New data shows which South Africa suburbs will be busiest by 2026 – realestate.com.au

The Great Australian Dream of a country home is disappearing as buyers embrace high-density living.

New data from Informed Decisions has ranked South Africa’s suburbs by their expected population growth – taking into account factors such as migration, birth rates, life expectancy, planned developments and future developments based on local zoning rules – to find our most densely populated areas.

Bowden came in at number one, with a workforce of 60.56 per hectare which rose to 62.32 per hectare over the next twelve months.

Kurralta Park and Ashford, both in Adelaide’s western suburbs, will be Adelaide’s second and third most densely populated suburbs at 42.95/per ha and 37.38/ha respectively, while Brompton, adjacent to Bowden, will come in fourth with 35.55 people per ha.

Angle Vale is tipped for the biggest population growth, with its population of 8,506 set to increase by 1,280 to 9,786 next year.

Dan Evans, community views service lead at Informed Decisions. Image supplied.

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Informed Decisions head of community visions Dan Evans said there had been an ongoing turnover of former industrial land in Adelaide, turning older industrial uses into well-thought-out mini-suburbs.

“There are some great examples of medium density precincts in Tonsley, where the Mitsubishi Motors factory used to be, and the old Clipsal factory in Bowden,” Mr Evans said.

“These neighborhoods are not just about the homes, but about the community that is created in these new neighborhoods.

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“These neighborhoods are closer to the city than greenfield areas and provide opportunities for first home buyers to enter the market in areas where they may have grown up, or closer to employment opportunities in the CBD.”

It comes as recent data from the Housing Industry Association shows that “soft density” – projects such as townhouses, duplexes and townhomes – is increasing in a number of states.

HIA executive director of planning Sam Heckel said medium-density projects could deliver homes faster and more affordably.

“Australia’s housing crisis will not be solved without increasing the number of medium-density housing, especially in our larger cities,” Mr Heckel said.

Thomas Crawford of Crawford Doran Real Estate. Photo: Matt Loxton

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Crawford Doran director Thomas Crawford – who has been selling in Bowden for more than a decade and whose company has sold about 10 homes in Bowden in the past year – said higher residential density was essential to Adelaide’s growth, but said its success was not just down to the design, but also the surrounding amenities and supporting infrastructure.

“Buying a house is now a lifestyle decision, and that was because of Covid, and the house is just part of that, it’s everything around it what it offers, what access they have to what things and how good would their life be living there,” he said.

Andrew Tomlin and his business partner Damon Semantic, in Bowden SA. Photo: Ben Clark

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Contour Property director Andrew Tomlin, whose company created both the Cadence and Tribeca developments in Bowden, said the Great Australian Dream of a house and land was not an outdated idea, but rather one that was evolving.

“The modern Australian dream is still about ownership and quality of life, but now it is more about location, design and connection than sheer land size,” he said.

“People want to live close to work, to cafes, to culture – and that is where high-quality developments and sustainable neighborhoods come into play.

“The dream is still alive – it’s just smarter, more efficient and more attuned to how Australians live today.”

– with Elizabeth Tilley