Vista vs Houghton

Vista is the younger of the two, with a median age of 43 against 50 in Houghton. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Vista, about half of households are couple families. In Houghton, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Houghton: a median of $1.25 million, against $880,000 in Vista. Vista is closer to the city centre: 17.3 km, against 20.9 km. On these figures, Vista tends to suit people living alone, families with children, and buyers on a tighter budget, while Houghton suits 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

They split

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

  • Vista carries lower crime risk (19/100 vs 42/100)
  • Houghton is already more of a family suburb (83% vs 65%)

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

First-home buyers

Vista

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($880,000 vs $1,250,000)

Weighs house 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

Vista

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (38/100 vs 8/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (17.3 km vs 20.9 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Vista

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (38/100 vs 8/100)
  • carries lower crime risk (19/100 vs 42/100)

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

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

Vista Houghton
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.

Vista Houghton
Walkability 38 / 8
Vista — Walkability: 38/100 Houghton — Walkability: 8/100
Safety 81 / 58
Vista — Safety: 81/100 Houghton — Safety: 58/100
Low fire risk 8 / 12
Vista — Low fire risk: 8/100 Houghton — Low fire risk: 12/100
Low flood risk 27 / 61
Vista — Low flood risk: 27/100 Houghton — Low flood risk: 61/100

Demographics

Vista has more residents (1,035 vs 511); Houghton has higher household incomes ($122,512 vs $94,640).

Vista Houghton
Population 1,035
+51% vs other
 511
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +6.5% +3.9%
Median age 43 50
Median household income $94,640/yr $122,512/yr
+29% vs other
Median weekly rent $370/wk $373/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Vista Houghton
0-4 6.1% / 2.5%
Vista — 0-4: 6.1% Houghton — 0-4: 2.5%
5-14 12.5% / 11.5%
Vista — 5-14: 12.5% Houghton — 5-14: 11.5%
15-19 5.6% / 7.6%
Vista — 15-19: 5.6% Houghton — 15-19: 7.6%
20-24 6.6% / 6.8%
Vista — 20-24: 6.6% Houghton — 20-24: 6.8%
25-34 10.2% / 6.5%
Vista — 25-34: 10.2% Houghton — 25-34: 6.5%
35-44 12.8% / 8.8%
Vista — 35-44: 12.8% Houghton — 35-44: 8.8%
45-54 12.2% / 16.6%
Vista — 45-54: 12.2% Houghton — 45-54: 16.6%
55-64 12.2% / 21.3%
Vista — 55-64: 12.2% Houghton — 55-64: 21.3%
65-74 12.9% / 14.9%
Vista — 65-74: 12.9% Houghton — 65-74: 14.9%
75-84 8.5% / 4.3%
Vista — 75-84: 8.5% Houghton — 75-84: 4.3%
85+ 1.1% / —
Vista — 85+: 1.1% Houghton — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Vista 50.0% couple families
Vista — Couple Families: 50.0% Vista — Lone Person: 32.4% Vista — One Parent Families: 14.7% Vista — Group Household: 1.5% Vista — Other Families: 1.5%
Houghton 71.8% couple families
Houghton — Couple Families: 71.8% Houghton — Lone Person: 17.3% Houghton — One Parent Families: 10.9% Houghton — Group Household: 0.0% Houghton — Other Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Vista 10.9% renting
Vista — Owned Outright: 40.9% Vista — Mortgage: 48.2% Vista — Renting: 10.9%
Houghton 3.4% renting
Houghton — Owned Outright: 43.2% Houghton — Mortgage: 53.4% Houghton — Renting: 3.4%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Vista Houghton
Certificate III & IV 16.3% / 19.2%
Vista — Certificate III & IV: 16.3% Houghton — Certificate III & IV: 19.2%
Bachelor Degree 14.2% / 13.5%
Vista — Bachelor Degree: 14.2% Houghton — Bachelor Degree: 13.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 10.4% / 8.6%
Vista — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.4% Houghton — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.6%
Postgraduate Degree 3.4% / 4.3%
Vista — Postgraduate Degree: 3.4% Houghton — Postgraduate Degree: 4.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.1% / 2.7%
Vista — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.1% Houghton — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.2%).

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.

Vista Houghton
England 9.3% / 10.8%
Vista — England: 9.3% Houghton — England: 10.8%
New Zealand 0.7% / 1.0%
Vista — New Zealand: 0.7% Houghton — New Zealand: 1.0%
South Africa 0.9% / —
Vista — South Africa: 0.9% Houghton — South Africa: not among its largest
Italy 0.9% / —
Vista — Italy: 0.9% Houghton — Italy: not among its largest
India 0.7% / —
Vista — India: 0.7% Houghton — India: not among its largest
Scotland — / 0.6%
Vista — Scotland: not among its largest Houghton — Scotland: 0.6%
Canada — / 0.6%
Vista — Canada: not among its largest Houghton — Canada: 0.6%
Netherlands — / 0.6%
Vista — Netherlands: not among its largest Houghton — Netherlands: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (10.8%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Vista 100.0% houses
Vista — Houses: 100.0% Vista — Townhouses: 0.0%
Houghton 101.1% houses
Houghton — Houses: 101.1% Houghton — Townhouses: 1.7%
Houses Townhouses

Property market

Vista Houghton
Median house price $880,000 $1,250,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $420,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 24 days
from 18 sales
 52 days
from 3 sales

Zoning mix

Houghton has more rural and farming land (67% vs 0%); Vista has more land zoned for conservation (71% vs 24%).

Vista Houghton
Environmental 71% 24%
Rural and farming 0% 67%
Residential 29% 8%
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

Vista Houghton
New dwellings approved 574
across Tea Tree Gully
 95
across Adelaide Hills
Approvals change year on year +36% +53%

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.

Vista Houghton
Houses 3.8%
$660/wk on $900K
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within SA

Vista Houghton
House price Higher than 37% of SA —
Income Higher than 73% of SA Higher than 93% of SA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 77% of SA Higher than 61% of SA
Affordability Higher than 82% of SA —
EV adoption Higher than 73% of SA Higher than 56% of SA
NBN connectivity Higher than 88% of SA Higher than 61% of SA
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 43% of SA —

Liveability

Vista is more walkable (38 vs 8).

Vista Houghton
Grade C
same for both
Score 37/100 40/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Houghton carries more crime risk (42 vs 19); Vista carries more flood risk (73 vs 39).

Vista Houghton
Bushfire High
92/100
 High
88/100
Crime Low
19/100
 Moderate
42/100
Flood High
73/100
 Low
39/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 5
within 5 km
 3
within 5 km

Schools

Vista Houghton
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 1
Adelaide University, Magill Campus, 9.6 km
 None

Mobility

Houghton sits further from the CBD (20.9 km vs 17.3 km).

Vista Houghton
Walkability score 38/100 8/100
Distance to Adelaide 17.3 km 20.9 km
+21% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 29 min 32 min
Electric vehicle share 0.8%
postcode 5091
 0.6%
postcode 5131
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 66
postcode 5091
 94
postcode 5131

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.

Vista Houghton
Car (driver) 73.6% / 76.8%
Vista — Car (driver): 73.6% Houghton — Car (driver): 76.8%
Worked from Home 12.2% / 14.8%
Vista — Worked from Home: 12.2% Houghton — Worked from Home: 14.8%
Car (passenger) 6.2% / 4.8%
Vista — Car (passenger): 6.2% Houghton — Car (passenger): 4.8%
Bus 8.0% / 1.2%
Vista — Bus: 8.0% Houghton — Bus: 1.2%
Walked Only — / 2.4%
Vista — Walked Only: not among its largest Houghton — Walked Only: 2.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (76.8%).

Setting

Vista Houghton
Elevation 266 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 365 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 16.3 km 18.4 km

NBN connectivity

Vista Houghton
Connectivity score 75/100 30/100
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
433 premises
 0%
190 premises

Climate

Vista Houghton
Annual rainfall 404 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 30.4°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 6.5°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Vista Houghton
PM2.5 —
same for both
PM10 —
same for both
NO₂ 0.51 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Vista Houghton
Average residential rate $2,000/yr $2,727/yr
Council Tea Tree Gully Adelaide Hills

Federal electorate

Vista Houghton
Division Makin Mayo
Member Tony Zappia Rebekha Sharkie
Party Australian Labor Party Centre Alliance

First Home Owner Grant

Vista Houghton
Grant amount $15,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Vista

Large Blocks Middle-Ring

Houghton

Acreage Middle-Ring

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Vista

Vista vs Hope Valley Vista vs Highbury Vista vs St Agnes Vista vs Tea Tree Gully Vista vs Paracombe

Other comparisons with Houghton

Houghton vs Highbury Houghton vs Tea Tree Gully Houghton vs Paracombe Houghton vs Inglewood Houghton vs Upper Hermitage Houghton vs Lower Hermitage
Full data on Vista Full data on Houghton
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.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or