Bute SA 5560
Bute is a rural locality in South Australia, 143 km from Adelaide CBD, around 1 hour 40 minutes by car. Population is 389; the median age is 51 and the median household income is $45,188 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the bottom 20% nationally. Population fell 5.8% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $150 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $823. The area shows high crime risk. All 1 school within the locality boundary rank above the state average, and walkability is low.
This locality is too small to rate.
The Liveability Rating is calculated for suburbs of 500 residents or more, and this one has 389. Below that the school, census and safety figures behind the score cover too few people to rank fairly against the rest of the state. The individual measures further down this page are still shown.
How do you rate the liveability in Bute?
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Our score
Not enough data to score this locality.
Residents say
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Median House Price
Public listings dataBute's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $380,000, roughly 19% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$380,000
Based on 17 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 37 days — median across 4 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 3 bed 11 sales $380K
Land
$235,000
Based on only 6 sales — small sample, take as indicative.
Typically sold in 249 days — median across 3 sales that recorded a listing period
Is Bute safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Bute sits in the high band, with 18 incidents recorded in 2026 — up about 6% on the prior year.
18 offences
5.9% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–20251 crash
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the locality carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. This state’s crash data does not name the road.
Schools
One school serve Bute, and the cohort skews above peer-suburb performance. Bute Early Learning and Primary School leads the pack.
- • 34 students in one school (avg 34)
Primary
Walkability
Bute is car-dependent on foot — at 35/100, most errands require a car.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Bute.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 0%
- Premises covered
- 224
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
Barunga West: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this locality alone — this locality's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
Bute is home to 389 residents, with a median age of 51 — noticeably older than the national figure of 38. Median household income runs at $45,000 a year, with unemployment at 12.6%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
389
Median Age
51
Median Household Income
$45,188/yr
Census Median Rent
$150/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$823/mo
Avg Household Size
2.2
Median Personal Income
$25,376/yr
Unemployment Rate
12.6%
Unoccupied Dwellings
30.9%
Total Dwellings
165
Owner-Occupier Rate
85.5%
Houses
97.6%
Rental Stress
17.3%
Mortgage Stress
21.9%
Work From Home
18.2%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 86.4%
- English Spoken at Home
- 91.3%
- Employment Rate
- 39.9%
- Completed Year 12
- 27.5%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,540 a year through Barunga West based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Rural and farming 100%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the locality around it — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Barunga West
In the year to August 2026, 29 new dwellings were approved across Barunga West. That mix is 23 houses and 6 units. Approvals are up 233.3% on the same period a year earlier.
Climate & Setting
from Price, 48.1 kmDry climate — warm summers, cool winters.
- Elevation
- 118 m
- above sea level, at the locality centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 27.7 km
- Annual rainfall
- 295 mm
- 44 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 27.8°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 7.2°C
Elevation is the ground at the locality 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 5560, 0 of 506 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 2.6% (13 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 2.6%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 5560, 184 rooftop-solar systems totalling 1.2 MW have been installed since 2001, against 241 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 11 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
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 Tom Venning Liberal
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Tom Venning | 45.4% | 54.6% | +5.4 |
| 2022 | Rowan Ramsey | 39.9% | 60.1% | -3.2 |
| 2019 | Rowan Ramsey | 36.7% | 63.3% | +5.6 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact locality's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Chantelle Thomas Pauline Hanson's One Nation
Next state election: 16 March 2030.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Chantelle Thomas ON | 50.1% |
| 2022 | Fraser Ellis IND | 58.3% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2024, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this locality's voters. Results: Electoral Commission of South Australia.
Looking at a specific address in Bute?
Every figure above is a locality 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 389 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 Bute 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 Bute
Is Bute a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Bute is high (70/100, ranked against other SA suburbs on offences per resident). Offences against shops, venues and visitors are divided by the people who live here, so suburbs with large daytime or visitor populations rank higher than living there may feel.
What natural hazards affect Bute?
Bute has a low recorded bushfire history (23/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). These are locality-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
What is the population of Bute?
Bute, SA had a population of 389 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Bute, SA?
The postcode for Bute, SA is 5560.
How far is Bute from Adelaide?
Bute is 143 km from Adelaide CBD by road, about 101 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Bute?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Bute was $45,188 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 Bute?
There are too few current rental listings in Bute for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $150, across all dwelling types.
What is the median age in Bute?
The median age of residents in Bute was 51 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Bute at risk of bushfire?
Bute has a low recorded bushfire history (23/100). The score comes from Geoscience Australia's historical bushfire boundaries, with planned burns excluded: the area of recorded fires touching the locality 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 Bute?
There is 1 school inside the Bute boundary: 1 above similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Bute walkable?
Bute scores 35/100 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 weather like in Bute?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Bute, Price (48.1 km away), summer days average 27.8°C, winter nights 7.2°C, and 295 mm of rain a year over 44 rainy days over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Bute?
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 Bute belong to?
Bute sits within the Barunga West local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Bute?
The average residential rates bill through Barunga West is $1,540 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Bute?
Across Barunga West, 29 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 233.3% 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 Bute in?
Bute sits within the federal Division of Grey, currently held by Tom Venning (Liberal).
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Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Median sale prices · Oct 2026
- Council rates · FY 2024–25
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2026
- Road crashes · 2021–2025
- 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.
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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.
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