Forestville SA 5035
Located in South Australia, Forestville sits 4 km from Adelaide CBD, around 8 minutes by car. The suburb has 1,400 residents, a median age of 39, and a median household income of $103,012 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the top 20% nationally. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $340 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,733. The area shows high flood risk and high crime risk. Walkability is high.
Is Forestville a good suburb?
Forestville scores a A (68/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on transit and community, weaker on safety.
Walkable and central
Walkability 86/100 · 4.4 km · 8 min drive to Adelaide
Around the state median
Median $1.23M · Pricier than 76% of SA
High flood risk
Fire 0/100 · Crime 61/100 · Flood 90/100
Very advantaged
SEIFA decile 9/10 · median age 39 · 1,400 residents
Liveability Rating
68 / 100 · Ranked #100 in SAEach bar is Forestville'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 Forestville?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
68 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median Land Price
Public listings dataForestville's land market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $444,000, roughly 29% above where it sat a year earlier.
Land
$444,000
Based on 46 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Houses
$1,231,000
31% below its 6 neighbours (median $1,790,000)
Based on 29 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 22 days — median across 8 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 8 sales $950K
- 3 bed 12 sales $1.39M
- 4 bed 5 sales $1.73M
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Forestville are currently listed at around $1.6 million on average. Based on 3 houses listed in the past six months.
$1.6M
3 houses listed in the last 6 months.
3 of the suburb's 594 dwellings (0.5%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Forestville rent for around $645 a week on average, based on 6 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
Houses
$645/wk
6 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
Units
$550/wk
3 units advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
9 rentals advertised against an estimated 195 rented homes (4.6%) in the last 6 months.
Rent agreed on new leases
Apr–Jun 2026- All rentals
- $595/wk
- 10 bonds
- +43% 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 2025109 Moderately unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 28% of its income on the median rent in postcode 5035.
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$645/week ($34,000 a year) on a $1.6 million median
Based on a small sample (3 listings) — indicative only.
Not enough unit sales and rentals in the window to calculate a yield.
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 Forestville safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Forestville sits in the moderate band, with 57 incidents recorded in 2026 — down roughly 21% on the prior year.
57 offences
20.8% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–20251 crash
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital, 1 of them fatal
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
Universities nearby
- 3.1 kmAdelaide University, Adelaide City CampusAdelaide University · 472 courses
- 3.1 kmFlinders City CampusFlinders University · 156 courses
- 3.1 km82-98 Wakefield Street, Adelaide SA 5000Torrens University Australia · 106 courses
2.9% of residents here are full-time university students aged 15–24.
Distance is measured to the suburb centre. A campus nearby does not by itself mean a student rental market — most suburbs within a few kilometres of one have a student share close to the national norm, and the figure above is what tells them apart.
Walkability
Forestville is very walkable on foot — at 86/100, most daily errands can be done on foot.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Forestville.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 54.8 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 41.2 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 27.1 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 1 min
- Span of service
- 20.0 hours
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 Forestville.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 1%
- Premises covered
- 711
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
Unley: 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 4 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.
Forestville is home to about 1,400 residents, with a median age of 39, broadly in line with the national figure. Median household income runs at $103,000 a year, with unemployment at 3.6%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
1,400
Median Age
39
Median Household Income
$103,012/yr
Census Median Rent
$340/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,733/mo
Avg Household Size
2.3
Median Personal Income
$54,184/yr
Unemployment Rate
3.6%
Unoccupied Dwellings
5.9%
Total Dwellings
594
Owner-Occupier Rate
67.2%
Houses
53.5%
Rental Stress
17.2%
Mortgage Stress
20.2%
Work From Home
14.9%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
27 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 4 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 190 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 74.3%
- English Spoken at Home
- 78.2%
- Employment Rate
- 69.4%
- Completed Year 12
- 62.6%
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.
45 residents (3.2%) 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 1,327 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
30% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (249 of 824).
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.
Local Jobs
People who work in this suburb against employed people who live here, 2021 Census.
About 791 people work here; 824 employed residents live here.
Roughly as many jobs as working residents (1.0 per resident).
Counts are by place of work and place of usual residence. The ABS counts jobs in zones; where a zone spans several places, its jobs are shared out by land use. The ABS also adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $2,288 a year through Unley based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Residential 89%
- Commercial 6%
- Infrastructure and transport 5%
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: Unley
In the year to August 2026, 273 new dwellings were approved across Unley. That mix is 53 houses and 220 units. Approvals are down 66.7% on the same period a year earlier.
Air Quality
MODERATEPM2.5 averaged 6 µg/m³ in 2025 — below Australia's NEPM annual standard (8 µg/m³), slightly above the stricter WHO guideline (5 µg/m³).
PM10 averaged 17.8 µg/m³ · NO₂ averaged 1.12 pphm. Days over the limit in 2025: PM10 0 · NO₂ 0.
From the Adelaide CBD monitoring station, 3.1 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Adelaide (West Terrace / Ngayirdapira), 2.9 kmDry climate — hot summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 31 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 6.8 km
- Annual rainfall
- 457 mm
- 77 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 29.1°C
- 21 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 8.5°C
- 0 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.
Industrial Emissions Nearby
6 facilities within 5 km- 0.2 kmBread Manufacturing (Factory based)Top reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Ethanol · Carbon monoxide
- 1.7 kmOther Petroleum and Coal Product ManufacturingTop reported: Carbon monoxide · Oxides of Nitrogen · Total Volatile Organic Compounds
- 2.1 kmBiscuit Manufacturing (Factory based)Top reported: Ammonia (total) · Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide
- 3.9 kmTimber Resawing and DressingTop reported: Copper & compounds · Arsenic & compounds · Chromium (VI) compounds
- 4.0 kmHigher EducationTop reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide · Particulate Matter ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5)
EV adoption
In postcode 5035, 162 of 5,974 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 5.6% (336 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 8.3%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 5035, 1,201 rooftop-solar systems totalling 8.9 MW have been installed since 2001, against 2,995 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 84 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 suburb, 8 across postcode 5035.
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 Steve Georganas Australian Labor Party
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Steve Georganas | 69.1% | 30.9% | +7.2 |
| 2022 | Steve Georganas | 61.9% | 38.1% | -3.7 |
| 2019 | Steve Georganas | 58.2% | 41.8% | +0.1 |
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 Jayne Stinson Australian Labor Party
Next state election: 16 March 2030.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Jayne Stinson ALP | 71.2% |
| 2022 | Jayne Stinson ALP | 64.8% |
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 Forestville?
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 1,400 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.
Featured in
Checking the whole city?
Suburbs to avoid in Adelaide There is no list of bad suburbs, but there are hazards the state measures and publishes — recorded crime, bushfire exposure, flood overlays and aircraft noise. Adelaide suburbs ranked on them, with what the numbers do and don't mean.Nearby suburbs
Goodwood SA 5034
Millswood SA 5034
Black Forest SA 5035
Wayville SA 5034
Ashford SA 5035
Everard Park SA 5035
Compare Forestville 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 Forestville
Is Forestville a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Forestville is moderate (61/100, ranked against other SA suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Forestville?
Forestville has no recorded bushfire history. Flood overlays cover a high share of it (90/100). These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Forestville a good place to live?
Forestville has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of A (68/100), 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 Forestville?
Forestville, SA had a population of 1,400 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Forestville, SA?
The postcode for Forestville, SA is 5035.
How far is Forestville from Adelaide?
Forestville is 4 km from Adelaide CBD by road, about 8 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Forestville?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Forestville was $103,012 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 Forestville?
The median advertised rent in Forestville is $645 a week for houses (6 listings) and $550 a week for units (3 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Forestville?
The median age of residents in Forestville was 39 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Forestville walkable?
Forestville scores 86/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it very 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 Forestville?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to Forestville (Adelaide CBD) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 6.0 µg/m³ and PM10 of 17.8 µg/m³. That puts Forestville 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 Forestville?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Forestville, Adelaide (West Terrace / Ngayirdapira) (2.9 km away), summer days average 29.1°C, winter nights 8.5°C, 457 mm of rain a year over 77 rainy days, and 21 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Forestville?
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 Forestville belong to?
Forestville sits within the Unley local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Forestville?
The average residential rates bill through Unley is $2,288 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Forestville?
Across Unley, 273 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's down 66.7% 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 Forestville in?
Forestville sits within the federal Division of Adelaide, currently held by Steve Georganas (Australian Labor Party).
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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.
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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.