Colonel Light Gardens

Colonel Light Gardens is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Colonel Light Gardens's population is around 16,155 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 313 people (2.0%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 15,842 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 16,119 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 13 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 2,389 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, which was essentially the sole driver of population gains during recent periods.

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. Anticipating future population dynamics, lower quartile growth of national statistical areas is anticipated, with the area expected to increase by 663 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an increase of 3.9% in total over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Colonel Light Gardens according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Colonel Light Gardens has experienced around 37 dwellings receiving development approval each year, with 186 homes approved over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25) and 19 so far in FY-26. At an average of just 0.5 new residents per year arriving per new home over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25), new construction is matching or outpacing demand, offering buyers more options and enabling population growth that could exceed current expectations, while new properties are constructed at an average value of $333,000. Additionally, $131.8 million in commercial approvals have been registered this financial year, suggesting robust local business investment.

Relative to Greater Adelaide, Colonel Light Gardens shows approximately 68% of the construction activity per person while it places among the 42nd percentile of areas assessed nationally, meaning somewhat limited buyer options while strengthening demand for established properties. This activity is similarly under the national average, indicating the area's established nature and suggesting potential planning limitations. Recent construction comprises 69.0% standalone homes and 31.0% townhouses or apartments, showing an expanding range of medium-density options creating a mix of opportunities across price brackets, from traditional family housing to more affordable compact alternatives. With around 389 people per dwelling approval, Colonel Light Gardens shows a developed market.

Population forecasts indicate Colonel Light Gardens will gain 627 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). With current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Colonel Light Gardens has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 15thth percentile nationally

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total, 10 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include SA Health - Building a Bigger Health System in the South (Daw Park Urgent Care Hub & other upgrades), Tram Grade Separation Projects, Springbank Road Pedestrian Actuated Crossing, and Hotel Panorama, 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.

AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees Colonel Light Gardens performing better than 90% of local markets assessed across Australia

Colonel Light Gardens features a highly educated workforce, with professional services showing strong representation, an unemployment rate of just 1.6%, and 4.7% in estimated employment growth over the past year. As of December 2025, 9,597 residents are in work while the unemployment rate is 2.2% below Greater Adelaide's rate of 3.8%, and workforce participation is well beyond standard (73.4% compared to Greater Adelaide's 67.2%). Based on Census responses, a moderate 14.3% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

The key industries of employment among residents are health care & social assistance, education & training, and professional & technical. The area has particular employment specialization in professional & technical, with an employment share of 1.4 times the regional level. In contrast, manufacturing employs just 4.7% of local workers, below Greater Adelaide's 7.0%. While local employment opportunities exist in the area, it appears many residents commute elsewhere for work, based on the count of Census working population to local population.

Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data, over the 12 months to December 2025, employment increased by 4.7% while labour force increased by 4.6%, resulting in unemployment falling by 0.2 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 Colonel Light Gardens. 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 Colonel Light Gardens's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.0% 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).

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

The Colonel Light Gardens SA2's income level is very high nationally according to the latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for FY-23. The Colonel Light Gardens SA2's median income among taxpayers is $59,526 and the average income stands at $75,112, which compares to figures for Greater Adelaide's of $54,808 and $66,852 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.8% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $64,764 (median) and $81,722 (average) as of September 2025. Census 2021 income data shows household, family and personal incomes in Colonel Light Gardens cluster around the 66th percentile nationally. Income brackets indicate the largest segment comprises 28.8% earning $1,500 - 2,999 weekly (4,652 residents), consistent with broader trends across the surrounding region showing 31.8% in the same category. Higher earners represent a substantial presence with 31.6% exceeding $3,000 weekly, indicating strong purchasing power within the community. After housing costs, residents retain 86.8% of income, reflecting strong purchasing power and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

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

Dwelling structure within Colonel Light Gardens, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 73.5% houses and 26.4% 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 Colonel Light Gardens was well beyond that of Adelaide metro, at 35.7%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (41.3%) or rented (23.0%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was well above the Adelaide metro average at $2,000, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $320, compared to Adelaide metro's $1,562 and $320. Nationally, Colonel Light Gardens's mortgage repayments are higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are substantially below the national figure of $375.

Colonel Light Gardens has a typical household mix, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households dominate at 70.4% of all households, comprising 36.7% couples with children, 23.3% couples without children, and 9.2% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 29.6%, with lone person households at 26.2% and group households comprising 3.3% of the total. The median household size of 2.6 people is larger than the Greater Adelaide average of 2.5.

Colonel Light Gardens shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Educational attainment in Colonel Light Gardens significantly surpasses broader benchmarks, with 39.7% 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 (8.7%) and graduate diplomas (4.5%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 27.2% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials, including advanced diplomas (10.9%) and certificates (16.3%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 29.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.0% in primary education, 7.5% in secondary education, and 7.1% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Public transport analysis reveals 87 active transport stops operating within Colonel Light Gardens, comprising a mix of buses. These stops are serviced by 52 individual routes, collectively providing 3,238 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 188 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward; the car remains the dominant mode at 83%, with 8% by bus and 3% cycling. Vehicle ownership averages 1.4 per dwelling. Some 14.3% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 462 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 37 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Colonel Light Gardens is lower than average with prevalence of common health conditions notable across both younger and older age cohorts

Colonel Light Gardens faces significant health challenges, based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. The prevalence of common health conditions is notable across both younger and older age cohorts, and the rate of private health cover is very high at approximately 57% of the total population (~9,143 people), compared to 52.7% across Greater Adelaide.

The most common medical conditions in the area are mental health issues and arthritis, impacting 7.8% and 7.6% of residents, respectively, while 70.8% 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 18.8% of residents aged 65 and over (3,038 people). Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Colonel Light Gardens was found to be slightly above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Colonel Light Gardens was found to be above average in terms of cultural diversity, with 20.2% of its population born overseas and 16.7% speaking a language other than English at home. The main religion in Colonel Light Gardens is Christianity, which makes up 44.1% of the population. However, the most apparent overrepresentation was in Hinduism, which comprises 2.3% of the population, compared to 2.8% across Greater Adelaide.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Colonel Light Gardens are English, comprising 28.4% of the population, Australian, comprising 24.6% of the population, and Irish, comprising 7.2% of the population. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: Greek is notably overrepresented at 3.8% of Colonel Light Gardens (vs 2.0% regionally), German at 5.6% (vs 5.1%) and Polish at 1.0% (vs 1.0%).

Colonel Light Gardens's population is slightly older than the national pattern

The 40-year median age in Colonel Light Gardens is similar to Greater Adelaide's average of 39 and similarly somewhat older than Australia's 38 years. The 45 - 54 age group shows strong representation at 12.8% compared to Greater Adelaide, whereas the 25 - 34 cohort is less prevalent at 12.2%. Post-2021 Census data shows the 75 to 84 age group has grown from 4.9% to 6.2% of the population. Conversely, the 45 to 54 cohort has declined from 14.5% to 12.8%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes for Colonel Light Gardens. Leading the demographic shift, the 85+ group will grow by 81% (364 people), reaching 814 from 449. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 74% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. In contrast, the 35 to 44 and 5 to 14 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.