Glenelg vs Somerton ParkTwo Adelaide suburbs compared for a home loan
Glenelg (SA 5045) is approximately 10 km south-west of the Adelaide CBD, on the Gulf St Vincent coast. Somerton Park (SA 5044) is approximately 11 km south-west of the Adelaide CBD, on the Gulf St Vincent coast. At the 2021 Census, Glenelg had 3,440 residents with a median age of 55, and Somerton Park had 5,811 residents with a median age of 48.
The most common occupied dwelling was flats and apartments in Glenelg and separate houses in Somerton Park. Flats and apartments made up 61% of occupied dwellings in Glenelg and 9% in Somerton Park, while 42% of Glenelg households rented compared with 24% in Somerton Park. These differences matter for finance, because lenders assess apartments, strata buildings and houses on land differently.
Both suburbs are in the same state, so transfer duty is calculated on the same scale and the difference in upfront cost comes from the purchase price. The panel below applies that scale, and an estimate of lenders mortgage insurance, to the prices you enter.
SA 5045 · Adelaide's western beaches
Glenelg
Glenelg is Adelaide's tram-served beachside centre, where apartments dominate, residents are older and many households own outright or rent.
City of Holdfast Bay. Approximately 10 km south-west of the Adelaide CBD, on the Gulf St Vincent coast.
Read the full Glenelg guideSA 5044 · Adelaide's western beaches
Somerton Park
Somerton Park is a seaside suburb south of Glenelg with an older population, high outright ownership and a substantial townhouse market.
City of Holdfast Bay. Approximately 11 km south-west of the Adelaide CBD, on the Gulf St Vincent coast.
Read the full Somerton Park guide
What buying in Glenelg and Somerton Park would mean for the loan
The difference between two suburbs is usually a difference in price, and price drives the deposit, the transfer duty, any lenders mortgage insurance and the repayment. Enter the prices you are seeing and the panel works out each of those for Glenelg and Somerton Park.
Your prices and deposit
Enter the price you are seeing in each suburb. BorrowWise does not quote prices, so the comparison uses yours.
Enter a price for Glenelg to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Enter a price for Somerton Park to see the repayment, transfer duty and upfront cash.
Warning: The interest rate used here is an example only. It is not a comparison rate and is not a rate offered by any lender, and it does not include fees and charges. Different rates, terms, fees or loan amounts will give a different result.
Estimates only. Repayments assume a principal and interest loan at a constant rate, which is an assumption and not a current market rate. Transfer duty is indicative for established homes, first home buyer relief depends on eligibility, and upfront cash includes an allowance of $3,000 for conveyancing and inspections. Lenders mortgage insurance is an estimate and is added to the loan. A lender makes its own assessment.
Glenelg and Somerton Park: Census profile compared
Figures are from the 2021 Census, so rents, repayments and incomes have moved since. They are most useful for comparing one suburb with another and with Australia as a whole.
| Measure | Glenelg | Somerton Park |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 3,440 | 5,811 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 55 | 48 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 1.8 | 2.2 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $1,430 | $1,633 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $350 | $335 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $1,733 | $2,058 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 42% | 24% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 15% | 30% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 37% | 40% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 16% | 63% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 21% | 29% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 61% | 9% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 63% | 33% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 8% | 26% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 24% | 12% |
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 Census (CC BY 4.0). Tenure shares exclude households that did not state their tenure. Dwelling shares are of occupied private dwellings.
Home loan considerations in Glenelg and Somerton Park
Lenders treat houses on land, townhouses and apartments differently, and some apply extra conditions to small apartments, high-density buildings or particular postcodes. These are the points each guide raises.
Glenelg
- Downsizers
- Investors
- Upgraders
- First home buyers
- Apartments operated as serviced or holiday accommodation under a management agreement may be restricted or declined by some lenders.
- Small units can fall below the minimum internal floor area that certain lenders and mortgage insurers require.
- Strata and community corporation levies, and any special levies for coastal building repairs, are included in serviceability assessments.
- Some lenders limit their exposure to a single high-rise building, which can affect approval even when the borrower qualifies.
- Downsizers buying before selling an existing home may need to consider bridging finance and its costs.
Somerton Park
- Downsizers
- Investors
- Upgraders
- First home buyers
- Corporation levies on the large townhouse and unit stock are counted in serviceability assessments.
- Special levies for exterior and structural repairs can be significant in a marine environment.
- Coastal hazard mapping can affect building insurance price and terms, and lenders require cover at settlement.
- Downsizers buying before selling may need bridging finance, a common pattern given the age profile.
- The Census recorded 329 unoccupied dwellings, consistent with some holiday and short-stay use.
Housing stock in Glenelg and Somerton Park compared
Glenelg
- Apartments and units
- From older walk-up strata flats to high-rise foreshore buildings; 1,026 flats or apartments were counted at the 2021 Census.
- Townhouses and infill dwellings
- Semi-detached and townhouse dwellings on subdivided lots behind Jetty Road and the foreshore.
- Character villas and bungalows
- A small number of Victorian and Edwardian houses, some of which may be subject to heritage or historic area policy.
Somerton Park
- Townhouses and villa units
- At 695 dwellings, or 28.6 per cent of occupied homes at the 2021 Census, attached infill is well above the national share.
- Detached beachside houses
- Separate houses numbered 1,517 at the 2021 Census, 62.5 per cent of occupied homes, below the national 72.3 per cent.
- Flats and apartments
- The 207 flats counted at the 2021 Census are mostly in small groups behind the foreshore.
Official sale price and rent figures for Glenelg and Somerton Park
Only figures published free of charge by a government agency are shown. Where none is published the space is left empty rather than filled with an estimate. Each guide charts the full series.
Glenelg
- Median weekly rent, flats/units (all bedrooms), 2024 Q4
- $510
- Median weekly rent, all dwellings, 2024 Q4
- $515
Source: SA Housing Trust (SA Housing Authority), from Consumer and Business Services rental bond data.
Somerton Park
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Somerton Park, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
Transport, schools and amenities in Glenelg and Somerton Park
Glenelg
Transport
- Glenelg tram line (tram)
- Adelaide Metro buses (bus)
- Anzac Highway (road)
- Brighton Road (road)
Schools and campuses
- Glenelg Primary School (primary, government)
Amenities
- Glenelg Beach and foreshore
- Jetty Road precinct
- Moseley Square
- Bay Discovery Centre
- Glenelg Library
- Colley Reserve
Somerton Park
Transport
- Glenelg tram line (tram)
- Adelaide Metro buses (bus)
- Brighton Road (road)
- Anzac Highway (road)
Schools and campuses
- Sacred Heart College (secondary, catholic)
Amenities
- Somerton Park Beach
- Jetty Road precinct, Glenelg
- North Brighton Cemetery
School listings show name, level and sector only. Enrolment areas change, so confirm eligibility for a specific address with the school or the South Australia education department.
Compare Glenelg or Somerton Park with another suburb
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Request a free assessment: Glenelg or Somerton Park
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