There’s a huge number of factors to take into consideration when you’re trying to decide where you want to buy a home, and it’s hard to keep track of them all when you’re looking at a number of completely different suburbs.
The considerate folks at Canstar have recognised this issue, and so we’ve put together this comprehensive guide to the best suburbs to buy in Adelaide for home buyers and property investors. We’ve mainly broken down the city’s best suburbs for homebuyers by location; however, we’ve also spotlighted a handful of suburbs based on potential rather than position.
If you’re unsure about where to buy in Adelaide – whether for your next home or as an investment property – welcome to your one-stop shop for all the information you need!
Data used was sourced from realestate.com.au and was current at the time of writing.
5 suburbs within 5km of the CBD
1. Beverley
Where: Beverley was nominated in 2014 as Adelaide’s most affordable suburb within 5km of the CBD. It is home to the Titanium Security Area, previous known as the (far less scary-sounding) Adelaide Arena, home to many of Adelaide’s sports teams.
Public Transport: This area is serviced by a number of bus routes run by the Adelaide Metro, but has no train station.
Schools: Beverly has one school, the primary campus of St Michael’s College, which teaches Reception up to Grade 7, but no high schools.
Shopping and Dining: Beverley has little in the way of retail, but does have a small number of restaurants including a kebab house and a Chinese-Vietnamese fusion restaurant.
Population: As of the 2011 census (ABS), Beverley had a population of 1,413.
Median House Price: $475,750
Median Rent: $300/week
2. Wayville
Where: Best known for its role as host to the annual Royal Adelaide Show, Wayville lies in Adelaide’s inner south and was previously known as Goodwood until 1899.
Public Transport: Wayville has two Glenelg Tram stops: Greenhill Road Tram Stop 1 and Wayville Tram Stop 2. Wayville residents have access to a number of bus routes, with multiple stops on Goodwood Road and Greenhill Road. Additionally, Wayville includes part of the Mike Turtur Bikeway, the busiest cycling commuter route connected to the city.
Schools: Wayville only has one school, Annesley Junior School, an independent, co-ed school with an early learning centre for children aged 2-5 and a primary school for grades Reception up to 6. The suburb also contains a number of tertiary institutions, including Fusion Business College and Central Queensland University Appleton Institution.
Shopping and Dining: Being mainly residential, Wayville doesn’t have a strong or consolidated retail presence, only having a scattered handful of shops throughout the area. Similarly, the area only has a small number of restaurants, including a Japanese restaurant and an Italian restaurant.
Population: As of the 2011 census, Wayville had a population of 1,734.
Median House Price: $867,500
Median Rent: $480/week
3. Malvern
Where: Loved by locals for its abundance of jacaranda trees, and noted by architecture and design enthusiasts for its distinctive, single-storey, wrought iron homes, Malvern is one of the slightly pricier suburbs in Adelaide’s inner south.
Public Transport: A number of Adelaide Metro bus routes run through Malvern, including the 172, 190B, and 170 routes. This suburb has no tram stations.
Schools: Malvern has no schools of its own, relying on the surrounding areas of Unley and Hyde Park, which have a number of schools.
Shopping and Dining: A large number of shops are situated on the stretch of Unley Road that runs through Malvern into the city, including clothing stores, boutiques, hair salons, and homewares stores. The same road is also home to a number of restaurants including Thai and Indochinese establishments; and Malvern also has a number of restaurants further from the main street.
Population: As of the 2011 census, Malvern had a population of 9,504.
Median house price: $1.06 million
Median rent: $445/week
4. Bowden
Where: Established in 1839 as the Village of Bowden, Bowden is a suburb in Adelaide’s inner northwest, located only 3.1km from Adelaide’s city centre.
Public Transport: The suburb is well-serviced by various Adelaide Metro services, with its own train station and a tram line running through the suburb. A number of bus routes also operate here, including routes 250-254 and the N254.
Schools: Bowden’s one school is the Immaculate Heart of Mary Primary School, which teaches Reception up to Grade 7.
Shopping and Dining: While there are a large number of restaurants in the areas surrounding Bowden, the suburb itself only has a handful, including a tavern and a Greek restaurant. Bowden is better off when it comes to shopping, however, being home to a wide variety of retail establishments including homewares stores, a bridal store, clothing shops, and a paint supplies store.
Population: As of the 2011 census, Bowden had a population of 1,241.
Median unit price: $432,000
Median unit rent: $380/week
5. Fitzroy
Where: Located 4km directly north of Adelaide’s city centre, Fitzroy is an affluent and rather small suburb with a housing market comprised mainly of multi-storey mansions and similarly expensive standalone dwellings.
Public Transport: The suburb is serviced by both the G10 and 235 bus routes, and most of the suburb is a comfortable walk from the Ovingham railway station located just outside of Fitzroy.
Schools: Fitzroy is a tiny suburb comprised of only a handful of residential streets, so it has no schools – in fact, it has no non-residential facilities other than several churches.
Shopping and Dining: This suburb relies on surrounding suburbs for shopping, and dining, which can be found in nearby Prospect and North Adelaide.
Population: As of the 2011 census, Fitzroy had a population of 9,430.
Median house price: $1.21 million
Median rent: No data available on realestate.com.au
5 suburbs on the north side
1. Marden
Where: Straddling the line between the north and east sides of Adelaide, Marden is a medium-sized suburb with a housing market comprised of a mix of standalone dwellings and medium-density unit/flat developments.
Public Transport: Marden is serviced by a number of Adelaide Metro bus routes including the 170, 178, and M44 services.
Schools: This suburb has one educational institute, Marden Senior College, which provides SACE and VET courses for students aged 16 years and older.
Shopping and Dining: Marden contains a number of restaurants including a pizza shop and a Chinese restaurant. It also has its own shopping centre, which is currently undergoing a $15 million facelift, which will see the addition of several specialty stores in an attempt to attract a younger crowd.
Population: As of the 2011 census, Marden had a population of 2,342.
Median house price: $650,000
Median rent: $360/week
2. North Adelaide
Where: Sitting just north of Adelaide’s city centre, North Adelaide is a rather trendy, residential suburb situated within the Adelaide Park Lands.
Public Transport: Due to its proximity to the city centre, North Adelaide is extremely well-served by public transport, although the area’s main roads are prone to congestion. North Adelaide has several bus routes that run through it, along with a free loop bus which runs through North Adelaide and the city centre. The suburb has a railway station, but this is less used because it has infrequent services and is located on the suburb’s western edge.
Schools: Schools in North Adelaide include North Adelaide Primary School, and many residential colleges affiliated with the nearby University of Adelaide.
Shopping and Dining: North Adelaide’s O’Connell Street houses a variety of restaurants including Thai, Italian, Mediterranean, Indian, and traditional pubs and hotels. North Adelaide has a respectable number of shopping options including boutiques, clothing stores, specialist bakeries and chocolate stores, and a bookshop.
Population: As of the 2011 census, North Adelaide had a population of 6,678.
Median house price: $860,000
Median rent: $450/week
3. Prospect
Where: Slightly further north of the city centre than Fitzroy, Prospect is a large, family-friendly suburb that gets its name from being deemed a “beautiful prospect” by an 1838 gazeteer (geographical index).
Public Transport: This area benefits from a handful of bus routes including the G10 route, and also features the Islington railway station.
Schools: Educationally, this suburb includes Prospect Primary School, a Catholic primary school, and a private secondary school.
Shopping and Dining: Prospect has a number of restaurants, including two Thai establishments and an Indian restaurant. A vast majority of the restaurants and dining establishments in the area are clustered together on a segment of Prospect Road, the suburb’s main street. That same stretch of road also houses most of the suburb’s retail establishments, including clothing stores, a pet supplies store, a patisserie, and various specialty shops.
Population: As of the 2011 census, Prospect had a population of 13,008.
Median house price: $595,000
Median rent: $390/week
4. Golden Grove
Where: Settled by Captain Adam Robertson and his wife in 1839, the suburb of Golden Grove was created in 1853, and named after the last ship that Robertson commanded. It is situated in the outer north-east of Adelaide.
Public Transport: This suburb has an Adelaide Metro bus interchange, meaning it is well-served as far as public transport goes.
Schools: Schools in this suburb include Golden Grove Primary School and three high schools: Gleeson College, Pedare Christian College, and Golden Grove High School. The three high schools are linked and share a number of facilities and resources.
Shopping and Dining: Golden Grove contains a number of restaurants, including Thai, Chinese, and Indian establishments. The area’s main retail presence is the Golden Grove Village Shopping Centre, with retailers including Big W and Woolworths.
Population: As of the 2011 census, Golden Grove had a population of 9,664.
Median house price: $445,000
Median rent: $360/week
5. Broadview
Where: Part of the City of Prospect in Adelaide’s northeast, Broadview is only 6km away from the city centre, balancing suburban peace and quiet with proximity to the city.
Public Transport: Broadview has a handful of Adelaide Metro services, including the 208 and 208B bus routes.
Schools: St Philip’s Preschool Kindergarten, Nailsworth Primary School, and Hampstead Primary School all fall within Broadview. Residents rely on falling into the catchment area for high schools in surrounding suburbs.
Shopping and Dining: Broadview has very few shops. A number of restaurants are clustered together in the same hub on Regency Road, including two pizzerias, a curry house, and an Asian restaurant.
Population: As of the 2011 census, Broadview had a population of 3,994.
Median house price: $531,250
5 suburbs on the south side
1. Hyde Park
Where: Hyde Park is an affluent inner-city suburb directly south of Adelaide’s city centre. Potential residents may be disappointed to find that despite its name, this suburb doesn’t actually contain a park.
Public Transport: The suburb has a handful of bus services which run along Unley Road.
Schools: Hyde Park features one educational institute, Walford Anglican, which includes the Walford Early Learning Centre as its Junior School (Reception up to Year 5), a Middle School (Years 6-9), and a Senior School known under the full name of Walford Anglican School For Girls (Years 10-12).
Shopping and Dining: Hyde Park is home to a stretch of King William Road, one of Adelaide’s most notable high streets, which offers a great deal in the way of shops and retail. The handful of restaurants in Hyde Park include two Italian restaurants, a cafe, and a Japanese restaurant.
Population: As of the 2011 census, Hyde Park had a population of 1,781.
Median house price: $1.07 million
Median rent: $500/week
2. Parkside
Where: Less than a kilometer from the city centre, this inner-south suburb is located (true to its name) on the south side of the Adelaide Park Lands.
Public Transport: Parkside has two Adelaide Metro bus routes, the 171 and 172, and most of the suburb is walking distance to the Glenelg tram line.
Schools: Parkside is home to two primary schools, Parkside Primary School and St Raphael’s School.
Shopping and Dining: This suburb is home to stores including a number of clothes shops, a record store, and a homewares store. It also has a wide variety of restaurants, a majority of which sit on the suburb’s western border on Unley Road and the eastern border on Glen Osmond Road.
Population: As of the 2011 census, Parkside had a population of 4,634.
Median house price: $756,000
Median rent: $470/week
3. Goodwood
Where: One of the more slightly more trendy and upmarket suburbs in Adelaide’s inner-south, Goodwood has historically been an incredibly popular suburb, thanks to both its proximity to the city centre and the calibre of its schools. This has led to the suburb becoming a bit of a real estate dream suburb for both investors and owner-occupiers.
Public Transport: This suburb isn’t too poor off as far as public transport goes; Goodwood railway station lies on the western border of the suburb, and there are tram stops a modest walk from the north and the west of Goodwood.
Schools: Goodwood has two schools: Goodwood Primary School and St Thomas School, a private Catholic primary school.
Shopping and Dining: The suburb has a number of shops, a vast majority of which are situated on the suburb’s two main roads, Goodwood Road and King William Road. Retail therapy in Goodwood includes op shops, an art gallery, clothing stores, specialty food stores, and a barber. Many restaurants can also be found on the two main roads, including cafes, pubs, Thai, Chinese, Nepalese, Japanese, Indian, Italian, Vietnamese, Korean, and Latin American.
Population: As of the 2011 census, Goodwood had a population of 2,810.
Median house price: $752,500
Median rent: $445/week
4. Colonel Light Gardens
Where: This wordily-named suburb is only about 6km from the centre of Adelaide, making it a good choice for those who want suburban living that’s still reasonably close to the more lively parts of the city.