Unley Park vs Hawthorn

Hawthorn is the younger of the two, with a median age of 43 against 47 in Unley Park. In both, the large majority of households own their home, most homes are detached houses, and about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Unley Park: a median of $2.75 million, against $1.8 million in Hawthorn, and rent is higher there too. Unley Park is closer to the city centre: 4.3 km, against 6.1 km. On these figures, Hawthorn tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget.

Unley Park and Hawthorn are both affluent Adelaide suburbs, but they appeal to different priorities. Unley Park is smaller and closer to the CBD at 4.3 km, with significantly higher median household income at $155,480 compared to Hawthorn's $123,240, and notably lower crime risk at 47 versus 69. Hawthorn offers better walkability at 91 versus 77 and is more affordable across both houses and units—median house prices are $2,745,500 in Unley Park against $1,800,000 in Hawthorn. Both rank in the top socio-economic decile and share zero bushfire risk.

Written by an AI language model from the figures below. Every number in it is checked against those figures before it is published.

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

They split

one each way, out of the 6 things we measure here

  • Unley Park carries lower crime risk (47/100 vs 69/100)
  • Hawthorn has more parks and reserves (7 vs 2)

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

First-home buyers

Hawthorn

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($1,800,000 vs $2,745,500)
  • has cheaper units ($571,083 vs $755,000)
  • But Unley Park leaves households under less mortgage stress (20% vs 25%)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Hawthorn

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($295/wk vs $350/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Hawthorn

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (91/100 vs 77/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

Hawthorn

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (2 vs 0)
  • is more walkable (91/100 vs 77/100)
  • But Unley Park carries lower crime risk (47/100 vs 69/100)

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

Investors

Hawthorn

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (2.5% vs -4.3%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Unley Park Hawthorn
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.

Unley Park Hawthorn
Walkability 77 / 91
Unley Park — Walkability: 77/100 Hawthorn — Walkability: 91/100
Safety 53 / 31
Unley Park — Safety: 53/100 Hawthorn — Safety: 31/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Unley Park — Low fire risk: 100/100 Hawthorn — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 17 / 25
Unley Park — Low flood risk: 17/100 Hawthorn — Low flood risk: 25/100

Demographics

Hawthorn has more residents (2,221 vs 1,383); Unley Park has higher household incomes ($155,480 vs $123,240).

Unley Park Hawthorn
Population 1,383 2,221
+61% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -4.3% +2.5%
Median age 47 43
Median household income $155,480/yr
+21% vs other
 $123,240/yr
Median weekly rent $350/wk
+16% vs other
 $295/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Unley Park Hawthorn
0-4 3.7% / 4.5%
Unley Park — 0-4: 3.7% Hawthorn — 0-4: 4.5%
5-14 10.9% / 12.5%
Unley Park — 5-14: 10.9% Hawthorn — 5-14: 12.5%
15-19 8.2% / 6.4%
Unley Park — 15-19: 8.2% Hawthorn — 15-19: 6.4%
20-24 6.4% / 6.7%
Unley Park — 20-24: 6.4% Hawthorn — 20-24: 6.7%
25-34 8.5% / 10.3%
Unley Park — 25-34: 8.5% Hawthorn — 25-34: 10.3%
35-44 8.5% / 11.6%
Unley Park — 35-44: 8.5% Hawthorn — 35-44: 11.6%
45-54 14.0% / 13.1%
Unley Park — 45-54: 14.0% Hawthorn — 45-54: 13.1%
55-64 15.5% / 14.4%
Unley Park — 55-64: 15.5% Hawthorn — 55-64: 14.4%
65-74 13.9% / 13.5%
Unley Park — 65-74: 13.9% Hawthorn — 65-74: 13.5%
75-84 8.2% / 6.0%
Unley Park — 75-84: 8.2% Hawthorn — 75-84: 6.0%
85+ 2.0% / 1.4%
Unley Park — 85+: 2.0% Hawthorn — 85+: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.5%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Unley Park 50.0% couple families
Unley Park — Couple Families: 50.0% Unley Park — Lone Person: 34.7% Unley Park — One Parent Families: 10.7% Unley Park — Group Household: 3.4% Unley Park — Other Families: 1.1%
Hawthorn 53.3% couple families
Hawthorn — Couple Families: 53.3% Hawthorn — Lone Person: 31.7% Hawthorn — One Parent Families: 10.1% Hawthorn — Group Household: 3.2% Hawthorn — Other Families: 1.7%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Unley Park 17.7% renting
Unley Park — Owned Outright: 49.7% Unley Park — Mortgage: 32.6% Unley Park — Renting: 17.7%
Hawthorn 23.9% renting
Hawthorn — Owned Outright: 40.4% Hawthorn — Mortgage: 35.7% Hawthorn — Renting: 23.9%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Unley Park Hawthorn
Bachelor Degree 26.2% / 26.0%
Unley Park — Bachelor Degree: 26.2% Hawthorn — Bachelor Degree: 26.0%
Postgraduate Degree 12.3% / 10.5%
Unley Park — Postgraduate Degree: 12.3% Hawthorn — Postgraduate Degree: 10.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.2% / 7.0%
Unley Park — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.2% Hawthorn — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.0%
Certificate III & IV 5.3% / 6.7%
Unley Park — Certificate III & IV: 5.3% Hawthorn — Certificate III & IV: 6.7%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.6% / 3.7%
Unley Park — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.6% Hawthorn — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (26.2%).

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.

Unley Park Hawthorn
England 4.8% / 4.3%
Unley Park — England: 4.8% Hawthorn — England: 4.3%
China 1.7% / 1.4%
Unley Park — China: 1.7% Hawthorn — China: 1.4%
India 0.9% / 1.5%
Unley Park — India: 0.9% Hawthorn — India: 1.5%
Vietnam 0.8% / 1.0%
Unley Park — Vietnam: 0.8% Hawthorn — Vietnam: 1.0%
Greece 1.1% / —
Unley Park — Greece: 1.1% Hawthorn — Greece: not among its largest
Scotland — / 0.9%
Unley Park — Scotland: not among its largest Hawthorn — Scotland: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Unley Park 76.1% houses
Unley Park — Houses: 76.1% Unley Park — Flats / Apartments: 19.9% Unley Park — Townhouses: 4.0%
Hawthorn 72.7% houses
Hawthorn — Houses: 72.7% Hawthorn — Flats / Apartments: 21.0% Hawthorn — Townhouses: 6.3%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Unley Park Hawthorn
Median house price $2,745,500 $1,800,000
Median unit price $755,000 $571,083
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 73 days
from 13 sales
 19 days
from 7 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.

Unley Park Hawthorn
3 bed $2.25M / $1.78M
Unley Park — 3 bed: $2.25M (11 sales) Hawthorn — 3 bed: $1.78M (12 sales)

11 vs 12 sales

4 bed $2.27M / $1.61M
Unley Park — 4 bed: $2.27M (11 sales) Hawthorn — 4 bed: $1.61M (5 sales)

11 vs 5 sales

Zoning mix

Unley Park Hawthorn
Residential 99% 90%
Commercial 0% 5%
Parks and recreation 0% 4%
Infrastructure and transport 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

Unley Park Hawthorn
New dwellings approved 273
across Unley
 188
across Mitcham
Approvals change year on year -67% +32%

Ranking within SA

Unley Park Hawthorn
House price Higher than 98% of SA Higher than 91% of SA
Income Higher than 98% of SA Higher than 94% of SA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 91% of SA Higher than 99% of SA
Affordability Higher than 14% of SA Higher than 25% of SA
EV adoption Higher than 98% of SA Higher than 97% of SA
NBN connectivity Higher than 92% of SA Higher than 91% of SA

Liveability

Hawthorn is more walkable (91 vs 77).

Unley Park Hawthorn
Grade A
same for both
Score 76/100 75/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Hawthorn carries more crime risk (69 vs 47).

Unley Park Hawthorn
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
47/100
 Moderate
69/100
Flood High
83/100
 High
75/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 6
within 5 km
 5
within 5 km

Schools

Unley Park Hawthorn
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
Universities within 10 km 3
Adelaide University, Adelaide City Campus, 3.8 km
 3
Tonsley, 4.3 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 4.8% 4.6%

Amenities in the suburb

Unley Park Hawthorn
Supermarkets 0 1
Cafes & restaurants 0 4
Parks & reserves 2 7
Childcare 0 2
GPs 0 2
Waterways 1 6

Mobility

Unley Park Hawthorn
Walkability score 77/100 91/100
Distance to Adelaide 4.3 km 6.1 km
+42% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 10 min 13 min
Public transport score 78/100
Bus
 90/100
Rail · Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 56.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 80.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 2.6%
postcode 5061
 2.5%
postcode 5062
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 53
postcode 5061
 63
postcode 5062

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.

Unley Park Hawthorn
Car (driver) 67.8% / 67.7%
Unley Park — Car (driver): 67.8% Hawthorn — Car (driver): 67.7%
Worked from Home 14.5% / 16.6%
Unley Park — Worked from Home: 14.5% Hawthorn — Worked from Home: 16.6%
Bus 6.9% / 4.8%
Unley Park — Bus: 6.9% Hawthorn — Bus: 4.8%
Car (passenger) 5.0% / 4.4%
Unley Park — Car (passenger): 5.0% Hawthorn — Car (passenger): 4.4%
Bicycle 3.0% / 2.8%
Unley Park — Bicycle: 3.0% Hawthorn — Bicycle: 2.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (67.8%).

Setting

Unley Park Hawthorn
Elevation 56 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 67 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 8.3 km 8.4 km

NBN connectivity

Unley Park Hawthorn
Connectivity score 80/100 77/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 19%
659 premises
 32%
1,062 premises

Climate

Unley Park Hawthorn
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)

Unley Park Hawthorn
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

Unley Park Hawthorn
Average residential rate $2,288/yr $2,296/yr
Council Unley Mitcham

Federal electorate

Unley Park Hawthorn
Division Adelaide Boothby
Member Steve Georganas Louise Miller-Frost
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Unley Park Hawthorn
Grant amount $15,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Unley Park

Inner Luxury Parks Professionals River

Hawthorn

Inner Parks Premium Professionals River Transport Hub

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Unley Park

Unley Park vs Malvern Unley Park vs Westbourne Park Unley Park vs Kingswood Unley Park vs Millswood Unley Park vs Hyde Park Unley Park vs Kings Park

Other comparisons with Hawthorn

Hawthorn vs Colonel Light Gardens Hawthorn vs Malvern Hawthorn vs Torrens Park Hawthorn vs Westbourne Park Hawthorn vs Kingswood Hawthorn vs Lower Mitcham
Full data on Unley Park Full data on Hawthorn
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

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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