Suburb / Locality · Area profile
West Lakes
4 km²
Higher household incomes are common in West Lakes, where nearly 20% of homes earn $3,000 or more per week. This is a mature and wealthy community with a far older population than the national average, including a very high proportion of seniors. Many residents have lived here long enough to own their homes outright, and the area is highly walkable with excellent access to parks and public transport.
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The area is far older than most, with a typical resident aged 54 and 35.9% of the population aged 65 or over. In contrast, children under 15 make up only 11.3%, which is well below the national figure of 18.2%.
Overseas birth is more common here than in most similar areas, with 26.1% of people born abroad. The most common ancestries are English, Australian, and Italian.
About 18.7% of residents use a language other than English at home, which is much higher than in most similar areas. Italian, Greek, and Mandarin are the most common non-English languages spoken.
Religion is more common here than in the rest of the state; 59.6% of people identify as Christian, while those with no religion (33.6%) are far below the South Australian figure of 45.8%.
The community is well qualified, with 23.5% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. This is much higher than most similar areas, and over half of residents have completed Year 12.
Incomes are generally high, with a typical family earning $2,048 a week, which is a little above the state average. About 12.3% of people earn $2,000 or more weekly, a figure well above the state average.
Long-term health conditions are much more common here than in most areas, affecting 35% of residents. This includes a higher than average rate of people needing help with daily activities (8.1%).
Unpaid care is common, with 13.7% of people providing unpaid care, which is a little above the national average. There is also a notably high number of people who served in the Defence Force.
First Nations residents in this area have a typical personal income of $924, which is far above the national figure of $540. They also have a higher Year 12 completion rate (50%) than most other areas.
Homes are typically smaller, with only 2.2 people per household. Many residents live alone (30%), and couples without children make up a large portion of the community at 42%.
Home ownership is very high, with 50.9% of homes owned outright, far above the national figure of 31%. Rent is higher than the state average, and separate houses are much less common than in other areas.
Public transport is highly accessible, with 43 stops in the area and 93.1% of homes within a 10-minute walk of a stop. Most people still commute by car, though the drive time to the city is much lower than in most similar areas.
The area is relatively mobile, with 37.4% of people moving in the last five years. This is about the same as the state average, while recent overseas arrivals (8.7%) are well below the national figure.
Working or looking for work is less common here than in most areas, with only 53.2% of adults in the workforce. Most of those employed work full-time, often in health, education, or retail.
The area has a much higher recorded offence rate than most similar areas. Theft is the most common crime, and rates of assault, burglary, and property damage are all higher than average.
West Lakes is very walkable, with a score of 6.4. Every single home is within a 15-minute walk of a park, and 79.1% are within a similar distance of groceries.