Semaphore Park vs West Lakes Shore

In both, most households own their home. In Semaphore Park, about half of households are people living alone. In West Lakes Shore, most homes are detached houses and about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in West Lakes Shore: a median of $1.3 million, against $1 million in Semaphore Park, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Semaphore Park tends to suit people living alone and buyers on a tighter budget, while West Lakes Shore 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

West Lakes Shore

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (21 vs 6)
  • carries lower crime risk (59/100 vs 87/100)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (70% vs 54%)

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

First-home buyers

Semaphore Park

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($1,000,000 vs $1,300,000)
  • has cheaper units ($722,500 vs $807,750)
  • But West Lakes Shore leaves households under less mortgage stress (26% vs 33%)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Semaphore Park

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (39% vs 15%)
  • has cheaper rent ($250/wk vs $390/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Semaphore Park

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (80/100 vs 68/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Semaphore Park

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (46% vs 30%)
  • is more walkable (80/100 vs 68/100)
  • But West Lakes Shore carries lower crime risk (59/100 vs 87/100)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 2 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

Semaphore Park and West Lakes Shore drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Semaphore Park West Lakes Shore
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.

Semaphore Park West Lakes Shore
Walkability 80 / 68
Semaphore Park — Walkability: 80/100 West Lakes Shore — Walkability: 68/100
Safety 13 / 41
Semaphore Park — Safety: 13/100 West Lakes Shore — Safety: 41/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Semaphore Park — Low fire risk: 100/100 West Lakes Shore — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 38 / 45
Semaphore Park — Low flood risk: 38/100 West Lakes Shore — Low flood risk: 45/100

Demographics

West Lakes Shore rents higher ($390/wk vs $250/wk); Semaphore Park has more residents (4,541 vs 3,236).

Semaphore Park West Lakes Shore
Population 4,541
+29% vs other
 3,236
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +5.7% +4.0%
Median age 46 48
Median household income $65,624/yr $91,416/yr
+39% vs other
Median weekly rent $250/wk $390/wk
+56% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Semaphore Park West Lakes Shore
0-4 5.4% / 5.0%
Semaphore Park — 0-4: 5.4% West Lakes Shore — 0-4: 5.0%
5-14 9.7% / 11.3%
Semaphore Park — 5-14: 9.7% West Lakes Shore — 5-14: 11.3%
15-19 4.9% / 4.1%
Semaphore Park — 15-19: 4.9% West Lakes Shore — 15-19: 4.1%
20-24 4.1% / 4.5%
Semaphore Park — 20-24: 4.1% West Lakes Shore — 20-24: 4.5%
25-34 11.6% / 9.2%
Semaphore Park — 25-34: 11.6% West Lakes Shore — 25-34: 9.2%
35-44 12.8% / 12.6%
Semaphore Park — 35-44: 12.8% West Lakes Shore — 35-44: 12.6%
45-54 12.7% / 11.8%
Semaphore Park — 45-54: 12.7% West Lakes Shore — 45-54: 11.8%
55-64 13.4% / 14.1%
Semaphore Park — 55-64: 13.4% West Lakes Shore — 55-64: 14.1%
65-74 13.8% / 17.3%
Semaphore Park — 65-74: 13.8% West Lakes Shore — 65-74: 17.3%
75-84 7.5% / 7.5%
Semaphore Park — 75-84: 7.5% West Lakes Shore — 75-84: 7.5%
85+ 4.3% / 2.5%
Semaphore Park — 85+: 4.3% West Lakes Shore — 85+: 2.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Semaphore Park 47.9% lone person
Semaphore Park — Lone Person: 47.9% Semaphore Park — Couple Families: 29.3% Semaphore Park — One Parent Families: 17.9% Semaphore Park — Group Household: 3.5% Semaphore Park — Other Families: 1.5%
West Lakes Shore 34.8% lone person
West Lakes Shore — Lone Person: 34.8% West Lakes Shore — Couple Families: 45.2% West Lakes Shore — One Parent Families: 15.9% West Lakes Shore — Group Household: 2.2% West Lakes Shore — Other Families: 1.8%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Semaphore Park 39.0% renting
Semaphore Park — Owned Outright: 31.0% Semaphore Park — Mortgage: 30.1% Semaphore Park — Renting: 39.0%
West Lakes Shore 15.1% renting
West Lakes Shore — Owned Outright: 49.5% West Lakes Shore — Mortgage: 35.5% West Lakes Shore — Renting: 15.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Semaphore Park West Lakes Shore
Certificate III & IV 15.5% / 15.7%
Semaphore Park — Certificate III & IV: 15.5% West Lakes Shore — Certificate III & IV: 15.7%
Bachelor Degree 11.5% / 12.8%
Semaphore Park — Bachelor Degree: 11.5% West Lakes Shore — Bachelor Degree: 12.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.4% / 9.4%
Semaphore Park — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.4% West Lakes Shore — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.4%
Postgraduate Degree 3.0% / 4.9%
Semaphore Park — Postgraduate Degree: 3.0% West Lakes Shore — Postgraduate Degree: 4.9%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.5% / 2.1%
Semaphore Park — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.5% West Lakes Shore — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.1%

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

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.

Semaphore Park West Lakes Shore
England 6.1% / 6.1%
Semaphore Park — England: 6.1% West Lakes Shore — England: 6.1%
Italy 1.2% / 1.3%
Semaphore Park — Italy: 1.2% West Lakes Shore — Italy: 1.3%
Scotland 0.8% / 1.1%
Semaphore Park — Scotland: 0.8% West Lakes Shore — Scotland: 1.1%
South Africa 0.8% / 0.7%
Semaphore Park — South Africa: 0.8% West Lakes Shore — South Africa: 0.7%
Greece 0.6% / 0.9%
Semaphore Park — Greece: 0.6% West Lakes Shore — Greece: 0.9%
New Zealand 1.0% / —
Semaphore Park — New Zealand: 1.0% West Lakes Shore — New Zealand: not among its largest
China — / 0.9%
Semaphore Park — China: not among its largest West Lakes Shore — China: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.1%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Semaphore Park 53.9% houses
Semaphore Park — Houses: 53.9% Semaphore Park — Townhouses: 39.8% Semaphore Park — Flats / Apartments: 6.2%
West Lakes Shore 70.4% houses
West Lakes Shore — Houses: 70.4% West Lakes Shore — Townhouses: 28.4% West Lakes Shore — Flats / Apartments: 1.2%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Semaphore Park West Lakes Shore
Median house price $1,000,000 $1,300,000
Median unit price $722,500 $807,750
Median land price $900,000 $800,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 19 days
from 36 sales
 35 days
from 31 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.

Semaphore Park West Lakes Shore
3 bed $910K / $1.2M
Semaphore Park — 3 bed: $910K (53 sales) West Lakes Shore — 3 bed: $1.2M (33 sales)

53 vs 33 sales

4 bed $1.36M / $1.38M
Semaphore Park — 4 bed: $1.36M (22 sales) West Lakes Shore — 4 bed: $1.38M (38 sales)

22 vs 38 sales

5 bed $1.27M / $1.57M
Semaphore Park — 5 bed: $1.27M (7 sales) West Lakes Shore — 5 bed: $1.57M (5 sales)

7 vs 5 sales

Zoning mix

Semaphore Park West Lakes Shore
Residential 86% 91%
Parks and recreation 11% 7%
Environmental 3% 0%
Commercial 0% 2%
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

Semaphore Park West Lakes Shore
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.

Semaphore Park West Lakes Shore
Houses 3.4%
$620/wk on $950K
 3.2%
$720/wk on $1.18M
Units —
same for both

Ranking within SA

Semaphore Park West Lakes Shore
House price Higher than 51% of SA Higher than 69% of SA
Income Higher than 33% of SA —
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 92% of SA Higher than 87% of SA
Affordability Higher than 22% of SA —
EV adoption Higher than 81% of SA Higher than 61% of SA
NBN connectivity Higher than 81% of SA Higher than 83% of SA
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 27% of SA Higher than 19% of SA

Liveability

West Lakes Shore scores higher overall (64 vs 44); Semaphore Park is more walkable (80 vs 68).

Semaphore Park West Lakes Shore
Grade C B
Score 44/100 64/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

Semaphore Park carries more crime risk (87 vs 59).

Semaphore Park West Lakes Shore
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
87/100
 Moderate
59/100
Flood Moderate
62/100
 Moderate
55/100
Coastal erosion Moderate
47/100
 None
0/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 14
within 5 km
 12
within 5 km

Schools

Semaphore Park West Lakes Shore
Inside the suburb 1
same for both
Rated above peers 1
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Semaphore Park

  • Westport Primary School Government · Primary above peers

Schools in West Lakes Shore

  • West Lakes Shore School Government · Primary above peers

Amenities in the suburb

Semaphore Park West Lakes Shore
Supermarkets 0 1
Cafes & restaurants 1 3
Parks & reserves 6 21
Childcare 3 2
GPs 0 1
Pharmacies 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1

Mobility

Semaphore Park West Lakes Shore
Walkability score 80/100 68/100
Distance to Adelaide 15.6 km
+1% vs other
 15.4 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 25 min
same for both
Public transport score 78/100
Bus
same for both
Peak arrivals per hour 35.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 39.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.2%
postcode 5019
 0.6%
postcode 5020
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 52
postcode 5019
 61
postcode 5020

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.

Semaphore Park West Lakes Shore
Car (driver) 76.7% / 75.1%
Semaphore Park — Car (driver): 76.7% West Lakes Shore — Car (driver): 75.1%
Worked from Home 12.8% / 15.1%
Semaphore Park — Worked from Home: 12.8% West Lakes Shore — Worked from Home: 15.1%
Car (passenger) 4.3% / 4.0%
Semaphore Park — Car (passenger): 4.3% West Lakes Shore — Car (passenger): 4.0%
Bus 2.2% / 2.4%
Semaphore Park — Bus: 2.2% West Lakes Shore — Bus: 2.4%
Train 2.2% / 2.0%
Semaphore Park — Train: 2.2% West Lakes Shore — Train: 2.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (76.7%).

Setting

Semaphore Park West Lakes Shore
Elevation 8 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
same for both
Distance to the ocean 848 m
868 m to a named beach
 651 m
857 m to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Semaphore Park West Lakes Shore
Connectivity score 69/100 71/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 44%
2,251 premises
 47%
1,520 premises

Climate

Semaphore Park West Lakes Shore
Annual rainfall 394 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 28.1°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 7.8°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Semaphore Park West Lakes Shore
PM2.5 4.5 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 20.3 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Semaphore Park West Lakes Shore
Average residential rate $1,726/yr
same for both
Council Charles Sturt
same for both

Federal electorate

Semaphore Park West Lakes Shore
Division Hindmarsh
same for both
Member Mark Butler
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Semaphore Park West Lakes Shore
Grant amount $15,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Semaphore Park

Beach Coastal Middle-Ring Parks Retirees Townhouses

West Lakes Shore

Beach Coastal Middle-Ring Parks Retirees Townhouses

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Semaphore Park

Semaphore Park vs West Lakes Semaphore Park vs Ethelton Semaphore Park vs Port Adelaide Semaphore Park vs Semaphore South Semaphore Park vs New Port

Other comparisons with West Lakes Shore

West Lakes Shore vs West Lakes West Lakes Shore vs Tennyson
Full data on Semaphore Park Full data on West Lakes Shore
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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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