Question 1

Is Malvern a nice place to live?

Accepted Answer

Malvern is an inner southern Adelaide suburb in the City of Unley with leafy, tree-lined streets and a strong presence of early 20th-century homes, from weatherboard cottages to Edwardian and bungalow styles. It feels quietly residential and is popular with professionals and families who want close-in convenience without inner-city density. Housing leans to single-storey period homes with pockets of low-rise infill and modern townhouses. Residents rely on nearby Unley and Goodwood for cafes, shops and services, use local parks and sporting grounds, and benefit from straightforward public transport and road links into the city. The local shopping strip on Unley Road includes a Malvern IGA.

With 2,713 people, a median age of 46 and a typical household income of $2,655 a week (roughly $138,000 a year), Malvern is mostly owner-occupied—about four in five homes are owned outright or with a mortgage and 19.3% are rented. Couple families with and without children make up 88.2% of families. That mix points to a settled, close-in suburb that may suit established households and those seeking local convenience; whether it fits you comes down to what you want in a suburb.

Question 2

Is it expensive to live in Malvern?

Accepted Answer

On the figures, rent in Malvern 5061 takes a sizeable slice of what a typical local household earned at the most recent Census. A house renting for $998 a week is about 37.6% of a Census-recorded weekly household income of $2,655, which is a sizeable share of income; a unit at $540 a week is roughly 20.3% of that weekly income, a moderate share. If you're renting rather than buying, those rent shares are the numbers that matter when weighing costs here.

Everyone's financial situation is different, so it's important to consider your own circumstances when deciding which suburb is right for you.

Question 3

Is Malvern a good place to invest?

Accepted Answer

The most striking movement over the past year is house rents, which jumped 24.8%. House values also rose, up 10.4% over 12 months, while unit rents increased more modestly, by 4.9%.

For someone weighing Malvern as an investment, those figures separate rental income from capital growth: house rents grew faster than house prices did this year, and unit rents moved more gently. Whether that pattern fits your goals and circumstances is for you to weigh up.

This information has been prepared without taking your objectives, needs and overall financial situation into account. It is not meant to be a substitute for professional financial advice. For this reason, you should consider the appropriateness of the information and, if necessary, seek appropriate professional advice.

	Houses	Units
Median price Past 3 months	N/A	N/A
Change in value Past 12 months	10.4%	N/A
Sold Past 3 months	8	2
Median days on market Past 12 months	75	N/A
Average rent Past 12 months	$998	$540
Change in rent Past 12 months	24.8%	4.9%

Get a property report and suburb profile for any property in Malvern

Malvern suburb profile

Malvern property market performance

5 year median price trend for houses and units

Malvern demographics

Suburbs near Malvern

How does Malvern compare to nearby suburbs?

Choose the right real estate agents in Malvern

Get a head start and compare top local agents in Malvern

Not quite ready to sell?

Suburb and property report

Digital estimate for your property

Navigate the market