Region (SA4) · Area profile
Adelaide - South
663 km²
A noticeably older population defines Adelaide - South, where the typical resident is 41. The area has grown by 10% since 2011 and is now home to nearly 375,000 people. It is a well-qualified community with a high number of university degrees and a strong preference for larger, family-sized homes. This established character is reflected in the high proportion of seniors, who make up over 20% of the population.
Adelaide - South's schools draw a more advantaged community than local incomes would suggest.
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Residents here are older than the national figure, with 20.6% aged 65 and over, a group that rose 4.6 percentage points since 2011. Children under 15 make up 16.8% of the population, which is slightly lower than the national average.
About 23.8% of people were born overseas, a figure that rose slightly since 2011. While English and Australian are the most common ancestries, the area has a lower proportion of overseas-born residents than the national average.
English is the main language for 84.2% of the community. Those using another language at home make up 12.4% of the population, which is well below the national figure of 22.3%.
A majority of residents (52.0%) report having no religion, which is far above the national average. This figure has risen sharply by 21 percentage points since 2011.
The area is highly qualified, with 25.3% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher and 58.9% having completed Year 12. Both figures have risen since 2011.
The typical weekly household income is $1,540, which is a little below the national figure. While 18.1% of households earn $3,000 or more a week, this is well below the national average.
Long-term health conditions are much more common here than in most similar areas, affecting 32.3% of people. Mental health and arthritis are the most reported conditions, each affecting 10.4% of the population.
Community involvement is high, with 16.9% of people volunteering and 13.5% providing unpaid care. A significant 28.6% of residents also provide unpaid childcare, which is much higher than in most areas.
There are 5,386 First Nations people in the area, who are typically younger than the wider community with a typical age of 22. Year 12 completion among this group is 45.8%, which is far above the state average.
Most homes are family-based, with 55.9% being couples with children. The typical home holds 2.4 people, and about 27.4% of residents live alone.
Homes here tend to be large, with 79.5% having three or more bedrooms. Renting is much less common than in most areas, with only 24.3% of households renting.
The area is well connected, with 4.4% of people commuting by public transport, which is higher than the national figure. There are 2,199 public transport stops across the region.
The population is relatively stable, as only 35.8% of people moved in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas make up 11.6% of the community, a figure that fell since 2011.
About 61.6% of adults are working or looking for work, with 56.1% employed full-time. The most common industries are health care, retail, and education.
The population was estimated at 396,764, with a growth rate of 5.0% since 2021, which is slightly lower than the state average.
The area has an average maximum temperature of 20.9 degrees, which is well below the state average. Annual rainfall is 614mm, far above the state figure.
This is a very walkable area, with a score of 6.4. Most residents live within a 15-minute walk of a park (97.4%) or public transport (94.5%), and 73.2% are close to groceries.