Adelaide Hills

An assessment of population growth drivers in Adelaide Hills reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Adelaide Hills' population is around 7,204 as of November 2025. This reflects an increase of 153 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 7,051 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 7,183 in June 2024 and an additional 26 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 19.8 persons per square kilometer. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 53.6% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered and years post-2032, the SA State Government's Regional/LGA projections by age category are adopted, released in 2023 based on 2021 data, with adjustments made employing a method of weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Demographic trends suggest a population increase just below the median for statistical areas analysed by AreaSearch, expecting an increase of 720 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an increase of 9.7% in total over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Adelaide Hills, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

Adelaide Hills has averaged approximately 24 new dwelling approvals annually. Between FY-21 and FY-25121 homes were approved, with an additional 8 approved so far in FY-26. Over these five years, on average, only one person moved to the area for each dwelling built.

This suggests that new supply is keeping pace with or exceeding demand, providing ample buyer choice and creating capacity for population growth beyond current forecasts. The average construction cost of new homes was $287,000. In FY-26, commercial approvals totalled $10.9 million, indicating balanced commercial development activity. Compared to Greater Adelaide, Adelaide Hills has significantly lower building activity, at 68.0% below the regional average per person. This constrained new construction typically reinforces demand and pricing for existing dwellings.

Nationally, this figure is also below average, reflecting the area's maturity and potential planning constraints. Recent development in Adelaide Hills has consisted entirely of detached dwellings, preserving its low density nature. Detached housing attracts space-seeking buyers, with an estimated 549 people per dwelling approval, indicating a quiet, low activity development environment. Population forecasts suggest that Adelaide Hills will gain 699 residents by 2041 (based on the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). Current construction rates appear balanced with future demand, fostering steady market conditions without excessive price pressure.

Adelaide Hills has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 28thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. Two projects identified by AreaSearch are expected to impact this region. Notable initiatives include the Defence and Aerospace Precinct at Penfield, Angle Vale Residential Growth Area, Northern Adelaide Transport Study, and Northern Adelaide Irrigation Scheme (NAIS). The following details those most relevant:.

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Employment conditions in Adelaide Hills demonstrate strong performance, ranking among the top 35% of areas assessed nationally

Adelaide Hills has a skilled workforce with an unemployment rate of 2.9% as of September 2025. Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 3.0%. The unemployment rate in Adelaide Hills is 1.0% lower than Greater Adelaide's rate of 3.9%, and workforce participation is higher at 71.8% compared to Greater Adelaide's 66.5%.

According to Census responses, 14.5% of residents work from home. Key industries of employment among residents are health care & social assistance, construction, and education & training. The area has a notable concentration in agriculture, forestry & fishing, with employment levels at 4.8 times the regional average. However, health care & social assistance shows lower representation at 13.4% compared to the regional average of 17.7%.

Employment opportunities may be limited locally, as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment levels increased by 3.0%, labour force increased by 3.1%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.1 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Adelaide recorded employment growth of 3.0%, labour force growth of 2.9%, with unemployment falling by 0.1 percentage points. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia, published in May-25, project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Adelaide Hills's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.0% over five years and 12.8% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income levels align closely with national averages, indicating typical economic conditions for Australian communities according to AreaSearch analysis

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year ending June 2023, Adelaide Hills SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $53,309. The average income stood at $68,936. This was slightly above national averages of $54,808 and $66,852 for Greater Adelaide respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth rate of 8.8% from financial year ending June 2023 to September 2025, estimated median income would be approximately $58,000 and average income around $75,002 by September 2025. According to Australian Bureau of Statistics Census data for 2021, incomes in Adelaide Hills cluster around the 53rd percentile nationally. Income distribution shows that 33.1% of residents (2,384 individuals) fall within the $1,500 - $2,999 income range, similar to regional levels where 31.8% occupy this range. After housing costs, residents retain 88.9% of their income, reflecting strong purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile.

Adelaide Hills is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In Adelaide Hills, as per the latest Census evaluation, 98.2% of dwellings were houses, with 1.7% being semi-detached, apartments, or other types. This contrasts with Adelaide metro's 75.2% houses and 24.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Adelaide Hills stood at 44.7%, with mortgaged dwellings at 46.4% and rented ones at 8.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,733, higher than the Adelaide metro average of $1,562. The median weekly rent in Adelaide Hills was $300, compared to Adelaide metro's $320. Nationally, Adelaide Hills' mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Adelaide Hills features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 82.0% of all households, including 38.5% couples with children, 35.9% couples without children, and 7.1% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 18.0%, with lone person households at 16.7% and group households comprising 1.6%. The median household size is 2.7 people, larger than the Greater Adelaide average of 2.5.

Adelaide Hills performs slightly above the national average for education, showing competitive qualification levels and steady academic outcomes

The area's university qualification rate is 22.1%, significantly lower than the SA4 region average of 42.2%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 15.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (4.1%) and graduate diplomas (2.7%). Vocational credentials are held by 42.5% of residents aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 13.0% and certificates at 29.5%. Educational participation is high, with 26.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes primary (9.6%), secondary (8.2%), and tertiary (4.6%) education.

No public transport data available for this catchment area.

Adelaide Hills's residents are extremely healthy with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Analysis of health metrics indicates robust performance across Adelaide Hills, based on AreaSearch's evaluation of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence.

Both younger and older age groups exhibited low incidence of common health conditions. Private health cover penetration was approximately 53% of the total population (~3,839 people), slightly higher than the average SA2 area. The most prevalent medical conditions were arthritis (affecting 8.7% of residents) and asthma (7.7%), with 68.8% reporting no medical ailments, compared to 67.9% in Greater Adelaide. Health outcomes among working-age individuals were generally unremarkable. As of the latest data (2016), 21.9% of residents were aged 65 and over (1,578 people), exceeding Greater Adelaide's 19.0%. Senior health outcomes were notably strong, ranking higher than the general population nationally.

Adelaide Hills is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics

Adelaide Hills' population showed lower cultural diversity, with 83.8% born in Australia, 92.1% being citizens, and 96.9% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, comprising 43.2%. The 'Other' religion category was overrepresented at 0.5%, compared to Greater Adelaide's 1.8%.

In ancestry, English (35.4%) and Australian (29.6%) groups were substantially higher than regional averages of 27.8% and 22.8% respectively. German ancestry also stood out at 8.3%. Some ethnic groups showed notable differences: Polish was equally represented at 1.0%, Hungarian slightly higher at 0.4%, and Dutch notably higher at 1.7%, compared to regional averages of 1.0%, 0.3%, and 1.2% respectively.

Adelaide Hills hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

Adelaide Hills has a median age of 47, which is higher than Greater Adelaide's figure of 39 and above the national average of 38. The age profile shows that those aged 55-64 are particularly prominent, making up 17.4% of the population, while those aged 25-34 make up only 8.3%. This concentration of those aged 55-64 is higher than the national figure of 11.2%. Between the 2021 Census and now, the percentage of those aged 75 to 84 has grown from 5.5% to 7.0%, while the percentage of those aged 15 to 24 has increased from 12.3% to 13.3%. Conversely, the percentage of those aged 45 to 54 has declined from 15.8% to 13.1%. Looking ahead to 2041, demographic projections show significant shifts in Adelaide Hills' age structure. The 85+ group is projected to grow by 141%, reaching 365 from 151. Notably, the combined age groups of 65+ will account for 64% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. In contrast, the 55-64 cohort is projected to decline by 113 people.