Torrens Vale vs Back Valley
Back Valley is the younger of the two, with a median age of 47 against 54 in Torrens Vale. In both, the large majority of households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. On these figures, Back Valley tends to suit families with children.
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
Back Valley
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has more parks and reserves (9 vs 0)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Torrens Vale
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (26% vs 31%)
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Torrens Vale
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has cheaper rent ($178/wk vs $310/wk)
- leaves renters under less rental stress (15% vs 26%)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Torrens Vale
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a shorter drive in (76 min vs 92 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (82.4 km vs 93.8 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Too close to call
Nothing among the 4 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Too close to call
Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Torrens Vale and Back Valley 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
Back Valley has more residents (176 vs 71); Back Valley rents higher ($310/wk vs $178/wk).
| Torrens Vale | Back Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 71 | 176 +148% vs other |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +7.6% | +9.3% |
| Median age | 54 | 47 |
| Median household income | $60,632/yr | $62,504/yr +3% vs other |
| Median weekly rent | $178/wk | $310/wk +74% vs other |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.9%).
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (12.7%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 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 (18.8%).
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
Zoning mix
| Torrens Vale | Back Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 100% same for both | |
| 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
| Torrens Vale | Back Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 58 across Yankalilla | 347 across Victor Harbor |
| Approvals change year on year | -55% | -26% |
Ranking within SA
| Torrens Vale | Back Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 29% of SA | Higher than 30% of SA |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 54% of SA | Higher than 40% of SA |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 29% of SA | Higher than 63% of SA |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 35% of SA | Higher than 71% of SA |
Liveability
| Torrens Vale | Back Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 6/10 | advantaged area decile 7/10 |
Risk profile
| Torrens Vale | Back Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Crime | Low 29/100 | Low 37/100 |
| 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
| Torrens Vale | Back Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Torrens Vale | Back Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 0 | 9 |
| Waterways | 1 | 0 |
Mobility
Back Valley sits further from the CBD (93.8 km vs 82.4 km).
| Torrens Vale | Back Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 0/100 same for both | |
| Distance to Adelaide | 82.4 km | 93.8 km +14% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 76 min | 92 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.2% postcode 5203 | 0.7% postcode 5211 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 84 postcode 5203 | 70 postcode 5211 |
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 (68.3%).
Setting
| Torrens Vale | Back Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 136 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 97 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 10.3 km | 9.3 km |
NBN connectivity
| Torrens Vale | Back Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 24/100 | 37/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 28 premises | 10% 91 premises |
Climate
| Torrens Vale | Back Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 786 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | — same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Torrens Vale | Back Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $2,546/yr | $2,533/yr |
| Council | Yankalilla | Victor Harbor |
Federal electorate
| Torrens Vale | Back Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Mayo same for both | |
| Member | Rebekha Sharkie same for both | |
| Party | Centre Alliance same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Torrens Vale | Back Valley | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $15,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | — same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Torrens Vale
Other comparisons with Back Valley
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.