Spence vs Lucindale
Spence is the younger of the two, with a median age of 41 against 47 in Lucindale. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Spence, most households are couple families. In Lucindale, about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Spence tends to suit families with children and couples, while Lucindale suits people living alone.
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
Lucindale
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- has more parks and reserves (13 vs 1)
- carries lower crime risk (16/100 vs 33/100)
- But Spence is already more of a family suburb (69% vs 53%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
Renters
Spence
ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here
- leaves renters under less rental stress (3% vs 11%)
- has cheaper rent ($68/wk vs $150/wk)
Weighs rent and rental stress.
Commuting to the city
Lucindale
ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here
- is more walkable (28/100 vs 0/100)
- has a shorter drive in (229 min vs 246 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (343.3 km vs 360.1 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Lucindale
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- is more walkable (28/100 vs 0/100)
- carries lower crime risk (16/100 vs 33/100)
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Lucindale
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (14.8% vs -2.0%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Spence and Lucindale drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.
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.
Demographics
Lucindale has more residents (637 vs 50); Lucindale rents higher ($150/wk vs $68/wk).
| Spence | Lucindale | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 50 | 637 +1174% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | -2.0% | +14.8% |
| Median age | 41 | 47 |
| Median household income | $116,948/yr +42% vs other | $68,224/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $68/wk | $150/wk +121% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.0%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.0%).
Property market
| Spence | Lucindale | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | — | $300,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | — | 83 days from 4 sales |
Zoning mix
Spence has more land zoned for conservation (13% vs 0%); Lucindale has more rural and farming land (100% vs 87%).
| Spence | Lucindale | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 87% | 100% |
| Environmental | 13% | 0% |
| 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
| Spence | Lucindale | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 17 across Naracoorte Lucindale same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +300% same for both | |
Ranking within SA
| Spence | Lucindale | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 89% of SA | Higher than 37% of SA |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 11% of SA | Higher than 75% of SA |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 7% of SA | — |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 30% of SA | Higher than 47% of SA |
Liveability
Lucindale is more walkable (28 vs 0).
| Spence | Lucindale | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — | C |
| Score | — | 47/100 |
| Socio-economic band | very advantaged area decile 10/10 | mid-range socio-economic decile 5/10 |
Risk profile
Lucindale carries more bushfire risk (46 vs 19); Spence carries more crime risk (33 vs 16).
| Spence | Lucindale | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 19/100 | Moderate 46/100 |
| Crime | Low 33/100 | Low 16/100 |
| Flood | — same for both | |
| Coastal erosion | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 0 within 5 km same for both | |
Schools
| Spence | Lucindale | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Spence
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Schools in Lucindale
- Lucindale Area School Government · Combined below peers
Amenities in the suburb
| Spence | Lucindale | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 1 | 13 |
| Childcare | 0 | 1 |
| GPs | 0 | 1 |
| Police stations | 0 | 1 |
| Banks & Bank@Post | 0 | 1 |
Mobility
Spence sits further from the CBD (360.1 km vs 343.3 km).
| Spence | Lucindale | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 | 28/100 |
| Distance to Adelaide | 360.1 km +5% vs other | 343.3 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 246 min | 229 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.1% postcode 5271 | 0.0% postcode 5272 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 50 postcode 5271 | 40 postcode 5272 |
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (69.5%).
Setting
| Spence | Lucindale | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 44 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 32 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Spence | Lucindale | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 19/100 | 29/100 |
| Most common technology | Satellite (Sky Muster) | Fixed wireless |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 14 premises | 0% 269 premises |
Climate
| Spence | Lucindale | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 527 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | — same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Spence | Lucindale | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,794/yr same for both | |
| Council | Naracoorte Lucindale same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Spence | Lucindale | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Barker same for both | |
| Member | Tony Pasin same for both | |
| Party | Liberal same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Spence | Lucindale | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $15,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | — same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Lucindale
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Spence
Other comparisons with Lucindale
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.