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Suburb Insights · SA 5540

Nelshaby, SA 5540 Property Profile

ABS 2021 Census · Updated 21 May 2026

Suburb Overview

Nelshaby is a regional centre in South Australia, Australia, with a population of approximately 188, making it a boutique locality. Located approximately 206 km from the Adelaide CBD, Nelshaby is a regional area in South Australia. The median household income is $66,092 per year.

Investment Score

28 / 100 Weak

Nelshaby's income profile suggests a value-oriented market with competitive purchase prices. As a regional location, growth prospects depend on local economic conditions and infrastructure investment.

Location

Adelaide
Nelshaby
South Australia · 5540
206 km from Adelaide CBD
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Key Indicators

Postcode
5540

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

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Population
188

Usual resident population at the most recent census.

Median weekly rent
$295/wk

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

Median household income
$66,092/yr

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

Distance to CBD
206 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
$1,089/mo

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

Home type
91% houses

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

Investment Insight

Nelshaby is a smaller community of 188 — about 5% of the South Australia suburb median (3,699) — so investors should factor in the narrower buyer pool and longer average time-on-market. Household income of $66,092/year is 18% below the South Australia median of $80,964, typically translating into lower entry prices and a tenant base more sensitive to rent increases. Median weekly rent of $295 equates to $1,278/month — about 117% of the median mortgage repayment of $1,089/month — meaning rental income covers most of a typical owner's repayment and this is a genuine cash-flow suburb before tax benefits. Nelshaby is 206 km from Adelaide, so the local market tracks regional employment and lifestyle drivers more than CBD-driven commuter demand. Separate houses make up 91% of dwellings — 18 percentage points above the South Australia median of 73% — pointing to a family-oriented, land-rich market where value is concentrated in the underlying block.

Nelshaby vs South Australia Median

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

MetricNelshabySA medianΔ vs state
Population1883,699-95%
Median household income$66,092/yr$80,964/yr-18%
Median rent (weekly)$295$320-8%
Median mortgage (monthly)$1,089$1,616-33%
Distance to CBD206 km13 km+1485%
Separate houses91%73%+18pp

Investor Checklist

Pre-inspection briefing for Nelshaby — 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 188 means liquidity is thin and capital growth tends to lag the wider South Australia market over full cycles.

Rental Yield

Strong rental coverage: $295/week (~$1,278/month) covers 117% of the $1,089/month median mortgage repayment, so the shortfall sits at just $0/month. Investors targeting positive cash flow should shortlist this suburb.

⚠️
Renovation / Flip

With 91% houses in a 188-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 Nelshaby property

Full Property Analysis

30-year projections for Nelshaby

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2026 Outlook

Growth: Low Rental Demand: Low Investor Sentiment: Low

Capital-growth expectations for Nelshaby are modest for 2026 — incomes 18% below the SA median of $80,964 and a population of 188 suggest gains will lag headline metro markets. Rental coverage runs at ~117% of the typical mortgage ($1,278/month rent vs $1,089/month repayment), keeping cash flow in positive or near-neutral territory. The EquitySight investment score of 28/100 places Nelshaby in the lower 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 Nelshaby a good suburb for investment?

Nelshaby scores 28/100 on our EquitySight investment framework — a weak rating. That score is driven by a population of 188, median household income of $66,092/year and median weekly rent of $295. 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 Nelshaby?

The main demand drivers in Nelshaby are a median household income of $66,092/year, a dwelling mix that is 91% 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 Nelshaby?

Nelshaby has a usual resident population of approximately 188, 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 Nelshaby from the Adelaide CBD?

Nelshaby sits 206 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 Nelshaby?

The most recent census recorded a median weekly rent of $295 in Nelshaby, equating to approximately $15,340/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 Nelshaby?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Nelshaby is $1,089, or approximately $13,068/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 Nelshaby cash-flow positive for investors?

A median weekly rent of $295 works out to $1,278/month, covering 117% of the median mortgage repayment of $1,089/month. That means rent exceeds the median repayment by roughly $189/month, so on these numbers Nelshaby 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 Nelshaby?

The main risks are a thin buyer pool (188 residents), interest-rate sensitivity on the $1,089 median mortgage, below-median household incomes ($66,092 vs $80,964 state median), 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 Nelshaby 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.

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