St Clair vs Pennington

St Clair is the younger of the two, with a median age of 32 against 41 in Pennington. In both, most households own their home. In Pennington, most homes are detached houses. St Clair is closer to the city centre: 10.4 km, against 12 km. On these figures, St Clair tends to suit young adults.

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

Pennington

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (4 vs 1)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (70% vs 34%)
  • But St Clair has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

St Clair

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (21% vs 27%)
  • has cheaper units ($561,000 vs $625,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Pennington

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($250/wk vs $360/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

  • St Clair gets more of its commuters onto trains and trams (9% vs 3%)
  • Pennington is more walkable (86/100 vs 62/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Pennington

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more residents already 65 and over (19% vs 6%)
  • is more walkable (86/100 vs 62/100)
  • But St Clair has more units and townhouses to downsize into (67% vs 30%)

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

Investors

St Clair

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • is growing faster (53.9% vs 3.5%)
  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (4.7% vs 4.1%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

St Clair and Pennington 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 Pennington
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 Pennington
Walkability 62 / 86
St Clair — Walkability: 62/100 Pennington — Walkability: 86/100
Safety 16 / 12
St Clair — Safety: 16/100 Pennington — Safety: 12/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
St Clair — Low fire risk: 100/100 Pennington — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 28 / 20
St Clair — Low flood risk: 28/100 Pennington — Low flood risk: 20/100

Demographics

St Clair has higher household incomes ($98,280 vs $66,352); St Clair rents higher ($360/wk vs $250/wk).

St Clair Pennington
Population 2,634 3,773
+43% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +53.9% +3.5%
Median age 32 41
Median household income $98,280/yr
+32% vs other
 $66,352/yr
Median weekly rent $360/wk
+31% vs other
 $250/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

St Clair Pennington
0-4 7.3% / 5.6%
St Clair — 0-4: 7.3% Pennington — 0-4: 5.6%
5-14 8.7% / 10.2%
St Clair — 5-14: 8.7% Pennington — 5-14: 10.2%
15-19 4.1% / 5.8%
St Clair — 15-19: 4.1% Pennington — 15-19: 5.8%
20-24 9.3% / 6.4%
St Clair — 20-24: 9.3% Pennington — 20-24: 6.4%
25-34 26.0% / 14.0%
St Clair — 25-34: 26.0% Pennington — 25-34: 14.0%
35-44 18.7% / 12.4%
St Clair — 35-44: 18.7% Pennington — 35-44: 12.4%
45-54 11.2% / 12.9%
St Clair — 45-54: 11.2% Pennington — 45-54: 12.9%
55-64 8.2% / 13.8%
St Clair — 55-64: 8.2% Pennington — 55-64: 13.8%
65-74 4.7% / 9.2%
St Clair — 65-74: 4.7% Pennington — 65-74: 9.2%
75-84 1.4% / 5.4%
St Clair — 75-84: 1.4% Pennington — 75-84: 5.4%
85+ 0.1% / 4.1%
St Clair — 85+: 0.1% Pennington — 85+: 4.1%

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%
Pennington 39.4% lone person
Pennington — Lone Person: 39.4% Pennington — Couple Families: 34.0% Pennington — One Parent Families: 19.2% Pennington — Group Household: 4.8% Pennington — Other Families: 2.7%
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%
Pennington 39.7% renting
Pennington — Owned Outright: 25.6% Pennington — Mortgage: 34.7% Pennington — Renting: 39.7%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

St Clair Pennington
Bachelor Degree 21.0% / 9.4%
St Clair — Bachelor Degree: 21.0% Pennington — Bachelor Degree: 9.4%
Certificate III & IV 12.5% / 13.8%
St Clair — Certificate III & IV: 12.5% Pennington — Certificate III & IV: 13.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.6% / 5.8%
St Clair — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.6% Pennington — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.8%
Postgraduate Degree 7.1% / 2.2%
St Clair — Postgraduate Degree: 7.1% Pennington — Postgraduate Degree: 2.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.2% / 1.1%
St Clair — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.2% Pennington — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.1%

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 Pennington
Vietnam 4.3% / 11.4%
St Clair — Vietnam: 4.3% Pennington — Vietnam: 11.4%
India 6.2% / 3.9%
St Clair — India: 6.2% Pennington — India: 3.9%
England 2.7% / 2.4%
St Clair — England: 2.7% Pennington — England: 2.4%
Philippines 1.8% / 2.8%
St Clair — Philippines: 1.8% Pennington — Philippines: 2.8%
China 2.7% / 0.6%
St Clair — China: 2.7% Pennington — China: 0.6%
Greece — / 1.2%
St Clair — Greece: not among its largest Pennington — Greece: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (11.4%).

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%
Pennington 70.2% houses
Pennington — Houses: 70.2% Pennington — Townhouses: 28.0% Pennington — Flats / Apartments: 1.9%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

St Clair Pennington
Median house price $804,000 $870,000
Median unit price $561,000 $625,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 24 days
from 34 sales
 16 days
from 22 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 Pennington
2 bed $715K / $737K
St Clair — 2 bed: $715K (25 sales) Pennington — 2 bed: $737K (7 sales)

25 vs 7 sales

3 bed $898K / $851K
St Clair — 3 bed: $898K (14 sales) Pennington — 3 bed: $851K (20 sales)

14 vs 20 sales

4 bed $1.3M / $980K
St Clair — 4 bed: $1.3M (14 sales) Pennington — 4 bed: $980K (9 sales)

14 vs 9 sales

Zoning mix

St Clair Pennington
Residential 98% 89%
Industrial 0% 9%
Commercial 2% 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

St Clair Pennington
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 Pennington
Houses 4.7%
$680/wk on $758K
 4.1%
$650/wk on $819K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within SA

St Clair Pennington
House price Higher than 49% of SA Higher than 23% of SA
Income Higher than 77% of SA Higher than 34% of SA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 85% of SA Higher than 96% of SA
Affordability Higher than 76% of SA Higher than 56% of SA
EV adoption Higher than 82% of SA Higher than 47% of SA
NBN connectivity Higher than 98% of SA Higher than 91% of SA
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 92% of SA Higher than 68% of SA

Liveability

St Clair scores higher overall (53 vs 36); Pennington is more walkable (86 vs 62).

St Clair Pennington
Grade B C
Score 53/100 36/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

St Clair Pennington
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
84/100
 High
88/100
Flood High
72/100
 High
80/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 27
within 5 km
 33
within 5 km

Schools

St Clair Pennington
Inside the suburb 2
same for both
Rated above peers 1 0
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0 1
Universities within 10 km 3
Adelaide University, Adelaide City Campus, 8.8 km
 1
Adelaide University, Mawson Lakes Campus, 8.9 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 3.9% 2.9%

Schools in St Clair

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

Schools in Pennington

  • Pennington School R-6 Government · Primary below peers
  • Mount Carmel College Primary Campus Catholic · Primary

Amenities in the suburb

St Clair Pennington
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 1 2
Parks & reserves 1 2
Childcare 1 4
GPs 1
same for both
Pharmacies 0 1
Fuel stations 0 1

Mobility

St Clair Pennington
Walkability score 62/100 86/100
Distance to Adelaide 10.4 km 12 km
+15% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 19 min 20 min
Public transport score 95/100
Rail · Bus
 79/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 53.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 45.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 1.2%
postcode 5011
 0.4%
postcode 5013
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 48
postcode 5011
 61
postcode 5013

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 Pennington
Car (driver) 68.3% / 77.2%
St Clair — Car (driver): 68.3% Pennington — Car (driver): 77.2%
Worked from Home 12.1% / 7.6%
St Clair — Worked from Home: 12.1% Pennington — Worked from Home: 7.6%
Train 8.7% / 3.1%
St Clair — Train: 8.7% Pennington — Train: 3.1%
Car (passenger) 5.3% / 6.0%
St Clair — Car (passenger): 5.3% Pennington — Car (passenger): 6.0%
Bus 2.0% / 3.6%
St Clair — Bus: 2.0% Pennington — Bus: 3.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (77.2%).

Setting

St Clair Pennington
Elevation 6 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 4 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 5.0 km
same for both

NBN connectivity

St Clair Pennington
Connectivity score 95/100 77/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 89%
1,523 premises
 48%
1,743 premises

Climate

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

St Clair Pennington
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

Pennington

Middle-Ring Multicultural Parks Townhouses

More comparisons

Other comparisons with St Clair

St Clair vs Woodville North St Clair vs Cheltenham St Clair vs Woodville

Other comparisons with Pennington

Pennington vs Rosewater Pennington vs Ottoway Pennington vs Woodville North Pennington vs Cheltenham Pennington vs Athol Park
Full data on St Clair Full data on Pennington
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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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