Totness vs Mount Barker

Mount Barker is the younger of the two, with a median age of 36 against 47 in Totness. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Totness, most households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Totness: a median of $1.53 million, against $821,000 in Mount Barker, though rent is higher in Mount Barker. On these figures, Totness tends to suit people living alone, while Mount Barker suits buyers on a tighter budget.

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

Mount Barker

ahead on 5 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (18 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (8 vs 0)
  • has more parks and reserves (8 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Mount Barker

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper land ($730,000 vs $1,512,500)
  • has cheaper houses ($821,250 vs $1,528,000)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Totness

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (8% vs 22%)
  • has cheaper rent ($190/wk vs $350/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Mount Barker

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (70/100 vs 17/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Mount Barker

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (9 vs 0)
  • is more walkable (70/100 vs 17/100)
  • carries lower crime risk (59/100 vs 96/100)
  • But Totness has more residents already 65 and over (23% vs 17%)

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

Investors

Mount Barker

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (32.4% vs 3.2%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Totness Mount Barker
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.

Totness Mount Barker
Walkability 17 / 70
Totness — Walkability: 17/100 Mount Barker — Walkability: 70/100
Safety 4 / 41
Totness — Safety: 4/100 Mount Barker — Safety: 41/100
Low fire risk 23 / 47
Totness — Low fire risk: 23/100 Mount Barker — Low fire risk: 47/100

Demographics

Mount Barker has more residents (18,330 vs 96); Mount Barker rents higher ($350/wk vs $190/wk).

Totness Mount Barker
Population 96 18,330
+18994% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +3.2% +32.4%
Median age 47 36
Median household income $123,448/yr
+32% vs other
 $84,448/yr
Median weekly rent $190/wk $350/wk
+84% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Totness Mount Barker
0-4 4.2% / 6.8%
Totness — 0-4: 4.2% Mount Barker — 0-4: 6.8%
5-14 14.6% / 13.0%
Totness — 5-14: 14.6% Mount Barker — 5-14: 13.0%
15-19 4.2% / 5.9%
Totness — 15-19: 4.2% Mount Barker — 15-19: 5.9%
20-24 5.2% / 6.6%
Totness — 20-24: 5.2% Mount Barker — 20-24: 6.6%
25-34 9.4% / 15.0%
Totness — 25-34: 9.4% Mount Barker — 25-34: 15.0%
35-44 7.3% / 13.5%
Totness — 35-44: 7.3% Mount Barker — 35-44: 13.5%
45-54 19.8% / 12.1%
Totness — 45-54: 19.8% Mount Barker — 45-54: 12.1%
55-64 16.7% / 9.8%
Totness — 55-64: 16.7% Mount Barker — 55-64: 9.8%
65-74 16.7% / 9.6%
Totness — 65-74: 16.7% Mount Barker — 65-74: 9.6%
75-84 6.2% / 5.5%
Totness — 75-84: 6.2% Mount Barker — 75-84: 5.5%
85+ — / 2.1%
Totness — 85+: not among its largest Mount Barker — 85+: 2.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Totness 63.2% lone person
Totness — Lone Person: 63.2% Totness — Couple Families: 36.8% Totness — One Parent Families: 0.0% Totness — Group Household: 0.0% Totness — Other Families: 0.0%
Mount Barker 34.6% lone person
Mount Barker — Lone Person: 34.6% Mount Barker — Couple Families: 42.4% Mount Barker — One Parent Families: 17.9% Mount Barker — Group Household: 3.9% Mount Barker — Other Families: 1.2%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Totness 23.7% renting
Totness — Owned Outright: 42.1% Totness — Mortgage: 34.2% Totness — Renting: 23.7%
Mount Barker 30.8% renting
Mount Barker — Owned Outright: 24.5% Mount Barker — Mortgage: 44.7% Mount Barker — Renting: 30.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

Totness Mount Barker
England 4.2% / 5.9%
Totness — England: 4.2% Mount Barker — England: 5.9%
New Zealand 3.1% / 0.9%
Totness — New Zealand: 3.1% Mount Barker — New Zealand: 0.9%
South Africa — / 1.3%
Totness — South Africa: not among its largest Mount Barker — South Africa: 1.3%
India — / 0.8%
Totness — India: not among its largest Mount Barker — India: 0.8%
Philippines — / 0.7%
Totness — Philippines: not among its largest Mount Barker — Philippines: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.9%).

Qualifications

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

Totness Mount Barker
Certificate III & IV 24.0% / 16.7%
Totness — Certificate III & IV: 24.0% Mount Barker — Certificate III & IV: 16.7%
Bachelor Degree 14.6% / 12.3%
Totness — Bachelor Degree: 14.6% Mount Barker — Bachelor Degree: 12.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 10.4% / 8.6%
Totness — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.4% Mount Barker — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 5.2% / 2.3%
Totness — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 5.2% Mount Barker — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.3%
Postgraduate Degree — / 2.9%
Totness — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Mount Barker — Postgraduate Degree: 2.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (24.0%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Totness 88.2% houses
Totness — Houses: 88.2% Totness — Flats / Apartments: 11.8% Totness — Townhouses: 0.0%
Mount Barker 91.2% houses
Mount Barker — Houses: 91.2% Mount Barker — Flats / Apartments: 1.1% Mount Barker — Townhouses: 7.8%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Totness Mount Barker
Median house price $1,528,000 $821,250
Median unit price — $590,000
Median land price $1,512,500 $730,000
Typical days to sell (houses) — 27 days
from 421 sales

Zoning mix

Totness has more rural and farming land (80% vs 38%); Totness has more industrially zoned land (17% vs 1%).

Totness Mount Barker
Rural and farming 80% 38%
Residential 0% 53%
Industrial 17% 1%
Infrastructure and transport 0% 4%
Environmental 3% 1%
Parks and recreation 0% 2%
Commercial 0% 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

Totness Mount Barker
New dwellings approved 657
across Mount Barker
same for both
Approvals change year on year -7%
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.

Totness Mount Barker
Houses — 4.1%
$640/wk on $815K
Units — 6.0%
$625/wk on $545K

Ranking within SA

Totness Mount Barker
House price — Higher than 3% of SA
Income Higher than 94% of SA Higher than 59% of SA
Schools — Higher than 9% of SA
Walkability Higher than 70% of SA Higher than 88% of SA
Affordability — Higher than 95% of SA
EV adoption Higher than 79% of SA Higher than 80% of SA
NBN connectivity Higher than 75% of SA Higher than 92% of SA
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 63% of SA
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 97% of SA

Liveability

Mount Barker is more walkable (70 vs 17).

Totness Mount Barker
Grade — C
Score — 34/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Totness carries more crime risk (96 vs 59); Totness carries more bushfire risk (77 vs 53).

Totness Mount Barker
Bushfire High
77/100
 Moderate
53/100
Crime High
96/100
 Moderate
59/100
Flood — Moderate
54/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 6
within 5 km
 4
within 5 km

Schools

Totness Mount Barker
Inside the suburb 0 8
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 3
Rated below peers 0 4

Schools in Totness

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

Schools in Mount Barker

  • Cornerstone College Independent · Secondary at peers
  • Mount Barker High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • St Francis de Sales College Catholic · Combined at peers
  • Mount Barker Primary School Government · Primary below peers
  • Mount Barker South Primary School Government · Primary below peers
  • Mount Barker Waldorf School Independent · Combined below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Totness Mount Barker
Supermarkets 0 6
Cafes & restaurants 2 17
Parks & reserves 0 8
Childcare 0 18
GPs 0 9
Pharmacies 0 7
Hospitals 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 10
Fuel stations 2 5
EV chargers 0 1
Waterways 0 4

Mobility

Totness Mount Barker
Walkability score 17/100 70/100
Distance to Adelaide 33.7 km 34.3 km
+2% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 32 min 33 min
Public transport score 75/100
Bus
 79/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 27.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 207.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 1.1%
postcode 5250
 1.1%
postcode 5251
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 82
postcode 5250
 82
postcode 5251

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.

Totness Mount Barker
Car (driver) 51.0% / 76.0%
Totness — Car (driver): 51.0% Mount Barker — Car (driver): 76.0%
Worked from Home 22.4% / 12.2%
Totness — Worked from Home: 22.4% Mount Barker — Worked from Home: 12.2%
Bus 10.2% / 4.3%
Totness — Bus: 10.2% Mount Barker — Bus: 4.3%
Car (passenger) 8.2% / 4.8%
Totness — Car (passenger): 8.2% Mount Barker — Car (passenger): 4.8%
Walked Only 8.2% / 2.3%
Totness — Walked Only: 8.2% Mount Barker — Walked Only: 2.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (76.0%).

Setting

Totness Mount Barker
Elevation 425 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 328 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 29.8 km 32.0 km

NBN connectivity

Totness Mount Barker
Connectivity score 53/100 79/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 21%
175 premises
 61%
10,696 premises

Climate

Totness Mount Barker
Annual rainfall 730 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 27.8°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 5.7°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Totness Mount Barker
PM2.5 6.0 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 17.8 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 1.12 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Totness Mount Barker
Average residential rate $2,485/yr
same for both
Council Mount Barker
same for both

Federal electorate

Totness Mount Barker
Division Mayo
same for both
Member Rebekha Sharkie
same for both
Party Centre Alliance
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Totness Mount Barker
Grant amount $15,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Totness

Outer Quiet

Mount Barker

Acreage Outer

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Totness

Totness vs Littlehampton Totness vs Hahndorf Totness vs Paechtown

Other comparisons with Mount Barker

Mount Barker vs Nairne Mount Barker vs Littlehampton Mount Barker vs Hahndorf Mount Barker vs Echunga Mount Barker vs Blakiston Mount Barker vs Bugle Ranges
Full data on Totness Full data on Mount Barker
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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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