Murray Bridge property market: the official numbers
The official read on Murray Bridge, SA: who lives there, what they pay in rent and repayments, and where the jobs are. Every figure below is ABS Census 2021 data, linked at the bottom so you can check it yourself.
The straight answer
Murray Bridge rented at a median $240/wk in 2021 — 36% below the national median. The typical rent ($1,040/mo) sat right up against the typical repayment ($1,100/mo). Cashflow territory.
The key numbers
The typical repayment ran at about 24% of the median household income. These are point-in-time medians from August 2021. Rents and repayments have moved since — repayments especially, after the 2022–24 rate rises — so compare places with them; don't price today with them.
Renting vs paying a mortgage
At the census, the typical monthly rent worked out to $1,040 against a typical mortgage repayment of $1,100:
How to read the rent-repayment gap
The mortgage figure reflects loans and rates as at August 2021, before the 2022–24 rate rises — today's repayment on a new loan would be higher. The rent figure is what tenants were actually paying, not today's asking rents. The useful signal is the shape: where rent and repayments sit close together, buying has historically competed well with renting here; where repayments tower over rent, the market prices in growth. Run your own numbers with the mortgage vs invest tool or what can I afford?
How Murray Bridge houses itself
35.0% of Murray Bridge households rent — that's the tenant pool an investor here would actually be renting into, and it's a deep pool by national standards.
Who lives here
How to read an age profile
A heavy 25–44 band usually means family housing demand (and pressure on 3–4 bedroom stock); a heavy 65+ band signals downsizer and retiree demand (units, single-level living, proximity to health care). Murray Bridge's median age of 42 sits above the national median of 38.
Where the pay cheques come from
health care & social assistance employs 15.7% of Murray Bridge's 7,070 workers (Census 2021). Local housing demand rises and falls with it.
Buying costs in SA, exactly
Current sale prices live behind licensed feeds we won't republish. The costs of buying don't — they're public and exact:
- Stamp duty in South Australia — exact duty and first-home-buyer concessions.
- What can I afford? — borrowing power, price range and all-in upfront cash.
- The official SA price trend — ABS state-level values since 2011, interactive.
Common questions
What is the median rent in Murray Bridge?
At the 2021 Census the median rent in Murray Bridge was $240 a week — 36% below the national median ($375/wk). Rents have moved since 2021; check current listings for today's asking rents.
How many people live in Murray Bridge?
18,243 people at the 2021 Census, with a median age of 42 (national median: 38). Murray Bridge is one of South Australia's significant urban areas as defined by the ABS.
What do people in Murray Bridge do for work?
The biggest employing industry is health care & social assistance, followed by retail trade (ABS Census 2021). The industry mix shapes how resilient local housing demand is.
The verdict
Your call
On the census shape, Murray Bridge suits the cashflow buyer: the typical rent ($1,040/mo) sat right up against the typical repayment ($1,100/mo). It's a weaker fit for anyone banking on scarcity to do the work. Size is the catch — at 18,243 people, exits are slow here. Count on months, not weeks, if you ever need to sell.
Everything above is August 2021 — before you act, pull current asking rents, vacancy and listing volumes for Murray Bridge. Then run your own numbers: what can I afford? for borrowing power and upfront cash, and the South Australia stamp duty calculator for the tax bill.
Other SA markets
Adelaide · Mount Gambier · Victor Harbor - Goolwa · Whyalla · Port Lincoln · Port Pirie
All cities & hubs: the full directory.
General information only — not financial or property advice. All figures are ABS Census 2021 ( official QuickStats for Murray Bridge, CC-BY 4.0), which predates the 2022–24 rate rises; conditions have moved since. Last reviewed 10 July 2026.