Upper Sturt SA 5156
Upper Sturt is a suburb in South Australia, 19 km from Adelaide CBD, around 24 minutes by car. Population is 1,005; the median age is 41 and the median household income is $115,908 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the top 20% nationally. The suburb grew 5.7% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $345 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,800. Upper Sturt is characterised by high bushfire risk. 1 school sits within the suburb boundary, and walkability is low.
Is Upper Sturt a good suburb?
Upper Sturt scores a B (53/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on community, weaker on safety.
Mixed results
1 school
Somewhat walkable
Walkability 37/100 · 19 km · 24 min drive to Adelaide
Around the state median
Median $1.24M
High bushfire risk
Fire 76/100 · Crime 20/100
Very advantaged
SEIFA decile 10/10 · median age 41 · 1,005 residents
Liveability Rating
53 / 100 · Ranked #226 in SAEach bar is Upper Sturt'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 Upper Sturt?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
53 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataUpper Sturt's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $1.24 million, about 3% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$1,242,500
In line with its 5 neighbours (median $1,230,500)
Based on 28 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 49 days — median across 12 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 3 bed 12 sales $1.09M
- 4 bed 7 sales $1.41M
Land
$610,000
Based on only 3 sales — small sample, take as indicative.
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Upper Sturt are currently listed at around $1.2 million on average. Based on 3 houses listed in the past six months.
$1.2M
3 houses listed in the last 6 months.
3 of the suburb's 353 dwellings (0.8%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Is Upper Sturt safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Upper Sturt sits in the low band, with 9 incidents recorded in 2026 — down roughly 25% on the prior year.
9 offences
25.0% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–20252 crashes
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
One school serve Upper Sturt, and the cohort is trailing peer-suburb performance.
- • 97 students in one school (avg 97)
Primary
Walkability
Upper Sturt is car-dependent on foot — at 37/100, most errands require a car.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Upper Sturt.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 18.2 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 0.0 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 0.0 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 1 min
- Span of service
- 11.2 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 Upper Sturt.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 0%
- Premises covered
- 391
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
Adelaide Hills: 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
Upper Sturt is home to about 1,000 residents, with a median age of 41, broadly in line with the national figure. Median household income runs at $116,000 a year, with unemployment at 4.7%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
1,005
Median Age
41
Median Household Income
$115,908/yr
Census Median Rent
$345/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,800/mo
Avg Household Size
2.7
Median Personal Income
$52,468/yr
Unemployment Rate
4.7%
Unoccupied Dwellings
6.5%
Total Dwellings
353
Owner-Occupier Rate
93.5%
Houses
98.0%
Rental Stress
15.5%
Mortgage Stress
18.6%
Work From Home
17.8%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 77.8%
- English Spoken at Home
- 90.9%
- Employment Rate
- 64.9%
- Completed Year 12
- 52.5%
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.
10 residents (1.0%) 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 944 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
23% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (119 of 527).
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 $2,727 a year through Adelaide Hills based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Rural and farming 46%
- Environmental 44%
- Residential 10%
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: Adelaide Hills
In the year to August 2026, 95 new dwellings were approved across Adelaide Hills. Almost all of the pipeline is detached houses. Approvals are up 53.3% 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, 12.9 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Mount Lofty, 5.8 kmHigh rainfall — warm summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 396 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 15.0 km
- Near high-voltage lines
- 2.5% of addresses
- 11 within 100 m of an overhead line of 110 kV or more
- Annual rainfall
- 969 mm
- 109 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 23.8°C
- 3 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 5.4°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
1 facility within 5 km- 2.6 km
EV adoption
In postcode 5156, 14 of 898 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 2.3% (21 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 3.9%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 5156, 214 rooftop-solar systems totalling 1.4 MW have been installed since 2001, against 377 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 20 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.
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 Rebekha Sharkie Centre Alliance
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Rebekha Sharkie | 55.0% | 45.0% | +3.4 |
| 2022 | Rebekha Sharkie | 51.6% | 48.4% | -4.1 |
| 2019 | Rebekha Sharkie | 47.5% | 52.5% | -0.7 |
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 Josh Teague Liberal Party
Next state election: 16 March 2030.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Josh Teague LP | 50.6% |
| 2022 | Josh Teague LP | 51.9% |
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 Upper Sturt?
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 1,005 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
Belair SA 5052
Hawthorndene SA 5051
Stirling SA 5152
Crafers West SA 5152
Heathfield SA 5153
Ironbank SA 5153
Compare Upper Sturt 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 Upper Sturt
Is Upper Sturt a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Upper Sturt is low (20/100, ranked against other SA suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Upper Sturt?
Upper Sturt has a high recorded bushfire history (76/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Upper Sturt a good place to live?
Upper Sturt has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of B (53/100), 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 Upper Sturt?
Upper Sturt, SA had a population of 1,005 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Upper Sturt, SA?
The postcode for Upper Sturt, SA is 5156.
How far is Upper Sturt from Adelaide?
Upper Sturt is 19 km from Adelaide CBD by road, about 24 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Upper Sturt?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Upper Sturt was $115,908 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 Upper Sturt?
There are too few current rental listings in Upper Sturt for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $345, across all dwelling types.
What is the median age in Upper Sturt?
The median age of residents in Upper Sturt was 41 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Upper Sturt at risk of bushfire?
Upper Sturt has a high recorded bushfire history (76/100). The score comes from Geoscience Australia's historical bushfire boundaries, with planned burns excluded: the area of recorded fires touching the suburb relative to its size, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history. It records where fire has burned, not a bushfire-prone land designation, which your council's planning scheme sets.
How are the schools in Upper Sturt?
There is 1 school inside the Upper Sturt boundary: 1 below similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Upper Sturt walkable?
Upper Sturt scores 37/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it 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 air quality in Upper Sturt?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to Upper Sturt (Adelaide CBD) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 6.0 µg/m³ and PM10 of 17.8 µg/m³. That puts Upper Sturt 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 Upper Sturt?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Upper Sturt, Mount Lofty (5.8 km away), summer days average 23.8°C, winter nights 5.4°C, 969 mm of rain a year over 109 rainy days, and 3 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Upper Sturt?
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 Upper Sturt belong to?
Upper Sturt sits within the Adelaide Hills local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Upper Sturt?
The average residential rates bill through Adelaide Hills is $2,727 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Upper Sturt?
Across Adelaide Hills, 95 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 53.3% 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 Upper Sturt in?
Upper Sturt sits within the federal Division of Mayo, currently held by Rebekha Sharkie (Centre Alliance).
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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.