Blackwood

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

Blackwood's population was around 13,739 as of February 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 level of population equates to a density ratio of 811 persons per square kilometer. Blackwood's growth rate exceeded the SA3 area (5.0%) during this period, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 54.6% of overall population gains during recent periods, with all drivers including natural growth and interstate migration being positive factors.

AreaSearch adopted ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data and years post-2032, the SA State Government's Regional/LGA projections are used, adjusted employing a method of weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Based on demographic trends and latest annual ERP population numbers, Blackwood is expected to increase by 1,724 persons to 2041, 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 seen approximately 49 dwellings granted development approval annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, a total of 248 homes received approval, with an additional 22 approved so far in FY26. On average, around four people have moved to the area each year for every dwelling built over these five years.

This indicates that supply has been significantly lagging demand, leading to increased buyer competition and pricing pressures. The average construction cost value of new properties is $421,000, suggesting developers are targeting the premium market segment with higher-end properties. In FY26, there have been $3.5 million in commercial approvals, reflecting the area's residential character.

Compared to Greater Adelaide, Blackwood has slightly more development activity, with 11.0% above the regional average per person over the past five years. This balances buyer choice while supporting current property values. The new building activity shows a focus on low-density housing, with 92.0% detached houses and 8.0% medium to high-density housing. This maintains Blackwood's traditional low-density character, appealing to those seeking space in family homes. With around 296 people per dwelling approval, Blackwood exhibits characteristics of a low-density area. According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, Blackwood is projected to gain 1,673 residents by 2041. Building activity is keeping pace with these growth projections, though buyers may experience increased competition as the population grows.

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

Five projects identified by AreaSearch are expected to influence the local area: Adelaide Public Transport Capacity and Access, Adelaide's Inner And Outer Ring Route Capacity Improvements, Flagstaff Pines Residential Development, and Springbank Secondary College upgrade.

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

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

Blackwood has an educated workforce with strong professional services representation. The unemployment rate was 1.2% in the past year, with estimated employment growth of 3.8%. As of September 2025, 7,726 residents were employed at a 2.8% lower unemployment rate than Greater Adelaide's 3.9%.

Workforce participation was 69.5%, compared to Greater Adelaide's 66.4%. A moderate 17.4% of residents worked from home as of the Census response, considering Covid-19 lockdown impacts. Leading employment industries were health care & social assistance, education & training, and professional & technical services. Education & training had a particularly high representation at 1.5 times the regional level, while manufacturing was lower at 4.7% compared to the regional average of 7.0%.

The area offered limited local employment opportunities based on Census data. Over the year to September 2025, employment increased by 3.8%, labour force by 3.6%, reducing unemployment by 0.2 percentage points. Greater Adelaide recorded employment growth of 3.0% and a 0.1 percentage point reduction in unemployment during this period. National employment forecasts from May-25 suggest overall growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with varying rates across industries. Applying these projections to Blackwood's employment mix indicates potential local employment growth of 7.1% over five years and 14.5% over ten years.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 indicates Blackwood SA2's median income among taxpayers is $62,084, with an average of $77,472. Nationally, these figures are high compared to Greater Adelaide's median of $54,808 and average of $66,852. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.8% since financial year 2023, current estimates for Blackwood would be approximately $67,547 (median) and $84,290 (average) as of September 2025. According to Census 2021 income data, incomes in Blackwood cluster around the 73rd percentile nationally. Income analysis shows that the largest segment comprises 31.0% earning $1,500 - 2,999 weekly (4,259 residents), similar to the metropolitan region where 31.8% fall into this bracket. Notably, a substantial proportion of Blackwood's residents are high earners (32.6% above $3,000/week), suggesting strong economic capacity in the suburb. After housing costs, residents retain 87.8% of their income, reflecting strong purchasing power. 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

Blackwood's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 91.1% houses and 8.9% other dwellings. In comparison, Adelaide metro had 75.2% houses and 24.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Blackwood was at 40.9%, with mortgaged dwellings at 49.0% and rented ones at 10.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,950, higher than Adelaide metro's average of $1,562. The median weekly rent figure in Blackwood was recorded as $370, compared to Adelaide metro's $320. Nationally, Blackwood's mortgage repayments were higher at $1,950 than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were lower at $370 compared to the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 78.0% of all households, including 39.4% couples with children, 29.7% couples without children, and 8.4% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 22.0%, with lone person households at 20.2% and group households comprising 1.7% of the total. The median household size is 2.7 people, 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

Blackwood's educational attainment exceeds broader benchmarks significantly. Among residents aged 15+, 42.0% hold university qualifications, compared to 25.7% in South Australia (SA) and 28.1% in the SA4 region. This high level of educational attainment positions Blackwood strongly for knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 26.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (10.2%) and graduate diplomas (5.3%).

Trade and technical skills are also prominent, with 29.6% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (11.8%) and certificates (17.8%). Educational participation is notably high in Blackwood, 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 shows 99 active transport stops operating within Blackwood. These include a mix of train and bus stops serviced by 32 individual routes providing 959 weekly passenger trips in total. 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. Car remains the dominant mode of transport at 87%, while train usage stands at 7%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.7 per dwelling, which is above the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, some 17.4% of residents work from home, a figure that 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 shows excellent results across Blackwood. AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates indicates outstanding performance, with younger cohorts showing very low prevalence of common health conditions.

Private health cover is found to be very high at approximately 58% of the total population (~7,968 people), compared to 52.7% across Greater Adelaide. The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis and asthma, affecting 8.0 and 7.9% of residents respectively. 68.3% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 67.9% in Greater Adelaide. Under-65 population health outcomes are better than average. The area has 21.1% of residents aged 65 and over (2,901 people), higher than the 19.3% in Greater Adelaide. Senior health outcomes are strong but rank lower nationally compared to 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's cultural diversity aligns with its broader area, with 77.8% born in Australia, 93.5% being citizens, and 91.3% speaking English only at home. Christianity is the predominant religion at 38.9%. Judaism, however, is slightly overrepresented at 0.2%, compared to Greater Adelaide's 0.1%.

Ancestry-wise, English (34.6%) is notably higher than the regional average of 27.8%, followed by Australian (24.8%) and Scottish (8.2%). Other ethnic groups with notable differences include German at 6.1% (vs 5.1%), Polish at 1.1% (vs 1.0%), and Dutch at 1.7% (vs 1.2%).

Blackwood's median age exceeds the national pattern

The median age in Blackwood is 43 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Adelaide's average of 39 years and considerably older than Australia's median age of 38 years. Compared to Greater Adelaide, Blackwood has a higher percentage of residents aged 45-54 (14.5%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (8.1%). According to the 2021 Census, the population aged 15-24 increased from 11.1% to 12.5%, while the population aged 65-74 decreased from 11.3% to 10.3%. The population aged 5-14 also dropped from 13.7% to 12.7%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Blackwood's age structure. Notably, the 85+ group is projected to grow by 122%, reaching 901 people from 406. Conversely, the population aged 65-74 is projected to decline by 47 people.