Blackwood

Population growth drivers in Blackwood are above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Blackwood's population is around 13,739 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 776 people (6.0%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 12,963 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 13,688 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 71 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 811 persons per square kilometer, which is relatively in line with averages seen across locations assessed by AreaSearch. Blackwood's 6.0% growth since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area (5.0%), marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, which contributed approximately 54.6% of overall population gains during recent periods, although all drivers, including natural growth and interstate migration, were positive factors.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For any SA2 areas not covered by this data, and for years post-2032, the SA State Government's Regional/LGA projections by age category, released in 2023 and based on 2021 data, are adopted with adjustments made employing a method of weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Regarding demographic trends, a population increase just below the median of national areas is expected, with the area expected to increase by 1,724 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a gain of 12.2% in total over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential approval activity sees Blackwood among the top 30% of areas assessed nationwide

Blackwood has experienced around 49 dwellings receiving development approval each year, with 248 homes approved over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25) and 24 so far in FY-26. With an average of 4 people per year moving to the area for each dwelling built over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25), supply is substantially lagging demand, which generally means heightened buyer competition and pricing pressures, while new properties are constructed at an average value of $421,000, revealing that developers are targeting the premium market segment with higher-end properties. There have also been $3.5 million in commercial approvals this financial year, supporting the area's residential character.

When measured against Greater Adelaide, Blackwood has slightly more development (11.0% above regional average per person over the 5 year period), balancing buyer choice with support for current property values. New building activity shows 92.0% detached houses and 8.0% medium and high-density housing, maintaining the area's traditional low density character with a focus on family homes appealing to those seeking space. With around 296 people per dwelling approval, Blackwood shows characteristics of a low density area.

Population forecasts indicate Blackwood will gain 1,673 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). Building activity is keeping pace with growth projections, though buyers may experience heightened competition as the population grows.

Blackwood has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 11thth percentile nationally

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total, 5 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include Adelaide Public Transport Capacity and Access, Adelaide's Inner And Outer Ring Route Capacity Improvements, Flagstaff Pines Residential Development, and the Springbank Secondary College upgrade, with the list below detailing those likely to be of most relevance.

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

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

The exceptional employment performance in Blackwood places it among Australia's strongest labour markets

Blackwood features a highly educated workforce, with professional services showing strong representation, an unemployment rate of just 1.1%, and 5.0% in estimated employment growth over the past year. As of December 2025, 7,849 residents are in work while the unemployment rate is 2.8% below Greater Adelaide's rate of 3.8%, and workforce participation is fairly standard (70.5% compared to Greater Adelaide's 67.2%). Based on Census responses, a moderate 17.4% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

Leading employment industries among residents comprise health care & social assistance, education & training, and professional & technical. The area shows particularly strong specialization in education & training, with an employment share of 1.5 times the regional level. Conversely, manufacturing shows lower representation at 4.7% versus the regional average of 7.0%. The predominantly residential area appears to offer limited employment opportunities locally, as indicated by the count of Census working population vs resident population.

Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data, over the 12 months to December 2025, employment increased by 5.0% while the labour force increased by 4.6%, resulting in unemployment falling by 0.4 percentage points. By comparison, Greater Adelaide recorded employment growth of 4.2%, labour force growth of 3.9%, with unemployment falling 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 can offer further insight into potential future demand within Blackwood. These projections, covering five and ten-year periods, have been mapped against the local employment profile to estimate growth patterns. While national employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Blackwood's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.1% over five years and 14.5% over ten years (please note this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections).

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

As per AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data released for FY-23, the Blackwood SA2's median income among taxpayers is $62,084, with an average of $77,472. This is very high nationally, and compares to Greater Adelaide's median of $54,808 and average of $66,852. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.8% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $67,547 (median) and $84,290 (average) as of September 2025. Census 2021 income data shows household, family and personal incomes in Blackwood cluster around the 73rd percentile nationally. Income analysis reveals the largest segment comprises 31.0% earning $1,500 - 2,999 weekly (4,259 residents), mirroring the metropolitan region where 31.8% occupy this bracket. The substantial proportion of high earners (32.6% above $3,000/week) indicates strong economic capacity throughout this suburb. After housing costs, residents retain 87.8% of income, reflecting strong purchasing power, and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

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

Dwelling structure within Blackwood, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 91.1% houses and 8.9% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), in comparison to Adelaide metro's 75.2% houses and 24.9% other dwellings. Meanwhile, the level of home ownership within Blackwood was well beyond that of Adelaide metro, at 40.9%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (49.0%) or rented (10.1%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was well above the Adelaide metro average at $1,950, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $370, compared to Adelaide metro's $1,562 and $320. Nationally, Blackwood's mortgage repayments are higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are less than the national figure of $375.

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

Family households dominate at 78.0% of all households, comprising 39.4% couples with children, 29.7% couples without children, and 8.4% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 22.0%, with lone person households at 20.2% and group households comprising 1.7% of the total. The median household size of 2.7 people is larger than the Greater Adelaide average of 2.5.

Educational achievement in Blackwood places it within the top 10% nationally, reflecting strong academic performance and high qualification levels across the community

Educational attainment in Blackwood significantly surpasses broader benchmarks, with 42.0% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications compared to 25.7% in SA and 28.1% in the SA4 region. This substantial educational advantage positions the area strongly for knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees lead at 26.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (10.2%) and graduate diplomas (5.3%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 29.6% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials, including advanced diplomas (11.8%) and certificates (17.8%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 29.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.7% in primary education, 7.7% in secondary education, and 6.0% pursuing tertiary education.

Transport servicing is moderate compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

Public transport analysis reveals 99 active transport stops operating within Blackwood, comprising a mix of trains and buses. These stops are serviced by 32 individual routes, collectively providing 959 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically located 256 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward; the car remains the dominant mode at 87%, with 7% by train. Vehicle ownership averages 1.7 per dwelling, which is above the regional average. Some 17.4% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 137 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 9 weekly trips per individual stop.

Blackwood's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

Health outcomes data demonstrates outstanding results across Blackwood, based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Younger cohorts in particular see very low prevalence of common health conditions, and the rate of private health cover is very high at approximately 58% of the total population (~7,968 people), compared to 52.7% across Greater Adelaide.

The most common medical conditions in the area are arthritis and asthma, impacting 8.0% and 7.9% of residents, respectively, while 68.3% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 67.9% across Greater Adelaide. The under-65 population demonstrates better than average health outcomes. The area has 21.1% of residents aged 65 and over (2,901 people), which is higher than the 19.3% in Greater Adelaide. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, though they rank lower nationally than the broader population.

In terms of cultural diversity, Blackwood records figures broadly comparable to the national average, as found in AreaSearch's assessment of a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Blackwood is roughly in line with the wider region's average in terms of cultural diversity, with 77.8% of its population born in Australia, 93.5% being citizens, and 91.3% speaking English only at home. The main religion in Blackwood is Christianity, which makes up 38.9% of the population. However, the most apparent overrepresentation is in Judaism, which comprises 0.2% of the population, compared to 0.1% across Greater Adelaide.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Blackwood are English, comprising 34.6% of the population, which is substantially higher than the regional average of 27.8%, Australian, comprising 24.8% of the population, and Scottish, comprising 8.2% of the population. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: German is notably overrepresented at 6.1% of Blackwood (vs 5.1% regionally), Polish at 1.1% (vs 1.0%) and Dutch at 1.7% (vs 1.2%).

Blackwood's median age exceeds the national pattern

The 43-year median age in Blackwood is significantly above Greater Adelaide's average of 39 and similarly considerably older than Australia's 38 years. Relative to Greater Adelaide, Blackwood has a higher concentration of 45 - 54 residents (14.5%) but fewer 25 - 34 year-olds (8.1%). Following the 2021 Census, the 15 to 24 age group has grown from 11.1% to 12.5% of the population. Conversely, the 65 to 74 cohort has declined from 11.3% to 10.3% and the 5 to 14 group dropped from 13.7% to 12.7%. Looking ahead to 2041, demographic projections reveal significant shifts in Blackwood's age structure. Leading the demographic shift, the 85+ group will grow by 122% (494 people), reaching 901 from 406. Conversely, the 65 to 74 cohort is projected to decline by 47 people.