Wattle Park vs Kensington Gardens

In both, most households own their home. In Wattle Park, the large majority of homes are detached houses and most households are couple families. In Kensington Gardens, about half of households are people living alone. Kensington Gardens is closer to the city centre: 6.7 km, against 7.7 km. On these figures, Wattle Park tends to suit couples, while Kensington Gardens suits people living alone.

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

Wattle Park

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (4 vs 1)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (86% vs 46%)
  • is already more of a family suburb (74% vs 45%)

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

First-home buyers

Wattle Park

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (23% vs 29%)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Kensington Gardens

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (31% vs 10%)
  • has cheaper rent ($346/wk vs $470/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Kensington Gardens

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (86/100 vs 69/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Kensington Gardens

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (54% vs 14%)
  • is more walkable (86/100 vs 69/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (28% vs 22%)

Weighs smaller dwellings, 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

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

Wattle Park Kensington Gardens
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.

Wattle Park Kensington Gardens
Walkability 69 / 86
Wattle Park — Walkability: 69/100 Kensington Gardens — Walkability: 86/100
Safety 71 / 62
Wattle Park — Safety: 71/100 Kensington Gardens — Safety: 62/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
Wattle Park — Low fire risk: 100/100 Kensington Gardens — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 86 / 74
Wattle Park — Low flood risk: 86/100 Kensington Gardens — Low flood risk: 74/100

Demographics

Wattle Park has higher household incomes ($119,860 vs $81,692); Wattle Park rents higher ($470/wk vs $346/wk).

Wattle Park Kensington Gardens
Population 1,885 2,498
+33% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +4.1% +1.7%
Median age 46 45
Median household income $119,860/yr
+32% vs other
 $81,692/yr
Median weekly rent $470/wk
+26% vs other
 $346/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Wattle Park Kensington Gardens
0-4 4.2% / 3.5%
Wattle Park — 0-4: 4.2% Kensington Gardens — 0-4: 3.5%
5-14 13.7% / 9.9%
Wattle Park — 5-14: 13.7% Kensington Gardens — 5-14: 9.9%
15-19 6.8% / 5.3%
Wattle Park — 15-19: 6.8% Kensington Gardens — 15-19: 5.3%
20-24 5.8% / 5.9%
Wattle Park — 20-24: 5.8% Kensington Gardens — 20-24: 5.9%
25-34 6.0% / 12.0%
Wattle Park — 25-34: 6.0% Kensington Gardens — 25-34: 12.0%
35-44 12.4% / 12.9%
Wattle Park — 35-44: 12.4% Kensington Gardens — 35-44: 12.9%
45-54 14.3% / 10.8%
Wattle Park — 45-54: 14.3% Kensington Gardens — 45-54: 10.8%
55-64 14.4% / 12.4%
Wattle Park — 55-64: 14.4% Kensington Gardens — 55-64: 12.4%
65-74 10.8% / 13.4%
Wattle Park — 65-74: 10.8% Kensington Gardens — 65-74: 13.4%
75-84 7.9% / 9.0%
Wattle Park — 75-84: 7.9% Kensington Gardens — 75-84: 9.0%
85+ 3.4% / 5.1%
Wattle Park — 85+: 3.4% Kensington Gardens — 85+: 5.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (14.4%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Wattle Park 58.9% couple families
Wattle Park — Couple Families: 58.9% Wattle Park — Lone Person: 23.5% Wattle Park — One Parent Families: 14.6% Wattle Park — Group Household: 2.2% Wattle Park — Other Families: 0.8%
Kensington Gardens 32.0% couple families
Kensington Gardens — Couple Families: 32.0% Kensington Gardens — Lone Person: 49.9% Kensington Gardens — One Parent Families: 12.8% Kensington Gardens — Group Household: 4.3% Kensington Gardens — Other Families: 1.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Wattle Park 10.5% renting
Wattle Park — Owned Outright: 49.6% Wattle Park — Mortgage: 39.9% Wattle Park — Renting: 10.5%
Kensington Gardens 31.1% renting
Kensington Gardens — Owned Outright: 41.0% Kensington Gardens — Mortgage: 27.9% Kensington Gardens — Renting: 31.1%
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.

Wattle Park Kensington Gardens
China 8.0% / 5.2%
Wattle Park — China: 8.0% Kensington Gardens — China: 5.2%
England 5.0% / 3.8%
Wattle Park — England: 5.0% Kensington Gardens — England: 3.8%
India 2.8% / 2.0%
Wattle Park — India: 2.8% Kensington Gardens — India: 2.0%
Malaysia 2.4% / 2.0%
Wattle Park — Malaysia: 2.4% Kensington Gardens — Malaysia: 2.0%
Italy 1.9% / 2.0%
Wattle Park — Italy: 1.9% Kensington Gardens — Italy: 2.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (8.0%).

Qualifications

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

Wattle Park Kensington Gardens
Bachelor Degree 25.2% / 25.7%
Wattle Park — Bachelor Degree: 25.2% Kensington Gardens — Bachelor Degree: 25.7%
Postgraduate Degree 10.8% / 10.0%
Wattle Park — Postgraduate Degree: 10.8% Kensington Gardens — Postgraduate Degree: 10.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.1% / 7.2%
Wattle Park — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.1% Kensington Gardens — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.2%
Certificate III & IV 6.3% / 7.8%
Wattle Park — Certificate III & IV: 6.3% Kensington Gardens — Certificate III & IV: 7.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.9% / 2.8%
Wattle Park — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.9% Kensington Gardens — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.8%

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

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Wattle Park 86.2% houses
Wattle Park — Houses: 86.2% Wattle Park — Flats / Apartments: 5.4% Wattle Park — Townhouses: 8.3%
Kensington Gardens 46.0% houses
Kensington Gardens — Houses: 46.0% Kensington Gardens — Flats / Apartments: 33.1% Kensington Gardens — Townhouses: 20.9%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Wattle Park Kensington Gardens
Median house price $1,770,000 $1,762,000
Median unit price — $735,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 46 days
from 18 sales
 26 days
from 25 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.

Wattle Park Kensington Gardens
3 bed $1.43M / $1.25M
Wattle Park — 3 bed: $1.43M (18 sales) Kensington Gardens — 3 bed: $1.25M (21 sales)

18 vs 21 sales

4 bed $1.93M / $2.13M
Wattle Park — 4 bed: $1.93M (17 sales) Kensington Gardens — 4 bed: $2.13M (33 sales)

17 vs 33 sales

Zoning mix

Wattle Park has more land zoned for conservation (14% vs 0%).

Wattle Park Kensington Gardens
Residential 86% 98%
Environmental 14% 0%
Commercial 0% 2%
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

Wattle Park Kensington Gardens
New dwellings approved 250
across Burnside
same for both
Approvals change year on year +32%
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.

Wattle Park Kensington Gardens
Houses — 2.2%
$800/wk on $1.88M
Units — 4.2%
$600/wk on $750K

Ranking within SA

Wattle Park Kensington Gardens
House price Higher than 88% of SA Higher than 94% of SA
Income Higher than 92% of SA Higher than 57% of SA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 87% of SA Higher than 96% of SA
Affordability Higher than 32% of SA Higher than 2% of SA
EV adoption Higher than 99% of SA Higher than 94% of SA
NBN connectivity Higher than 86% of SA Higher than 88% of SA
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 4% of SA
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 23% of SA

Liveability

Kensington Gardens is more walkable (86 vs 69).

Wattle Park Kensington Gardens
Grade A+
same for both
Score 86/100 88/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
same for both

Risk profile

Kensington Gardens carries more flood risk (26 vs 14).

Wattle Park Kensington Gardens
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Low
29/100
 Low
38/100
Flood Low
14/100
 Low
26/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 3
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Wattle Park Kensington Gardens
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, Magill Campus, 2.0 km
 3
Adelaide University, Magill Campus, 1.6 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 4.8% 4.0%

Amenities in the suburb

Wattle Park Kensington Gardens
Supermarkets 1
same for both
Cafes & restaurants 0 1
Parks & reserves 4 1
Childcare 1
same for both
Pharmacies 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 0 1
Waterways 0 9

Mobility

Wattle Park Kensington Gardens
Walkability score 69/100 86/100
Distance to Adelaide 7.7 km
+13% vs other
 6.7 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 14 min 12 min
Public transport score 63/100
Bus
 79/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 20.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 54.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 2.8%
postcode 5066
 1.9%
postcode 5068
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 66
postcode 5066
 45
postcode 5068

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.

Wattle Park Kensington Gardens
Car (driver) 71.1% / 68.0%
Wattle Park — Car (driver): 71.1% Kensington Gardens — Car (driver): 68.0%
Worked from Home 17.0% / 14.9%
Wattle Park — Worked from Home: 17.0% Kensington Gardens — Worked from Home: 14.9%
Bus 4.2% / 9.0%
Wattle Park — Bus: 4.2% Kensington Gardens — Bus: 9.0%
Car (passenger) 4.3% / 4.1%
Wattle Park — Car (passenger): 4.3% Kensington Gardens — Car (passenger): 4.1%
Bicycle 2.0% / 2.6%
Wattle Park — Bicycle: 2.0% Kensington Gardens — Bicycle: 2.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (71.1%).

Setting

Wattle Park Kensington Gardens
Elevation 186 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 113 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 16.0 km 14.9 km

NBN connectivity

Wattle Park Kensington Gardens
Connectivity score 75/100
same for both
Most common technology Hybrid fibre-coaxial
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
765 premises
 0%
1,352 premises

Climate

Wattle Park Kensington Gardens
Annual rainfall 969 mm 457 mm
Summer max (Jan) 23.8°C 29.1°C
Winter min (Jul) 5.4°C 8.5°C

Air quality (annual mean)

Wattle Park Kensington Gardens
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

Wattle Park Kensington Gardens
Average residential rate $2,410/yr
same for both
Council Burnside
same for both

Federal electorate

Wattle Park Kensington Gardens
Division Sturt
same for both
Member Claire Clutterham
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Wattle Park Kensington Gardens
Grant amount $15,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Wattle Park

Inner Large Blocks Parks Premium Professionals Quiet

Kensington Gardens

Apartments Inner Parks Premium Professionals Retirees River Townhouses

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Wattle Park

Wattle Park vs Rosslyn Park Wattle Park vs Stonyfell Wattle Park vs Erindale Wattle Park vs Auldana Wattle Park vs Skye

Other comparisons with Kensington Gardens

Kensington Gardens vs Magill Kensington Gardens vs Tranmere Kensington Gardens vs Kensington Park Kensington Gardens vs Leabrook Kensington Gardens vs St Morris Kensington Gardens vs Rosslyn Park
Full data on Wattle Park Full data on Kensington Gardens
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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