Council (LGA) · Area profile
Roxby Downs
110 km²
Set in a hot, dry landscape with an average maximum temperature of 28.4°C, Roxby Downs is a specialized mining town in South Australia. It is a remarkably young community where the typical resident is just 31, and children make up over a quarter of the population. This creates a distinct character defined by high-earning families and a transient workforce, with over half the residents having moved here in the last five years.
Household incomes here are high, yet Roxby Downs's schools draw a notably less advantaged community.
Roxby Downs has many young families but fewer schools per child than most areas.
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The community is noticeably younger than the national figure, with 25.5% of people being children under 15 and only 1.6% aged 65 or over. De facto relationships are far more common here than across Australia, at 22.6%.
Most residents were born in Australia (74.3%), and the area has far fewer overseas-born residents (13.6%) than the national average of 27.7%. Australian and English are the most common ancestries.
While English is the main language for 79.7% of the population, 8.9% of people use another language at home, which is higher than most similar areas. However, this is still well below the state average.
A majority of residents (52.8%) report having no religion, a figure that is far above the national average. This has seen a sharp increase, rising 22 points since 2011.
People with a bachelor's degree or higher (13.7%) are far fewer than the national figure. Many adults have a Certificate III or IV, and 48.2% have completed Year 12.
Incomes are exceptionally high, with typical weekly household earnings of $3,140, which is far above the national figure of $1,746. Nearly half of all households earn $3,000 or more per week.
Residents are in very good health, with only 16.3% reporting a long-term health condition, which is far below the national average. Very few people (1.1%) need help with daily activities.
Caring for children is common, with 34.7% of people providing unpaid childcare, well above the national figure. However, volunteering is lower than most areas at 14.1%.
First Nations residents earn significantly more than those in other similar areas, with a typical household income of $3,024. This group is also much younger than the state average, with a typical age of 21.
Families are larger than usual, with 2.7 people per home and 70.2% of households consisting of couples with children. Very few people live alone compared to other areas.
The area is dominated by separate houses (96.9%) and a very high rental rate of 67.1%, which is far above the national figure. Outright home ownership is among the lowest in the country at 6.8%.
Most people rely on cars, as 72.3% of homes have two or more vehicles. There are no public transport stops or routes in the area, and only 2.9% of people work from home.
The population is highly mobile, with 56.7% of people moving in the last five years, far above the national figure. Recent overseas arrivals also make up a large portion at 23.7%.
Jobs are concentrated in mining, which employs 49.9% of the workforce. Employment is very strong, with 75.2% of people working full-time and a low unemployment rate of 2.1%.
The town ranks high for overall advantage (score of 1,004) and access to resources, though it has seen a slight population decline since 2021.
The setting is arid, with an average annual rainfall of 162mm, which is among the lowest for its level. It is consistently hot, with average maximums around 28.4°C.
The area is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score of 3.0. While many residents can walk to schools or groceries, there is no access to public transport within a 10-minute walk.