St Clair vs Cheltenham

St Clair is the younger of the two, with a median age of 32 against 44 in Cheltenham. In both, most households own their home. In Cheltenham, the large majority of homes are detached houses. Houses cost more in Cheltenham: a median of $998,000, against $804,000 in St Clair, though rent is higher in St Clair. On these figures, St Clair tends to suit young adults and buyers on a tighter budget, while Cheltenham suits 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

Cheltenham

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more separate houses rather than flats (80% vs 34%)
  • carries lower crime risk (66/100 vs 84/100)
  • But St Clair has more schools inside the suburb (2 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

St Clair

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($804,000 vs $998,250)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

They split

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

  • St Clair has a bigger rental market to choose from (41% vs 21%)
  • Cheltenham has cheaper rent ($290/wk vs $360/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Cheltenham

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (80/100 vs 62/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Cheltenham

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more residents already 65 and over (20% vs 6%)
  • is more walkable (80/100 vs 62/100)
  • carries lower crime risk (66/100 vs 84/100)
  • But St Clair has more units and townhouses to downsize into (67% vs 20%)

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

Investors

St Clair

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (53.9% vs 1.7%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

St Clair Cheltenham
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.

St Clair Cheltenham
Walkability 62 / 80
St Clair — Walkability: 62/100 Cheltenham — Walkability: 80/100
Safety 16 / 34
St Clair — Safety: 16/100 Cheltenham — Safety: 34/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
St Clair — Low fire risk: 100/100 Cheltenham — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 28 / 24
St Clair — Low flood risk: 28/100 Cheltenham — Low flood risk: 24/100

Demographics

Cheltenham skews older (44 vs 32); St Clair rents higher ($360/wk vs $290/wk).

St Clair Cheltenham
Population 2,634
+15% vs other
 2,236
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +53.9% +1.7%
Median age 32 44
Median household income $98,280/yr
+19% vs other
 $79,768/yr
Median weekly rent $360/wk
+19% vs other
 $290/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

St Clair Cheltenham
0-4 7.3% / 4.6%
St Clair — 0-4: 7.3% Cheltenham — 0-4: 4.6%
5-14 8.7% / 9.6%
St Clair — 5-14: 8.7% Cheltenham — 5-14: 9.6%
15-19 4.1% / 5.5%
St Clair — 15-19: 4.1% Cheltenham — 15-19: 5.5%
20-24 9.3% / 5.9%
St Clair — 20-24: 9.3% Cheltenham — 20-24: 5.9%
25-34 26.0% / 13.6%
St Clair — 25-34: 26.0% Cheltenham — 25-34: 13.6%
35-44 18.7% / 11.3%
St Clair — 35-44: 18.7% Cheltenham — 35-44: 11.3%
45-54 11.2% / 14.3%
St Clair — 45-54: 11.2% Cheltenham — 45-54: 14.3%
55-64 8.2% / 15.6%
St Clair — 55-64: 8.2% Cheltenham — 55-64: 15.6%
65-74 4.7% / 12.5%
St Clair — 65-74: 4.7% Cheltenham — 65-74: 12.5%
75-84 1.4% / 4.8%
St Clair — 75-84: 1.4% Cheltenham — 75-84: 4.8%
85+ 0.1% / 2.7%
St Clair — 85+: 0.1% Cheltenham — 85+: 2.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (26.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

St Clair 39.2% lone person
St Clair — Lone Person: 39.2% St Clair — Couple Families: 35.8% St Clair — One Parent Families: 14.9% St Clair — Group Household: 8.1% St Clair — Other Families: 2.0%
Cheltenham 42.7% lone person
Cheltenham — Lone Person: 42.7% Cheltenham — Couple Families: 37.6% Cheltenham — One Parent Families: 15.7% Cheltenham — Group Household: 3.3% Cheltenham — Other Families: 0.7%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

St Clair 40.8% renting
St Clair — Owned Outright: 11.5% St Clair — Mortgage: 47.6% St Clair — Renting: 40.8%
Cheltenham 21.3% renting
Cheltenham — Owned Outright: 36.7% Cheltenham — Mortgage: 42.0% Cheltenham — Renting: 21.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

St Clair Cheltenham
Bachelor Degree 21.0% / 13.6%
St Clair — Bachelor Degree: 21.0% Cheltenham — Bachelor Degree: 13.6%
Certificate III & IV 12.5% / 16.6%
St Clair — Certificate III & IV: 12.5% Cheltenham — Certificate III & IV: 16.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.6% / 7.2%
St Clair — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.6% Cheltenham — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.2%
Postgraduate Degree 7.1% / 3.4%
St Clair — Postgraduate Degree: 7.1% Cheltenham — Postgraduate Degree: 3.4%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.2% / 1.7%
St Clair — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.2% Cheltenham — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.0%).

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.

St Clair Cheltenham
India 6.2% / 2.0%
St Clair — India: 6.2% Cheltenham — India: 2.0%
England 2.7% / 3.8%
St Clair — England: 2.7% Cheltenham — England: 3.8%
Vietnam 4.3% / 0.8%
St Clair — Vietnam: 4.3% Cheltenham — Vietnam: 0.8%
China 2.7% / 1.1%
St Clair — China: 2.7% Cheltenham — China: 1.1%
Philippines 1.8% / 0.9%
St Clair — Philippines: 1.8% Cheltenham — Philippines: 0.9%
Italy — / 1.4%
St Clair — Italy: not among its largest Cheltenham — Italy: 1.4%
Germany — / 1.1%
St Clair — Germany: not among its largest Cheltenham — Germany: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

St Clair 33.5% houses
St Clair — Houses: 33.5% St Clair — Townhouses: 48.7% St Clair — Flats / Apartments: 17.9%
Cheltenham 80.5% houses
Cheltenham — Houses: 80.5% Cheltenham — Townhouses: 17.4% Cheltenham — Flats / Apartments: 2.1%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

St Clair Cheltenham
Median house price $804,000 $998,250
Median unit price $561,000 $590,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 24 days
from 34 sales
 16 days
from 18 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.

St Clair Cheltenham
2 bed $715K / $1.01M
St Clair — 2 bed: $715K (25 sales) Cheltenham — 2 bed: $1.01M (5 sales)

25 vs 5 sales

3 bed $898K / $950K
St Clair — 3 bed: $898K (14 sales) Cheltenham — 3 bed: $950K (21 sales)

14 vs 21 sales

4 bed $1.3M / $1.29M
St Clair — 4 bed: $1.3M (14 sales) Cheltenham — 4 bed: $1.29M (14 sales)

14 vs 14 sales

Zoning mix

St Clair Cheltenham
Residential 98% 75%
Infrastructure and transport 0% 11%
Industrial 0% 5%
Parks and recreation 0% 5%
Commercial 2% 5%
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

St Clair Cheltenham
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.

St Clair Cheltenham
Houses 4.7%
$680/wk on $758K
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within SA

St Clair Cheltenham
House price Higher than 49% of SA Higher than 52% of SA
Income Higher than 77% of SA Higher than 54% of SA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 85% of SA Higher than 92% of SA
Affordability Higher than 76% of SA Higher than 43% of SA
EV adoption Higher than 82% of SA Higher than 77% of SA
NBN connectivity Higher than 98% of SA Higher than 82% of SA
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 92% of SA —

Liveability

Cheltenham is more walkable (80 vs 62).

St Clair Cheltenham
Grade B
same for both
Score 53/100 54/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 5/10

Risk profile

St Clair carries more crime risk (84 vs 66).

St Clair Cheltenham
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
84/100
 Moderate
66/100
Flood High
72/100
 High
76/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 27
within 5 km
 25
within 5 km

Schools

St Clair Cheltenham
Inside the suburb 2 0
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 3
Adelaide University, Adelaide City Campus, 8.8 km
 3
Adelaide University, Adelaide City Campus, 9.5 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 3.9% 2.3%

Schools in St Clair

  • Woodville High School Government · Secondary above peers
  • Sports College South Australia - St. Clair YMCA Recreation Centre Independent · Secondary

Schools in Cheltenham

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

Amenities in the suburb

St Clair Cheltenham
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 1 0
Parks & reserves 1 0
Childcare 1
same for both
GPs 1 0

Mobility

St Clair Cheltenham
Walkability score 62/100 80/100
Distance to Adelaide 10.4 km 11 km
+6% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 19 min
same for both
Public transport score 95/100
Rail · Bus
 86/100
Rail · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 53.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 24.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.2%
postcode 5011
 0.9%
postcode 5014
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 48
postcode 5011
 48
postcode 5014

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.

St Clair Cheltenham
Car (driver) 68.3% / 75.2%
St Clair — Car (driver): 68.3% Cheltenham — Car (driver): 75.2%
Worked from Home 12.1% / 9.9%
St Clair — Worked from Home: 12.1% Cheltenham — Worked from Home: 9.9%
Train 8.7% / 6.0%
St Clair — Train: 8.7% Cheltenham — Train: 6.0%
Car (passenger) 5.3% / 4.5%
St Clair — Car (passenger): 5.3% Cheltenham — Car (passenger): 4.5%
Bus 2.0% / 2.2%
St Clair — Bus: 2.0% Cheltenham — Bus: 2.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (75.2%).

Setting

St Clair Cheltenham
Elevation 6 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 8 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 5.0 km 4.3 km
4.3 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

St Clair Cheltenham
Connectivity score 95/100 70/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 89%
1,523 premises
 45%
1,078 premises

Climate

St Clair Cheltenham
Annual rainfall 457 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 29.1°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 8.5°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

St Clair Cheltenham
PM2.5 4.5 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 20.3 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

St Clair Cheltenham
Average residential rate $1,726/yr
same for both
Council Charles Sturt
same for both

Federal electorate

St Clair Cheltenham
Division Hindmarsh
same for both
Member Mark Butler
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

St Clair Cheltenham
Grant amount $15,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

St Clair

Easy Commute Gentrifying Middle-Ring Multicultural Professionals Townhouses Trains Transport Hub

Cheltenham

Middle-Ring Trains Transport Hub

More comparisons

Other comparisons with St Clair

St Clair vs Pennington St Clair vs Woodville North St Clair vs Woodville

Other comparisons with Cheltenham

Cheltenham vs Pennington Cheltenham vs Rosewater Cheltenham vs Woodville Cheltenham vs Queenstown Cheltenham vs Alberton Cheltenham vs Albert Park
Full data on St Clair Full data on Cheltenham
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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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