Plympton SA 5038
Located in South Australia, Plympton sits 6 km from Adelaide CBD, around 11 minutes by car. The suburb has 5,459 residents, a median age of 34, and a median household income of $83,096 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the top 40% nationally. The suburb grew 14.8% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $300 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,662. Plympton is characterised by high crime risk and no recorded bushfire exposure. 4 schools sit within the suburb boundary, and walkability is high.
Is Plympton a good suburb?
Plympton scores a B (59/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on transit and community, weaker on schools, prices, and safety.
Trailing peer schools
4 schools
Walkable and central
Walkability 92/100 · 6.5 km · 11 min drive to Adelaide
Above the state median
Median $1.03M · Less affordable than 78% of SA
High crime risk
Fire 0/100 · Crime 76/100 · Flood 40/100
Advantaged
SEIFA decile 7/10 · median age 34 · 5,459 residents
Liveability Rating
59 / 100 · Ranked #167 in SAEach bar is Plympton's rank among SA suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better).
How do you rate the liveability in Plympton?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
59 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataPlympton's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $1.03 million, roughly 17% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$1,035,000
In line with its 7 neighbours (median $1,050,000)
Based on 79 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 18 days — median across 35 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 6 sales $872K
- 3 bed 53 sales $980K
- 4 bed 15 sales $1.21M
Units
$515,000
10% below its 7 neighbours (median $570,000)
Based on 71 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 16 days — median across 26 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 1 bed 13 sales $405K
- 2 bed 53 sales $553K
- 3 bed 5 sales $630K
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Plympton are currently listed at around $924,000 on average. Based on 7 houses listed in the past six months.
Houses
$924K
7 houses listed in the last 6 months.
Units
$542K
14 units listed in the last 6 months.
21 of the suburb's 2,358 dwellings (0.9%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Plympton rent for around $758 a week on average, based on 38 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
Houses
$758/wk
6% above its 7 neighbours (median $715/wk)
38 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
Units
$500/wk
6% below its 3 neighbours (median $530/wk)
13 units advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
51 rentals advertised against an estimated 1,089 rented homes (4.7%) in the last 6 months.
Rent agreed on new leases
Apr–Jun 2026- 3-bed houses
- $775/wk
- 20 bonds
- +48% since 2021
- 2-bed units
- $522/wk
- 30 bonds
- +53% 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 5038.
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$758/week ($39,000 a year) on a $924,000 median
Based on a small sample (7 listings) — indicative only.
$500/week ($26,000 a year) on a $542,000 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 Plympton safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Plympton sits in the high band, with 344 incidents recorded in 2026 — down about 5% on the prior year.
344 offences
5.2% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–202520 crashes
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
Four schools serve Plympton, and performance is broadly on par with peer-suburb schools.
- • 1,561 students across 4 schools (avg 390)
- • Sectors: 3 Government, 1 Catholic
- • ICSEA 1030-1081, median 1058 (above the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: Plympton International College (825 students)
Primary
Combined
Universities nearby
- 4.3 kmTonsleyFlinders University · 63 courses
- 5.6 kmAdelaide University, Adelaide City CampusAdelaide University · 472 courses
- 5.6 kmFlinders City CampusFlinders University · 156 courses
4.8% 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
Plympton is exceptionally walkable on foot — at 92/100, daily errands don't require a car at all. Within the suburb there are 3 supermarkets, 5 parks and 5 cafes to anchor that walking radius.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Plympton.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 207.0 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 141.8 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 87.9 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 0 min
- Span of service
- 19.6 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 Plympton.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 9%
- Premises covered
- 2,825
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
West Torrens: 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 11 small areas inside this suburb and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 4 different deciles — a wide range, so parts of this suburb rank well above the average and parts well below it.
Plympton is home to about 5,500 residents, with a median age of 34, broadly in line with the national figure. Median household income runs at $83,000 a year, with unemployment at 4.7%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
5,459
Median Age
34
Median Household Income
$83,096/yr
Census Median Rent
$300/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,662/mo
Avg Household Size
2.3
Median Personal Income
$43,836/yr
Unemployment Rate
4.7%
Unoccupied Dwellings
8.1%
Total Dwellings
2,358
Owner-Occupier Rate
53.8%
Houses
51.2%
Rental Stress
18.8%
Mortgage Stress
24.0%
Work From Home
10.3%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
33 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 15 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 1,062 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 56.8%
- English Spoken at Home
- 57.8%
- Employment Rate
- 68.8%
- Completed Year 12
- 62.0%
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.
923 residents (16.9%) 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 5,208 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
26% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (836 of 3,273).
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 1,120 people work here; 3,273 employed residents live here.
Mostly a place people commute from: 0.3 jobs per working resident. At least 66% 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 $1,532 a year through West Torrens based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Residential 77%
- Commercial 19%
- Parks and recreation 3%
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: West Torrens
In the year to August 2026, 578 new dwellings were approved across West Torrens. That mix is 231 houses and 347 units. Approvals are up 102.8% 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, 5.6 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Adelaide Airport M.o., 3.4 kmDry climate — hot summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 19 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 4.2 km
- 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
7 facilities within 5 km- 1.5 kmTimber Resawing and DressingTop reported: Copper & compounds · Arsenic & compounds · Chromium (VI) compounds
- 1.6 kmBiscuit Manufacturing (Factory based)Top reported: Ammonia (total) · Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide
- 2.7 kmBread Manufacturing (Factory based)Top reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Ethanol · Carbon monoxide
- 3.0 kmOther Petroleum and Coal Product ManufacturingTop reported: Carbon monoxide · Oxides of Nitrogen · Total Volatile Organic Compounds
- 4.0 kmPetroleum Product WholesalingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · n-Hexane · Cyclohexane
EV adoption
In postcode 5038, 103 of 12,748 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 3.2% (413 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 4.0%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 5038, 3,366 rooftop-solar systems totalling 20.6 MW have been installed since 2001, against 7,921 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 220 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, 6 across postcode 5038.
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 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 Plympton?
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 5,459 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
- #1 in Best Adelaide suburbs for first-home buyers (units)
- #2 in Where the Nepali community lives in Adelaide
- #2 in Adelaide suburbs where the most Spanish is spoken at home
- #3 in Adelaide suburbs where the most Nepali is spoken at home
- #4 in Best Adelaide suburbs for good public high schools
- #4 in Adelaide suburbs with the largest Hindu community
- #5 in Best Adelaide suburbs to rent in
- #5 in Adelaide suburbs with the deepest rental markets
- #6 in Best Adelaide suburbs for good public primary schools
- #8 in Adelaide suburbs with the fastest EV adoption growth
- #9 in Adelaide suburbs where the most Hindi is spoken at home
- #9 in Most walkable suburbs in Adelaide
- #13 in Highest-yielding Adelaide suburbs (units)
- #15 in Adelaide suburbs with the most apartments
- #15 in Adelaide suburbs where the most people cycle to work
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
South Plympton SA 5038
Plympton Park SA 5038
Morphettville SA 5043
North Plympton SA 5037
Camden Park SA 5038
Kurralta Park SA 5037
Compare Plympton 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 Plympton
Is Plympton a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Plympton is high (76/100, 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 Plympton?
Plympton has no recorded bushfire history. Flood overlays cover a moderate share of it (40/100). These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Plympton a good place to live?
Plympton has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of B (59/100), 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 Plympton?
Plympton, SA had a population of 5,459 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Plympton, SA?
The postcode for Plympton, SA is 5038.
How far is Plympton from Adelaide?
Plympton is 6 km from Adelaide CBD by road, about 11 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Plympton?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Plympton was $83,096 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 Plympton?
The median advertised rent in Plympton is $758 a week for houses (38 listings) and $500 a week for units (13 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Plympton?
The median age of residents in Plympton was 34 at the 2021 ABS Census.
How are the schools in Plympton?
There are 4 schools inside the Plympton boundary: 3 at similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Plympton walkable?
Plympton scores 92/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it exceptionally 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 Plympton?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to Plympton (Adelaide CBD) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 6.0 µg/m³ and PM10 of 17.8 µg/m³. That puts Plympton 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 Plympton?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Plympton, Adelaide Airport M.o. (3.4 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 Plympton?
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 Plympton belong to?
Plympton sits within the West Torrens local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Plympton?
The average residential rates bill through West Torrens is $1,532 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Plympton?
Across West Torrens, 578 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 102.8% 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 Plympton in?
Plympton sits within the federal Division of Adelaide, currently held by Steve Georganas (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.
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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.