Wanilla vs Whites Flat
Whites Flat is the younger of the two, with a median age of 26 against 48 in Wanilla. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Whites Flat, most households are couple families. On these figures, Whites Flat tends to suit families with children and 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
Wanilla
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- carries lower crime risk (17/100 vs 86/100)
- has more parks and reserves (5 vs 2)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Wanilla
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- leaves households under less mortgage stress (15% vs 35%)
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Whites Flat
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($90/wk vs $115/wk)
Weighs rent and rental stress.
Commuting to the city
Whites Flat
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- sits closer to the CBD (639 km vs 671.4 km)
- has a shorter drive in (422 min vs 439 min)
- But Wanilla is more walkable (14/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Wanilla
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- is more walkable (14/100 vs 0/100)
- carries lower crime risk (17/100 vs 86/100)
Weighs 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
Wanilla and Whites Flat 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
Wanilla skews older (48 vs 26); Wanilla has more residents (95 vs 54).
| Wanilla | Whites Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 95 +43% vs other | 54 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +11.8% | +10.2% |
| Median age | 48 | 26 |
| Median household income | $76,336/yr +36% vs other | $48,828/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $115/wk +22% vs other | $90/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.3%).
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.1%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Zoning mix
| Wanilla | Whites Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 97% | 88% |
| Environmental | 3% | 7% |
| Infrastructure and transport | 0% | 5% |
| 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
| Wanilla | Whites Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 39 across Lower Eyre Peninsula same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +29% same for both | |
Ranking within SA
| Wanilla | Whites Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 51% of SA | — |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 68% of SA | Higher than 41% of SA |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 2% of SA | Higher than 3% of SA |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 42% of SA | Higher than 30% of SA |
Liveability
Wanilla is more walkable (14 vs 0).
| Wanilla | Whites Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | advantaged area decile 7/10 | below-average income decile 2/10 |
Risk profile
Whites Flat carries more crime risk (86 vs 17); Whites Flat carries more bushfire risk (85 vs 75).
| Wanilla | Whites Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | High 75/100 | High 85/100 |
| Crime | Low 17/100 | High 86/100 |
| 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
| Wanilla | Whites Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Wanilla | Whites Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 5 | 2 |
| Waterways | 0 | 1 |
Mobility
Wanilla sits further from the CBD (671.4 km vs 639 km).
| Wanilla | Whites Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 14/100 | 0/100 |
| Distance to Adelaide | 671.4 km +5% vs other | 639 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 439 min | 422 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.1% postcode 5607 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 59 postcode 5607 same for both | |
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 (100.0%).
Setting
| Wanilla | Whites Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 87 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 116 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 17.3 km | 8.3 km |
NBN connectivity
| Wanilla | Whites Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 28/100 | 19/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless | Satellite (Sky Muster) |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 43 premises | 0% 17 premises |
Council rates
| Wanilla | Whites Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,789/yr same for both | |
| Council | Lower Eyre Peninsula same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Wanilla | Whites Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Grey same for both | |
| Member | Tom Venning same for both | |
| Party | Liberal same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Wanilla | Whites Flat | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $15,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | — same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Wanilla
Other comparisons with Whites Flat
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.