Tarpeena vs Dismal Swamp

Dismal Swamp is the younger of the two, with a median age of 40 against 52 in Tarpeena. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Tarpeena, most households are people living alone. In Dismal Swamp, most households are couple families. On these figures, Tarpeena tends to suit people living alone and older residents, while Dismal Swamp suits families with children and 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

Dismal Swamp

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (3 vs 0)
  • carries lower crime risk (26/100 vs 64/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (58% vs 42%)
  • But Tarpeena has more separate houses rather than flats (96% vs 76%)

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

First-home buyers

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Dismal Swamp

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (44% vs 14%)
  • leaves renters under less rental stress (8% vs 16%)

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

Commuting to the city

Tarpeena

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (270 min vs 294 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (412.4 km vs 432.2 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Dismal Swamp

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (24% vs 4%)
  • carries lower crime risk (26/100 vs 64/100)
  • But Tarpeena has more residents already 65 and over (23% vs 6%)

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

Investors

Dismal Swamp

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (14.5% vs -5.3%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Tarpeena Dismal Swamp
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.

Tarpeena Dismal Swamp
Walkability 0 / 0
Tarpeena — Walkability: 0/100 Dismal Swamp — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 36 / 74
Tarpeena — Safety: 36/100 Dismal Swamp — Safety: 74/100
Low fire risk 11 / 14
Tarpeena — Low fire risk: 11/100 Dismal Swamp — Low fire risk: 14/100

Demographics

Tarpeena has more residents (392 vs 63); Dismal Swamp has higher household incomes ($99,632 vs $49,920).

Tarpeena Dismal Swamp
Population 392
+84% vs other
 63
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -5.3% +14.5%
Median age 52 40
Median household income $49,920/yr $99,632/yr
+100% vs other
Median weekly rent $150/wk
same for both

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Tarpeena Dismal Swamp
0-4 3.8% / 9.5%
Tarpeena — 0-4: 3.8% Dismal Swamp — 0-4: 9.5%
5-14 9.9% / 19.0%
Tarpeena — 5-14: 9.9% Dismal Swamp — 5-14: 19.0%
15-19 2.8% / 9.5%
Tarpeena — 15-19: 2.8% Dismal Swamp — 15-19: 9.5%
20-24 6.4% / 7.9%
Tarpeena — 20-24: 6.4% Dismal Swamp — 20-24: 7.9%
25-34 9.7% / 6.3%
Tarpeena — 25-34: 9.7% Dismal Swamp — 25-34: 6.3%
35-44 8.9% / 7.9%
Tarpeena — 35-44: 8.9% Dismal Swamp — 35-44: 7.9%
45-54 20.2% / 20.6%
Tarpeena — 45-54: 20.2% Dismal Swamp — 45-54: 20.6%
55-64 18.1% / 11.1%
Tarpeena — 55-64: 18.1% Dismal Swamp — 55-64: 11.1%
65-74 13.5% / —
Tarpeena — 65-74: 13.5% Dismal Swamp — 65-74: not among its largest
75-84 7.9% / 6.3%
Tarpeena — 75-84: 7.9% Dismal Swamp — 75-84: 6.3%
85+ 1.3% / —
Tarpeena — 85+: 1.3% Dismal Swamp — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Tarpeena 57.8% lone person
Tarpeena — Lone Person: 57.8% Tarpeena — Couple Families: 21.6% Tarpeena — One Parent Families: 20.7%
Dismal Swamp 42.1% lone person
Dismal Swamp — Lone Person: 42.1% Dismal Swamp — Couple Families: 57.9% Dismal Swamp — One Parent Families: 0.0%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Tarpeena 13.7% renting
Tarpeena — Owned Outright: 45.6% Tarpeena — Mortgage: 40.7% Tarpeena — Renting: 13.7%
Dismal Swamp 43.8% renting
Dismal Swamp — Owned Outright: 37.5% Dismal Swamp — Mortgage: 18.8% Dismal Swamp — Renting: 43.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Tarpeena 96.1% houses
Tarpeena — Houses: 96.1% Tarpeena — Flats / Apartments: 0.0% Tarpeena — Townhouses: 3.9%
Dismal Swamp 76.2% houses
Dismal Swamp — Houses: 76.2% Dismal Swamp — Flats / Apartments: 23.8% Dismal Swamp — Townhouses: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Qualifications

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

Tarpeena Dismal Swamp
Certificate III & IV 19.1% / 17.5%
Tarpeena — Certificate III & IV: 19.1% Dismal Swamp — Certificate III & IV: 17.5%
Bachelor Degree 3.6% / 14.3%
Tarpeena — Bachelor Degree: 3.6% Dismal Swamp — Bachelor Degree: 14.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 3.6% / 4.8%
Tarpeena — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 3.6% Dismal Swamp — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.1%).

Property market

Tarpeena Dismal Swamp
Median house price $322,500 —
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $120,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 35 days
from 3 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Tarpeena Dismal Swamp
Rural and farming 94% 97%
Residential 5% 0%
Environmental 0% 3%
Industrial 1% 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

Tarpeena Dismal Swamp
New dwellings approved 39
across Grant
same for both
Approvals change year on year +300%
same for both

Ranking within SA

Tarpeena Dismal Swamp
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 16% of SA Higher than 78% of SA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 21% of SA Higher than 30% of SA
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 8% of SA Higher than 18% of SA
NBN connectivity Higher than 56% of SA Higher than 37% of SA

Liveability

Tarpeena Dismal Swamp
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Tarpeena carries more crime risk (64 vs 26).

Tarpeena Dismal Swamp
Bushfire High
89/100
 High
86/100
Crime Moderate
64/100
 Low
26/100
Flood —
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Tarpeena Dismal Swamp
Inside the suburb 0
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Amenities in the suburb

Tarpeena Dismal Swamp
Parks & reserves 0 3
Waterways 0 1

Mobility

Dismal Swamp sits further from the CBD (432.2 km vs 412.4 km).

Tarpeena Dismal Swamp
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Adelaide 412.4 km 432.2 km
+5% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 270 min 294 min
Electric vehicle share 0.1%
postcode 5277
 0.1%
postcode 5291
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 45
postcode 5277
 56
postcode 5291

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.

Tarpeena Dismal Swamp
Car (driver) 92.5% / 51.5%
Tarpeena — Car (driver): 92.5% Dismal Swamp — Car (driver): 51.5%
Worked from Home 5.2% / 24.2%
Tarpeena — Worked from Home: 5.2% Dismal Swamp — Worked from Home: 24.2%
Walked Only 2.2% / 15.2%
Tarpeena — Walked Only: 2.2% Dismal Swamp — Walked Only: 15.2%
Car (passenger) — / 9.1%
Tarpeena — Car (passenger): not among its largest Dismal Swamp — Car (passenger): 9.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (92.5%).

Setting

Tarpeena Dismal Swamp
Elevation 74 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 70 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 45.7 km 36.3 km

NBN connectivity

Tarpeena Dismal Swamp
Connectivity score 30/100 26/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
230 premises
 0%
20 premises

Climate

Tarpeena Dismal Swamp
Annual rainfall 724 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 25.8°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 5.8°C
same for both

Council rates

Tarpeena Dismal Swamp
Average residential rate $1,458/yr
same for both
Council Grant
same for both

Federal electorate

Tarpeena Dismal Swamp
Division Barker
same for both
Member Tony Pasin
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Tarpeena Dismal Swamp
Grant amount $15,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Tarpeena

Affordable Rural

Dismal Swamp

Family Rural Young Families

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Tarpeena

Tarpeena vs Nangwarry Tarpeena vs Mingbool

Other comparisons with Dismal Swamp

Dismal Swamp vs Glencoe Dismal Swamp vs Wandilo Dismal Swamp vs Mingbool Dismal Swamp vs Koorine
Full data on Tarpeena Full data on Dismal Swamp
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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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