Barmera
Statistical Area - sa2

Barmera has shown very soft population growth performance across periods assessed by AreaSearch

Barmera's population is around 6,657 as of Aug 2025. This reflects an increase of 256 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 6,401 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 6,628 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 42 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 7.8 persons per square kilometer. Barmera's growth rate of 4.0% since the census positions it within 1.7 percentage points of the SA3 area (5.7%). Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, contributing approximately 85.1% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as 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. Considering projected demographic shifts, lower quartile growth of non-metropolitan areas nationally is anticipated. The area is expected to grow by 297 persons to 2041 based on the latest population numbers, recording a gain of 4.0% in total over the 17 years.

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

Barmera has seen approximately 12 new homes approved annually. Development approval data is provided by the ABS on a financial year basis, with 63 homes approved over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, and two approvals so far in FY-26. On average, one person has moved to the area per dwelling built over these five years. This pace of new supply is keeping up with or exceeding demand, offering ample buyer choice and potential for population growth beyond current forecasts.

The average construction cost value of new homes is $330,000, which aligns with regional trends. In FY-26, $3.2 million in commercial approvals have been registered, suggesting the area's residential character. Compared to the Rest of SA, Barmera has significantly less development activity, 67.0% below the regional average per person. This limited new supply generally supports stronger demand and values for established dwellings. Additionally, development activity is under the national average, indicating the area's established nature and suggesting potential planning limitations.

Recent development in Barmera has been entirely comprised of detached dwellings, preserving its low density nature. Detached housing attracts space-seeking buyers. The estimated count of 606 people per dwelling approval reflects the quiet, low activity development environment. Population forecasts indicate Barmera will gain 268 residents by 2041. With current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Barmera has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 23rdth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 11 projects likely influencing the area. Key projects include Bruno Bay Infrastructure Upgrade, McLean Street Residential Estate, Riverview Drive Reconstruction (Flood Recovery), and Berri Energy Project.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

Despite maintaining a low unemployment rate of 3.7%, Barmera has experienced recent job losses, resulting in a below average employment performance ranking when compared nationally

Barmera has a diverse workforce with both white and blue collar jobs, prominent manufacturing and industrial sectors, and an unemployment rate of 3.7%. As of June 2025, 3219 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 0.9% lower than Rest of SA's rate of 4.6%.

Workforce participation is similar to Rest of SA at 56.2%. Key industries include health care & social assistance, manufacturing, and agriculture, forestry & fishing. Manufacturing employment is particularly high, at 1.5 times the regional level. Retail trade, however, is under-represented with only 7.7% of Barmera's workforce compared to Rest of SA's 9.9%.

The area appears to have limited local employment opportunities based on Census data analysis. Between June 2024 and June 2025, the labour force decreased by 2.2%, employment by 2.8%, leading to a rise in unemployment by 0.6 percentage points. In comparison, Rest of SA had an employment decline of 1.2% with unemployment rising by 1.2 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 indicate potential future demand in Barmera. National employment is projected to grow by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but growth varies between sectors. Applying these projections to Barmera's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 5.3% over five years and 12.0% over ten years.

Income figures position the area below 75% of locations analysed nationally by AreaSearch

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows that Barmera has lower income compared to national averages. The median income is $45,608 and the average income stands at $50,530. This contrasts with Rest of SA's median income of $46,889 and average income of $56,582. Based on a 10.83% growth in Wage Price Index since financial year 2022, current estimates for Barmera would be approximately $50,547 (median) and $56,002 (average) as of March 2025. Census data reveals that household, family and personal incomes in Barmera all fall between the 17th and 20th percentiles nationally. In Barmera, 28.9% of the population (1,923 individuals) have income within the $1,500 - 2,999 range, similar to metropolitan regions where 27.5% fall in this range. Housing costs are modest with 89.0% of income retained, but total disposable income ranks at just the 22nd percentile nationally.

Barmera is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region

In Barmera, as per the latest Census evaluation, 91.0% of dwellings were houses with the remaining 9.0% being semi-detached apartments or other types. This compares to Non-Metro SA's 89.9% houses and 10.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Barmera stood at 40.7%, similar to Non-Metro SA, with mortgaged dwellings making up 36.8% and rented ones 22.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,083, aligning with the Non-Metro SA average. Weekly rent median stood at $200 compared to Non-Metro SA's $220. Nationally, Barmera's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Barmera has a typical household mix, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households constitute 68.8% of all households, including 23.7% couples with children, 33.0% couples without children, and 11.2% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 31.2%, with lone person households at 29.1% and group households comprising 2.1%. The median household size is 2.3 people, aligning with the average in the Rest of South Africa.

Barmera faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area faces educational challenges, with university qualification rates at 11.5%, substantially below the Australian average of 30.4%. This represents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees lead at 8.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 1.6% and graduate diplomas at 1.0%. Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 37.7% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials - advanced diplomas at 7.9% and certificates at 29.8%.

A substantial 23.8% of the population actively pursues formal education, including 11.4% in primary education, 7.0% in secondary education, and 1.5% pursuing tertiary education. As of September 2021, a robust network of 6 schools operates within Barmera, educating approximately 602 students. The educational mix includes 5 primary schools and 1 K-12 school. School places per 100 residents stand at 9.0, falling below the regional average of 13.6, with some students likely attending schools in adjacent areas.

No public transport data available for this catchment area.

Health performance in Barmera is well below average with prevalence of common health conditions notable across both younger and older age cohorts

Health data indicates significant issues in Barmera regarding common health conditions affecting both younger and older age groups. The rate of private health cover stands at approximately 46%, covering around 3075 people, which is lower than the national average of 55.3%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (11.6% of residents) and mental health issues (9.0%), while 61.0% report no medical ailments, comparable to the Rest of SA's 61.8%. Barmera has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 27.3% (around 1814 people) compared to Rest of SA's 26.2%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors show some challenges but perform better than the general population in certain metrics.

Barmera ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Barmera's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 88.0% of its population born in Australia, 91.9% being citizens, and 90.3% speaking English only at home. Christianity is the main religion in Barmera, comprising 44.2% of the population. The most notable overrepresentation was in Other religions, which makes up 2.5% of the population compared to 1.5% across the rest of South Australia.

In terms of ancestry, the top three represented groups were English at 30.9%, Australian at 30.7%, and German at 9.1%. Notably, Greek was overrepresented at 4.1% in Barmera compared to 1.3% regionally, Hungarian at 0.4% compared to 0.2%, and Croatian at 0.7% compared to 0.3%.

Barmera hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

The median age in Barmera is 48 years, similar to the Rest of SA's average of 47 years but higher than the national norm of 38 years. The 65-74 cohort is notably over-represented at 16.0% locally compared to the Rest of SA average, while the 0-4 year-olds are under-represented at 3.7%. This concentration in the 65-74 age group is well above the national figure of 9.4%. Between 2021 and present, the 15-24 age group has grown from 10.2% to 11.8%, while the 75-84 cohort has increased from 7.1% to 8.6%. Conversely, the 45-54 cohort has declined from 13.2% to 11.8%, and the 5-14 group has dropped from 11.9% to 10.5%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes in Barmera, with the 75-84 cohort projected to grow by 48%, adding 277 residents to reach 849. Senior residents aged 65 and above will drive 82% of population growth, highlighting demographic aging trends. Both the 65-74 and 5-14 age groups are expected to decrease in numbers.