Suburb / Locality · Area profile
McLaren Vale
59 km²
Daily life in McLaren Vale is shaped by a population that is far older than the national average. The typical resident is 54, and a third of the community are seniors, which makes it a much older area than most other places in the state. This mature character is reflected in the housing, where many people own their homes outright. It is a relatively quiet region where a high proportion of residents have no religious affiliation.
Modest local incomes, but the area's schools serve a more advantaged intake.
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The community is far older than most areas, with a typical age of 54 and 33.1% of people aged 65 or over. This is far above the national figure of 17.2%. Children under 15 make up only 13.4% of the population, which is well below the Australian average.
People born overseas make up 25.9% of the population, which is much higher than most similar areas. The most common ancestries are English (54.0%) and Australian (32.8%), with England being the most frequent birth place outside Australia at 14.9%.
English is the primary language for 91.4% of residents. Only 4.1% of people use another language at home, which is far below the national figure of 22.3%.
A majority of residents have no religion (53.1%), a figure that is far above the national average of 38.9%. Christianity is the next most common affiliation at 40.0%.
The area has a higher share of adults with a bachelor degree or higher than most similar areas, though at 18.6% this is still well below the national figure of 26.3%. Half of residents have completed Year 12.
Typical weekly household income is $1,331, which is lower than most similar areas and well below the national figure of $1,746. Personal incomes follow a similar trend, with the typical person earning $687 per week.
Long-term health conditions are much more common here than in most areas, affecting 36.5% of people. This is well above the national figure of 27.7%, with arthritis being the most reported condition.
Volunteers make up 19.2% of the community, which is well above the national figure of 14.1%. Unpaid housework is also more common here than in most of Australia.
There are 27 First Nations people in the area. This group is far older than the national average with a typical age of 33, and they have a Year 12 completion rate of 52.4%, which is far above the national figure.
Homes tend to be smaller than average with 2.3 people per household. About 27.3% of people live alone, which is a little above the national figure.
The area is dominated by separate houses (84.8%) and high levels of home ownership, with 44.2% of homes owned outright. This is far above the national figure of 31.0%.
Most people drive to work (63.2%), and while 13.3% work from home, this is well below the national figure. The area has a high number of public transport stops, though only 1.4% of people use them to commute.
About 31.2% of residents moved in the last five years, which is well below the national figure of 40.7%. Recent arrivals from overseas are also far less common here than in the rest of Australia.
Fewer people here are working or looking for work (52.7%) compared to the national figure of 61.1%. The unemployment rate is 4.4%, which is a little below the national average.
The area has lower rates of assault and burglary than most similar areas. The overall crime rate has fallen by 17.6% over the last five years.
The area is somewhat walkable, with 67.7% of homes within a 15-minute walk of health services, which is far above the state figure. However, only 27.5% of homes are within a 15-minute walk of a school.