Plympton vs Somerton ParkTwo Adelaide suburbs compared for a home loan
Plympton (SA 5038) is approximately 6 km south-west of the Adelaide CBD, on Anzac Highway. Somerton Park (SA 5044) is approximately 11 km south-west of the Adelaide CBD, on the Gulf St Vincent coast. At the 2021 Census, Plympton had 5,459 residents with a median age of 34, and Somerton Park had 5,811 residents with a median age of 48.
In both suburbs the most common occupied dwelling was separate houses. Flats and apartments made up 25% of occupied dwellings in Plympton and 9% in Somerton Park, while 45% of Plympton 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 5038 · Adelaide's inner south-west
Plympton
Plympton is an inner south-western Adelaide suburb on Anzac Highway where renting approaches half of households and units outnumber houses combined.
City of West Torrens. Approximately 6 km south-west of the Adelaide CBD, on Anzac Highway.
Read the full Plympton 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 Plympton 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 Plympton 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 Plympton 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.
Plympton 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 | Plympton | Somerton Park |
|---|---|---|
| People and households | ||
| Residents | 5,459 | 5,811 |
| Median ageAustralia 38 | 34 | 48 |
| Average household sizeAustralia 2.5 | 2.3 | 2.2 |
| Median household income, weeklyAustralia $1,746 | $1,598 | $1,633 |
| Housing costs at the 2021 Census | ||
| Median rent, weeklyAustralia $375 | $300 | $335 |
| Median mortgage repayment, monthlyAustralia $1,863 | $1,662 | $2,058 |
| Who owns and who rents | ||
| Households rentingAustralia 31% | 45% | 24% |
| Owned with a mortgageAustralia 35% | 29% | 30% |
| Owned outrightAustralia 31% | 24% | 40% |
| Types of home | ||
| Separate housesAustralia 72% | 51% | 63% |
| Townhouses, terraces and semi-detachedAustralia 13% | 23% | 29% |
| Flats and apartmentsAustralia 14% | 25% | 9% |
| Homes with two bedrooms or fewer | 48% | 33% |
| Homes with four bedrooms or more | 12% | 26% |
| Dwellings unoccupied on Census night | 7% | 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 Plympton 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.
Plympton
- First home buyers
- Investors
- Downsizers
- Units and townhouses make up nearly half of all dwellings, so lender policy on strata security is central.
- Small one and two bedroom units can fall below the minimum internal floor area some lenders require.
- Corporation levies are counted in serviceability assessments, and older groups may have modest sinking funds.
- Properties fronting Anzac Highway, Marion Road or Cross Road may be affected by traffic noise.
- Renting reached 45.4 per cent of households with a stated tenure, so investment lending is common.
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 Plympton and Somerton Park compared
Plympton
- Home units and apartments
- At 587 dwellings, or 24.9 per cent of occupied homes at the 2021 Census, flats are well above the national 14.2 per cent.
- Townhouses and semi-detached dwellings
- The 549 attached dwellings counted at the 2021 Census, 23.3 per cent of occupied homes, are largely infill on subdivided sites.
- Detached houses
- Separate houses numbered 1,208 at the 2021 Census, only 51.2 per cent of occupied homes against 72.3 per cent nationally.
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 Plympton 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.
Plympton
No government agency publishes a free median sale price or rent series for Plympton, so none is shown. A broker can supply recent comparable sales for a specific property as part of a free assessment.
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 Plympton and Somerton Park
Plympton
Transport
- Glenelg tram line (tram)
- Adelaide Metro buses (bus)
- Anzac Highway (road)
- Marion Road (road)
- Cross Road (road)
Amenities
- Anzac Highway shops
- West Side cycleway
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.
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Request a free assessment: Plympton or Somerton Park
An accredited mortgage broker can check your borrowing power against prices in Plympton and Somerton Park, and explain how lenders treat the homes you are considering. The assessment is free of charge and carries no obligation.