Birdwood sits 54 km from Adelaide CBD in South Australia, around 57 minutes by car. Census data records 1,376 residents with a median age of 43 and a median household income of $91,208 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the top 40% nationally. Population grew 6.0% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $320 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,602. The area shows high bushfire risk. Of 2 schools within the town boundary, 1 ranks above the state average, and walkability is moderate.
Is Birdwood a good town?
Birdwood scores a C (45/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on prices and community, weaker on safety.
Mixed results
2 schools · 1 above peer schools
Some car dependence
Walkability 46/100 · 54.5 km · 57 min drive to Adelaide
More affordable than most
Median $747K · More affordable than 93% of SA
High bushfire risk
Fire 76/100 · Crime 33/100 · Flood 29/100
Advantaged
SEIFA decile 7/10 · median age 43 · 1,376 residents
Liveability Rating
45 / 100 · Ranked #321 in SAEach bar is Birdwood's rank among SA suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better). Scored on 4 of 5 factors: no school data, so the other factors carry its weight.
How do you rate the liveability in Birdwood?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
45 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataBirdwood's house market is moving lower: the median sale price reached $747,000, about 8% below where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$747,000
13% below its 3 neighbours (median $855,000)
Based on 36 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 23 days — median across 16 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 5 sales $700K
- 3 bed 16 sales $734K
- 4 bed 9 sales $737K
Land
$1,005,000
Based on only 7 sales — small sample, take as indicative.
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Birdwood are currently listed at around $682,000 on average. Based on 6 houses listed in the past six months.
$682K
6 houses listed in the last 6 months.
6 of the suburb's 477 dwellings (1.3%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Birdwood rent for around $800 a week on average, based on 3 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
$800/wk
3 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
3 rentals advertised against an estimated 53 rented homes (5.7%) in the last 6 months.
Gross rental yield
Indicative$800/week ($42,000 a year) on a $682,000 median
Based on a small sample (3 listings) — indicative only.
Gross yield — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. Calculated from median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.
Is Birdwood safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Birdwood sits in the low band, with 23 incidents recorded in 2026 — down roughly 26% on the prior year.
23 offences
25.8% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–20257 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital, 1 of them fatal
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the town carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. This state’s crash data does not name the road.
Schools
Two schools serve Birdwood, and results are mixed — some outperforming peer-suburb schools, some below. Birdwood High School leads the pack.
- • 749 students across 2 schools (avg 374)
- • ICSEA 995-996, median 996 (around the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: Birdwood High School (555 students)
Primary
Secondary
Walkability
Birdwood is car-dependent on foot — at 46/100, most errands require a car.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Birdwood.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 24%
- Premises covered
- 588
NBN Co fixed-line and fixed-wireless premises, as at 30 December 2025. Higher-quality technologies (full fibre) score above copper, wireless, and satellite. Actual speeds depend on your plan.
Amenities
Adelaide Hills: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this town alone — this town's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
The ABS scores 4 small areas inside this town and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 4 different deciles — a wide range, so parts of this town rank well above the average and parts well below it.
Birdwood is home to about 1,400 residents, with a median age of 43, a touch above the national 38. Median household income runs at $91,000 a year, with unemployment at 3.0%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
1,376
Median Age
43
Median Household Income
$91,208/yr
Census Median Rent
$320/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,602/mo
Avg Household Size
2.7
Median Personal Income
$40,352/yr
Unemployment Rate
3.0%
Unoccupied Dwellings
8.4%
Total Dwellings
477
Owner-Occupier Rate
88.8%
Houses
97.9%
Rental Stress
18.2%
Mortgage Stress
21.1%
Work From Home
15.3%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 81.2%
- English Spoken at Home
- 93.5%
- Employment Rate
- 63.4%
- Completed Year 12
- 42.4%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
When They Arrived
Share of all residents by the year they arrived in Australia. Periods cover different numbers of years, so compare the shape rather than the bar widths.
9 residents (0.7%) arrived since 2016. Australia’s borders were closed to most arrivals from March 2020, so the last two years of that period are much smaller than the ones before them — nationally 260,799 people arrived in 2019 against 28,521 in 2021.
Where New Residents Came From
Where residents aged five and over lived five years before the 2021 Census, for those who lived somewhere else.
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 1,307 residents aged five and over. Areas are ABS statistical regions. Small counts are approximate: the ABS adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Languages Spoken at Home
Top languages other than English, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
7% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (49 of 702).
City centre: the ABS area around each capital's CBD, such as Sydney Inner City or Perth City (which takes in Subiaco and Leederville). 2021 Census place of work.
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $2,727 a year through Adelaide Hills based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Rural and farming 97%
- Residential 2%
- Zones under 1% 1%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the town around it — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Adelaide Hills
In the year to August 2026, 95 new dwellings were approved across Adelaide Hills. Almost all of the pipeline is detached houses. Approvals are up 53.3% on the same period a year earlier.
Air Quality
MODERATEPM2.5 averaged 5.5 µg/m³ in 2025 — below Australia's NEPM annual standard (8 µg/m³), slightly above the stricter WHO guideline (5 µg/m³). 1 day exceeded the daily threshold of 25 µg/m³.
PM10 averaged 18.7 µg/m³ · NO₂ averaged 0.31 pphm. Days over the limit in 2025: PM10 5 · NO₂ 0 · ozone 0.
From the Elizabeth monitoring station, 29.2 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Lenswood, 20.3 kmHigh rainfall.
- Elevation
- 391 m
- above sea level, at the town centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 37.2 km
- Annual rainfall
- 921 mm
- 87 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- —
- Winter min (Jul)
- —
Elevation is the ground at the town centre, from Geoscience Australia's National Digital Elevation Model. Approximate — it reads high in dense built-up areas. It is a measure of height above sea level and not an indicator of flood risk, which depends on height above nearby waterways.
EV adoption
In postcode 5234, 12 of 1,346 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 1.6% (22 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 2.5%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 5234, 445 rooftop-solar systems totalling 3.1 MW have been installed since 2001, against 519 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 24 went up in the last year.
Counts every system certified since 2001, so a roof re-fitted with a newer system is counted twice, and small commercial systems are included alongside houses — useful for comparing postcodes, not an estimate of how many homes have working panels today.
2026 covers part of the year only, to 2026-07.
First Home Owner Grant
FY2026-27$15,000 for new homes.
No purchase-price cap. Stamp duty is fully exempted for eligible first-home buyers as a separate concession.
Mortgage repayments
1 mortgage broker is registered in this town.
Conveyance duty at the owner-occupier rate, and it excludes first home buyer concessions — those can cut it substantially or remove it entirely. Excludes legal, inspection and lender fees. Check with RevenueSA
A deposit under 20% usually attracts Lenders Mortgage Insurance, which this doesn't include.
Principal and interest over 30 years, fixed rate. Excludes fees, offset, redraw and LMI. Default rate is the median comparison rate across 1788 advertised products as at 2026-10-27 — indicative only, and not an offer. Your rate depends on the lender, your deposit and your circumstances. Not financial advice.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Rebekha Sharkie Centre Alliance
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Rebekha Sharkie | 55.0% | 45.0% | +3.4 |
| 2022 | Rebekha Sharkie | 51.6% | 48.4% | -4.1 |
| 2019 | Rebekha Sharkie | 47.5% | 52.5% | -0.7 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact town's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Ashton Hurn Liberal Party
Next state election: 16 March 2030.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Ashton Hurn LP | 67.4% |
| 2022 | Ashton Hurn LP | 61.9% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2024, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this town's voters. Results: Electoral Commission of South Australia.
Looking at a specific address in Birdwood?
Every figure above is a town average, and an average smooths over the difference between a street of family homes and a block of flats. Look up one address and you get the census for the few hundred people around it, its own nearest schools and stops, and what the state has mapped for that block.
- The census for a few hundred neighbours, not all 1,376 residents
- Nearest and zoned schools, with the walk from that door
- Flood, bushfire and noise mapping, where the state publishes it
Free to look up. Subscribers see every section in full — $29/month.
Nearby suburbs
Compare Birdwood to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other SA suburb — type a name and pick one.
Or jump straight to a nearby comparison:
Common questions about Birdwood
Is Birdwood a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Birdwood is low (33/100, ranked against other SA suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Birdwood?
Birdwood has a high recorded bushfire history (76/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). Flood overlays cover a low share of it (29/100). These are town-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Birdwood a good place to live?
Birdwood has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of C (45/100), ranked against other SA suburbs on school quality (25%), safety (25%), SEIFA socio-economic advantage (25%), walkability (15%) and CBD access (10%). Whether it suits you depends on what you weigh — each of those is on this page.
What is the population of Birdwood?
Birdwood, SA had a population of 1,376 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Birdwood, SA?
The postcode for Birdwood, SA is 5234.
How far is Birdwood from Adelaide?
Birdwood is 54 km from Adelaide CBD by road, about 57 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Birdwood?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Birdwood was $91,208 a year. It is the most recent suburb-level income figure until 2026 Census results are released in 2027.
What is the median weekly rent in Birdwood?
The median advertised rent in Birdwood is $800 a week for houses (3 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Birdwood?
The median age of residents in Birdwood was 43 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Birdwood at risk of bushfire?
Birdwood has a high recorded bushfire history (76/100). The score comes from Geoscience Australia's historical bushfire boundaries, with planned burns excluded: the area of recorded fires touching the town relative to its size, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history. It records where fire has burned, not a bushfire-prone land designation, which your council's planning scheme sets.
How are the schools in Birdwood?
There are 2 schools inside the Birdwood boundary: 1 above and 1 below similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Birdwood walkable?
Birdwood scores 46/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it car-dependent. The score is a weighted average of public transport, schools, parks, supermarkets, GPs, pharmacies, childcare, and hospitals within walking distance.
What is the air quality in Birdwood?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to Birdwood (Elizabeth) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 5.5 µg/m³ and PM10 of 18.7 µg/m³. That puts Birdwood below the Australian NEPM annual standard of 8 µg/m³ but above the stricter WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.
What is the weather like in Birdwood?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Birdwood, Lenswood (20.3 km away), 921 mm of rain a year over 87 rainy days over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Birdwood?
First-home buyers in SA may be eligible for $15,000 towards new homes. The grant is administered by RevenueSA; confirm current eligibility before signing a contract — state rules and amounts can change.
What council does Birdwood belong to?
Birdwood sits within the Adelaide Hills local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Birdwood?
The average residential rates bill through Adelaide Hills is $2,727 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Birdwood?
Across Adelaide Hills, 95 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 53.3% on the same period a year earlier. These are LGA-level totals — every suburb in the council shares the same figure.
Which federal electorate is Birdwood in?
Birdwood sits within the federal Division of Mayo, currently held by Rebekha Sharkie (Centre Alliance).
Search another suburb or address
Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Median sale prices · Oct 2026
- For-sale & rental market · Oct 2026
- Council rates · FY 2024–25
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2026
- Road crashes · 2021–2025
- Air quality · 2025
- Climate · 2006–2026
- Socio-economic (SEIFA) · 2021
- EV adoption · Jan 2025
- First Home Owner Grant · Sep 2026
- Federal electorate · 2025
- State electorate · 2026
- Amenities · Sep 2026
- Health & emergency facilities · Sep 2026
- Industrial emissions (NPI) · 2024/2025
- Coastal erosion · 1988–2025
- Aircraft noise · 2024
Vintages show when each source's data is from. See all data sources.
Was the information on this page useful to you?
Thanks! Anything we could improve?
We hate spam as much as you do — we'll never use your email for marketing, and we might not be able to reply to everyone.
Thanks for your feedback! 🙏
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.