West Lakes Shore vs Tennyson

West Lakes Shore is the younger of the two, with a median age of 48 against 55 in Tennyson. In both, the large majority of households own their home and most homes are detached houses. In West Lakes Shore, about half of households are couple families. In Tennyson, about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Tennyson: a median of $2.77 million, against $1.3 million in West Lakes Shore, though rent is higher in West Lakes Shore. On these figures, West Lakes Shore tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget, while Tennyson 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

West Lakes Shore

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • has more parks and reserves (21 vs 11)
  • is already more of a family suburb (61% vs 49%)

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

First-home buyers

West Lakes Shore

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has cheaper land ($800,000 vs $2,000,000)
  • has cheaper houses ($1,300,000 vs $2,765,000)
  • But Tennyson has cheaper units ($698,500 vs $807,750)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Tennyson

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (16% vs 22%)
  • has cheaper rent ($340/wk vs $390/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

West Lakes Shore

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (68/100 vs 58/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

West Lakes Shore

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (68/100 vs 58/100)

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

Investors

West Lakes Shore

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (4.0% vs -2.5%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

West Lakes Shore Tennyson
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.

West Lakes Shore Tennyson
Walkability 68 / 58
West Lakes Shore — Walkability: 68/100 Tennyson — Walkability: 58/100
Safety 41 / 39
West Lakes Shore — Safety: 41/100 Tennyson — Safety: 39/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
West Lakes Shore — Low fire risk: 100/100 Tennyson — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 45 / 58
West Lakes Shore — Low flood risk: 45/100 Tennyson — Low flood risk: 58/100

Demographics

West Lakes Shore has more residents (3,236 vs 1,137); Tennyson has higher household incomes ($107,172 vs $91,416).

West Lakes Shore Tennyson
Population 3,236
+65% vs other
 1,137
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +4.0% -2.5%
Median age 48 55
Median household income $91,416/yr $107,172/yr
+17% vs other
Median weekly rent $390/wk
+13% vs other
 $340/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

West Lakes Shore Tennyson
0-4 5.0% / 2.6%
West Lakes Shore — 0-4: 5.0% Tennyson — 0-4: 2.6%
5-14 11.3% / 5.8%
West Lakes Shore — 5-14: 11.3% Tennyson — 5-14: 5.8%
15-19 4.1% / 4.5%
West Lakes Shore — 15-19: 4.1% Tennyson — 15-19: 4.5%
20-24 4.5% / 5.7%
West Lakes Shore — 20-24: 4.5% Tennyson — 20-24: 5.7%
25-34 9.2% / 9.9%
West Lakes Shore — 25-34: 9.2% Tennyson — 25-34: 9.9%
35-44 12.6% / 7.7%
West Lakes Shore — 35-44: 12.6% Tennyson — 35-44: 7.7%
45-54 11.8% / 14.1%
West Lakes Shore — 45-54: 11.8% Tennyson — 45-54: 14.1%
55-64 14.1% / 19.7%
West Lakes Shore — 55-64: 14.1% Tennyson — 55-64: 19.7%
65-74 17.3% / 18.8%
West Lakes Shore — 65-74: 17.3% Tennyson — 65-74: 18.8%
75-84 7.5% / 9.2%
West Lakes Shore — 75-84: 7.5% Tennyson — 75-84: 9.2%
85+ 2.5% / 2.8%
West Lakes Shore — 85+: 2.5% Tennyson — 85+: 2.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

West Lakes Shore 45.2% couple families
West Lakes Shore — Couple Families: 45.2% West Lakes Shore — Lone Person: 34.8% West Lakes Shore — One Parent Families: 15.9% West Lakes Shore — Group Household: 2.2% West Lakes Shore — Other Families: 1.8%
Tennyson 37.8% couple families
Tennyson — Couple Families: 37.8% Tennyson — Lone Person: 47.8% Tennyson — One Parent Families: 11.4% Tennyson — Group Household: 3.0% Tennyson — 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.

West Lakes Shore 15.1% renting
West Lakes Shore — Owned Outright: 49.5% West Lakes Shore — Mortgage: 35.5% West Lakes Shore — Renting: 15.1%
Tennyson 19.3% renting
Tennyson — Owned Outright: 47.0% Tennyson — Mortgage: 33.6% Tennyson — Renting: 19.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

West Lakes Shore Tennyson
Bachelor Degree 12.8% / 19.0%
West Lakes Shore — Bachelor Degree: 12.8% Tennyson — Bachelor Degree: 19.0%
Certificate III & IV 15.7% / 14.3%
West Lakes Shore — Certificate III & IV: 15.7% Tennyson — Certificate III & IV: 14.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.4% / 10.8%
West Lakes Shore — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.4% Tennyson — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.8%
Postgraduate Degree 4.9% / 6.2%
West Lakes Shore — Postgraduate Degree: 4.9% Tennyson — Postgraduate Degree: 6.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.1% / 2.3%
West Lakes Shore — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.1% Tennyson — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.0%).

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.

West Lakes Shore Tennyson
England 6.1% / 4.5%
West Lakes Shore — England: 6.1% Tennyson — England: 4.5%
Scotland 1.1% / 2.0%
West Lakes Shore — Scotland: 1.1% Tennyson — Scotland: 2.0%
Italy 1.3% / 1.1%
West Lakes Shore — Italy: 1.3% Tennyson — Italy: 1.1%
India 0.8% / 1.5%
West Lakes Shore — India: 0.8% Tennyson — India: 1.5%
Greece 0.9% / 0.9%
West Lakes Shore — Greece: 0.9% Tennyson — Greece: 0.9%
Vietnam — / 1.3%
West Lakes Shore — Vietnam: not among its largest Tennyson — Vietnam: 1.3%
Malaysia — / 1.2%
West Lakes Shore — Malaysia: not among its largest Tennyson — Malaysia: 1.2%
China 0.9% / —
West Lakes Shore — China: 0.9% Tennyson — China: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.1%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

West Lakes Shore 70.4% houses
West Lakes Shore — Houses: 70.4% West Lakes Shore — Townhouses: 28.4% West Lakes Shore — Flats / Apartments: 1.2%
Tennyson 60.8% houses
Tennyson — Houses: 60.8% Tennyson — Townhouses: 38.4% Tennyson — Flats / Apartments: 0.8%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

West Lakes Shore Tennyson
Median house price $1,300,000 $2,765,000
Median unit price $807,750 $698,500
Median land price $800,000 $2,000,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 35 days
from 31 sales
 66 days
from 13 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.

West Lakes Shore Tennyson
3 bed $1.2M / $1.8M
West Lakes Shore — 3 bed: $1.2M (33 sales) Tennyson — 3 bed: $1.8M (8 sales)

33 vs 8 sales

4 bed $1.38M / $3M
West Lakes Shore — 4 bed: $1.38M (38 sales) Tennyson — 4 bed: $3M (12 sales)

38 vs 12 sales

5 bed $1.57M / $3.31M
West Lakes Shore — 5 bed: $1.57M (5 sales) Tennyson — 5 bed: $3.31M (6 sales)

5 vs 6 sales

Zoning mix

West Lakes Shore Tennyson
Residential 91% 70%
Parks and recreation 7% 30%
Commercial 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

West Lakes Shore Tennyson
New dwellings approved 1,636
across Charles Sturt
same for both
Approvals change year on year +109%
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.

West Lakes Shore Tennyson
Houses 3.2%
$720/wk on $1.18M
 —
Units —
same for both

Ranking within SA

West Lakes Shore Tennyson
House price Higher than 69% of SA Higher than 99% of SA
Income — Higher than 84% of SA
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 87% of SA Higher than 83% of SA
Affordability — Higher than 1% of SA
EV adoption Higher than 61% of SA Higher than 87% of SA
NBN connectivity Higher than 83% of SA
same for both
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 19% of SA —

Liveability

West Lakes Shore is more walkable (68 vs 58); Tennyson scores higher overall (71 vs 64).

West Lakes Shore Tennyson
Grade B A
Score 64/100 71/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
 very advantaged area
decile 10/10

Risk profile

West Lakes Shore carries more flood risk (55 vs 42).

West Lakes Shore Tennyson
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
59/100
 Moderate
61/100
Flood Moderate
55/100
 Moderate
42/100
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 12
within 5 km
 1
within 5 km

Schools

West Lakes Shore Tennyson
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 West Lakes Shore

  • West Lakes Shore School Government · Primary above peers

Schools in Tennyson

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Amenities in the suburb

West Lakes Shore Tennyson
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 3 0
Parks & reserves 21 11
Childcare 2 0
GPs 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0

Mobility

West Lakes Shore Tennyson
Walkability score 68/100 58/100
Distance to Adelaide 15.4 km
+6% vs other
 14.5 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 25 min 24 min
Public transport score 78/100
Bus
 41/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 39.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 14.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 5020
 1.5%
postcode 5022
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 61
postcode 5020
 57
postcode 5022

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.

West Lakes Shore Tennyson
Car (driver) 75.1% / 73.0%
West Lakes Shore — Car (driver): 75.1% Tennyson — Car (driver): 73.0%
Worked from Home 15.1% / 16.3%
West Lakes Shore — Worked from Home: 15.1% Tennyson — Worked from Home: 16.3%
Car (passenger) 4.0% / 3.7%
West Lakes Shore — Car (passenger): 4.0% Tennyson — Car (passenger): 3.7%
Train 2.0% / 3.8%
West Lakes Shore — Train: 2.0% Tennyson — Train: 3.8%
Bus 2.4% / 2.1%
West Lakes Shore — Bus: 2.4% Tennyson — Bus: 2.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (75.1%).

Setting

West Lakes Shore Tennyson
Elevation 8 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 16 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 651 m
857 m to a named beach
 196 m
705 m to a named beach

NBN connectivity

West Lakes Shore Tennyson
Connectivity score 71/100
same for both
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 47%
1,520 premises
 47%
640 premises

Climate

West Lakes Shore Tennyson
Annual rainfall 394 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 28.1°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 7.8°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

West Lakes Shore Tennyson
PM2.5 4.5 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 20.3 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

West Lakes Shore Tennyson
Average residential rate $1,726/yr
same for both
Council Charles Sturt
same for both

Federal electorate

West Lakes Shore Tennyson
Division Hindmarsh
same for both
Member Mark Butler
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

West Lakes Shore Tennyson
Grant amount $15,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

West Lakes Shore

Beach Coastal Middle-Ring Parks Retirees Townhouses

Tennyson

Beach Coastal Luxury Middle-Ring Parks Quiet Retirees River Townhouses

More comparisons

Other comparisons with West Lakes Shore

West Lakes Shore vs West Lakes West Lakes Shore vs Semaphore Park

Other comparisons with Tennyson

Tennyson vs West Lakes Tennyson vs Grange
Full data on West Lakes Shore Full data on Tennyson
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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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