Wallaroo and Victor Harbor both named SA’s best retirement spots – but which is better?

Both sport beautiful seaside views and promise a quiet place to see off the golden years. But which idyllic SA country town came out ahead?

George Yankovich

3 min read

August 24, 2024 - 6:00PM

Yorke Peninsula holiday town Wallaroo has been named the best place to retire in South Australia. Picture: SA Tourism Corporation

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Lush seaside views, affordable living and a thriving community made them the best places to retire in South Australia.

But in the battle of the small country towns, with plenty of tough competition, which one comes out on top for seeing out old age?

Wallaroo on the Yorke Peninsula was last week named the state’s top retirement destination and the eighth-best overall in Australia.

The holiday town just shy of 4500 people was praised in finance company Citro’s top 30 list for its “beautiful, unspoilt beaches”, “excellent fishing” and ample dining choices.

Retired SANFL player Kym Hodgeman with wife Karen at their Wallaroo home. Picture: Supplied

It also recorded a median dwelling price of $448,242, well below Adelaide’s at $785,000.

Victor Harbor, an hour’s drive from Adelaide, also received a nod with its “relaxed seaside ambience and abundant recreation options”.

Footballer Kym Hodgeman in 1989.

More than a third of the town’s population is aged 65-plus, which has spurred the tongue-in-cheek nickname “God’s waiting room”.

For retired SANFL footballer and Margarey Medallist Kym Hodgeman, the most important consideration was good fishing spots – and affordability.

The 68-year-old moved to Wallaroo with wife Karen, 61, in June last year, where he coaches the local footy club.

“We’d been talking for the last five years about where to retire and we were looking at somewhere around Seaford, but we just found that it was a lot more affordable here,” Mr Hodgeman said.

“We can still travel and have a great lifestyle, and it’s just beautiful looking out to the marina.”

Average house prices in the region have grown by 22 per cent over the past year, and the Hodgemans said their property’s value had risen by more than $100,000 since they moved in.

Retiree Jenny Crawford, pictured with husband Tony, volunteers at the Victor Harbor library. Picture: Mark Brake

Copper Coast Council mayor Roslyn Talbot said the pace of development in the town, especially at the waterfront, meant that more retirees were choosing it over nearby destinations like Kadina.

The influx of retirees has also created jobs for working people in the region, according to Ms Talbot.

“If I was comparing it to Victor Harbor, Wallaroo has much better weather – it’s lovely in the summer and usually a lot less cold in winter – we have great services and the road getting here is so much better than Victor Harbor Rd,” she said.

“We have a hospital, golf course, fishing spots and it’s just a really welcoming community.”

But Victor Harbor mayor Moira Jenkins said she “couldn’t imagine any other place people would want to retire to”.

“Victor Harbor has the dolphins and the whales, and the most beautiful coastline. We’re an hour away from Adelaide and have fabulous health services.

“We also have a younger cohort which keeps the retired cohort feeling young themselves.”

Victor Harbor had comparatively higher median house prices at $634,799 and steadier growth of nine per cent over the last year.

Heather Webster on the porch of her home in Rosetta Retirement Village at Victor Harbor. Picture: Mark Brake

Heather Webster, 78, found herself put off by house prices when she started preparing for retirement, after ending a high-pressure career in customer service.

But when push came to shove, her choices boiled down to the Copper Coast or Victor Harbor, and she was mainly considering the weather and staying close to her daughter in Adelaide.

She eventually decided on the south, paying a plumb $255,000 for a unit at Rosetta Retirement Village.

“When I was thinking about what you get for your money, I looked at a few places, but what I got at a retirement village was just better value,” Mrs Webster said.

“It’s just such a tranquil, peaceful, beautiful place out here.”

Retiree Jenny Crawford said she wanted to retire close to the beach. Picture: Mark Brake

Victor Harbor also made Citro’s list for its “relaxed seaside ambience and abundant recreation options”. Picture: Supplied

Like many other Victor Harbor retirees, Jenny Crawford, 76, wanted to live near the beach, recalling childhood trips to Brighton, and to be closer to her son.

She has been there for seven years with husband Tony, and while they live independently, she was reassured by the choice of care homes.

“If we do have to go into a nursing home, we don’t have to go very far … There are plenty of homes for varying levels,” she said.

She said that GP waiting times could range up to two months, but Wallaroo’s mayor also reported healthcare struggles with the local hospital “near capacity” like many others across the state.

Topping the Australia-wide list was Armidale in New South Wales, followed by Ingham, Queensland, and Maryborough, Victoria.

Mount Barker was the only other SA town mentioned, recognised for its “serene landscapes, rich cultural heritage and comfortable country lifestyle”.