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Suburb Insights · SA 5271

Lochaber, SA 5271 Property Profile

ABS 2021 Census · Updated 21 May 2026

Suburb Overview

Lochaber is a regional centre in South Australia, Australia, with a population of approximately 122, making it a boutique locality. Located approximately 274 km from the Adelaide CBD, Lochaber is a regional area in South Australia. The median household income is $123,448 per year.

Investment Score

48 / 100 Moderate

Strong household incomes in Lochaber underpin solid property demand. Regional positioning means lower entry costs but potentially longer hold periods for capital gains.

Location

Adelaide
Lochaber
South Australia · 5271
274 km from Adelaide CBD
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Key Indicators

Postcode
5271

Official Australia Post postcode for Lochaber. A postcode may cover multiple suburbs.

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Population
122

Usual resident population at the most recent census.

Median weekly rent
$139/wk

Weekly median rent for occupied homes. Live rental data integration coming soon.

Median household income
$123,448/yr

Annual median household income (before tax) across all households.

Distance to CBD
274 km

Straight-line distance from the suburb centroid to the nearest capital city CBD. Actual driving distance will be longer.

Lifestyle & Amenities

Schools nearby
1

Estimated 1 school within or near this suburb.

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Parks & green spaces
1

Estimated 1 park and green spaces near this suburb.

Median monthly mortgage
$250/mo

Monthly median mortgage repayment for households currently paying off a mortgage.

Home type
84% houses

Proportion of separate houses versus units, townhouses, and other home types. Useful for investors assessing rental demand mix.

Investment Insight

Lochaber is a smaller community of 122 — about 3% of the South Australia suburb median (3,699) — so investors should factor in the narrower buyer pool and longer average time-on-market. Median household income of $123,448/year runs 52% above the South Australia suburb median of $80,964, indicating strong purchasing power and the type of demographic profile that tends to sustain premium property prices through market cycles. Median weekly rent of $139 equates to $602/month — about 241% of the median mortgage repayment of $250/month — meaning rental income covers most of a typical owner's repayment and this is a genuine cash-flow suburb before tax benefits. Lochaber is 274 km from Adelaide, so the local market tracks regional employment and lifestyle drivers more than CBD-driven commuter demand.

Lochaber vs South Australia Median

How Lochaber stacks up against the median of all South Australia suburbs in our dataset. Positive values mean Lochaber sits above the state median; negative means below.

MetricLochaberSA medianΔ vs state
Population1223,699-97%
Median household income$123,448/yr$80,964/yr+52%
Median rent (weekly)$139$320-57%
Median mortgage (monthly)$250$1,616-85%
Distance to CBD274 km13 km+2008%
Separate houses84%73%+11pp

Investor Checklist

Pre-inspection briefing for Lochaber — every item is derived from public datasets, with full citations in our data sources page.

Investment Strategy

Buy & Hold

Limited buy-and-hold upside: a small population of 122 means liquidity is thin and capital growth tends to lag the wider South Australia market over full cycles.

Rental Yield

Strong rental coverage: $139/week (~$602/month) covers 241% of the $250/month median mortgage repayment, so the shortfall sits at just $0/month. Investors targeting positive cash flow should shortlist this suburb.

⚠️
Renovation / Flip

With 84% houses in a 122-person market, renovation margins depend on individual street and aspect rather than any suburb-wide story — do comparable-sales analysis before committing capital.

Risk Factors

Run the numbers on a Lochaber property

Full Property Analysis

30-year projections for Lochaber

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2026 Outlook

Growth: Low Rental Demand: Low Investor Sentiment: Low

Capital-growth expectations for Lochaber are modest for 2026 — incomes 52% above the SA median of $80,964 and a population of 122 suggest gains will lag headline metro markets. Rental coverage runs at ~241% of the typical mortgage ($602/month rent vs $250/month repayment), keeping cash flow in positive or near-neutral territory. The EquitySight investment score of 48/100 places Lochaber in the mid tier of Australian suburbs we profile, and overall investor sentiment is cautious heading into the second half of 2026.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Lochaber a good suburb for investment?

Lochaber scores 48/100 on our EquitySight investment framework — a moderate rating. That score is driven by a population of 122, median household income of $123,448/year and median weekly rent of $139. Whether it fits your portfolio depends on whether you are targeting cash flow, capital growth, or a value-add renovation — all three are scored with suburb-specific numbers elsewhere on this page.

What drives property demand in Lochaber?

The main demand drivers in Lochaber are an above-state-median household income of $123,448/year, a dwelling mix that is 84% separate houses, roughly 1 schools and 1 parks within the catchment. Together these shape both owner-occupier and tenant demand and are the factors we weight most heavily in the suburb's investment score.

What is the population of Lochaber?

Lochaber has a usual resident population of approximately 122, compared with a South Australia suburb median of 3,699 — placing it in the lower half of the state's suburbs by size. Population is the clearest proxy for market depth: more residents mean more transactions and typically a shorter average days-on-market on resale.

How far is Lochaber from the Adelaide CBD?

Lochaber sits 274 km straight-line from the Adelaide CBD. This is a regional market where CBD distance is only indicative — local industry diversity and commute alternatives matter more.

What is the median rent in Lochaber?

The most recent census recorded a median weekly rent of $139 in Lochaber, equating to approximately $7,228/year in gross rental income (state median $320/week). Market rents have typically drifted above the recorded figure — verify against current listings on realestate.com.au and Domain before making an offer.

What is the typical mortgage repayment in Lochaber?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Lochaber is $250, or approximately $3,000/year (vs $1,616/month state median). Stress-test your own borrowing at rates 1–2 percentage points above today's to make sure you can still service the loan through an RBA tightening cycle.

Is Lochaber cash-flow positive for investors?

A median weekly rent of $139 works out to $602/month, covering 241% of the median mortgage repayment of $250/month. That means rent exceeds the median repayment by roughly $352/month, so on these numbers Lochaber leans cash-flow-positive before accounting for strata, council rates, insurance and maintenance. Actual cash flow depends on your deposit, loan terms, ownership costs and marginal tax rate — run the full numbers in our rental yield calculator.

What are the main risks of investing in Lochaber?

The main risks are a thin buyer pool (122 residents), interest-rate sensitivity on the $250 median mortgage, the broader South Australia market cycle. Each of these is covered in the Risk Factors section above with suburb-specific numbers rather than generic warnings.

How we built this Lochaber profile

Every number on this page comes from the ABS 2021 Census of Population and Housing, Australia Post postcode reference data, and OpenStreetMap amenity tiles. The investment score, strategy verdicts, and comparison table are computed deterministically from those inputs — no opinion, no estimation. See our full methodology and the data sources and licences for the formulas we use.

Nearby Suburbs

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