The short answer
- In the year to the June quarter 2026, the typical northern suburb's median house price rose about 15%, in line with Adelaide overall.
- The number of sales barely moved: about 6,341 house sales in the north, 1% fewer than the year before.
- Salisbury had the strongest rises, led by Paralowie and Ingle Farm, both up about 22%.
- 13 northern suburbs moved above the First Home Guarantee's $900,000 cap, most of them in Tea Tree Gully.
- For borrowers, that means checking the cap, watching valuations and knowing your limit before you bid.
Where we looked
We used the South Australian Valuer-General's official house sales data for the four quarters to June 2026, the latest available, for the City of Playford, the City of Salisbury, the City of Tea Tree Gully and the Town of Gawler. Source: Valuer-General via Data SA
The "typical price rise" is the middle result across suburbs with at least 10 sales in both the June quarter 2025 and the June quarter 2026. Across all of metro Adelaide, the same measure was 15%, and the metro median house price was $975,000. Source: Valuer-General
The north at a glance
| Council | Typical price rise | House sales, 12 months | Change in sales | Suburbs under $900k, 2025 to 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Playford | +15% | 2,356 | +0% | 22 to 21 of 23 |
| Salisbury | +18% | 2,144 | -2% | 20 to 15 of 23 |
| Tea Tree Gully | +15% | 1,329 | -3% | 15 to 5 of 18 |
| Gawler | +11% | 512 | -2% | 10 to 11 of 11 |
Sales compare July 2025 to June 2026 with the 12 months before. Suburbs that cross council boundaries are counted once. Gawler's price rise is based on only six suburbs with enough sales.
Across metro Adelaide, house sales rose 2% over the same period, so activity in the north held steady rather than surging. What changed was the price buyers paid.
Where prices rose fastest
These suburbs had the biggest rises among those with at least 15 sales in both June quarters.
| Suburb | June qtr 2025 | June qtr 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paralowie | $670,000 | $819,500 | +22% |
| Ingle Farm | $735,000 | $895,000 | +22% |
| Elizabeth Park | $560,000 | $680,000 | +21% |
| Elizabeth Vale | $622,000 | $750,000 | +21% |
| Elizabeth Downs | $560,000 | $670,500 | +20% |
| Valley View | $802,500 | $960,000 | +20% |
| Redwood Park | $755,500 | $900,000 | +19% |
| Hillbank | $726,500 | $864,750 | +19% |
Growth was slowest in Gawler and on the northern fringe: Gawler East (+5%), Angle Vale (+6%), Willaston (+7%), Blakeview (+7%).
Where activity is strongest
The busiest suburbs by number of house sales over the past year:
| Suburb | Council | House sales, 12 months | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paralowie | Salisbury | 251 | +5% |
| Munno Para West | Playford | 232 | -9% |
| Andrews Farm | Playford | 221 | -1% |
| Parafield Gardens | Salisbury | 219 | +2% |
| Ingle Farm | Salisbury | 196 | -6% |
| Angle Vale | Playford | 187 | +9% |
| Blakeview | Playford | 181 | -11% |
| Craigmore | Playford | 180 | +0% |
Activity grew most in Virginia (+32%), Dernancourt (+31%), Elizabeth Downs (+26%), Elizabeth East (+23%), Gawler East (+22%), Riverlea Park (+21%), among suburbs with at least 50 sales the year before. It fell most in Para Vista (-24%), Hope Valley (-22%), Davoren Park (-21%), Greenwith (-21%), Modbury Heights (-20%).
The $900,000 squeeze
The First Home Guarantee lets eligible buyers purchase with a 5% deposit and no lenders mortgage insurance, but only up to $900,000 in Adelaide. Source: Housing Australia In Tea Tree Gully, the number of suburbs with a median under $900,000 fell from 15 to 5 in a year. These northern suburbs moved above the cap:
| Suburb | June qtr 2025 | June qtr 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Gilles Plains | $785,000 | $902,500 |
| Modbury North | $779,000 | $905,000 |
| St Agnes | $810,500 | $905,000 |
| Fairview Park | $790,000 | $907,000 |
| Mawson Lakes | $840,000 | $920,000 |
| Pooraka | $802,500 | $920,000 |
| Hope Valley | $860,750 | $928,750 |
| Golden Grove | $865,000 | $933,500 |
| Modbury Heights | $845,000 | $939,000 |
| Valley View | $802,500 | $960,000 |
| Wynn Vale | $775,000 | $995,000 |
| Greenwith | $856,750 | $1,000,000 |
| Salisbury Heights | $855,000 | $1,010,000 |
Close behind, just under the cap in the June quarter 2026: Ingle Farm ($895,000), Ridgehaven ($895,000), Angle Vale ($887,500), Parafield Gardens ($880,000), Modbury ($880,000).
Source: Valuer-General, Metropolitan Median House Sales, June quarters 2025 and 2026. A suburb's median being above $900,000 doesn't mean every home is. About half the homes sold in the quarter went for less.
What it means if you're borrowing
- Check the price, not the suburb. If you're using the First Home Guarantee, it's the price of your home that must be $900,000 or less. In the suburbs that crossed the cap, look at below-median homes or nearby suburbs.
- Watch the valuation. When prices rise quickly, a lender's valuation can come in below the price you agreed to pay. You'd need to cover the gap from your own money, so make your offer subject to finance where you can.
- Know your limit before you bid. Prices rose about 15% while interest rates rose four times this year, so many buyers can borrow less than they could a year ago. Our borrowing power article explains why.
- Consider new homes. First home buyers in South Australia pay no stamp duty on a new home and may get a $15,000 grant. Loans to buy or build a new home are also exempt from APRA's limit on high debt-to-income lending. Source: APRA
- Choose the right lender. Lenders differ on income, expenses and property type, which matters more when every dollar of borrowing power counts. See what lenders assess differently.
For suburbs still under the cap, see our Adelaide suburbs for first home buyers, and for the costs at a typical northern price, what $700k buys in Adelaide.
Information is general and correct as at October 2026, using the latest Valuer-General data (June quarter 2026). Quarterly medians can move a lot, past growth doesn't predict future growth, and this isn't a recommendation to buy in any suburb.