Northern Heights SA 5253
Located in South Australia, Northern Heights sits 78 km from Adelaide CBD, around 1 hour by car. The suburb has 305 residents, a median age of 42, and a median household income of $71,968 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the bottom 20% nationally. The suburb grew 13.4% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $240 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,174. Northern Heights is characterised by high crime risk and no recorded bushfire exposure. Walkability is low.
This suburb is too small to rate.
The Liveability Rating is calculated for suburbs of 500 residents or more, and this one has 305. 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 Northern Heights?
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Our score
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Median House Price
Public listings dataNorthern Heights's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $620,000, roughly 35% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$620,000
Based on 11 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
By bedrooms
- 3 bed 7 sales $610K
Land
$375,000
Based on only 3 sales — small sample, take as indicative.
Rental Market
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 5253.
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.
Is Northern Heights safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Northern Heights sits in the moderate band, with 13 incidents recorded in 2026 — up roughly 18% on the prior year.
13 offences
18.2% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–2025No crash in Northern Heights killed anyone or put anyone in hospital in 2021–2025.
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
Walkability
Northern Heights is very car-dependent on foot — at 12/100, nearly all errands require a car.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Northern Heights.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 0%
- Premises covered
- 121
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
Murray Bridge: 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
Northern Heights is home to 305 residents, with a median age of 42, a touch above the national 38. Median household income runs at $72,000 a year, with unemployment at 6.6%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
305
Median Age
42
Median Household Income
$71,968/yr
Census Median Rent
$240/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,174/mo
Avg Household Size
2.4
Median Personal Income
$36,712/yr
Unemployment Rate
6.6%
Unoccupied Dwellings
6.2%
Total Dwellings
112
Owner-Occupier Rate
77.1%
Houses
100.0%
Rental Stress
17.3%
Mortgage Stress
19.6%
Work From Home
5.0%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 84.9%
- English Spoken at Home
- 83.0%
- Employment Rate
- 52%
- Completed Year 12
- 29.8%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
4% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (5 of 133).
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 $2,478 a year through Murray Bridge based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Rural and farming 77%
- Residential 14%
- Industrial 7%
- Environmental 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: Murray Bridge
In the year to August 2026, 274 new dwellings were approved across Murray Bridge. That mix is 223 houses and 51 units. Approvals are up 51.4% on the same period a year earlier.
Climate & Setting
from Murray Bridge, 2.4 kmDry climate — very hot summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 30 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Annual rainfall
- 337 mm
- 64 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 30.0°C
- 31 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 5.7°C
- 3 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
3 facilities within 5 km- 0.7 kmMeat ProcessingTop reported: Carbon monoxide · Oxides of Nitrogen · Particulate Matter ≤10.0 µm (PM10)
- 1.8 km
- 4.5 kmOther Non-Metallic Mineral Mining and QuarryingTop reported: Particulate Matter ≤10.0 µm (PM10) · Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide
EV adoption
In postcode 5253, 44 of 17,701 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 1.6% (288 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 1.9%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 5253, 5,692 rooftop-solar systems totalling 38.4 MW have been installed since 2001, against 8,557 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 340 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
5 mortgage brokers are registered in postcode 5253.
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 Tony Pasin Liberal
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Tony Pasin | 37.0% | 63.0% | +3.6 |
| 2022 | Tony Pasin | 33.4% | 66.6% | -2.3 |
| 2019 | Tony Pasin | 31.1% | 68.9% | +5.1 |
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 Robert Roylance Pauline Hanson's One Nation
Next state election: 16 March 2030.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Robert Roylance ON | 54.9% |
| 2022 | Adrian Pederick LP | 55.1% |
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 Northern Heights?
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 305 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 Northern Heights 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 Northern Heights
Is Northern Heights a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Northern Heights is moderate (64/100, ranked against other SA suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Northern Heights?
Northern Heights has no recorded bushfire history. These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
What is the population of Northern Heights?
Northern Heights, SA had a population of 305 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Northern Heights, SA?
The postcode for Northern Heights, SA is 5253.
How far is Northern Heights from Adelaide?
Northern Heights is 78 km from Adelaide CBD by road, about 62 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Northern Heights?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Northern Heights was $71,968 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 Northern Heights?
There are too few current rental listings in Northern Heights for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $240, across all dwelling types.
What is the median age in Northern Heights?
The median age of residents in Northern Heights was 42 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Northern Heights walkable?
Northern Heights scores 12/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it very 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 Northern Heights?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Northern Heights, Murray Bridge (2.4 km away), summer days average 30°C, winter nights 5.7°C, 337 mm of rain a year over 64 rainy days, and 31 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Northern Heights?
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 Northern Heights belong to?
Northern Heights sits within the Murray Bridge local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Northern Heights?
The average residential rates bill through Murray Bridge is $2,478 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Northern Heights?
Across Murray Bridge, 274 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 51.4% 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 Northern Heights in?
Northern Heights sits within the federal Division of Barker, currently held by Tony Pasin (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.
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