Council (LGA) · Area profile
Wudinna
5,075 km²
Far across the South Australian landscape sits Wudinna, a small town where nearly 40% of the workforce is tied to the land in agriculture, forestry and fishing. It is a place of stark contrasts, with a high proportion of children and a growing number of seniors, yet it maintains a remarkably active spirit with over 40% of residents volunteering. While the population has shrunk slightly since 2011, the community remains stable, with most people owning their own homes and living in large, detached houses.
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The town is noticeably older than the national average, with a typical resident aged 43, and 20.3% of the population aged 65 or over. Interestingly, it also has a much higher share of children under 15 than most similar areas.
Wudinna is very homogenous, with 85% of residents born in Australia and only 3.9% born overseas—a figure far below the state and national averages.
English is the dominant language here; only 0.9% of people use another language at home, which is far below the national figure.
The number of people reporting no religion has risen sharply by 23 points since 2011, though 47.1% of the community still identifies as Christian.
Educational attainment is much lower than in most other areas, with only 8.9% of adults holding a bachelor degree and 38.3% completing Year 12.
Typical personal weekly incomes are a little above the state average at $810, though the typical household income of $1,379 is well below the national figure.
Residents are generally healthier than those in similar areas, with much lower rates of long-term health conditions (23.9%) and mental health conditions (4.8%).
Volunteering is exceptionally common here, with 40.4% of people pitching in—far above the national rate. A high proportion of residents also provide unpaid childcare and housework.
The First Nations community is small, consisting of 24 people whose typical personal income is well below the national average.
Family life is stable and traditional, with 60.5% of homes consisting of couples with children and a very low rate of one-parent families.
Housing is very affordable and spacious, with 85.3% of homes having three or more bedrooms and over half the community owning their homes outright.
The town is heavily car-dependent; no one commutes by public transport, and 18.2% of the workforce works from home.
The population is very settled, with only 21.2% of people moving in the last five years and no recent arrivals from overseas.
The job market is strong, with a very low unemployment rate of 2.9% and a much higher share of full-time employment than the state average.
Wudinna is generally more advantaged than 70% of similar areas, scoring a 7 out of 10 for overall advantage.
The local climate is drier than the state average, with annual rainfall of 303mm and typical maximum temperatures around 25.7 degrees.
The area is mostly car-dependent, with a walkability score of 2.8 and far fewer residents living within a 15-minute walk of groceries or health services compared to the state average.