Urban Centre · Area profile
Port Augusta
32 km²
A significant Indigenous population defines the community of Port Augusta, where 21.5% of residents are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. This is far above the national figure and represents a sharp increase since 2011. While the total population has shrunk by 20% over the last decade, the area remains younger than the state average, with a high proportion of people in de facto relationships. It is a place of contrasting trends, where declining population numbers meet a growing number of people who identify as having no religion.
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The area has seen a 16 point rise in its Indigenous population since 2011, which is now much higher than most similar areas. The typical resident is 38, making the community noticeably younger than the South Australian average.
Most residents were born in Australia, and the proportion of people born overseas is far below the national figure. English and Irish are the most common ancestries after Australian.
English is the main language for 80.4% of people, and the number of residents who speak little or no English is a little below the national figure.
Nearly half of the population—49.3%—reports having no religion, a figure far above the national average that has risen by 22 points since 2011.
Education levels are lower than most areas, with only 9.6% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher, which is far below the state figure.
Typical weekly household income is $1,242, which is well below the national figure. However, the number of households earning $3,000 or more a week has risen by 9.3 points since 2011.
Long-term health conditions are reported by 31.7% of people, which is well above the national average. This is consistent with the local asthma and arthritis rates being among the most common conditions.
Participation in unpaid work is lower than in many other areas, and the proportion of volunteers has fallen by 7.2 points since 2011.
One-parent families make up 23.4% of the community, which is well above the national figure. This is alongside a higher-than-usual number of people living alone.
Renting is far more common here than in the rest of the state, with 38.8% of households renting. Typical weekly rent is $200, which is far below the national figure.
Most people drive to work, though 11.1% of homes have no motor vehicle—a figure well above the national average. Only 2% of the workforce works from home.
The community is less mobile than most, with fewer people moving in the last five years compared to the state average. Interestingly, 26.3% of residents are recent overseas arrivals.
Full-time employment is slightly higher than the state average, but the unemployment rate is also a little above the national figure at 6.7%. Health care and public administration are the largest employers.
The area is somewhat walkable, with 95.5% of homes within a 10 minute walk of public transport. However, access to groceries is limited, with only 48.9% of homes within a 15 minute walk.