Seaford Heights — 20-24: 6.8% Mclaren Vale — 20-24: 4.1%
25-34 31.1% / 6.9%
Seaford Heights — 25-34: 31.1% Mclaren Vale — 25-34: 6.9%
35-44 13.8% / 9.8%
Seaford Heights — 35-44: 13.8% Mclaren Vale — 35-44: 9.8%
45-54 10.5% / 12.6%
Seaford Heights — 45-54: 10.5% Mclaren Vale — 45-54: 12.6%
55-64 5.2% / 15.6%
Seaford Heights — 55-64: 5.2% Mclaren Vale — 55-64: 15.6%
65-74 3.3% / 15.8%
Seaford Heights — 65-74: 3.3% Mclaren Vale — 65-74: 15.8%
75-84 1.1% / 12.4%
Seaford Heights — 75-84: 1.1% Mclaren Vale — 75-84: 12.4%
85+ 0.3% / 4.8%
Seaford Heights — 85+: 0.3% Mclaren Vale — 85+: 4.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (31.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Seaford Heights 55.6% couple families
Seaford Heights — Couple Families: 55.6% Seaford Heights — Lone Person: 25.6% Seaford Heights — One Parent Families: 14.8% Seaford Heights — Group Household: 2.6% Seaford Heights — Other Families: 1.5%
Mclaren Vale 39.9% couple families
Mclaren Vale — Couple Families: 39.9% Mclaren Vale — Lone Person: 43.1% Mclaren Vale — One Parent Families: 14.2% Mclaren Vale — Group Household: 2.0% Mclaren Vale — Other Families: 0.8%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Seaford Heights 22.9% renting
Seaford Heights — Owned Outright: 10.0% Seaford Heights — Mortgage: 67.1% Seaford Heights — Renting: 22.9%
Mclaren Vale 16.7% renting
Mclaren Vale — Owned Outright: 48.3% Mclaren Vale — Mortgage: 35.0% Mclaren Vale — Renting: 16.7%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Seaford Heights Mclaren Vale
Certificate III & IV 21.2% / 16.3%
Seaford Heights — Certificate III & IV: 21.2% Mclaren Vale — Certificate III & IV: 16.3%
Bachelor Degree 12.7% / 11.1%
Seaford Heights — Bachelor Degree: 12.7% Mclaren Vale — Bachelor Degree: 11.1%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.7% / 9.4%
Seaford Heights — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.7% Mclaren Vale — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.4%
Postgraduate Degree 3.4% / 2.6%
Seaford Heights — Postgraduate Degree: 3.4% Mclaren Vale — Postgraduate Degree: 2.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.0% / 2.3%
Seaford Heights — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.0% Mclaren Vale — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.2%).

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.

Seaford Heights Mclaren Vale
England 10.6% / 14.9%
Seaford Heights — England: 10.6% Mclaren Vale — England: 14.9%
India 2.5% / —
Seaford Heights — India: 2.5% Mclaren Vale — India: not among its largest
Scotland 0.6% / 1.8%
Seaford Heights — Scotland: 0.6% Mclaren Vale — Scotland: 1.8%
Philippines 1.9% / —
Seaford Heights — Philippines: 1.9% Mclaren Vale — Philippines: not among its largest
South Africa 1.4% / 0.5%
Seaford Heights — South Africa: 1.4% Mclaren Vale — South Africa: 0.5%
New Zealand — / 1.2%
Seaford Heights — New Zealand: not among its largest Mclaren Vale — New Zealand: 1.2%
Italy — / 1.1%
Seaford Heights — Italy: not among its largest Mclaren Vale — Italy: 1.1%
Germany — / 0.9%
Seaford Heights — Germany: not among its largest Mclaren Vale — Germany: 0.9%
Iraq 0.8% / —
Seaford Heights — Iraq: 0.8% Mclaren Vale — Iraq: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (14.9%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Seaford Heights 94.0% houses
Seaford Heights — Houses: 94.0% Seaford Heights — Townhouses: 5.0% Seaford Heights — Flats / Apartments: 1.0%
Mclaren Vale 84.8% houses
Mclaren Vale — Houses: 84.8% Mclaren Vale — Townhouses: 10.5% Mclaren Vale — Flats / Apartments: 4.8%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Seaford Heights Mclaren Vale
Median house price $865,000 $955,000
Median unit price — $627,500
Median land price — $585,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 13 days
from 37 sales
 29 days
from 44 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.

Seaford Heights Mclaren Vale
3 bed $800K / $886K
Seaford Heights — 3 bed: $800K (40 sales) Mclaren Vale — 3 bed: $886K (33 sales)

40 vs 33 sales

4 bed $925K / $1.15M
Seaford Heights — 4 bed: $925K (27 sales) Mclaren Vale — 4 bed: $1.15M (27 sales)

27 vs 27 sales

5 bed $921K / $1.11M
Seaford Heights — 5 bed: $921K (5 sales) Mclaren Vale — 5 bed: $1.11M (5 sales)

5 vs 5 sales

Zoning mix

McLaren Vale has more rural and farming land (70% vs 37%); McLaren Vale has more land zoned for conservation (20% vs 0%).

Seaford Heights Mclaren Vale
Rural and farming 37% 70%
Residential 51% 3%
Environmental 0% 20%
Other and special use 12% 0%
Parks and recreation 0% 2%
Industrial 0% 2%
Infrastructure and transport 0% 2%
Commercial 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

Seaford Heights Mclaren Vale
New dwellings approved 1,367
across Onkaparinga
same for both
Approvals change year on year +58%
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.

Seaford Heights Mclaren Vale
Houses 4.4%
$690/wk on $818K
 3.3%
$630/wk on $999K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within SA

Seaford Heights Mclaren Vale
House price Higher than 4% of SA Higher than 36% of SA
Income Higher than 88% of SA Higher than 38% of SA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 78% of SA Higher than 82% of SA
Affordability Higher than 98% of SA Higher than 47% of SA
EV adoption Higher than 74% of SA Higher than 68% of SA
NBN connectivity Higher than 100% of SA Higher than 96% of SA
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 84% of SA Higher than 25% of SA

Liveability

Seaford Heights scores higher overall (63 vs 38); McLaren Vale is more walkable (55 vs 43).

Seaford Heights Mclaren Vale
Grade B C
Score 63/100 38/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

McLaren Vale carries more bushfire risk (69 vs 0).

Seaford Heights Mclaren Vale
Bushfire None
0/100
 Moderate
69/100
Crime Moderate
54/100
 Moderate
53/100
Flood — Low
39/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 10
within 5 km
 15
within 5 km

Schools

Seaford Heights Mclaren Vale
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 Seaford Heights

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

Schools in Mclaren Vale

  • McLaren Vale Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Seaford Heights Mclaren Vale
Supermarkets 1
same for both
Cafes & restaurants 0 17
Parks & reserves 0 2
Childcare 1 6
GPs 1 2
Pharmacies 1
same for both
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 0 1
EV chargers 0 3

Mobility

McLaren Vale sits further from the CBD (40.1 km vs 35.6 km).

Seaford Heights Mclaren Vale
Walkability score 43/100 55/100
Distance to Adelaide 35.6 km 40.1 km
+13% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 38 min 41 min
Public transport score 30/100
Bus
 78/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 4.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 45.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.9%
postcode 5169
 0.7%
postcode 5171
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 73
postcode 5169
 90
postcode 5171

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.

Seaford Heights Mclaren Vale
Car (driver) 82.0% / 73.7%
Seaford Heights — Car (driver): 82.0% Mclaren Vale — Car (driver): 73.7%
Worked from Home 9.7% / 15.6%
Seaford Heights — Worked from Home: 9.7% Mclaren Vale — Worked from Home: 15.6%
Train 4.4% / 2.6%
Seaford Heights — Train: 4.4% Mclaren Vale — Train: 2.6%
Car (passenger) 3.2% / 3.2%
Seaford Heights — Car (passenger): 3.2% Mclaren Vale — Car (passenger): 3.2%
Walked Only — / 4.5%
Seaford Heights — Walked Only: not among its largest Mclaren Vale — Walked Only: 4.5%
Bus 0.7% / 0.3%
Seaford Heights — Bus: 0.7% Mclaren Vale — Bus: 0.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (82.0%).

Setting

Seaford Heights Mclaren Vale
Elevation 80 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 65 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 2.4 km
3.1 km to a named beach
 6.6 km

NBN connectivity

Seaford Heights Mclaren Vale
Connectivity score 100/100 88/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 100%
907 premises
 83%
2,247 premises

Climate

Seaford Heights Mclaren Vale
Annual rainfall 786 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Seaford Heights Mclaren Vale
PM2.5 —
same for both
PM10 19.5 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.34 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Seaford Heights Mclaren Vale
Average residential rate $2,008/yr
same for both
Council Onkaparinga
same for both

Federal electorate

Seaford Heights Mclaren Vale
Division Kingston Mayo
Member Amanda Rishworth Rebekha Sharkie
Party Australian Labor Party Centre Alliance

First Home Owner Grant

Seaford Heights Mclaren Vale
Grant amount $15,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Seaford Heights

Coastal Family Large Blocks Outer Young Families

Mclaren Vale

Outer Retirees Village Feel

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Seaford Heights

Seaford Heights vs Seaford Rise Seaford Heights vs Seaford Seaford Heights vs Old Noarlunga

Other comparisons with Mclaren Vale

Mclaren Vale vs Seaford Rise Mclaren Vale vs Onkaparinga Hills Mclaren Vale vs Willunga Mclaren Vale vs McLaren Flat Mclaren Vale vs Old Noarlunga Mclaren Vale vs Maslin Beach
Full data on Seaford Heights Full data on Mclaren Vale
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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