Parafield Gardens
SAParafield Gardens is a declining suburb in SA with 18,467 residents.
- SAL code
- 41103
- SA2
- 402041043
- Population
- 18,467
- LGA
- Salisbury
Parafield Gardens, SA had 18,467 residents at the 2021 Census, with the broader statistical area showing a 0.8% decline over the last five years. The predominant age group is 35-44 years, and the median age sits at 36. Households are most often couples with children, and those with a mortgage repay a median of $1,382 a month. Around 67.6% of homes are owner-occupied, with the largest single tenure being owned with a mortgage at 40.1%. Most dwellings are separate houses, making up 89.5% of the suburb's housing stock. The suburb has 29 parks and reserves mapped within its boundary. Source: ABS Census 2021 and Estimated Resident Population, with amenity counts from state Open Data and OpenStreetMap.
Suburb analysis
Parafield Gardens, SA at a glance
Parafield Gardens is an established residential suburb ~14 km north of Adelaide CBD in the City of Salisbury. Housing stock is a mix of 1970s SA Housing Trust origins and newer infill, on a Gawler-line train corridor with two local shopping nodes and a deep school cluster. The data tiles below cover the demographic baseline; this card adds the live market, lifestyle and council pipeline.
For homebuyers
Parafield Gardens reads as a practical mid-north Adelaide suburb with a working set of amenities rather than a destination feel. Streets mix older single-storey brick homes on bigger lots with newer infill duplexes and townhouses as the Housing Trust stock turns over. Two local shopping nodes (Salisbury Highway and Shepherdson Road) handle day-to-day; Parabanks at Salisbury and Hollywood Plaza at Salisbury Downs are short drives. Parafield Gardens station on the Gawler line puts you ~22 minutes into Adelaide CBD by train every 30 minutes, with Parafield station as the second option. The school cluster on Shepherdson Road is unusually dense — Parafield Gardens Primary, Parafield Gardens High, Holy Family Catholic and Garden College all sit within a few minutes; Thomas More College and The Pines Primary are nearby. Little Para Golf Course and Gardens Recreation Centre anchor recreation. In short: a settled, school-rich suburb with a working train link if you want Adelaide commute access without a CBD-fringe price.
For investors
Parafield Gardens has been one of mid-north Adelaide's stronger growth stories. Median house $780,000 against $600/wk rent gives a ~4.18% gross yield (Your Investment Property April 2026); houses ran +13.29% over the past 12 months. Units sit at a $659,000 median / $585/wk rent (~4.49% yield) but pulled back ~5.18% over the year. Houses spend a median 30 days on market, and 222 house sales (vs 15 unit sales) in the past 12 months point to a deep, predominantly detached-house market.
Strengths
- Strong recent house growth (~+13% YoY, YIP April 2026) on a CoreLogic-sourced median of $780,000.
- Deep house transaction market (~222 sales/yr) — easy to enter and exit.
- Gawler-line train + Salisbury Highway gives genuine CBD-commute optionality at outer-north pricing.
- Older Housing Trust lots opening duplex / townhouse value-add plays as stock turns over.
Trade-offs
- Yield is moderate (~4.2% houses) — not a high-cashflow play after the recent capital-growth run.
- Unit segment shrank ~5.18% over the past 12 months on thin volume (15 sales) — limited liquidity if you go strata.
- 30 days on market for houses is longer than tighter Perth-style markets — pricing discipline matters at listing.
What's coming
City of Salisbury's 2025/26 Annual Business Plan lands a $70M capital works program inside a $236M budget. Parafield Gardens-specific items include $500K for BMX upgrade detailed concept designs, $120K for AGH Cox Reserve barbecue + shade facilities, Laurence's Green reserve upgrades, the Lakeview Drive/Kings Road intersection safety project, and Catalina Avenue in the road-reseal program.
Bottom line
For homebuyers: a settled, school-dense mid-north suburb with a working train link. For investors: a houses-led growth story with moderate yield and a thin, weaker unit segment to navigate around.
Population
?18,467
Suburb · Census 2021
5-Year Growth
-0.8%
3yr: -0.4% · 10yr: +10.4%
SA2 · 5yr
Household Income
$1,384/wk
Suburb · Census 2021 median
Median Age
36
Suburb · Census 2021
Socio-Economic Index
?1/10
SA2 · more disadvantaged
Unemployment
?5.7%
SA2 · Q4 2025
Schools
9
3 primary, 1 secondary
Hospitals
No data for this suburb
Childcare services
?11
5 long day, 3 OSHC
Parks & green space
?29
Parks, reserves
Transport stops
?56
GTFS stops
Dwelling approvals
?55
Salisbury · Feb 2026
Median Weekly Rent
Based on rental bond lodgements recorded by the state government.
Median House Sale Price
Source: state Valuer-General (suburb-level quarterly medians).
→ Calculate stamp duty on this suburb's median price→ Estimate mortgage repayments→ Calculate rental yield (price + median rent)
Safety & Crime
2025 Q4Reported incidents from SA police. Offence rates may not reflect all crime.
Population over time — Parafield Gardens (SA2)
ABS publishes annual estimates only at SA2; Parafield Gardens suburb alone is ~18,467 (Census 2021).
Source: ABS ERP (latest release · 2025) · Census 2021. Numbers refreshed quarterly.
Growth at a Glance
Population grew from 14,950 to 18,589 over 24 years, averaging 0.9% per year.
Schools
9 in suburbSector
9 public
Type
3 primary · 1 secondary · 2 special
Total enrolment
2,731(4 of 9 reporting)
Avg per school
683
Government school catchment
Intake zonePrimary
The Pines School41.4%
- Settlers Farm Campus R-6 0.0%
Secondary
Parafield Gardens High School
Source: SA Department for Education — School Zones (primary + high). Boundaries can be amended without notice; confirm with the school before relying on enrolment.
Profile
Census snapshot
Housing
Public housing 8.2%Almost entirely detached houses (89.5%), mixed tenure (67.6% own or mortgage), built for families (62% are 3 bed).
Dwelling mix
Tenure
SA 28%
Number of bedrooms
Bushfire risk
This suburb falls outside every bushfire polygon mapped by the relevant authority. Always confirm at the property address — local conditions and unmapped overlays can still apply.
Overlap is the percentage of the suburb's land area inside the mapped bushfire polygons. Always verify the exact property address with the relevant authority before making decisions. Source when available: SA DHUD Bushfire Hazards Overlay and DEW Flood Mapping.
Flood risk
Source: SA DEW Flood Mapping
As of May 2026
Overlap is the percentage of the suburb's land area inside the mapped flood polygons. Always verify the exact property address with the relevant authority before making decisions.
Planning zones
5 zones in suburb| Code | Zone | % covered | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| GENERAL_NEIGHBOURHOOD | General NeighbourhoodResidential | 89.2% | 6.27 km² |
| EMPLOYMENT | EmploymentIndustrial | 4.9% | 0.35 km² |
| OPEN_SPACE | Open SpaceRecreation | 3.0% | 0.21 km² |
| SUBURBAN_ACTIVITY_CENTRE | Suburban Activity CentreBusiness | 2.7% | 0.19 km² |
| LOCAL_ACTIVITY_CENTRE | Local Activity CentreBusiness | 0.1% | 7,738 m² |
Source: SA Planning and Design Code Zones (ZONE_SA/2026-04-30/7965b1556505eb71) · As of Apr 2026. Zone boundaries are amended periodically; verify the exact property with the relevant council before relying on permitted use.