Evanston SA 5116
Evanston is a suburb in South Australia, 49 km from Adelaide CBD, around 42 minutes by car. Population is 2,580; the median age is 39 and the median household income is $54,392 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the bottom 20% nationally. The suburb grew 14.2% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $264 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,248. Evanston is characterised by high flood risk and high crime risk. 2 schools sit within the suburb boundary, and walkability is moderate.
Is Evanston a good suburb?
Evanston scores a D (21/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on transit, weaker on safety and community.
Mixed results
2 schools
Very walkable
Walkability 65/100 · 49.4 km · 42 min drive to Adelaide
Around the state median
Median $676K · Cheaper than 93% of SA
High crime risk
Fire 0/100 · Crime 83/100 · Flood 87/100
Highly disadvantaged
SEIFA decile 1/10 · median age 39 · 2,580 residents
Liveability Rating
21 / 100 · Ranked #496 in SAEach bar is Evanston'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 Evanston?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
21 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataEvanston's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $676,000, about 3% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$675,500
4% below its 6 neighbours (median $705,500)
Based on 74 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 28 days — median across 33 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 3 bed 54 sales $650K
- 4 bed 15 sales $750K
Units
$375,000
Based on only 5 sales — small sample, take as indicative.
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Evanston are currently listed at around $667,000 on average. Based on 18 houses listed in the past six months.
$667K
18 houses listed in the last 6 months.
19 of the suburb's 1,097 dwellings (1.7%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Evanston rent for around $540 a week on average, based on 9 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
$540/wk
9 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
9 rentals advertised against an estimated 511 rented homes (1.8%) in the last 6 months.
Rent agreed on new leases
Apr–Jun 2026- 3-bed houses
- $490/wk
- 10 bonds
- +63% since 2021
Median weekly rent on bonds lodged for new tenancies. Change since 2021 compares the median of the first four quarters with the last four. Asking rents above come from advertised listings.
Rental affordability
June quarter 2025107 Moderately unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 28% of its income on the median rent in postcode 5116.
SGS Rental Affordability Index: a score of 100 means rent takes 30% of income, the usual housing-stress line; lower scores are less affordable. "Region" is the capital city or the rest of the state.
Gross rental yield
Indicative$540/week ($28,000 a year) on a $667,000 median
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 Evanston safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Evanston sits in the high band, with 219 incidents recorded in 2026 — down roughly 18% on the prior year.
219 offences
17.7% 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 suburb 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 Evanston, and the cohort is trailing peer-suburb performance.
- • 1,247 students in one school (avg 1,247)
- • Sectors: 1 Government, 1 Catholic
- • Largest: Gawler and District College B-12 (1,247 students)
Primary
Combined
Walkability
Evanston is somewhat walkable on foot — at 65/100, a short cluster of errands work on foot but most trips still benefit from a car.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Evanston.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 13.5 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 7.0 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 3.8 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 1 min
- Span of service
- 19.5 hours
- Direct to CBD (peak)
- 30 min wait
Scheduled service only, based on the 21 October 2026 timetable. Reliability (delays, cancellations) not measured.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Evanston.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 45%
- Premises covered
- 1,335
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
Gawler: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this suburb alone — this suburb's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
The ABS scores 5 small areas inside this suburb and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 2 different deciles — a narrow range, so the average describes the suburb closely.
Evanston is home to about 2,600 residents, with a median age of 39, broadly in line with the national figure. Median household income runs at $54,000 a year, with unemployment at 8.7%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
2,580
Median Age
39
Median Household Income
$54,392/yr
Census Median Rent
$264/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,248/mo
Avg Household Size
2.2
Median Personal Income
$31,408/yr
Unemployment Rate
8.7%
Unoccupied Dwellings
8.0%
Total Dwellings
1,097
Owner-Occupier Rate
53.4%
Houses
68.9%
Rental Stress
25.2%
Mortgage Stress
27.5%
Work From Home
6.6%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
116 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 28 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 495 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 77.8%
- English Spoken at Home
- 89.1%
- Employment Rate
- 49.6%
- Completed Year 12
- 32.6%
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.
36 residents (1.4%) 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 2,452 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
8% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (81 of 1,054).
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 $2,258 a year through Gawler based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Residential 59%
- Parks and recreation 16%
- Rural and farming 15%
- Infrastructure and transport 6%
- Industrial 2%
- Commercial 2%
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 — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Gawler
In the year to August 2026, 324 new dwellings were approved across Gawler. That mix is 271 houses and 53 units. Approvals are down 22.2% 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, 12.6 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Edinburgh RAAF, 14.6 kmDry climate — hot summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 54 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 22.8 km
- Annual rainfall
- 404 mm
- 67 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 30.0°C
- 28 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 6.6°C
- 1 frost days ≤ 0°C
Elevation is the ground at the suburb 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 5116, 51 of 8,714 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 2.3% (198 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 2.9%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 5116, 3,064 rooftop-solar systems totalling 19.1 MW have been installed since 2001, against 4,481 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 149 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
7 mortgage brokers are registered in this suburb, 10 across postcode 5116.
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 2026-10-26 — 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 Matt Burnell Australian Labor Party
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Matt Burnell | 65.3% | 34.7% | +2.4 |
| 2022 | Matt Burnell | 62.9% | 37.1% | +1.2 |
| 2019 | Nick Champion | 64.1% | 35.9% | +3.0 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact suburb's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by James Agness Australian Labor Party
Next state election: 16 March 2030.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | James Agness ALP | 51.6% |
| 2022 | Tony Piccolo ALP | 69.5% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2024, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this suburb's voters. Results: Electoral Commission of South Australia.
Looking at a specific address in Evanston?
Every figure above is a suburb 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 2,580 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
Evanston Park SA 5116
Gawler South SA 5118
Evanston Gardens SA 5116
Gawler West SA 5118
Hillier SA 5116
Evanston South SA 5116
Compare Evanston 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 Evanston
Is Evanston a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Evanston is high (83/100, 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 Evanston?
Evanston has no recorded bushfire history. Flood overlays cover a high share of it (87/100). These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Evanston a good place to live?
Evanston has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of D (21/100), 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 Evanston?
Evanston, SA had a population of 2,580 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Evanston, SA?
The postcode for Evanston, SA is 5116.
How far is Evanston from Adelaide?
Evanston is 49 km from Adelaide CBD by road, about 42 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Evanston?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Evanston was $54,392 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 Evanston?
The median advertised rent in Evanston is $540 a week for houses (9 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Evanston?
The median age of residents in Evanston was 39 at the 2021 ABS Census.
How are the schools in Evanston?
There are 2 schools inside the Evanston boundary: 1 below similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Evanston walkable?
Evanston scores 65/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it somewhat walkable. 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 Evanston?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to Evanston (Elizabeth) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 5.5 µg/m³ and PM10 of 18.7 µg/m³. That puts Evanston 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 Evanston?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Evanston, Edinburgh RAAF (14.6 km away), summer days average 30°C, winter nights 6.6°C, 404 mm of rain a year over 67 rainy days, and 28 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Evanston?
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 Evanston belong to?
Evanston sits within the Gawler local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Evanston?
The average residential rates bill through Gawler is $2,258 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Evanston?
Across Gawler, 324 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's down 22.2% 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 Evanston in?
Evanston sits within the federal Division of Spence, currently held by Matt Burnell (Australian Labor Party).
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
- Public transport · Oct 2026
- 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.