West Lakes Shore vs West Lakes

West Lakes Shore is the younger of the two, with a median age of 48 against 54 in West Lakes. 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 West Lakes, about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, West Lakes tends to suit people living alone and older residents.

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 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • carries lower crime risk (59/100 vs 87/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (61% vs 48%)
  • But West Lakes has more parks and reserves (33 vs 21)

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

First-home buyers

West Lakes Shore

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper land ($800,000 vs $970,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, land 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

West Lakes Shore

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (68/100 vs 59/100)

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

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • West Lakes Shore carries lower crime risk (59/100 vs 87/100)
  • West Lakes has more units and townhouses to downsize into (42% vs 30%)

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

Investors

West Lakes

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • is growing faster (17.0% vs 4.0%)
  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (4.9% vs 3.2%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

West Lakes Shore and West Lakes 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 West Lakes
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 West Lakes
Walkability 68 / 59
West Lakes Shore — Walkability: 68/100 West Lakes — Walkability: 59/100
Safety 41 / 13
West Lakes Shore — Safety: 41/100 West Lakes — Safety: 13/100
Low fire risk 100 / 100
West Lakes Shore — Low fire risk: 100/100 West Lakes — Low fire risk: 100/100
Low flood risk 45 / 58
West Lakes Shore — Low flood risk: 45/100 West Lakes — Low flood risk: 58/100

Demographics

West Lakes has more residents (6,768 vs 3,236); West Lakes Shore has higher household incomes ($91,416 vs $80,496).

West Lakes Shore West Lakes
Population 3,236 6,768
+109% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +4.0% +17.0%
Median age 48 54
Median household income $91,416/yr
+12% vs other
 $80,496/yr
Median weekly rent $390/wk
+5% vs other
 $370/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

West Lakes Shore West Lakes
0-4 5.0% / 3.4%
West Lakes Shore — 0-4: 5.0% West Lakes — 0-4: 3.4%
5-14 11.3% / 7.9%
West Lakes Shore — 5-14: 11.3% West Lakes — 5-14: 7.9%
15-19 4.1% / 4.0%
West Lakes Shore — 15-19: 4.1% West Lakes — 15-19: 4.0%
20-24 4.5% / 4.6%
West Lakes Shore — 20-24: 4.5% West Lakes — 20-24: 4.6%
25-34 9.2% / 9.8%
West Lakes Shore — 25-34: 9.2% West Lakes — 25-34: 9.8%
35-44 12.6% / 9.5%
West Lakes Shore — 35-44: 12.6% West Lakes — 35-44: 9.5%
45-54 11.8% / 10.8%
West Lakes Shore — 45-54: 11.8% West Lakes — 45-54: 10.8%
55-64 14.1% / 14.0%
West Lakes Shore — 55-64: 14.1% West Lakes — 55-64: 14.0%
65-74 17.3% / 17.7%
West Lakes Shore — 65-74: 17.3% West Lakes — 65-74: 17.7%
75-84 7.5% / 12.3%
West Lakes Shore — 75-84: 7.5% West Lakes — 75-84: 12.3%
85+ 2.5% / 6.0%
West Lakes Shore — 85+: 2.5% West Lakes — 85+: 6.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

West Lakes Shore 34.8% lone person
West Lakes Shore — Lone Person: 34.8% West Lakes Shore — Couple Families: 45.2% West Lakes Shore — One Parent Families: 15.9% West Lakes Shore — Group Household: 2.2% West Lakes Shore — Other Families: 1.8%
West Lakes 47.2% lone person
West Lakes — Lone Person: 47.2% West Lakes — Couple Families: 35.8% West Lakes — One Parent Families: 12.4% West Lakes — Group Household: 3.3% West Lakes — Other Families: 1.3%
Lone Person Couple Families 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%
West Lakes 16.9% renting
West Lakes — Owned Outright: 54.4% West Lakes — Mortgage: 28.7% West Lakes — Renting: 16.9%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

West Lakes Shore West Lakes
Certificate III & IV 15.7% / 14.0%
West Lakes Shore — Certificate III & IV: 15.7% West Lakes — Certificate III & IV: 14.0%
Bachelor Degree 12.8% / 14.2%
West Lakes Shore — Bachelor Degree: 12.8% West Lakes — Bachelor Degree: 14.2%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.4% / 9.3%
West Lakes Shore — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.4% West Lakes — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.3%
Postgraduate Degree 4.9% / 4.5%
West Lakes Shore — Postgraduate Degree: 4.9% West Lakes — Postgraduate Degree: 4.5%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.1% / 2.1%
West Lakes Shore — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.1% West Lakes — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.1%

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.

West Lakes Shore West Lakes
England 6.1% / 5.7%
West Lakes Shore — England: 6.1% West Lakes — England: 5.7%
Italy 1.3% / 2.0%
West Lakes Shore — Italy: 1.3% West Lakes — Italy: 2.0%
China 0.9% / 1.7%
West Lakes Shore — China: 0.9% West Lakes — China: 1.7%
Greece 0.9% / 1.1%
West Lakes Shore — Greece: 0.9% West Lakes — Greece: 1.1%
Germany 0.8% / 1.2%
West Lakes Shore — Germany: 0.8% West Lakes — Germany: 1.2%
Scotland 1.1% / 0.6%
West Lakes Shore — Scotland: 1.1% West Lakes — Scotland: 0.6%

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%
West Lakes 57.9% houses
West Lakes — Houses: 57.9% West Lakes — Townhouses: 32.5% West Lakes — Flats / Apartments: 9.6%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

West Lakes Shore West Lakes
Median house price $1,300,000 $1,337,500
Median unit price $807,750 $797,500
Median land price $800,000 $970,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 35 days
from 31 sales
 19 days
from 74 sales

Unit 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 West Lakes
2 bed $1.14M / $778K
West Lakes Shore — 2 bed: $1.14M (8 sales) West Lakes — 2 bed: $778K (25 sales)

8 vs 25 sales

3 bed $780K / $918K
West Lakes Shore — 3 bed: $780K (7 sales) West Lakes — 3 bed: $918K (14 sales)

7 vs 14 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 West Lakes
3 bed $1.2M / $1.26M
West Lakes Shore — 3 bed: $1.2M (33 sales) West Lakes — 3 bed: $1.26M (38 sales)

33 vs 38 sales

4 bed $1.38M / $1.43M
West Lakes Shore — 4 bed: $1.38M (38 sales) West Lakes — 4 bed: $1.43M (53 sales)

38 vs 53 sales

5 bed $1.57M / $2.05M
West Lakes Shore — 5 bed: $1.57M (5 sales) West Lakes — 5 bed: $2.05M (8 sales)

5 vs 8 sales

Zoning mix

West Lakes Shore West Lakes
Residential 91% 82%
Commercial 2% 9%
Parks and recreation 7% 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

West Lakes Shore West Lakes
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 West Lakes
Houses 3.2%
$720/wk on $1.18M
 4.9%
$850/wk on $899K
Units — 4.7%
$680/wk on $757K

Ranking within SA

West Lakes Shore West Lakes
House price Higher than 69% of SA Higher than 84% of SA
Income —
same for both
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 87% of SA Higher than 84% of SA
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 61% of SA Higher than 74% of SA
NBN connectivity Higher than 83% of SA Higher than 79% of SA
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 19% of SA Higher than 95% of SA
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 59% of SA

Liveability

West Lakes Shore is more walkable (68 vs 59); West Lakes Shore scores higher overall (64 vs 59).

West Lakes Shore West Lakes
Grade B
same for both
Score 64/100 59/100
Socio-economic band advantaged area
decile 8/10
same for both

Risk profile

West Lakes carries more crime risk (87 vs 59); West Lakes Shore carries more flood risk (55 vs 42).

West Lakes Shore West Lakes
Bushfire None
0/100
same for both
Crime Moderate
59/100
 High
87/100
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
 10
within 5 km

Schools

West Lakes Shore West Lakes
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 West Lakes

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

Amenities in the suburb

West Lakes Shore West Lakes
Supermarkets 1 3
Cafes & restaurants 3 7
Parks & reserves 21 33
Childcare 2 3
GPs 1 0
Pharmacies 0 4
Banks & Bank@Post 1 6
Fuel stations 0 1
Waterways 0 2

Mobility

West Lakes Shore West Lakes
Walkability score 68/100 59/100
Distance to Adelaide 15.4 km
+6% vs other
 14.4 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 25 min 24 min
Public transport score 78/100
Bus
 79/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 39.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 176.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 5020
 0.9%
postcode 5021
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 61
postcode 5020
 58
postcode 5021

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 West Lakes
Car (driver) 75.1% / 76.6%
West Lakes Shore — Car (driver): 75.1% West Lakes — Car (driver): 76.6%
Worked from Home 15.1% / 13.2%
West Lakes Shore — Worked from Home: 15.1% West Lakes — Worked from Home: 13.2%
Car (passenger) 4.0% / 3.6%
West Lakes Shore — Car (passenger): 4.0% West Lakes — Car (passenger): 3.6%
Bus 2.4% / 3.0%
West Lakes Shore — Bus: 2.4% West Lakes — Bus: 3.0%
Train 2.0% / 1.2%
West Lakes Shore — Train: 2.0% West Lakes — Train: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (76.6%).

Setting

West Lakes Shore West Lakes
Elevation 8 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 5 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 651 m
857 m to a named beach
 1.3 km
1.4 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

West Lakes Shore West Lakes
Connectivity score 71/100 65/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 47%
1,520 premises
 33%
3,394 premises

Climate

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

Federal electorate

West Lakes Shore West Lakes
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 West Lakes
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

West Lakes

Beach Coastal Middle-Ring Parks Retirees River Townhouses

More comparisons

Other comparisons with West Lakes Shore

West Lakes Shore vs Semaphore Park West Lakes Shore vs Tennyson

Other comparisons with West Lakes

West Lakes vs Seaton West Lakes vs Grange West Lakes vs Semaphore Park West Lakes vs Royal Park West Lakes vs Queenstown West Lakes vs Port Adelaide
Full data on West Lakes Shore Full data on West Lakes
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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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