West Lakes Shore SA 5020
West Lakes Shore is a suburb in South Australia, 15 km from Adelaide CBD, around 25 minutes by car. Population is 3,236; the median age is 48 and the median household income is $91,416 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the top 40% nationally. The suburb grew 4.0% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $390 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,950. West Lakes Shore is characterised by no recorded bushfire exposure. All 1 school within the suburb boundary rank above the state average, and walkability is moderate.
Is West Lakes Shore a good suburb?
West Lakes Shore scores a B (64/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on transit and community.
Mixed results
1 school · 1 above peer schools
Very walkable
Walkability 68/100 · 15.4 km · 25 min drive to Adelaide
Around the state median
Median $1.3M
Moderate crime risk
Fire 0/100 · Crime 59/100 · Flood 55/100
Advantaged
SEIFA decile 8/10 · median age 48 · 3,236 residents
Liveability Rating
64 / 100 · Ranked #125 in SAEach bar is West Lakes Shore'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 West Lakes Shore?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
64 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataWest Lakes Shore's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $1.3 million, about 7% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$1,300,000
3% below its 3 neighbours (median $1,337,500)
Based on 83 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 35 days — median across 31 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 3 bed 33 sales $1.2M
- 4 bed 38 sales $1.38M
- 5 bed 5 sales $1.57M
Units
$807,750
In line with its 3 neighbours (median $797,500)
Based on 17 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 15 days — median across 9 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 8 sales $1.14M
- 3 bed 7 sales $780K
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in West Lakes Shore are currently listed at around $1.18 million on average. Based on 6 houses listed in the past six months.
$1.18M
6 houses listed in the last 6 months.
8 of the suburb's 1,279 dwellings (0.6%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in West Lakes Shore rent for around $720 a week on average, based on 7 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
$720/wk
7 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
7 rentals advertised against an estimated 193 rented homes (3.6%) in the last 6 months.
Rent agreed on new leases
Apr–Jun 2026- All rentals
- $582/wk
- 10 bonds
- +26% 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 202595 Unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 32% of its income on the median rent in postcode 5020.
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$720/week ($37,000 a year) on a $1.18 million median
Based on a small sample (6 listings) — indicative only.
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 West Lakes Shore safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in West Lakes Shore sits in the moderate band, with 121 incidents recorded in 2026 — down roughly 10% on the prior year.
121 offences
10.4% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–20256 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
One school serve West Lakes Shore, and the cohort skews above peer-suburb performance. West Lakes Shore School leads the pack.
- • 554 students in one school (avg 554)
Primary
Walkability
West Lakes Shore is somewhat walkable on foot — at 68/100, a short cluster of errands work on foot but most trips still benefit from a car. Within the suburb there are 1 supermarket, 21 parks and 3 cafes to anchor that walking radius.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside West Lakes Shore.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 39.0 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 31.1 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 15.0 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 1 min
- Span of service
- 17.0 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 West Lakes Shore.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 47%
- Premises covered
- 1,520
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
Charles Sturt: 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 9 small areas inside this suburb and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 6 different deciles — a wide range, so parts of this suburb rank well above the average and parts well below it.
West Lakes Shore is home to about 3,200 residents, with a median age of 48, a touch above the national 38. Median household income runs at $91,000 a year, with unemployment at 3.6%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
3,236
Median Age
48
Median Household Income
$91,416/yr
Census Median Rent
$390/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,950/mo
Avg Household Size
2.5
Median Personal Income
$44,148/yr
Unemployment Rate
3.6%
Unoccupied Dwellings
8.6%
Total Dwellings
1,279
Owner-Occupier Rate
84.9%
Houses
70.4%
Rental Stress
22.2%
Mortgage Stress
25.6%
Work From Home
15.1%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
11 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 4 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 185 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 75.5%
- English Spoken at Home
- 83.8%
- Employment Rate
- 58.1%
- Completed Year 12
- 46.9%
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.
83 residents (2.6%) 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 3,073 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
17% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (264 of 1,577).
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 $1,726 a year through Charles Sturt based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Residential 91%
- Parks and recreation 7%
- Commercial 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: Charles Sturt
In the year to August 2026, 1,636 new dwellings were approved across Charles Sturt. That mix is 631 houses and 1,005 units. Approvals are up 109.1% on the same period a year earlier.
Air Quality
CLEANPM2.5 averaged 4.5 µg/m³ in 2025 — below the WHO 2021 annual guideline (5 µg/m³). 1 day exceeded the daily threshold of 25 µg/m³.
PM10 averaged 20.3 µg/m³. Days over the limit in 2025: PM10 2.
From the Le Fevre 1 - Birkenhead monitoring station, 3.2 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Adelaide Airport M.o., 10.1 kmDry climate — hot summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 8 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 651 m
- 857 m to a named beach
- 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
12 facilities within 5 km- 3.3 kmBeer ManufacturingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Ethanol
- 3.7 kmIndustrial and Agricultural Chemical Product WholesalingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Ethanol · Acetone
- 3.8 kmOther Warehousing and Storage ServicesTop reported: Zinc and compounds
- 4.0 kmIndustrial and Agricultural Chemical Product WholesalingTop reported: Chlorine & compounds · Zinc and compounds · Mercury & compounds
- 4.0 kmCement and Lime ManufacturingTop reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide · Particulate Matter ≤10.0 µm (PM10)
EV adoption
In postcode 5020, 17 of 2,618 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 3.1% (82 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 3.8%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 5020, 849 rooftop-solar systems totalling 5.1 MW have been installed since 2001, against 1,393 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 41 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 2026-10-26 — 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 Mark Butler Australian Labor Party
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Mark Butler | 66.3% | 33.6% | +7.4 |
| 2022 | Mark Butler | 59.0% | 41.0% | -2.4 |
| 2019 | Mark Butler | 56.5% | 43.5% | +1.9 |
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 David Wilkins Australian Labor Party
Next state election: 16 March 2030.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | David Wilkins ALP | 59.4% |
| 2022 | Stephen Mullighan ALP | 61.2% |
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 West Lakes Shore?
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 3,236 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.
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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 West Lakes Shore 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 West Lakes Shore
Is West Lakes Shore a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in West Lakes Shore is moderate (59/100, ranked against other SA suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect West Lakes Shore?
West Lakes Shore has no recorded bushfire history. Flood overlays cover a moderate share of it (55/100). These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is West Lakes Shore a good place to live?
West Lakes Shore has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of B (64/100), 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 West Lakes Shore?
West Lakes Shore, SA had a population of 3,236 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for West Lakes Shore, SA?
The postcode for West Lakes Shore, SA is 5020.
How far is West Lakes Shore from Adelaide?
West Lakes Shore is 15 km from Adelaide CBD by road, about 25 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in West Lakes Shore?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in West Lakes Shore was $91,416 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 West Lakes Shore?
The median advertised rent in West Lakes Shore is $720 a week for houses (7 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in West Lakes Shore?
The median age of residents in West Lakes Shore was 48 at the 2021 ABS Census.
How are the schools in West Lakes Shore?
There is 1 school inside the West Lakes Shore boundary: 1 above similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is West Lakes Shore walkable?
West Lakes Shore scores 68/100 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 air quality in West Lakes Shore?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to West Lakes Shore (Le Fevre 1 - Birkenhead) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 4.5 µg/m³ and PM10 of 20.3 µg/m³. That puts West Lakes Shore below the WHO annual guideline of 5 µg/m³.
What is the weather like in West Lakes Shore?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to West Lakes Shore, Adelaide Airport M.o. (10.1 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 West Lakes Shore?
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 West Lakes Shore belong to?
West Lakes Shore sits within the Charles Sturt local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in West Lakes Shore?
The average residential rates bill through Charles Sturt is $1,726 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near West Lakes Shore?
Across Charles Sturt, 1,636 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 109.1% 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 West Lakes Shore in?
West Lakes Shore sits within the federal Division of Hindmarsh, currently held by Mark Butler (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.