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Suburb Insights · SA 5501

Thompson Beach, SA 5501 Property Profile

ABS 2021 Census · Updated 21 May 2026

Suburb Overview

Thompson Beach is a regional centre in South Australia, Australia, with a population of approximately 219, making it a boutique locality. Located approximately 57 km from the Adelaide CBD, Thompson Beach is a regional area in South Australia. The median household income is $52,676 per year.

Investment Score

28 / 100 Weak

Lower income levels in Thompson Beach typically translate to more affordable entry points for investors. Regional positioning means lower entry costs but potentially longer hold periods for capital gains.

Location

Adelaide
Thompson Beach
South Australia · 5501
57 km from Adelaide CBD
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Key Indicators

Postcode
5501

Official Australia Post postcode for Thompson Beach. A postcode may cover multiple suburbs.

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Population
219

Usual resident population at the most recent census.

Median weekly rent
$253/wk

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

Median household income
$52,676/yr

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

Distance to CBD
57 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
$1,018/mo

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

Home type
59% houses

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

Investment Insight

Thompson Beach is a smaller community of 219 — about 6% of the South Australia suburb median (3,699) — so investors should factor in the narrower buyer pool and longer average time-on-market. Thompson Beach's median household income of $52,676/year is 35% below the South Australia suburb median ($80,964) — this is an affordability play where returns lean on yield and patient capital growth rather than demographic premium. Median weekly rent of $253 equates to $1,096/month — about 108% of the median mortgage repayment of $1,018/month — meaning rental income covers most of a typical owner's repayment and this is a genuine cash-flow suburb before tax benefits. Thompson Beach is 57 km from Adelaide, so the local market tracks regional employment and lifestyle drivers more than CBD-driven commuter demand.

Thompson Beach vs South Australia Median

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

MetricThompson BeachSA medianΔ vs state
Population2193,699-94%
Median household income$52,676/yr$80,964/yr-35%
Median rent (weekly)$253$320-21%
Median mortgage (monthly)$1,018$1,616-37%
Distance to CBD57 km13 km+338%
Separate houses59%73%-14pp

Investor Checklist

Pre-inspection briefing for Thompson Beach — 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 219 means liquidity is thin and capital growth tends to lag the wider South Australia market over full cycles.

Rental Yield

Strong rental coverage: $253/week (~$1,096/month) covers 108% of the $1,018/month median mortgage repayment, so the shortfall sits at just $0/month. Investors targeting positive cash flow should shortlist this suburb.

Renovation / Flip

Only 59% of dwellings are separate houses (vs 73% SA median) — this is a unit and townhouse market, where cosmetic flips struggle against body-corporate restrictions, thinner after-reno uplift and competing new supply.

Risk Factors

Run the numbers on a Thompson Beach property

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30-year projections for Thompson Beach

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2026 Outlook

Growth: Low Rental Demand: Low Investor Sentiment: Low

Capital-growth expectations for Thompson Beach are modest for 2026 — incomes 35% below the SA median of $80,964 and a population of 219 suggest gains will lag headline metro markets. Rental coverage runs at ~108% of the typical mortgage ($1,096/month rent vs $1,018/month repayment), keeping cash flow in positive or near-neutral territory. The EquitySight investment score of 28/100 places Thompson Beach 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 Thompson Beach a good suburb for investment?

Thompson Beach scores 28/100 on our EquitySight investment framework — a weak rating. That score is driven by a population of 219, median household income of $52,676/year and median weekly rent of $253. 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 Thompson Beach?

The main demand drivers in Thompson Beach are a median household income of $52,676/year, a dwelling mix that is 59% 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 Thompson Beach?

Thompson Beach has a usual resident population of approximately 219, 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 Thompson Beach from the Adelaide CBD?

Thompson Beach sits 57 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 Thompson Beach?

The most recent census recorded a median weekly rent of $253 in Thompson Beach, equating to approximately $13,156/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 Thompson Beach?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Thompson Beach is $1,018, or approximately $12,216/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 Thompson Beach cash-flow positive for investors?

A median weekly rent of $253 works out to $1,096/month, covering 108% of the median mortgage repayment of $1,018/month. That means rent exceeds the median repayment by roughly $78/month, so on these numbers Thompson Beach 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 Thompson Beach?

The main risks are a thin buyer pool (219 residents), interest-rate sensitivity on the $1,018 median mortgage, below-median household incomes ($52,676 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 Thompson Beach 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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