Eyre Peninsula
Statistical Area - sa2

An assessment of population growth drivers in Eyre Peninsula reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Eyre Peninsula's population was estimated at around 7,341 as of Aug 2025. This reflected an increase of 517 people from the 2021 Census figure of 6,824, indicating a growth rate of 7.6%. The change was inferred from the ABS's estimated resident population of 7,178 in June 2024 and an additional 73 validated new addresses since the Census date. This resulted in a population density ratio of 1.0 persons per square kilometer. Eyre Peninsula's growth rate exceeded that of both SA4 (4.8%) and SA3 regions. Interstate migration contributed approximately 64.1% of overall population gains during recent periods, with other factors such as overseas migration and natural growth also being positive contributors.

AreaSearch adopted ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data and years post-2032, the SA State Government's Regional/LGA projections were used, adjusted employing a method of weighted aggregation from LGA to SA2 levels. Population projections indicated an increase just below the median for regional areas nationally, with Eyre Peninsula expected to grow by 402 persons to 2041, representing a total gain of 3.3% over the 17-year period.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Eyre Peninsula when compared nationally

Eyre Peninsula has received approximately 48 dwelling approvals annually. The Australian Bureau of Statistics provides development approval data on a financial year basis. Between FY21 and FY25, there were a total of 240 approvals, with 7 so far in FY26. Over the past five financial years, an average of 1.6 new residents per year has arrived for each new home, indicating a balanced supply and demand market that supports stable conditions.

The average expected construction cost value of new dwellings is $471,000, slightly above the regional average, suggesting focus on quality developments. This financial year has seen $9.3 million in commercial approvals registered, showing balanced commercial development activity. Compared to the Rest of SA, Eyre Peninsula exhibits 117.0% higher new home approvals per person, offering buyers greater choice. Recent construction comprises 97.0% detached dwellings and 3.0% attached dwellings, preserving the area's low density nature and attracting space-seeking buyers with an average of approximately 167 people per dwelling approval.

Population forecasts indicate Eyre Peninsula will gain 239 residents by 2041. Given current development patterns, new housing supply is expected to meet demand, presenting good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

Eyre Peninsula has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 29thth percentile nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 23 projects that could affect the region. Notable ones include the Green Iron Magnetite Project, CH4 Global Asparagopsis Seaweed EcoPark, Point Boston Peninsula Community Development, and CH4 Global Asparagopsis Seaweed Eco Park. The following list details those most likely to be relevant.

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

Employment conditions in Eyre Peninsula demonstrate exceptional strength compared to most Australian markets

Eyre Peninsula's workforce is balanced across white and blue-collar jobs, with diverse sector representation. The unemployment rate was 2.2% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 4.9%.

As of June 2025, there were 3,572 residents employed, with an unemployment rate of 2.4%, below Rest of SA's rate of 4.6%. Workforce participation was 57.5%, similar to Rest of SA's 54.1%. Leading employment industries included agriculture, forestry & fishing, health care & social assistance, and education & training. Agriculture, forestry & fishing had particularly high concentration with levels at 2.0 times the regional average.

Manufacturing was under-represented, with only 2.8% of Eyre Peninsula's workforce compared to Rest of SA's 9.3%. Employment opportunities appeared limited locally, as indicated by Census working population vs resident population count. In the 12-month period ending June 2025, employment increased by 4.9% while labour force grew by 5.7%, causing unemployment rate to rise by 0.8 percentage points. Rest of SA experienced employment decline of 1.2% and labour force growth of 0.1%, with a 1.2 percentage point rise in unemployment rate. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with varying rates between industry sectors. Applying these projections to Eyre Peninsula's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 5.3% over five years and 11.6% over ten years.

Income figures position the area below 75% of locations analysed nationally by AreaSearch

AreaSearch's data for financial year 2022 shows median income in Eyre Peninsula is $47,765, average is $58,785. Rest of SA has median income of $46,889 and average of $56,582. Based on Wage Price Index growth since FY 2022, estimated incomes as of March 2025 are approximately $52,938 (median) and $65,151 (average). Census 2021 data ranks Eyre Peninsula household, family, and personal incomes modestly between the 21st and 31st percentiles. Income distribution shows 29.5% of locals earn between $1,500 - 2,999 annually, reflecting broader area patterns with 27.5%. Housing costs are modest, retaining 90.6% of income. Disposable income ranks at the 29th percentile nationally and SEIFA income ranking places Eyre Peninsula in the 4th decile.

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

In the Eyre Peninsula region, as per the latest Census findings, 93.7% of dwellings were houses with the remaining 6.3% consisting of semi-detached homes, apartments and other types of dwellings. This is in contrast to Non-Metro SA's dwelling structure which was 75.9% houses and 24.1% other dwellings. Home ownership within Eyre Peninsula stood at 51.5%, with mortgaged dwellings making up 29.5% and rented properties accounting for 19.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,192, higher than Non-Metro SA's average of $1,170. The median weekly rent figure was recorded at $220, compared to Non-Metro SA's $195. Nationally, Eyre Peninsula's median monthly mortgage repayment is significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while its median weekly rent figure is substantially below the national average of $375.

Eyre Peninsula has a typical household mix, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households account for 68.2% of all households, including 24.3% couples with children, 36.7% couples without children, and 6.9% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 31.8%, with lone person households at 29.6% and group households comprising 2.1% of the total. The median household size is 2.3 people, which aligns with the average for the Rest of South Africa.

Educational outcomes in Eyre Peninsula fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

The area faces educational challenges, with university qualification rates at 14.3%, significantly below the Australian average of 30.4%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are most common at 10.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (1.8%) and graduate diplomas (1.7%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 38.8% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials - advanced diplomas (9.4%) and certificates (29.4%).

A substantial 24.2% of the population is actively pursuing formal education, including 11.5% in primary education, 7.5% in secondary education, and 1.5% in tertiary education. As of September 2021, there are six schools operating within Eyre Peninsula, educating approximately 901 students. The area demonstrates typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 996) with balanced educational opportunities, including four primary schools and two K-12 schools. School places per 100 residents stand at 12.3, below the regional average of 15.8, indicating some students may attend schools in adjacent areas.

No public transport data available for this catchment area.

Health performance in Eyre Peninsula is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts

Eyre Peninsula faces significant health challenges with common health conditions prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts. The rate of private health cover is relatively low at approximately 49% of the total population, which is around 3,604 people.

This is lower than the national average of 55.3%. The most common medical conditions are arthritis and asthma, impacting 9.4 and 7.7% of residents respectively. However, 66.5% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, which is slightly higher than the 65.6% across Rest of SA. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 27.4%, with around 2,011 people falling into this category, compared to 22.1% in Rest of SA. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, performing better than the general population in health metrics.

The latest Census data sees Eyre Peninsula placing among the least culturally diverse areas in the country when compared across a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Eyre Peninsula's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 93.0% of its population being citizens, 93.4% born in Australia, and 98.1% speaking English only at home. Christianity is the main religion in Eyre Peninsula, comprising 48.5% of people, compared to 43.7% across Rest of SA. The top three ancestry groups are Australian (34.8%), English (33.5%), and Scottish (7.9%).

German representation is notably higher at 7.1%, versus 6.6% regionally, while Australian Aboriginal representation is lower at 1.9%, compared to 4.8%.

Eyre Peninsula hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

Eyre Peninsula has a median age of 49, which is higher than the Rest of SA figure of 47 and substantially exceeds the national norm of 38. Compared to Rest of SA, Eyre Peninsula has a higher concentration of residents aged 5-14 (12.4%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (7.6%). Between the 2021 Census and now, the population aged 15-24 has grown from 7.8% to 9.3%, while those aged 75-84 increased from 7.9% to 9.1%. Conversely, the 25-34 age group declined from 9.0% to 7.6%, and the 55-64 age group dropped from 16.0% to 14.9%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Eyre Peninsula's age structure. The 75-84 age group is projected to grow by 36% (243 people), reaching 914 from 670. Those aged 65 and above will comprise 88% of the projected population growth, while both the 0-4 and 5-14 age groups are expected to decrease in number.