Dulwich, SA
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Dulwich is a historic, well-to-do suburb on the eastern edge of Adelaide's parklands, within the City of Burnside. Before European settlement the area was home to the Kaurna people. Laid out on land first surveyed by Colonel William Light and once owned by a retired naval captain, the district was christened the Village of Dulwich in the nineteenth century by John Hector, a banker who subdivided it; the name echoes Dulwich in London. Settled slowly as grazing land gave way to housing, the suburb was substantially complete by the mid twentieth century, and much of its gracious Victorian housing now carries heritage protection. Leafy streets, grand old homes and a close-in setting beside the parklands make it sought after. The Dulwich Community Centre anchors local life.
Among Australia's more advantaged suburbs
Dulwich is more socio-economically advantaged than about 96% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 1113, where about 1000 is the national average).
A socio-economic measure from ABS Census data — not a measure of how good a suburb is to live in or visit. How we calculate this.
Dulwich at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 1,659
- Median age
- 43
- Median weekly household income
- $2,101
- SEIFA score
- 1113
- Coordinates
- -34.9367, 138.6287
Dulwich demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Dulwich using the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census; every percentage is a share of a clearly stated Census count, so each one traces back to the source. At a glance, the largest age group is mid-life (45–64) at 28%, 31% of homes are rented, and 23% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 311 | 19% |
| Youth (15–24) | 197 | 12% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 365 | 22% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 468 | 28% |
| Seniors (65+) | 327 | 20% |
Share of the 1,668 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 267 | 40% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 188 | 28% |
| Rented | 204 | 31% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 466 | 70% |
| Townhouses & semis | 189 | 28% |
| Flats & apartments | 14 | 2% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 669 occupied private dwellings in Dulwich.
- Median weekly rent
- $320
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,600
- Average household size
- 2.4 people
- Median weekly family income
- $3,230
- Median weekly personal income
- $1,036
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 379 (23%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 262 (16%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 13 (1%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 1,052 (83%)
- Labour-force participation
- 65.4%
- Unemployment rate
- 5.1%
- Employed full-time
- 480
- Employed part-time
- 334
Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2021 (General Community Profile, by Suburb and Locality). © Australian Bureau of Statistics, released under CC BY 4.0. How we group bands and derive each share is set out on our methodology page.
Weather and climate in Dulwich
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Dulwich is January (average daytime high around 29.7°C) and the coolest is July (around 14.4°C). The area receives roughly 732 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29.7°C | 17°C | 34 mm |
| Feb | 28.2°C | 16.4°C | 32 mm |
| Mar | 26°C | 15.4°C | 23 mm |
| Apr | 22.1°C | 13.5°C | 54 mm |
| May | 17.7°C | 11.2°C | 83 mm |
| Jun | 15.1°C | 9.3°C | 91 mm |
| Jul | 14.4°C | 8.5°C | 102 mm |
| Aug | 15.3°C | 8.4°C | 91 mm |
| Sep | 18°C | 9.7°C | 69 mm |
| Oct | 21.9°C | 11.5°C | 59 mm |
| Nov | 24.1°C | 13°C | 57 mm |
| Dec | 27.3°C | 15°C | 37 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Dulwich
Where is Dulwich?
Dulwich is a suburb of South Australia, Australia.
What is the population of Dulwich?
At the 2021 Census, Dulwich had a population of about 1,659.
Is Dulwich an advantaged area?
Dulwich has an ABS SEIFA score of 1113, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 96 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 96% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Dulwich?
Dulwich has average daytime highs of about 21.7°C and overnight lows of about 12.4°C, with roughly 732 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
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