O'Sullivan Beach SA 5166
Located in South Australia, O'Sullivan Beach sits 29 km from Adelaide CBD, around 33 minutes by car. The suburb has 1,844 residents, a median age of 44, and a median household income of $55,744 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the bottom 20% nationally. The suburb fell 1.9% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $300 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,200. O'Sullivan Beach is characterised by high crime risk and no recorded bushfire exposure. All 2 schools within the suburb boundary rank above the state average, and walkability is moderate.
Is O'Sullivan Beach a good suburb?
O'Sullivan Beach scores a C (41/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on transit, weaker on safety and community.
Mixed results
2 schools · 2 above peer schools
Very walkable
Walkability 62/100 · 28.7 km · 33 min drive to Adelaide
Around the state median
Median $780K · Cheaper than 86% of SA
High crime risk
Fire 0/100 · Crime 73/100
Highly disadvantaged
SEIFA decile 1/10 · median age 44 · 1,844 residents
Liveability Rating
41 / 100 · Ranked #368 in SAEach bar is O'Sullivan Beach'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 O'Sullivan Beach?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
41 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataO'Sullivan Beach's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $780,000, roughly 17% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$780,000
Based on 51 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 21 days — median across 14 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 3 bed 37 sales $780K
- 4 bed 9 sales $1M
Land
$440,000
Based on 38 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in O'Sullivan Beach are currently listed at around $802,000 on average. Based on 16 houses listed in the past six months.
$802K
16 houses listed in the last 6 months.
17 of the suburb's 816 dwellings (2.1%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in O'Sullivan Beach rent for around $600 a week on average, based on 13 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
$600/wk
13 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
13 rentals advertised against an estimated 245 rented homes (5.3%) in the last 6 months.
Rent agreed on new leases
Apr–Jun 2026- 3-bed houses
- $575/wk
- 15 bonds
- +33% since 2022
Median weekly rent on bonds lodged for new tenancies. Change since 2022 compares the median of the first four quarters with the last four. Asking rents above come from advertised listings.
Rental affordability
June quarter 2025103 Moderately unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 29% of its income on the median rent in postcode 5166.
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$600/week ($31,000 a year) on a $802,000 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 O'Sullivan Beach safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in O'Sullivan Beach sits in the high band, with 92 incidents recorded in 2026 — down roughly 16% on the prior year.
92 offences
16.4% 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.
Coastal Erosion
Shoreline Change Summary
1988–2025Nearest Eroding Coastline
- Distance
- 714 m
- Rate
- -0.21 m/yr
- Net Movement
- -9.7 m
- Certainty
- likely rocky coastline
Data Quality
Schools
Two schools serve O'Sullivan Beach, and the cohort skews above peer-suburb performance. O'Sullivan Beach Primary School and Southern Montessori School lead the pack.
- • 314 students across 2 schools (avg 157)
- • Sectors: 1 Government, 1 Independent
- • ICSEA 926-1095, median 1010 (around the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: Southern Montessori School (230 students)
Primary
Walkability
O'Sullivan Beach is somewhat walkable on foot — at 62/100, 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 O'Sullivan Beach.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 34.8 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 30.0 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 16.0 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 1 min
- Span of service
- 18.3 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 O'Sullivan Beach.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 41%
- Premises covered
- 981
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
Onkaparinga: 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.
O'Sullivan Beach is home to about 1,800 residents, with a median age of 44, a touch above the national 38. Median household income runs at $56,000 a year, with unemployment at 8.9%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
1,844
Median Age
44
Median Household Income
$55,744/yr
Census Median Rent
$300/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,200/mo
Avg Household Size
2.2
Median Personal Income
$31,148/yr
Unemployment Rate
8.9%
Unoccupied Dwellings
10.8%
Total Dwellings
816
Owner-Occupier Rate
70.0%
Houses
93.5%
Rental Stress
28.0%
Mortgage Stress
25.8%
Work From Home
9.5%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
44 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 8 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 239 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 75.7%
- English Spoken at Home
- 90.7%
- Employment Rate
- 47.4%
- Completed Year 12
- 31.8%
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.
25 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 1,763 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
9% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (67 of 744).
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 219 people work here; 744 employed residents live here.
Mostly a place people commute from: 0.3 jobs per working resident. At least 71% of employed residents must work outside the suburb.
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 $2,008 a year through Onkaparinga based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Residential 61%
- Infrastructure and transport 15%
- Environmental 14%
- Industrial 9%
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: Onkaparinga
In the year to August 2026, 1,367 new dwellings were approved across Onkaparinga. That mix is 813 houses and 554 units. Approvals are up 58.4% on the same period a year earlier.
Air Quality
This station does not measure fine particles (PM2.5).
PM10 averaged 19.5 µg/m³ · NO₂ averaged 0.34 pphm. Days over the limit in 2025: PM10 3 · NO₂ 0 · ozone 0.
From the Christie Downs monitoring station, 2.3 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Adelaide Airport M.o., 19.2 kmDry climate — hot summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 42 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 724 m
- Annual rainfall
- 394 mm
- 71 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 28.1°C
- 16 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 7.8°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
9 facilities within 5 km- 0.7 kmSewerage and Drainage ServicesTop reported: Total Nitrogen · Total Phosphorus · Ammonia (total)
- 1.8 kmFossil Fuel Electricity GenerationTop reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide · Particulate Matter ≤10.0 µm (PM10)
- 1.9 kmFossil Fuel Electricity GenerationTop reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide · Particulate Matter ≤10.0 µm (PM10)
- 2.5 kmPolymer Film and Sheet Packaging Material ManufacturingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Ethanol
- 2.5 kmRigid and Semi-Rigid Polymer Product ManufacturingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Styrene (ethenylbenzene) · Acetone
EV adoption
In postcode 5166, 7 of 1,529 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 1.6% (25 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 2.1%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 5166, 498 rooftop-solar systems totalling 2.5 MW have been installed since 2001, against 906 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 21 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 Amanda Rishworth Australian Labor Party
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Amanda Rishworth | 70.7% | 29.3% | +4.4 |
| 2022 | Amanda Rishworth | 66.3% | 33.6% | -4.4 |
| 2019 | Amanda Rishworth | 61.9% | 38.1% | +1.6 |
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 Katrine Hildyard Australian Labor Party
Next state election: 16 March 2030.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Katrine Hildyard ALP | 60.1% |
| 2022 | Katrine Hildyard ALP | 66.7% |
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 O'Sullivan Beach?
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 1,844 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.
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
Compare O'Sullivan Beach to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other SA suburb — type a name and pick one.
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Common questions about O'Sullivan Beach
Is O'Sullivan Beach a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in O'Sullivan Beach is high (73/100, 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 O'Sullivan Beach?
O'Sullivan Beach has no recorded bushfire history. These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is O'Sullivan Beach a good place to live?
O'Sullivan Beach has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of C (41/100), 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 O'Sullivan Beach?
O'Sullivan Beach, SA had a population of 1,844 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for O'Sullivan Beach, SA?
The postcode for O'Sullivan Beach, SA is 5166.
How far is O'Sullivan Beach from Adelaide?
O'Sullivan Beach is 29 km from Adelaide CBD by road, about 33 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in O'Sullivan Beach?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in O'Sullivan Beach was $55,744 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 O'Sullivan Beach?
The median advertised rent in O'Sullivan Beach is $600 a week for houses (13 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in O'Sullivan Beach?
The median age of residents in O'Sullivan Beach was 44 at the 2021 ABS Census.
How are the schools in O'Sullivan Beach?
There are 2 schools inside the O'Sullivan Beach boundary: 2 above similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is O'Sullivan Beach walkable?
O'Sullivan Beach scores 62/100 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 weather like in O'Sullivan Beach?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to O'Sullivan Beach, Adelaide Airport M.o. (19.2 km away), summer days average 28.1°C, winter nights 7.8°C, 394 mm of rain a year over 71 rainy days, and 16 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in O'Sullivan Beach?
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 O'Sullivan Beach belong to?
O'Sullivan Beach sits within the Onkaparinga local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in O'Sullivan Beach?
The average residential rates bill through Onkaparinga is $2,008 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near O'Sullivan Beach?
Across Onkaparinga, 1,367 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 58.4% 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 O'Sullivan Beach in?
O'Sullivan Beach sits within the federal Division of Kingston, currently held by Amanda Rishworth (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.