Unley vs Parkside

In both, most households own their home. Houses cost more in Unley: a median of $1.78 million, against $1.5 million in Parkside, though rent is higher in Parkside. Unley is closer to the city centre: 3 km, against 3.4 km. On these figures, Parkside tends to suit 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

Parkside

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools rated above their peers (2 vs 0)
  • carries lower crime risk (62/100 vs 78/100)
  • But Unley has more childcare (6 vs 3)

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

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Unley has cheaper units ($641,250 vs $745,000)
  • Parkside has cheaper houses ($1,500,000 vs $1,777,500)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Commuting to the city

Too close to call

Nothing among the 4 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • Unley has more GPs (4 vs 2)
  • Parkside carries lower crime risk (62/100 vs 78/100)

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

Investors

Parkside

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • is growing faster (7.0% vs -0.2%)
  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (3.2% vs 2.7%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

Unley and Parkside 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 Parkside
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 Parkside
Walkability 92 / 88
Unley — Walkability: 92/100 Parkside — Walkability: 88/100
Safety 22 / 38
Unley — Safety: 22/100 Parkside — Safety: 38/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Unley — Low fire risk: 100/100 Parkside — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 15 / 54
Unley — Low flood risk: 15/100 Parkside — Low flood risk: 54/100

Demographics

Parkside has more residents (5,126 vs 3,997); Unley skews older (41 vs 39).

Unley Parkside
Population 3,997 5,126
+28% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -0.2% +7.0%
Median age 41 39
Median household income $105,924/yr $106,080/yr
Median weekly rent $372/wk $395/wk
+6% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Unley Parkside
0-4 4.1% / 5.0%
Unley — 0-4: 4.1% Parkside — 0-4: 5.0%
5-14 10.8% / 11.5%
Unley — 5-14: 10.8% Parkside — 5-14: 11.5%
15-19 4.6% / 4.8%
Unley — 15-19: 4.6% Parkside — 15-19: 4.8%
20-24 6.3% / 5.8%
Unley — 20-24: 6.3% Parkside — 20-24: 5.8%
25-34 14.8% / 14.8%
Unley — 25-34: 14.8% Parkside — 25-34: 14.8%
35-44 13.4% / 15.8%
Unley — 35-44: 13.4% Parkside — 35-44: 15.8%
45-54 13.9% / 13.5%
Unley — 45-54: 13.9% Parkside — 45-54: 13.5%
55-64 12.1% / 10.9%
Unley — 55-64: 12.1% Parkside — 55-64: 10.9%
65-74 11.5% / 10.1%
Unley — 65-74: 11.5% Parkside — 65-74: 10.1%
75-84 6.5% / 4.7%
Unley — 75-84: 6.5% Parkside — 75-84: 4.7%
85+ 1.9% / 2.9%
Unley — 85+: 1.9% Parkside — 85+: 2.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Unley 44.8% lone person
Unley — Lone Person: 44.8% Unley — Couple Families: 34.1% Unley — One Parent Families: 10.2% Unley — Group Household: 8.3% Unley — Other Families: 2.6%
Parkside 39.0% lone person
Parkside — Lone Person: 39.0% Parkside — Couple Families: 37.5% Parkside — One Parent Families: 13.5% Parkside — Group Household: 8.3% Parkside — Other Families: 1.7%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Unley 36.5% renting
Unley — Owned Outright: 35.7% Unley — Mortgage: 27.8% Unley — Renting: 36.5%
Parkside 39.5% renting
Parkside — Owned Outright: 32.1% Parkside — Mortgage: 28.3% Parkside — Renting: 39.5%
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.

Unley Parkside
England 4.5% / 4.8%
Unley — England: 4.5% Parkside — England: 4.8%
China 3.3% / 3.1%
Unley — China: 3.3% Parkside — China: 3.1%
India 2.1% / 1.7%
Unley — India: 2.1% Parkside — India: 1.7%
Greece 2.0% / 1.7%
Unley — Greece: 2.0% Parkside — Greece: 1.7%
Italy 1.9% / 1.7%
Unley — Italy: 1.9% Parkside — Italy: 1.7%

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

Qualifications

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

Unley Parkside
Bachelor Degree 25.7% / 25.5%
Unley — Bachelor Degree: 25.7% Parkside — Bachelor Degree: 25.5%
Postgraduate Degree 12.5% / 10.9%
Unley — Postgraduate Degree: 12.5% Parkside — Postgraduate Degree: 10.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.3% / 7.7%
Unley — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.3% Parkside — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.7%
Certificate III & IV 6.6% / 6.6%
Unley — Certificate III & IV: 6.6% Parkside — Certificate III & IV: 6.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 4.1% / 4.5%
Unley — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.1% Parkside — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.7%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Unley 52.0% houses
Unley — Houses: 52.0% Unley — Townhouses: 20.2% Unley — Flats / Apartments: 27.8%
Parkside 53.8% houses
Parkside — Houses: 53.8% Parkside — Townhouses: 27.1% Parkside — Flats / Apartments: 19.1%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Unley Parkside
Median house price $1,777,500 $1,500,000
Median unit price $641,250 $745,000
Median land price $1,593,900 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 18 days
from 26 sales
 18 days
from 55 sales

Unit price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Unley Parkside
1 bed $437K / $506K
Unley — 1 bed: $437K (7 sales) Parkside — 1 bed: $506K (8 sales)

7 vs 8 sales

2 bed $661K / $752K
Unley — 2 bed: $661K (28 sales) Parkside — 2 bed: $752K (21 sales)

28 vs 21 sales

3 bed $1.06M / $1.02M
Unley — 3 bed: $1.06M (7 sales) Parkside — 3 bed: $1.02M (7 sales)

7 vs 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 Parkside
2 bed $1.05M / $1M
Unley — 2 bed: $1.05M (11 sales) Parkside — 2 bed: $1M (27 sales)

11 vs 27 sales

3 bed $1.73M / $1.53M
Unley — 3 bed: $1.73M (29 sales) Parkside — 3 bed: $1.53M (60 sales)

29 vs 60 sales

4 bed $2.13M / $1.78M
Unley — 4 bed: $2.13M (20 sales) Parkside — 4 bed: $1.78M (27 sales)

20 vs 27 sales

5 bed $2.78M / $2.55M
Unley — 5 bed: $2.78M (5 sales) Parkside — 5 bed: $2.55M (5 sales)

5 vs 5 sales

Zoning mix

Unley Parkside
Residential 82% 91%
Commercial 16% 9%
Infrastructure and transport 2% 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

Unley Parkside
New dwellings approved 273
across Unley
same for both
Approvals change year on year -67%
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.

Unley Parkside
Houses 2.7%
$765/wk on $1.5M
 3.2%
$735/wk on $1.2M
Units 5.7%
$625/wk on $569K
 —

Ranking within SA

Unley Parkside
House price Higher than 84% of SA Higher than 86% of SA
Income Higher than 84% of SA
same for both
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 99% of SA Higher than 97% of SA
Affordability Higher than 30% of SA Higher than 24% of SA
EV adoption Higher than 98% of SA Higher than 95% of SA
NBN connectivity Higher than 92% of SA Higher than 88% of SA
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 9% of SA Higher than 21% of SA
Rental yield (units) Higher than 90% of SA —

Liveability

Parkside scores higher overall (84 vs 70).

Unley Parkside
Grade A A+
Score 70/100 84/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Unley carries more flood risk (85 vs 46); Unley carries more crime risk (78 vs 62).

Unley Parkside
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime High
78/100
 Moderate
62/100
Flood High
85/100
 Moderate
46/100
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 Parkside
Inside the suburb 1 2
Rated above peers 0 2
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 3
Adelaide University, Adelaide City Campus, 2.2 km
 3
Adelaide University, Adelaide City Campus, 2.4 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 3.5% 3.3%

Schools in Unley

  • Saint Spyridon College Independent · Primary at peers

Schools in Parkside

  • Parkside Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • St Raphael's School Catholic · Primary above peers

Amenities in the suburb

Unley Parkside
Supermarkets 2 0
Cafes & restaurants 18 8
Parks & reserves 5 4
Childcare 6 3
GPs 4 2
Pharmacies 2 0
Banks & Bank@Post 5 0
Fuel stations 1 0
Waterways 16 6

Mobility

Unley Parkside
Walkability score 92/100 88/100
Distance to Adelaide 3 km 3.4 km
+13% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 7 min 8 min
Public transport score 79/100
Tram · Bus
 79/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 88.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 96.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 2.6%
postcode 5061
 2.0%
postcode 5063
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 53
postcode 5061
 44
postcode 5063

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 Parkside
Car (driver) 55.6% / 56.2%
Unley — Car (driver): 55.6% Parkside — Car (driver): 56.2%
Worked from Home 16.4% / 17.4%
Unley — Worked from Home: 16.4% Parkside — Worked from Home: 17.4%
Walked Only 8.4% / 7.2%
Unley — Walked Only: 8.4% Parkside — Walked Only: 7.2%
Bicycle 6.3% / 7.6%
Unley — Bicycle: 6.3% Parkside — Bicycle: 7.6%
Bus 5.4% / 6.0%
Unley — Bus: 5.4% Parkside — Bus: 6.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (56.2%).

Setting

Unley Parkside
Elevation 50 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 57 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 9.1 km 10.0 km

NBN connectivity

Unley Parkside
Connectivity score 78/100 75/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 11%
2,511 premises
 20%
2,749 premises

Climate

Unley Parkside
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 Parkside
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 Parkside
Average residential rate $2,288/yr
same for both
Council Unley
same for both

Federal electorate

Unley Parkside
Division Adelaide
same for both
Member Steve Georganas
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Unley

Cafe Culture Inner Parks Premium Professionals River Townhouses Trams

Parkside

Inner Parks Premium Professionals River Townhouses Urban

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Unley

Unley vs Adelaide Unley vs Fullarton Unley vs Goodwood Unley vs Malvern Unley vs Wayville Unley vs Hyde Park

Other comparisons with Parkside

Parkside vs Adelaide Parkside vs Fullarton Parkside vs Glenside Parkside vs Malvern Parkside vs Frewville Parkside vs Eastwood
Full data on Unley Full data on Parkside
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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