Highbury - Dernancourt
Statistical Area - sa2

Highbury - Dernancourt has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

Highbury - Dernancourt's population is approximately 11,703 as of Aug 2025. This figure reflects a growth of 655 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 11,048. The increase is inferred from ABS estimates and additional validated addresses. The population density stands at around 975 persons per square kilometer. Highbury - Dernancourt's growth rate of 5.9% since 2021 exceeds the SA3 area's 4.2%, indicating it as a leading growth region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 47.5% to recent population gains, with all factors showing positive trends.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 using 2022 data. For areas not covered by this data and years post-2032, the SA State Government's Regional/LGA projections are adopted with adjustments made via a weighted aggregation method. Based on projected demographic shifts, Highbury - Dernancourt is expected to grow by 1,866 persons to 2041, marking a total growth of 15.5% over 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential approval activity sees Highbury - Dernancourt among the top 30% of areas assessed nationwide

Highbury - Dernancourt has recorded approximately 66 residential properties granted approval annually. Development approval data is produced by the ABS on a financial year basis, with 332 homes approved over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25. As of FY-26, 21 dwellings have been approved so far. On average, 2.3 new residents per dwelling were recorded over these five years, indicating solid demand that supports property values.

The average construction cost value for new homes over this period was $412,000. This year has also seen commercial approvals valued at $805,000, reflecting the area's residential nature. Compared to Greater Adelaide, Highbury - Dernancourt has recorded somewhat elevated construction activity, with a 25.0% increase above the regional average per person over the five-year period.

This maintains good buyer choice while supporting existing property values. Recent construction comprises 94.0% standalone homes and 6.0% townhouses or apartments, sustaining the area's suburban identity with a concentration of family homes suited to buyers seeking space. The location has approximately 211 people per dwelling approval, indicating room for growth. Looking ahead, Highbury - Dernancourt is expected to grow by 1,815 residents through to 2041. Current development appears well-matched to future needs, supporting steady market conditions without extreme price pressure.

Highbury - Dernancourt has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

The performance of an area can significantly influenced by changes in local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified 11 such projects that could impact this area. Notable ones include the Tea Tree Gully Township North East Road Streetscape Upgrade, Modbury Hospital Redevelopment Project, North East Public Transport Study - O-Bahn Extension, and Luminaire Estate - Residential Development. The following list details those likely to be most relevant.

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

Employment conditions in Highbury - Dernancourt rank among the top 10% of areas assessed nationally

Highbury-Dernancourt has an educated workforce with significant representation in essential services sectors. The unemployment rate as of June 2025 is 1.4%, with estimated employment growth over the past year at 1.3%.

As of that date, 6,418 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 2.6% lower than Greater Adelaide's rate of 4.0%. Workforce participation is similar to Greater Adelaide at 64.5%. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance (16.2%), education & training (39.7%, 1.3 times the regional average), and construction (11.8%). Over the year ending June 2025, employment increased by 1.3% while labour force grew by 1.2%, keeping unemployment stable at 4%.

Comparing this to Greater Adelaide: employment grew by 2.1%, labour force expanded by 2.1%, and unemployment rose marginally. State-level data from Sep-25 shows SA employment grew by 1.06% year-on-year, with the state unemployment rate at 4.5%, matching the national rate of 4.5%. Jobs and Skills Australia's May 2025 forecast projects national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Highbury-Dernancourt's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

The economic profile demonstrates above-average performance, with income metrics exceeding national benchmarks based on AreaSearch comparative assessment

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of ATO data released for financial year ending June 2022, Highbury - Dernancourt had a median income among taxpayers of $52,350 and an average level of $63,589. This was slightly lower than the national average, which stood at $52,592 for Greater Adelaide respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.83% from financial year ending June 2022 to March 2025, estimated median income is approximately $58,020 and average income is around $70,476. As per the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in Highbury - Dernancourt cluster around the 58th percentile nationally. Income analysis shows that 33.9% of the population (3,967 individuals) fall within the $1,500 to $2,999 income range, which mirrors the region where 31.8% occupy this bracket. After housing costs, residents retain 88.3% of their income, indicating strong purchasing power and placing the area's SEIFA income ranking in the 7th decile.

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

Highbury-Dernancourt's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, had 94.6% houses and 5.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Adelaide metro's 88.6% houses and 11.3% other dwellings. Home ownership in Highbury-Dernancourt stood at 42.7%, with mortgaged dwellings at 43.4% and rented ones at 13.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,733, higher than Adelaide metro's $1,517, while the median weekly rent was $375, compared to Adelaide metro's $330. Nationally, Highbury-Dernancourt's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, with rents comparable at $375.

Highbury - Dernancourt features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 79.7% of all households, including 36.8% couples with children, 31.8% couples without children, and 10.2% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 20.3%, with lone person households at 18.6% and group households comprising 1.8%. The median household size is 2.7 people, which is larger than the Greater Adelaide average of 2.5.

The educational profile of Highbury - Dernancourt exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

Educational attainment in Highbury - Dernancourt is notably higher than broader benchmarks. As of 2016, 30.8% of residents aged 15+ hold university qualifications compared to 19.8% in the SA4 region and 23.2% in the SA3 area. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 21.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (6.3%) and graduate diplomas (3.4%). Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 33.1% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas account for 12.0% while certificates make up 21.1%.

Educational participation is high, with 27.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.5% in primary education, 7.3% in secondary education, and 6.5% pursuing tertiary education. Dernancourt School serves Highbury - Dernancourt, enrolling 325 students as of 2018. The area has above-average socio-educational conditions (ICSEA: 1055). There is one school focused exclusively on primary education, with secondary options available in nearby areas. Local school capacity is limited at 2.8 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 16.7, leading many families to travel for schooling.

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

The analysis shows 49 active public transport stops in Highbury - Dernancourt. These are served by buses along seven different routes, offering a total of 680 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility to these services is rated good, with residents generally located about 259 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 97 trips per day across all routes, which translates to approximately 13 weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in Highbury - Dernancourt is notably higher than the national average with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Highbury - Dernancourt demonstrates above-average health outcomes for both younger and older age groups, with low prevalence of common health conditions.

Private health cover stands at approximately 51% of the total population (~5,991 people), slightly lower than the average SA2 area. The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (8.2%) and asthma (7.1%). Notably, 69.9% of residents report being completely free from medical ailments, compared to 66.3% across Greater Adelaide. The area has a high proportion of seniors, with 21.5% aged 65 and over (2,518 people). Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, outperforming the general population in health metrics.

Highbury - Dernancourt was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Highbury-Dernancourt has a higher cultural diversity compared to most local markets, with 25.8% of its population born overseas and 19.6% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Highbury-Dernancourt, comprising 53.9% of its population. However, the category 'Other' shows an overrepresentation in Highbury-Dernancourt with 2.2%, compared to 2.1% across Greater Adelaide.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups in Highbury-Dernancourt are English (26.2%), Australian (21.9%), and Italian (11.8%), which is significantly higher than the regional average of 5.5%. Notable divergences exist for certain ethnic groups: Polish at 1.4% (vs regional 1.2%), German at 5.6% (vs 5.8%), and Russian at 0.5% (vs regional 0.3%).

Highbury - Dernancourt hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

Highbury - Dernancourt has a median age of 42, which is slightly higher than Greater Adelaide's figure of 39 and notably exceeds the national norm of 38. The age group of 75-84 years old constitutes 8.8% of the population in Highbury - Dernancourt, compared to Greater Adelaide, while the 25-34 cohort represents 11.3%. According to the 2021 Census, the 75 to 84 age group has increased from 7.3% to 8.8%, and the 15 to 24 cohort has risen from 12.2% to 13.5%. Conversely, the 65 to 74 cohort has decreased from 12.0% to 10.1%, and the 45 to 54 group has fallen from 13.3% to 12.2%. Demographic modeling indicates that Highbury - Dernancourt's age profile will change significantly by 2041, with the 85+ group projected to grow by 174%, reaching 836 people from its current figure of 305. The 65 to 74 group is expected to experience more modest growth, adding only 14 residents.