Wirrabara vs Telowie

Telowie is the younger of the two, with a median age of 56 against 60 in Wirrabara. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Wirrabara, most households are people living alone. In Telowie, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Telowie: a median of $451,000, against $284,000 in Wirrabara, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Wirrabara tends to suit people living alone and buyers on a tighter budget, while Telowie suits 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

Telowie

ahead on 2 of the 6 things we measure here

  • carries lower crime risk (18/100 vs 47/100)
  • is already more of a family suburb (68% vs 26%)

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

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 2 things we measure here

  • Wirrabara has cheaper houses ($283,500 vs $451,000)
  • Telowie leaves households under less mortgage stress (13% vs 22%)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Wirrabara

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($150/wk vs $190/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Wirrabara

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (20/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Wirrabara

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (20/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (38% vs 32%)
  • But Telowie carries lower crime risk (18/100 vs 47/100)

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

Investors

Telowie

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (-6.3% vs -12.4%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Wirrabara Telowie
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.

Wirrabara Telowie
Walkability 20 / 0
Wirrabara — Walkability: 20/100 Telowie — Walkability: 0/100
Safety 53 / 82
Wirrabara — Safety: 53/100 Telowie — Safety: 82/100
Low fire risk 34 / 26
Wirrabara — Low fire risk: 34/100 Telowie — Low fire risk: 26/100

Demographics

Wirrabara has more residents (353 vs 89); Telowie has higher household incomes ($68,224 vs $46,800).

Wirrabara Telowie
Population 353
+75% vs other
 89
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -12.4% -6.3%
Median age 60 56
Median household income $46,800/yr $68,224/yr
+46% vs other
Median weekly rent $150/wk $190/wk
+27% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Wirrabara Telowie
0-4 — / 9.0%
Wirrabara — 0-4: not among its largest Telowie — 0-4: 9.0%
5-14 8.8% / 10.1%
Wirrabara — 5-14: 8.8% Telowie — 5-14: 10.1%
15-19 4.2% / 6.7%
Wirrabara — 15-19: 4.2% Telowie — 15-19: 6.7%
20-24 2.5% / 5.6%
Wirrabara — 20-24: 2.5% Telowie — 20-24: 5.6%
25-34 5.1% / 5.6%
Wirrabara — 25-34: 5.1% Telowie — 25-34: 5.6%
35-44 5.7% / —
Wirrabara — 35-44: 5.7% Telowie — 35-44: not among its largest
45-54 11.6% / 13.5%
Wirrabara — 45-54: 11.6% Telowie — 45-54: 13.5%
55-64 26.3% / 28.1%
Wirrabara — 55-64: 26.3% Telowie — 55-64: 28.1%
65-74 25.8% / 19.1%
Wirrabara — 65-74: 25.8% Telowie — 65-74: 19.1%
75-84 9.9% / 6.7%
Wirrabara — 75-84: 9.9% Telowie — 75-84: 6.7%
85+ 2.8% / 6.7%
Wirrabara — 85+: 2.8% Telowie — 85+: 6.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (28.1%).

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.

Wirrabara Telowie
England 3.1% / 5.6%
Wirrabara — England: 3.1% Telowie — England: 5.6%
Netherlands 0.8% / —
Wirrabara — Netherlands: 0.8% Telowie — Netherlands: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.6%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Wirrabara 68.7% lone person
Wirrabara — Lone Person: 68.7% Wirrabara — Couple Families: 15.2% Wirrabara — One Parent Families: 11.1% Wirrabara — Group Household: 5.1%
Telowie 31.8% lone person
Telowie — Lone Person: 31.8% Telowie — Couple Families: 50.0% Telowie — One Parent Families: 18.2% Telowie — Group Household: 0.0%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Wirrabara 98.9% houses
Wirrabara — Houses: 98.9% Wirrabara — Flats / Apartments: 1.1%
Telowie 100.0% houses
Telowie — Houses: 100.0% Telowie — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Qualifications

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

Wirrabara Telowie
Certificate III & IV 17.0% / 31.5%
Wirrabara — Certificate III & IV: 17.0% Telowie — Certificate III & IV: 31.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.1% / 9.0%
Wirrabara — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.1% Telowie — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.0%
Bachelor Degree 8.5% / —
Wirrabara — Bachelor Degree: 8.5% Telowie — Bachelor Degree: not among its largest
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.5% / —
Wirrabara — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.5% Telowie — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (31.5%).

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Wirrabara 9.5% renting
Wirrabara — Owned Outright: 60.4% Wirrabara — Mortgage: 30.2% Wirrabara — Renting: 9.5%
Telowie 14.7% renting
Telowie — Owned Outright: 55.9% Telowie — Mortgage: 29.4% Telowie — Renting: 14.7%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Property market

Wirrabara Telowie
Median house price $283,500 $451,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $150,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 130 days
from 6 sales
 —

Zoning mix

Telowie has more land zoned for conservation (52% vs 13%); Wirrabara has more rural and farming land (86% vs 48%).

Wirrabara Telowie
Rural and farming 86% 48%
Environmental 13% 52%
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

Wirrabara Telowie
New dwellings approved 13
across Mount Remarkable
same for both
Approvals change year on year +200%
same for both

Ranking within SA

Wirrabara Telowie
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 13% of SA —
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 71% of SA Higher than 26% of SA
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 52% of SA Higher than 23% of SA
NBN connectivity Higher than 40% of SA Higher than 59% of SA

Liveability

Wirrabara is more walkable (20 vs 0).

Wirrabara Telowie
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 high-need area
decile 1/10

Risk profile

Wirrabara carries more crime risk (47 vs 18).

Wirrabara Telowie
Bushfire Moderate
66/100
 High
74/100
Crime Moderate
47/100
 Low
18/100
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

Wirrabara Telowie
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

Wirrabara Telowie
Cafes & restaurants 2 0
Parks & reserves 4 2
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Fuel stations 1 0
Waterways 1
same for both

Mobility

Wirrabara Telowie
Walkability score 20/100 0/100
Distance to Adelaide 242.2 km 241.7 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 164 min 163 min
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 5481
 0.2%
postcode 5540
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 69
postcode 5481
 58
postcode 5540

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.

Wirrabara Telowie
Car (driver) 65.8% / 77.4%
Wirrabara — Car (driver): 65.8% Telowie — Car (driver): 77.4%
Worked from Home 21.1% / 9.7%
Wirrabara — Worked from Home: 21.1% Telowie — Worked from Home: 9.7%
Car (passenger) 2.6% / 12.9%
Wirrabara — Car (passenger): 2.6% Telowie — Car (passenger): 12.9%
Walked Only 10.5% / —
Wirrabara — Walked Only: 10.5% Telowie — Walked Only: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (77.4%).

Setting

Wirrabara Telowie
Elevation 340 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 85 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 21.7 km 6.3 km

NBN connectivity

Wirrabara Telowie
Connectivity score 27/100 30/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
236 premises
 0%
43 premises

Climate

Wirrabara Telowie
Annual rainfall 472 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Wirrabara Telowie
PM2.5 —
same for both
PM10 23.7 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ —
same for both

Council rates

Wirrabara Telowie
Average residential rate $1,600/yr
same for both
Council Mount Remarkable
same for both

Federal electorate

Wirrabara Telowie
Division Grey
same for both
Member Tom Venning
same for both
Party Liberal
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Wirrabara Telowie
Grant amount $15,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Wirrabara

Affordable Quiet Retirees Rural

Telowie

Retirees Rural Young Families

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Wirrabara

Wirrabara vs Booleroo Centre Wirrabara vs Nelshaby Wirrabara vs Appila Wirrabara vs Beetaloo Valley

Other comparisons with Telowie

Telowie vs Port Germein Telowie vs Nelshaby Telowie vs Beetaloo Valley
Full data on Wirrabara Full data on Telowie
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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