Located in South Australia, Watervale sits 126 km from Adelaide CBD, around 1 hour 35 minutes by car. The locality has 338 residents, a median age of 43, and a median household income of $74,724 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the middle range nationally. The locality grew 3.7% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $275 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,231. All 1 school within the locality boundary rank above the state average, and walkability is low.
This locality is too small to rate.
The Liveability Rating is calculated for suburbs of 500 residents or more, and this one has 338. 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 Watervale?
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Our score
Not enough data to score this locality.
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Median House Price
Public listings dataThe median house sale price in Watervale sits at $458,000, broadly flat year-on-year. That said, only five sales settled in the quarter, so the median is a noisy signal — treat it as a direction rather than a level.
$457,600
Based on only 5 sales — small sample, take as indicative.
Typically sold in 34 days — median across 3 sales that recorded a listing period
Is Watervale safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Watervale sits in the low band, with 2 incidents recorded in 2026.
2 offences
no change 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 locality 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 Watervale, and the cohort skews above peer-suburb performance. Watervale Primary School leads the pack.
- • 29 students in one school (avg 29)
Primary
Walkability
Watervale is very car-dependent on foot — at 24/100, nearly all errands require a car.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Watervale.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 0%
- Premises covered
- 140
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
Clare and Gilbert Valleys: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this locality alone — this locality's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
Watervale is home to 338 residents, with a median age of 43, a touch above the national 38. Median household income runs at $75,000 a year, with unemployment at 0.0%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
338
Median Age
43
Median Household Income
$74,724/yr
Census Median Rent
$275/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,231/mo
Avg Household Size
2.7
Median Personal Income
$40,456/yr
Unemployment Rate
0.0%
Unoccupied Dwellings
19.7%
Total Dwellings
117
Owner-Occupier Rate
83.5%
Houses
98.3%
Rental Stress
19.1%
Mortgage Stress
19.8%
Work From Home
12.2%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 84.0%
- English Spoken at Home
- 95.3%
- Employment Rate
- 67.7%
- Completed Year 12
- 44.4%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
Languages Spoken at Home
Top languages other than English, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,830 a year through Clare and Gilbert Valleys based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Rural and farming 99%
- Zones under 1% 1%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the locality around it — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Clare and Gilbert Valleys
In the year to August 2026, 28 new dwellings were approved across Clare and Gilbert Valleys. Almost all of the pipeline is detached houses. Approvals are up 20.0% on the same period a year earlier.
Climate & Setting
from Eudunda, 47.0 kmDry climate — hot summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 388 m
- above sea level, at the locality centre
- Annual rainfall
- 420 mm
- 71 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 29.5°C
- 21 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 5.6°C
- 1 frost days ≤ 0°C
Elevation is the ground at the locality 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 kmWine and Other Alcoholic Beverage ManufacturingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Ethanol
EV adoption
In postcode 5452, 0 of 490 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 2.7% (13 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 2.7%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 5452, 164 rooftop-solar systems totalling 1.5 MW have been installed since 2001, against 202 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 10 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 Tom Venning Liberal
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Tom Venning | 45.4% | 54.6% | +5.4 |
| 2022 | Rowan Ramsey | 39.9% | 60.1% | -3.2 |
| 2019 | Rowan Ramsey | 36.7% | 63.3% | +5.6 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact locality's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by David Paton Pauline Hanson's One Nation
Next state election: 16 March 2030.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | David Paton ON | 57.0% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2024, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this locality's voters. Results: Electoral Commission of South Australia.
Looking at a specific address in Watervale?
Every figure above is a locality 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 338 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
Auburn SA 5451
Mintaro SA 5415
Penwortham SA 5453
Hoyleton SA 5453
Leasingham SA 5452
Spring Gully SA 5453
Compare Watervale 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 Watervale
Is Watervale a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Watervale is low (15/100, ranked against other SA suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Watervale?
Watervale has a low recorded bushfire history (16/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). These are locality-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
What is the population of Watervale?
Watervale, SA had a population of 338 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Watervale, SA?
The postcode for Watervale, SA is 5452.
How far is Watervale from Adelaide?
Watervale is 126 km from Adelaide CBD by road, about 94 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Watervale?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Watervale was $74,724 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 Watervale?
There are too few current rental listings in Watervale for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $275, across all dwelling types.
What is the median age in Watervale?
The median age of residents in Watervale was 43 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Watervale at risk of bushfire?
Watervale has a low recorded bushfire history (16/100). The score comes from Geoscience Australia's historical bushfire boundaries, with planned burns excluded: the area of recorded fires touching the locality 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 Watervale?
There is 1 school inside the Watervale boundary: 1 above similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Watervale walkable?
Watervale scores 24/100 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 Watervale?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Watervale, Eudunda (47 km away), summer days average 29.5°C, winter nights 5.6°C, 420 mm of rain a year over 71 rainy days, and 21 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Watervale?
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 Watervale belong to?
Watervale sits within the Clare and Gilbert Valleys local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Watervale?
The average residential rates bill through Clare and Gilbert Valleys is $1,830 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Watervale?
Across Clare and Gilbert Valleys, 28 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 20.0% 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 Watervale in?
Watervale sits within the federal Division of Grey, currently held by Tom Venning (Liberal).
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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
- 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.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
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