Goolwa - Port Elliot
Statistical Area - sa2

Goolwa - Port Elliot lies within the top quartile of areas nationally for population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Goolwa-Port Elliot's population, as per AreaSearch's analysis, is approximately 13,737 as of August 2025. This figure represents a growth of 1,221 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 12,516. The increase is estimated from ABS data showing an ERP of 13,463 in June 2024 and validated new addresses totalling 417 since the census date. This results in a density ratio of 75 persons per square kilometer. Goolwa-Port Elliot's population growth rate of 9.8% from 2021 to 2025 exceeds both the non-metro area (6.0%) and the SA4 region, indicating significant growth compared to other areas. Interstate migration contributed approximately 83.5% of total population gains in recent periods.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with a base year of 2022, and adjusts SA State Government's Regional/LGA projections by age category (released in 2023 based on 2021 data) using weighted aggregation to project populations post-2032 for areas not covered by ABS data. Future population growth is projected to be above the median for regional areas nationwide, with Goolwa-Port Elliot expected to increase by 1,879 persons to reach a total of 15,616 by 2041, indicating an overall increase of 11.7% over these 17 years.

The level of residential development activity in Goolwa - Port Elliot was found to be higher than 90% of real estate markets across the country

Goolwa - Port Elliot recorded approximately 196 residential property approvals annually. Development approval data from the ABS shows 980 homes approved over five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, with an additional 25 approved in FY26. On average, 1.6 people moved to the area for each dwelling built during these years. The balance between supply and demand suggests stable market conditions, with new homes valued at around $401,000 on average.

This financial year has seen $22.2 million in commercial development approvals, indicating steady investment activity. Compared to the rest of South Australia, Goolwa - Port Elliot has slightly more development, being 19.0% above the regional average per person over the five-year period, offering balanced buyer choice and supporting current property values. Development activity is substantially higher than the national average, suggesting strong developer confidence in the location. New building activity consists of 97.0% detached houses and 3.0% medium to high-density housing, maintaining the area's traditional low-density character focused on family homes.

With around 70 people per dwelling approval, Goolwa - Port Elliot exhibits characteristics of a growth area. Population forecasts indicate an increase of 1,605 residents by 2041. Given current development patterns, new housing supply should meet demand, providing favourable conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating further population growth beyond current projections.

Goolwa - Port Elliot has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 28thth percentile nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified ten projects expected to impact the region. Notable ones are Airpark Estate, Riverhaven Estate, Goolwa Wharf Precinct, and Goolwa Oval Recreation Precinct. The following details those most relevant:.

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

The employment landscape in Goolwa - Port Elliot presents a mixed picture: unemployment remains low at 3.2%, yet recent job losses have affected its comparative national standing

Goolwa-Port Elliot has a skilled workforce with prominent representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate stands at 3.2%.

As of June 2025, 4611 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.4% below the Rest of SA's rate of 4.6%. Workforce participation is lower at 38.5%, compared to the Rest of SA's 54.1%. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction. The area specializes in health care & social assistance with an employment share of 1.3 times the regional level, while agriculture, forestry & fishing shows lower representation at 3.5% compared to the regional average of 14.5%.

Local employment opportunities appear limited based on Census working population vs resident population comparison. Over the 12 months to June 2025, labour force levels decreased by 2.2%, alongside a 3.0% employment decline, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.8 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of SA experienced an employment decline of 1.2% and labour force growth of 0.1%, with a 1.2 percentage point rise in unemployment. 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, but industry-specific projections suggest Goolwa-Port Elliot's local growth may be approximately 6.4% over five years and 13.4% over ten years.

Income metrics place the area in the bottom 10% of locations nationally according to AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch's data for financial year 2022 shows median income in Goolwa - Port Elliot is $38,708 and average income is $51,975. This is lower than Rest of SA's median income of $46,889 and average income of $56,582. Using Wage Price Index growth of 10.83% since financial year 2022, estimated incomes as of March 2025 are approximately $42,900 (median) and $57,604 (average). Census 2021 data shows Goolwa - Port Elliot's household, family, and personal incomes fall between the 3rd and 7th percentiles nationally. The income bracket of $800 - 1,499 captures 33.4% of the community in Goolwa - Port Elliot, compared to metropolitan regions where 27.5% fall within $1,500 - 2,999 range. After housing costs, 86.4% of income remains, ranking at the 5th percentile nationally.

Goolwa - Port Elliot is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Goolwa-Port Elliot, as per the latest Census data, had 90.6% houses and 9.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Non-Metro SA's 92.1% houses and 7.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Goolwa-Port Elliot stood at 52.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 25.0% and rented ones at 22.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,196, lower than Non-Metro SA's average of $1,300. The median weekly rent figure was $280, matching Non-Metro SA's figure but significantly below the national average of $375. Nationally, Goolwa-Port Elliot's mortgage repayments were notably lower at $1,196 compared to Australia's average of $1,863.

Goolwa - Port Elliot features high concentrations of lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 64.6 percent of all households, including 14.5 percent couples with children, 41.7 percent couples without children, and 7.7 percent single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 35.4 percent, with lone person households at 33.4 percent and group households making up 2.1 percent of the total. The median household size is 2.0 people, smaller than the Rest of SA average of 2.2.

Educational outcomes in Goolwa - Port Elliot fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

The region faces educational challenges, with university qualification rates at 18.7%, significantly lower than the Australian average of 30.4%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 12.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.3%) and graduate diplomas (2.6%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 39.4% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (11.7%) and certificates (27.7%).

School and university attendance encompasses 18.3% of the community, including 7.4% in primary education, 5.2% in secondary education, and 2.0% pursuing tertiary education. Goolwa - Port Elliot's three schools have a combined enrollment of 840 students as of 2021. The region demonstrates typical Australian school conditions with balanced educational opportunities (ICSEA: 971). Education provision is balanced with two primary and one secondary school serving distinct age groups. School places per 100 residents are at 6.1, falling below the regional average of 11.2, indicating some students may attend schools in adjacent areas.

No public transport data available for this catchment area.

Health performance in Goolwa - Port Elliot is a key challenge with a range of health conditions having marked impacts on both younger and older age cohorts

Critical health challenges are evident across Goolwa - Port Elliot, with a range of health conditions impacting both younger and older age cohorts. The rate of private health cover is extremely low at approximately 46% of the total population (~6,346 people), compared to the national average of 55.3%.

The most common medical conditions are arthritis (14.3%) and mental health issues (9.3%). Conversely, 53.3% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 58.3% across Rest of SA. The area has a higher proportion of residents aged 65 and over at 46.4% (~6,380 people), compared to the state average of 37.0%.

Goolwa - Port Elliot ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Goolwa-Port Elliot, as per the census conducted on the 9th of August, 2016, showed a cultural diversity below average. The population born in Australia stood at 79.4%, with 92.0% being Australian citizens and 97.1% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, accounting for 44.5% of the population.

Notably, Judaism, which had no representation regionally, comprised 0.1% of Goolwa-Port Elliot's population. The top three ancestry groups were English (38.9%), Australian (26.5%), and Scottish (8.7%). There were notable deviations in the representation of certain ethnicities: German was overrepresented at 6.7% compared to the regional average of 6.7%, Welsh at 0.8% versus 0.6%, and Dutch at 1.7% against a regional average of 1.6%.

Goolwa - Port Elliot ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide

Goolwa - Port Elliot's median age is 61 years, which is significantly higher than the Rest of SA average of 47 years and substantially exceeds the Australian median of 38 years. The 75-84 age group shows strong representation at 17.8%, compared to the Rest of SA, while the 25-34 cohort is less prevalent at 5.5%. This 75-84 concentration is well above the national average of 6.0%. Between the 2021 Census and now, the 75 to 84 age group has grown from 15.6% to 17.8%, while the 85+ cohort increased from 5.0% to 6.0%. Conversely, the 55-64 cohort has declined from 15.7% to 13.9%. By 2041, Goolwa - Port Elliot is expected to see notable shifts in its age composition. The 85+ age cohort is projected to surge dramatically, expanding by 1,103 people (133%) from 831 to 1,935. Senior residents aged 65 and above will drive 87% of population growth, underscoring demographic aging trends. Meanwhile, the 25-34 and 0-4 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.