Burnside - Wattle Park

An assessment of population growth drivers in Burnside - Wattle Park reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Burnside - Wattle Park's population was around 20,305 as of May 2026. This reflected an increase of 1,239 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 19,066 people. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 20,275 from the ABS as of June 2025 and an additional 47 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population resulted in a density ratio of 1,796 persons per square kilometer, above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Burnside - Wattle Park's growth of 6.5% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area (5.0%), marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 98.6% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopted ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered and years post-2032, the SA State Government's Regional/LGA projections by age category were used, released in 2023 based on 2021 data. Moving forward, a population increase just below the median was expected, with an expansion of 1,301 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a gain of 6.3% over the 16 years.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Burnside - Wattle Park when compared nationally

Burnside - Wattle Park has averaged 64 new dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling 323 homes. As of FY-26, 54 approvals have been recorded. On average, each dwelling built between FY-21 and FY-25 has resulted in 2.1 new residents per year, indicating strong demand that supports property values. New homes are being constructed at an average cost of $583,000, reflecting a focus on the premium market with high-end developments.

This financial year has seen $22.2 million in commercial approvals, suggesting steady commercial investment activity. Compared to Greater Adelaide, Burnside - Wattle Park records around 56% of building activity per person and falls within the 50th percentile nationally, indicating its established nature and potential planning limitations. New building activity comprises 86.0% standalone homes and 14.0% townhouses or apartments, preserving the area's suburban character with a preference for detached housing that attracts space-seeking buyers. The location has approximately 334 people per dwelling approval, suggesting room for growth.

Future projections estimate Burnside - Wattle Park to add 1,271 residents by 2041, based on current development patterns and AreaSearch quarterly estimates. Given the current supply of new housing meeting demand, conditions for buyers are favourable, potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

Burnside - Wattle Park has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 31stth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified nine projects that could impact this region. Notable ones include Hamilton Hill (former Youth Training Centre, Magill/Woodforde), Norwood Green, Magill 5 Units Luxury Townhouse Project, and Glenside Development. The following list details those most relevant.

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 Burnside - Wattle Park places it among Australia's strongest labour markets

Burnside-Wattle Park has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. Its unemployment rate was 2.0% as of December 2025, lower than Greater Adelaide's 3.8%. Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 5.3%.

By December 2025, 11,146 residents were employed with an unemployment rate of 1.8%, matching Greater Adelaide's workforce participation rate of 66.0%. Home workership stood at 16.7% based on Census responses. Dominant employment sectors are health care & social assistance, professional & technical, and education & training. The area specializes in professional & technical jobs with an employment share 1.9 times the regional level but has fewer construction jobs than Greater Adelaide (5.8% vs 8.7%).

Employment opportunities seem limited locally as indicated by Census data comparison of working population against resident population. Between December 2024 and December 2025, employment levels increased by 5.3%, labour force grew by 5.3%, keeping unemployment stable at 1.8%. In contrast, Greater Adelaide saw employment rise by 4.2% with a labour force growth of 3.9% and a 0.3 percentage point drop in unemployment. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project overall employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Burnside-Wattle Park's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.2% over five years and 14.8% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes only and do not account for localized population projections.

The area exhibits notably strong income performance, ranking higher than 70% of areas assessed nationally through AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch's aggregation of latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 shows Burnside - Wattle Park SA2 had a median taxpayer income of $60,253 and an average income of $89,650. 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 10.17% since financial year 2023, current estimates for Burnside - Wattle Park would be approximately $66,381 (median) and $98,767 (average) as of March 2026. According to the 2021 Census, incomes in Burnside - Wattle Park cluster around the 72nd percentile nationally for households, families, and individuals. The largest income segment comprises 27.9% earning $1,500-$2,999 weekly (5,665 residents), aligning with regional levels where this cohort represents 31.8%. Economic strength is evident through 33.9% of households achieving high weekly earnings exceeding $3,000, supporting elevated consumer spending. After housing costs, residents retain 87.9% of income, indicating strong purchasing power, and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

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

The dwelling structure in Burnside - Wattle Park, as per the latest Census, consisted of 73.2% houses and 26.8% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compared to Adelaide metro's 73.2% houses and 24.9% other dwellings. The home ownership level in Burnside - Wattle Park was at 44.8%, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (34.3%) or rented (20.9%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,245, higher than Adelaide metro's average of $1,562. The median weekly rent figure was recorded at $360, compared to Adelaide metro's $320. Nationally, Burnside - Wattle Park's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were lower than the national figure of $375.

Burnside - Wattle Park has a typical household mix, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households account for 72.2% of all households, including 34.7% couples with children, 27.8% couples without children, and 8.9% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 27.8%, comprising 25.0% lone person households and 2.7% group households. The median household size is 2.5 people, aligning with the Greater Adelaide average.

Burnside - Wattle Park shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Educational attainment in Burnside - Wattle Park exceeds broader benchmarks: 49.2% of residents aged 15+ have university qualifications, compared to 25.7% in South Australia and 28.9% in Greater Adelaide. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 30.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (14.0%) and graduate diplomas (4.6%). Vocational pathways account for 21.2% of qualifications among those aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 10.0% and certificates at 11.2%. Educational participation is high, with 30.3% of residents currently enrolled in formal education: 9.6% in primary, 8.2% in secondary, and 8.0% pursuing tertiary education.

Educational participation is notably high, with 30.3% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.6% in primary education, 8.2% in secondary education, and 8.0% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Burnside - Wattle Park has 90 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 40 different routes that together facilitate 1,895 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents on average living 230 meters from the nearest stop. As a mainly residential zone, most commuters travel outward. Cars remain the primary mode of transportation for 85% of residents, while buses are used by 8%, and cycling accounts for 3%. On average, there are 1.4 vehicles per dwelling.

According to the 2021 Census, 16.7% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency averages 270 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 21 weekly trips per stop.

Burnside - Wattle Park's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Burnside-Wattle Park shows excellent health outcomes based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence, with very low prevalence across all age groups. Private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 66% of the total population (13,380 people), compared to 52.7% in Greater Adelaide and a national average of 55.7%. The most common conditions are arthritis and mental health issues, affecting 7.1 and 6.2% respectively.

72.5% of residents declare no medical ailments, higher than the 67.9% in Greater Adelaide. The area has 23.0% residents aged 65 and over (4,678 people), higher than Greater Adelaide's 19.2%. Health outcomes among seniors are strong, broadly in line with national rankings.

Burnside - Wattle Park was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Burnside-Wattle Park has higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 33.8% of residents born overseas and 27.7% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Burnside-Wattle Park, accounting for 45.4% of its population. Notably, Judaism comprises 0.3% of the population, higher than the regional average of 0.1%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (23.9%), Australian (18.9%), and Chinese (9.8%), with Chinese being significantly higher than the regional average of 3.1%. Italian (7.7%) is overrepresented compared to the regional average of 5.2%, as are Hungarian (0.4% vs 0.3%) and German (4.9% vs 5.1%).

Burnside - Wattle Park hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

The median age in Burnside - Wattle Park is 44 years, notably exceeding Greater Adelaide's average of 39 years and well above Australia's median of 38 years. Compared to Greater Adelaide's average, the 45-54 age cohort is over-represented at 13.7% locally, while the 25-34 age group is under-represented at 9.9%. According to the Census conducted on August 10, 2021, the population aged 15 to 24 grew from 12.9% to 14.2%, and those aged 75 to 84 increased from 7.5% to 8.6%. Conversely, the 55-64 age group declined from 13.2% to 12.2%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate significant demographic changes in Burnside - Wattle Park. The population aged 85 and above is projected to grow by 547 people (an increase of 80%), from 686 to 1,234. By 2041, those aged 65 and above are expected to comprise 60% of the population growth. Conversely, the populations aged 0 to 4 and 5 to 14 are anticipated to decline.