Goolwa - Port Elliot

Population growth drivers in Goolwa - Port Elliot are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Goolwa - Port Elliot's population is around 14,057 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 1,541 people (12.3%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 12,516 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 13,463 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 495 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 77 persons per square kilometer, providing significant space per person and potential room for further development. Goolwa - Port Elliot's 12.3% growth since the 2021 census exceeded the Rest of SA (7.6%) and the SA4 region, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by interstate migration, which contributed approximately 83.5% of overall 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. Considering the projected demographic shifts, an above-median population growth for regional areas across the nation is projected, with the area expected to increase by 1,879 persons by 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an increase of 9.1% in total over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Goolwa - Port Elliot among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

Goolwa - Port Elliot has recorded around 196 residential properties granted approval per year, totalling 980 homes over the past 5 financial years. So far in FY-26, 98 approvals have been recorded. With an average of 1.6 people per year moving to the area for each dwelling built over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25), supply and demand appear well-balanced, creating stable market conditions, while new homes are being built at an average value of $292,000. Additionally, $22.2 million in commercial approvals have been registered this financial year, demonstrating moderate levels of commercial development.

Compared to the rest of SA, Goolwa - Port Elliot records somewhat elevated construction (19.0% above the regional average per person over the 5 year period), balancing buyer choice with support for current property values. This is well above average nationally, reflecting strong developer confidence in the area. New building activity consists of 97.0% standalone homes and 3.0% townhouses or apartments, maintaining the area's traditional low-density character with a focus on family homes appealing to those seeking space. At around 70 people per approval, Goolwa - Port Elliot reflects a developing area.

Population forecasts indicate Goolwa - Port Elliot will gain 1,285 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). Based on current development patterns, new housing supply should readily meet demand, offering good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

Goolwa - Port Elliot has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 13thth 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 Airpark Estate, Riverhaven Estate, Goolwa Wharf Precinct, and Goolwa Oval Recreation Precinct, 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.

Goolwa - Port Elliot has seen below average employment performance when compared to national benchmarks

Goolwa - Port Elliot features a skilled workforce, with essential services sectors well represented, an unemployment rate of only 3.9%, and 2.5% estimated employment growth over the past year. As of December 2025, 4,801 residents are in work, while the unemployment rate is 1.9% below Regional SA's rate of 5.7%, and workforce participation lags significantly (41.1% compared to Regional SA's 58.8%). Based on Census responses, a low 12.9% 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, retail trade, and construction. The area demonstrates a particularly notable concentration in health care & social assistance, with employment levels at 1.3 times the regional average. On the other hand, agriculture, forestry & fishing is under-represented, with only 3.5% of Goolwa - Port Elliot's workforce compared to 14.5% in Regional SA. The area appears to offer limited employment opportunities locally, as indicated by the count of the Census working population versus the resident population.

Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data, over the 12 months to December 2025, employment increased by 2.5% while the labour force increased by 3.8%, resulting in unemployment rising by 1.1 percentage points. In contrast, Regional SA experienced employment growth of 0.7% and labour force growth of 3.1%, with a 2.2 percentage point rise. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 can offer further insight into potential future demand within Goolwa - Port Elliot. 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 Goolwa - Port Elliot's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.4% over five years and 13.4% over ten years (please note this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections).

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

The Goolwa - Port Elliot SA2's income level is lower than the national average according to the latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for FY-23. The Goolwa - Port Elliot SA2's median income among taxpayers is $39,911 and the average income stands at $51,643, compared to figures for Regional SA of $48,920 and $58,933 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.8% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $43,423 (median) and $56,188 (average) as of September 2025. Census data reveals household, family and personal incomes in Goolwa - Port Elliot all fall between the 2nd and 6th percentiles nationally. Income analysis reveals 33.4% of the population (4,695 individuals) fall within the $800 - 1,499 income range, differing from patterns across the surrounding region where $1,500 - 2,999 dominates with 27.5%. After housing, 86.4% of income remains, though this ranks at only the 5th percentile nationally.

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

Dwelling structure within Goolwa - Port Elliot, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 90.6% houses and 9.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), in comparison to Regional SA's 88.5% houses and 11.5% other dwellings. Meanwhile, the level of home ownership within Goolwa - Port Elliot was well beyond that of Regional SA, at 52.6%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (25.0%) or rented (22.5%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was above the Regional SA average at $1,196, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $280, compared to Regional SA's $1,153 and $220. Nationally, Goolwa - Port Elliot's mortgage repayments are significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are substantially below the national figure of $375.

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

Family households dominate at 64.6% of all households, comprising 14.5% couples with children, 41.7% couples without children, and 7.7% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 35.4%, with lone person households at 33.4% and group households comprising 2.1% of the total. The median household size of 2.0 people is smaller than the Regional SA average of 2.3.

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

The area faces educational challenges, with university qualification rates (18.7%) substantially below the Australian average of 30.4%. This represents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees lead at 12.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.3%) and graduate diplomas (2.6%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 39.4% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials, including advanced diplomas (11.7%) and certificates (27.7%).

School and university attendance encompasses 18.3% of the community. This includes 7.4% in primary education, 5.2% in secondary education, and 2.0% pursuing tertiary education.

No public transport data available for this catchment area.

Health performance in Goolwa - Port Elliot is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts

Goolwa - Port Elliot faces significant health challenges, based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Common health conditions are somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts, and the rate of private health cover is extremely low at approximately 46% of the total population (~6,438 people). This compares to 48.9% across Regional SA. The national average is 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions in the area are arthritis and mental health issues, impacting 14.3% and 9.3% of residents, respectively, while 53.3% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 62.5% across Regional SA. The working-age population faces notable health challenges with elevated chronic condition rates. The area has 47.6% of residents aged 65 and over (6,688 people), which is higher than the 27.1% in Regional SA, with national rankings even higher than the general population.

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 was found to be below average in terms of cultural diversity, with 79.4% of its population born in Australia, 92.0% being citizens, and 97.1% speaking English only at home. The main religion in Goolwa - Port Elliot is Christianity, which makes up 44.5% of the population. However, the most apparent overrepresentation was in Judaism, which comprises 0.1% of the population, compared to 0.0% across Regional SA.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Goolwa - Port Elliot are English, comprising 38.9% of the population, which is substantially higher than the regional average of 32.5%, Australian, comprising 26.5% of the population, and Scottish, comprising 8.7% of the population. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: German is represented at 6.7% of Goolwa - Port Elliot (vs 8.2% regionally), Welsh at 0.8% (vs 0.5%) and Dutch at 1.7% (vs 1.3%).

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

At 61 years, Goolwa - Port Elliot's median age is significantly above the Regional SA average of 47 as well as substantially exceeding the Australian median of 38. The 75 - 84 age group shows strong representation at 18.5% compared to Regional SA, whereas the 25 - 34 cohort is less prevalent at 5.2%. This 75 - 84 concentration is well above the national 6.1%. Since the 2021 Census, the 75 to 84 age group has grown from 15.6% to 18.5% of the population, while the 85+ cohort increased from 5.0% to 6.5%. Conversely, the 55 to 64 cohort has declined from 15.7% to 13.5%. 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 1,018 people (111%) from 916 to 1,935. Senior residents (65+) will drive 86% of population growth, underscoring demographic aging trends. Meanwhile, the 0 to 4 and 35 to 44 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.