Watervale vs Hoyleton
Hoyleton is the younger of the two, with a median age of 36 against 43 in Watervale. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Watervale, most households are couple families. On these figures, Watervale tends to suit couples, while Hoyleton suits people living alone and families with children.
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
Watervale
ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here
- has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
- is already more of a family suburb (67% vs 56%)
Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Too close to call
Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.
Weighs mortgage stress.
Renters
Hoyleton
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper rent ($250/wk vs $275/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
They split
one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here
- Watervale is more walkable (24/100 vs 0/100)
- Hoyleton sits closer to the CBD (114.7 km vs 126.5 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Watervale
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is more walkable (24/100 vs 0/100)
Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.
Investors
Watervale
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- is growing faster (3.7% vs -4.8%)
Weighs population growth.
Where they sit
Watervale and Hoyleton 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
Watervale has more residents (338 vs 120); Watervale skews older (43 vs 36).
| Watervale | Hoyleton | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 338 +64% vs other | 120 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +3.7% | -4.8% |
| Median age | 43 | 36 |
| Median household income | $74,724/yr +11% vs other | $66,248/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $275/wk +9% vs other | $250/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (27.5%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.7%).
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.0%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Watervale | Hoyleton | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $457,600 | — |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
| Typical days to sell (houses) | 34 days from 3 sales | — |
Zoning mix
| Watervale | Hoyleton | |
|---|---|---|
| Rural and farming | 99% | 100% |
| 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
| Watervale | Hoyleton | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 28 across Clare and Gilbert Valleys | 15 across Wakefield |
| Approvals change year on year | +20% | +0% |
Ranking within SA
| Watervale | Hoyleton | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 49% of SA | Higher than 34% of SA |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 74% of SA | Higher than 21% of SA |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | — | Higher than 20% of SA |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 46% of SA | Higher than 33% of SA |
Liveability
Watervale is more walkable (24 vs 0).
| Watervale | Hoyleton | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | — same for both | |
| Score | — same for both | |
| Socio-economic band | mid-range socio-economic decile 6/10 | below-average income decile 2/10 |
Risk profile
| Watervale | Hoyleton | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Low 16/100 | Low 24/100 |
| Crime | Low 15/100 | Low 20/100 |
| Flood | — same for both | |
| Coastal erosion | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Aircraft noise | None 0/100 same for both | |
| Industrial facilities nearby | 1 within 5 km | 0 within 5 km |
Schools
| Watervale | Hoyleton | |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the suburb | 1 | 0 |
| Rated above peers | 1 | 0 |
| Rated at peers | 0 same for both | |
| Rated below peers | 0 same for both | |
Schools in Watervale
- Watervale Primary School Government · Primary above peers
Schools in Hoyleton
No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.
Amenities in the suburb
| Watervale | Hoyleton | |
|---|---|---|
| Cafes & restaurants | 1 | 0 |
| Parks & reserves | 1 | 0 |
| Childcare | 1 | 0 |
| Banks & Bank@Post | 1 | 0 |
Mobility
Watervale sits further from the CBD (126.5 km vs 114.7 km).
| Watervale | Hoyleton | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 24/100 | 0/100 |
| Distance to Adelaide | 126.5 km +9% vs other | 114.7 km |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 94 min | 90 min |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.0% postcode 5452 | 0.2% postcode 5453 |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 81 postcode 5452 | 67 postcode 5453 |
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 (69.9%).
Setting
| Watervale | Hoyleton | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 388 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 170 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
NBN connectivity
| Watervale | Hoyleton | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 29/100 | 22/100 |
| Most common technology | Fixed wireless | Satellite (Sky Muster) |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 0% 140 premises | 0% 34 premises |
Council rates
| Watervale | Hoyleton | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $1,830/yr | $1,640/yr |
| Council | Clare and Gilbert Valleys | Wakefield |
Federal electorate
| Watervale | Hoyleton | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Grey same for both | |
| Member | Tom Venning same for both | |
| Party | Liberal same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Watervale | Hoyleton | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $15,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | — same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Watervale
Other comparisons with Hoyleton
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.