Colonel Light Gardens
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Colonel Light Gardens' population was 15,842 as of the 2021 Census. By Nov 2025, it is around 16,139, an increase of 297 people (1.9%). This growth is inferred from the ABS's estimated resident population of 16,119 in June 2024 and 19 new addresses validated since the Census date. The population density is 2,387 persons per square kilometer, placing Colonel Light Gardens in the upper quartile nationally according to AreaSearch. Since the 2021 Census, the area's growth of 1.9% is within 2.5 percentage points of its SA3 area (4.4%). Overseas migration was the primary driver of this population increase.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered and years post-2032, it adopts the SA State Government's Regional/LGA projections by age category, released in 2023 based on 2021 data, with adjustments made using weighted aggregation from LGA to SA2 levels. Future population growth is anticipated to be in the lower quartile nationally, with Colonel Light Gardens expected to increase by 663 persons to 2041, representing a total increase of 4.0% 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 seen approximately 37 dwelling approvals per year. Over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, around 186 homes were approved, with an additional 16 approved in FY-26 so far. On average, about 0.5 new residents have arrived annually for each new home over these five years.

This suggests that new construction is keeping pace with demand or even exceeding it, providing more options for buyers and potentially driving population growth beyond current projections. The average expected construction cost of new properties has been around $333,000. In FY-26, commercial approvals totaling $131.8 million have been registered, indicating significant local business investment. Compared to Greater Adelaide, Colonel Light Gardens shows about 68% of the construction activity per capita.

Nationally, it ranks in the 43rd percentile among assessed areas, suggesting somewhat limited buyer options but strengthening demand for established properties. This activity is below the national average, reflecting the area's established nature and potentially indicating planning limitations. Recent construction has comprised approximately 69.0% standalone homes and 31.0% townhouses or apartments, expanding medium-density housing options and creating a mix of opportunities across price brackets. With around 389 people per dwelling approval, Colonel Light Gardens demonstrates a developed market. Population forecasts indicate that the area will gain approximately 643 residents by 2041. Given current construction levels, housing supply is expected to meet demand adequately, creating favorable conditions for buyers and potentially enabling population growth beyond current projections.

Colonel Light Gardens has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 39thth percentile nationally

Ten projects identified by AreaSearch are expected to impact the area significantly. These include Tram Grade Separation Projects, SA Health's Building a Bigger Health System in the South (Daw Park Urgent Care Hub & other upgrades), Springbank Road Pedestrian Actuated Crossing, and Hotel Panorama.

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

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

Colonel Light Gardens has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. Its unemployment rate was 1.8% as of June 2025, with an estimated employment growth of 2.5% over the past year.

In June 2025, 9,344 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 2.2%, below Greater Adelaide's rate of 4.0%. Workforce participation was 67.8%, compared to Greater Adelaide's 61.7%. Key industries of employment include health care & social assistance, education & training, and professional & technical services. The area specializes in professional & technical jobs, with an employment share 1.4 times the regional level.

Manufacturing employs only 4.7% of local workers, below Greater Adelaide's 7.0%. Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data analysis. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment increased by 2.5%, labour force grew by 2.7%, resulting in a slight rise in unemployment to 1.8%. Greater Adelaide recorded employment growth of 2.1% over the same period. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project national employment expansion of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with varying growth rates across industries. Applying these projections to Colonel Light Gardens' employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 7.0% over five years and 14.5% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

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

Colonel Light Gardens' income level is very high nationally according to latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2022. Its median income among taxpayers is $56,905 and average income stands at $73,460, compared to Greater Adelaide's figures of $52,592 and $64,886 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.83% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $64,206 (median) and $82,885 (average) as of September 2025. Census 2021 income data shows household, family and personal incomes in Colonel Light Gardens cluster around the 67th percentile nationally. Income brackets indicate largest segment comprises 28.8% earning $1,500 - $2,999 weekly (4,648 residents), consistent with broader trends across surrounding region showing 31.8% in same category. Higher earners represent substantial presence with 31.6% exceeding $3,000 weekly, indicating strong purchasing power within community. After housing costs, residents retain 86.8% of income, reflecting strong purchasing power and area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

Colonel Light Gardens is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Colonel Light Gardens' dwellings, as per the latest Census, consisted of 73.5% houses and 26.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other'). In comparison, Adelaide metro had 78.8% houses and 21.2% other dwellings. Home ownership in Colonel Light Gardens was at 35.7%, with mortgaged dwellings at 41.3% and rented ones at 23.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,000, above Adelaide metro's average of $1,992. Median weekly rent in Colonel Light Gardens was $320, compared to Adelaide metro's $335. Nationally, mortgage repayments were higher at $1,863 and rents lower at $375.

Colonel Light Gardens has a typical household mix, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households constitute 70.4% of all households, including 36.7% couples with children, 23.3% couples without children, and 9.2% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 29.6%, with lone person households at 26.2% and group households comprising 3.3%. The median household size is 2.6 people, which aligns with the Greater Adelaide average.

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

Colonel Light Gardens has a notably high level of educational attainment among its residents aged 15 and above. Specifically, 39.7% hold university qualifications, which is higher than the state average of 25.7% and the SA4 region average of 28.1%. This indicates a strong position for the area in relation to knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 26.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 8.7% and graduate diplomas at 4.5%.

Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 27.2% of residents holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas constitute 10.9% and certificates make up 16.3%. Educational participation is high in the area, 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. The five schools in Colonel Light Gardens have a combined enrollment of 3,023 students. The area also demonstrates above-average socio-educational conditions, with an ICSEA score of 1099. The educational mix includes four primary schools and one K-12 school.

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

Colonel Light Gardens has 87 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 52 different routes that together facilitate 3,244 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents on average located just 188 meters from the nearest stop.

On a daily basis, there are an average of 463 trips across all routes, which translates to approximately 37 weekly trips per individual stop.

Colonel Light Gardens's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with prevalence of common health conditions quite low among the general population though higher than the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts

Health data for Colonel Light Gardens shows a relatively positive picture with low prevalence of common health conditions among its residents compared to the general population. However, these rates are higher than the national average for older and at-risk cohorts.

Private health cover is very high in this area, with approximately 56% of the total population (~9,037 people) having it, compared to 58.5% across Greater Adelaide. The most common medical conditions are mental health issues (affecting 7.8% of residents) and arthritis (7.6%), while 70.8% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments. This compares to 69.3% across Greater Adelaide. Colonel Light Gardens has 18.3% of residents aged 65 and over (2,948 people), which is lower than the 21.2% in Greater Adelaide. While health outcomes among seniors present some challenges requiring more attention, overall health outcomes are generally positive for the area's residents.

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

Colonel Light Gardens exhibited higher cultural diversity than average, with 20.2% of its residents born overseas and 16.7% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Colonel Light Gardens, accounting for 44.1% of the population. Notably, Hinduism had a higher representation in Colonel Light Gardens at 2.3%, compared to 1.7% across Greater Adelaide.

The top three ancestry groups were English (28.4%), Australian (24.6%), and Irish (7.2%). There were also significant differences in the representation of certain ethnic groups: German was overrepresented at 5.6% (versus 5.9% regionally), Greek at 3.8% (versus 2.5%), and Polish at 1.0% (versus 1.0%).

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

The median age in Colonel Light Gardens is 40 years, similar to Greater Adelaide's average of 39 years but somewhat older than Australia's median age of 38 years. The 45-54 age group makes up a strong 13.1% of the population in Colonel Light Gardens compared to Greater Adelaide, while the 25-34 cohort is less prevalent at 12.3%. Post-2021 Census data shows that the 75 to 84 age group has grown from 4.9% to 5.8% of the population. Conversely, the 45 to 54 age group has declined from 14.5% to 13.1%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate significant demographic changes in Colonel Light Gardens. The 85+ age group is expected to grow by 81%, adding 363 people and reaching a total of 814, up from 450. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups are projected to account for 82% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. In contrast, the 0 to 4 and 35 to 44 age cohorts are expected to experience population declines.