Morphett Vale, SA
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Morphett Vale is a southern suburb of Adelaide within the City of Onkaparinga, and is the most populous suburb in South Australia. It is bordered roughly by Sheriffs and Pimpala Roads, Panalatinga Road, Doctors and Beach Roads and the Southern Expressway. Often described as the first major town south of Adelaide, it grew from a subdivision laid out in October 1840 under the name Dublin, and was later named after John Morphett, an early colonist and parliamentarian. The young town soon had churches and chapels, a brewery, a wind-powered flour mill, a court house and a police station, while the surrounding land carried cereal crops, mixed farms and vineyards; a visitor in 1866 noted its neat residences and fine vineyards. A district council was formed in 1852 and merged with Noarlunga in 1932, and during the Second World War the area was a notable producer of flax. The Willunga railway line ran through the town until 1969 and its route now serves as a walking and cycling path. Extensive subdivision through the 1960s turned the district from farmland into a metropolitan suburb, though the heritage-listed old court house and early churches in William Street still recall its colonial beginnings.
Among Australia's less advantaged suburbs
Morphett Vale is more socio-economically advantaged than about 11% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 894, 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.
Morphett Vale at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 24,002
- Median age
- 40
- Median weekly household income
- $1,199
- SEIFA score
- 894
- Coordinates
- -35.1208, 138.5284
Morphett Vale demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Morphett Vale 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 young adults (25–44) at 27%, 28% of homes are rented, and 22% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 3,973 | 17% |
| Youth (15–24) | 2,740 | 11% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 6,394 | 27% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 5,847 | 24% |
| Seniors (65+) | 5,053 | 21% |
Share of the 24,007 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 2,741 | 28% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 4,095 | 41% |
| Rented | 2,793 | 28% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 8,406 | 85% |
| Townhouses & semis | 1,459 | 15% |
| Flats & apartments | 33 | 0% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 9,905 occupied private dwellings in Morphett Vale.
- Median weekly rent
- $295
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,300
- Average household size
- 2.3 people
- Median weekly family income
- $1,480
- Median weekly personal income
- $639
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 4,929 (22%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 2,161 (9%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 555 (2%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 8,631 (45%)
- Labour-force participation
- 56.2%
- Unemployment rate
- 6.7%
- Employed full-time
- 5,829
- Employed part-time
- 4,043
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 Morphett Vale
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Morphett Vale is January (average daytime high around 27.9°C) and the coolest is July (around 14°C). The area receives roughly 711 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27.9°C | 17.5°C | 29 mm |
| Feb | 26.5°C | 17°C | 29 mm |
| Mar | 24.7°C | 16°C | 20 mm |
| Apr | 21.4°C | 14°C | 51 mm |
| May | 17.3°C | 11.7°C | 86 mm |
| Jun | 14.8°C | 9.6°C | 100 mm |
| Jul | 14°C | 8.9°C | 104 mm |
| Aug | 14.7°C | 8.8°C | 95 mm |
| Sep | 17.2°C | 10.2°C | 62 mm |
| Oct | 20.5°C | 11.9°C | 52 mm |
| Nov | 22.7°C | 13.6°C | 52 mm |
| Dec | 25.6°C | 15.6°C | 31 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Morphett Vale
Where is Morphett Vale?
Morphett Vale is a suburb of South Australia, Australia.
What is the population of Morphett Vale?
At the 2021 Census, Morphett Vale had a population of about 24,002.
Is Morphett Vale an advantaged area?
Morphett Vale has an ABS SEIFA score of 894, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 11 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 11% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Morphett Vale?
Morphett Vale has average daytime highs of about 20.6°C and overnight lows of about 12.9°C, with roughly 711 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
How big is Morphett Vale?
Morphett Vale is one of the most populous suburbs in South Australia — the 2nd-largest by usual resident population at the 2021 Census (about 24,002 usual residents).
Where Morphett Vale ranks
Morphett Vale appears in these data-driven guides — each a transparent sort on a single ABS figure shown on this page.
Nearby suburbs in South Australia
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