South Australia’s unstoppable property market: record prices and soaring demand
South Australia’s housing market has hit new heights, with record median prices, surging buyer demand and 190 suburbs now boasting million-dollar medians. In her first regular column for API Magazine, Andrea Heading says the boom shows no signs of slowing.
South Australia’s property market is rewriting records yet again.
New figures from the Valuer-General show the state’s median house price climbed to $800,000 in the September 2025 quarter — while metropolitan Adelaide surged to a record $877,000.
The milestone cements Adelaide’s reputation as one of the nation’s most resilient and sought-after housing markets, with demand showing no sign of easing despite higher living costs and economic uncertainty.
The Valuer-General’s statistics are based on:
- actual property sales across South Australia
- verified transaction data supplied by Land Services SA (the state’s land titles authority)
- comprehensive valuation rolls used for rating and taxing purposes.
Every property sale is analysed and classified into one of more than 2,300 market sub-groups to ensure fair comparisons (e.g. houses vs units, metro vs regional, etc.).
House sale statistics - 3rd quarter 2025
| Q3 2024 | Q2 2025 | Q3 2025 | Quarter | 12 month | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Location | Sales | Median | Sales | Median | Sales | Median | % Change | % Change | |
| South Australia | 6135 | 725000 | 6730 | 790000 | 6293 | 800000 | 1.27% | 10.34% | |
| Metro Adelaide | 4267 | 805000 | 4793 | 865000 | 4450 | 877000 | 1.39% | 8.94% | |
| Central Metro | 1867 | 960000 | 2110 | 1005000 | 1994 | 1045000 | 3.98% | 8.85% | |
| Inner Metro | 250 | 1450000 | 374 | 1495000 | 352 | 1575000 | 5.35% | 8.62% | |
| Outer Metro | 2118 | 683000 | 2270 | 740000 | 2072 | 750000 | 1.35% | 9.81% | |
| Metro Adelaide | 1661 | 590000 | 1803 | 630000 | 1880 | 665000 | 5.56% | 12.71% | |
| Major Towns | 682 | 430000 | 709 | 465000 | 676 | 485000 | 4.30% | 12.79% | |
REISA’s observation is that the results demonstrate the ongoing resilience of South Australia’s housing market and its ability to perform strongly despite broader economic pressures.
The market has proven remarkably steady and reliable throughout the year. Buyers are clearly still active and willing to pay for quality, well-positioned homes.
While growth remains strong, it is underpinned by sensible buying behaviour — people are seeking stability and long-term value in the South Australian market, not just short-term opportunity.
The number of million-dollar suburbs has also risen again this quarter — up from 157 to 190 suburbs now sitting above the $1 million median mark. This milestone highlights the ongoing expansion of high-value areas and the growing strength of South Australia’s upper-end market.
Over the last 12 months, suburbs exceeding the $1 million median has grown. This shift reflects not only demand for premium homes, but also the ripple effect of price growth across the city and lifestyle regions.
Adelaide suburb highlights
For this quarter REISA particularly looked at Port Adelaide, Semaphore and Rosewater to evaluate what will happen (or indeed has already started) with the Osborne Naval Shipyard and AUKUS in particular.
Under AUKUS and associated defence-construction work around SA, the federal government has announced that up to 4,000 workers may be employed to design and build the infrastructure.
An additional 4,000-5,500 direct jobs are expected (at peak) to build the submarines at Osborne.
With significant employment and infrastructure comes increased demand for housing from workers, their families, suppliers, service industries etc. Areas close to the workplace become more desirable for short commuting and convenience.
Coastal and near-port suburbs continue to perform strongly:
- Semaphore has joined the $1 million club, now sitting at $1.43 million, a 4.82 per cent increase on the June quarter. Its coastal lifestyle appeal remains a major drawcard for both families and investors.
- Port Adelaide’s median has increased 10.42 per cent to $725,000, supported by ongoing precinct revitalisation and steady buyer interest in mixed-use and heritage-style dwellings.
- Rosewater continues its steady climb, with the median rising 12.3 per cent to $822,000, reflecting renewed confidence in suburbs adjacent to key development and infrastructure zones.
In other areas top selling suburbs across the metropolitan area included Mount Barker, Morphett Vale and Paralowie, continuing their trend as strong favourites among both home buyers and investors.
Regional South Australia also recorded growth, with the median price now at $485,000, up 4.30 per cent from the previous quarter.
Consistent demand for realistically priced properties remains a hallmark of the regional market, even amid limited supply.
While some have expressed concerns that the Adelaide market may have peaked, Ms Heading said 2026 would present more growth opportunities.
“South Australia continues to outperform expectations.
“Growth has been strong but measured, which is the hallmark of a sustainable market,” she said.
