Highbury - Dernancourt

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

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Highbury - Dernancourt's population is around 12,294 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 1,246 people (11.3%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 11,048 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 11,652 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 51 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 1,024 persons per square kilometer, which is relatively in line with averages seen across locations assessed by AreaSearch. Highbury - Dernancourt's 11.3% growth since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area (7.2%) and the state, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, which contributed approximately 47.5% of overall population gains during recent periods, although all drivers, including natural growth and interstate migration, were positive factors.

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 of statistical areas across the nation is projected, with the area expected to grow by 1,866 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a gain of 10.0% in total over the 17 years.

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

Highbury - Dernancourt has recorded around 66 residential properties granted approval annually, with 332 homes approved over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25) and 60 so far in FY-26. At an average of 2.3 new residents per year for each dwelling over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25), reflecting robust demand that underpins property values, new homes are being built at an average value of $282,000. There have also been $805,000 in commercial approvals this financial year, suggesting a predominantly residential focus.

Relative to Greater Adelaide, Highbury - Dernancourt shows moderately higher development activity (25.0% above regional average per person over the 5 year period), maintaining good buyer choice while supporting existing property values. New development consists of 94.0% standalone homes and 6.0% attached dwellings, preserving the area's suburban nature with an emphasis on detached housing attracting space-seeking buyers. With around 211 people per dwelling approval, Highbury - Dernancourt shows a developing market.

Population forecasts indicate Highbury - Dernancourt will gain 1,224 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Highbury - Dernancourt has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 7thth percentile nationally

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total 24 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include the Modbury Hospital Redevelopment, Tea Tree Gully Township North East Road Streetscape Upgrade, Modbury Sporting Club Redevelopment, and Thorndon Park Reserve Master Plan Implementation (Ongoing), 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.

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

Highbury - Dernancourt has a well-educated workforce, with essential services sectors well represented, an unemployment rate of just 1.4%, and 1.2% in estimated employment growth over the past year. As of December 2025, 6,402 residents are in work while the unemployment rate is 2.4% below Greater Adelaide's rate of 3.8%, and workforce participation is broadly similar to Greater Adelaide's 67.2%. Based on Census responses, a low 12.0% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

The dominant employment sectors among residents include health care & social assistance, education & training, and construction. The area shows particularly strong specialization in education & training, with an employment share of 1.3 times the regional level. Conversely, health care & social assistance shows lower representation at 16.2% versus the regional average of 17.7%. The area appears to offer limited employment opportunities locally, as indicated by the count of Census working population vs resident population.

Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data, during the year to December 2025, employment levels increased by 1.2% and labour force increased by 1.0%, causing the unemployment rate to fall by 0.1 percentage points. By comparison, Greater Adelaide recorded employment growth of 4.2%, labour force growth of 3.9%, with unemployment falling 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 can offer further insight into potential future demand within Highbury - Dernancourt. 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 Highbury - Dernancourt's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years (please note this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections).

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for FY-23 reveals that income in the Highbury - Dernancourt SA2 is just below the national average, with the median assessed at $54,541 while the average income stands at $66,403. This contrasts with Greater Adelaide's figures of a median income of $54,808 and an average income of $66,852. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.8% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $59,341 (median) and $72,246 (average) as of September 2025. From the 2021 Census, household, family and personal incomes in Highbury - Dernancourt cluster around the 58th percentile nationally. Income brackets indicate the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket dominates with 33.9% of residents (4,167 people), consistent with broader trends across the metropolitan region showing 31.8% in the same category. After housing costs, residents retain 88.3% of income, reflecting strong purchasing power, and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

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

Dwelling structure within Highbury - Dernancourt, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 94.6% houses and 5.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), in comparison to Adelaide metro's 75.2% houses and 24.9% other dwellings. Meanwhile, the level of home ownership within Highbury - Dernancourt was well beyond that of Adelaide metro, at 42.7%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (43.4%) or rented (13.9%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was well above the Adelaide metro average at $1,733, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $375, compared to Adelaide metro's $1,562 and $320. Nationally, Highbury - Dernancourt's mortgage repayments are lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are comparable to the national figure of $375.

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

Family households dominate at 79.7% of all households, comprising 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% of the total. The median household size of 2.7 people 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 significantly surpasses broader benchmarks, with 30.8% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications compared to 19.8% in the SA4 region and 23.2% in the SA3 area. This substantial educational advantage positions the area strongly for knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees lead at 21.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (6.3%) and graduate diplomas (3.4%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 33.1% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials, including advanced diplomas (12.0%) and certificates (21.1%).

Educational participation is notably 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.

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

Public transport analysis reveals 49 active transport stops operating within Highbury - Dernancourt, comprising a mix of buses. These stops are serviced by 8 individual routes, collectively providing 682 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically located 259 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward; the car remains the dominant mode at 86%, with 10% by bus. Vehicle ownership averages 1.7 per dwelling, which is above the regional average. A relatively low 12.0% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 97 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 13 weekly trips per individual stop.

Highbury - Dernancourt's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Health outcomes data demonstrates outstanding results across Highbury - Dernancourt, based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. There is a very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups, and the rate of private health cover slightly lags that of the average SA2 area at approximately 52% of the total population (~6,405 people).

The most common medical conditions in the area were found to be arthritis and asthma, impacting 8.2 and 7.1% of residents, respectively, while 69.9% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 67.9% across Greater Adelaide. The under-65 population demonstrates better than average health outcomes. The area has 21.8% of residents aged 65 and over (2,676 people), which is higher than the 19.3% in Greater Adelaide. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Highbury - Dernancourt was found to be slightly above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Highbury - Dernancourt was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets, with 25.8% of its population born overseas and 19.6% speaking a language other than English at home. The main religion in Highbury - Dernancourt is Christianity, which makes up 53.9% of the population. However, the most apparent overrepresentation was in Other, which comprises 2.2% of the population, compared to 1.8% across Greater Adelaide.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Highbury - Dernancourt are English, comprising 26.2% of the population, Australian, comprising 21.9% of the population, and Italian, comprising 11.8% of the population, which is substantially higher than the regional average of 5.2%. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: Polish is notably overrepresented at 1.4% of Highbury - Dernancourt (vs 1.0% regionally), German at 5.6% (vs 5.1%) and Russian at 0.5% (vs 0.3%).

Highbury - Dernancourt's median age exceeds the national pattern

With a median age of 42, Highbury - Dernancourt modestly exceeds the Greater Adelaide figure of 39 and substantially exceeds the national norm of 38. The 75 - 84 age group shows strong representation at 8.9% compared to Greater Adelaide, whereas the 25 - 34 cohort is less prevalent at 11.3%. Following the 2021 Census, the 75 to 84 age group has grown from 7.3% to 8.9% of the population, while the 15 to 24 cohort increased from 12.2% to 13.5%. Conversely, the 65 to 74 cohort has declined from 12.0% to 10.1% and the 45 to 54 group dropped from 13.3% to 12.2%. Demographic modeling suggests Highbury - Dernancourt's age profile will evolve significantly by 2041. Leading the demographic shift, the 85+ group will grow by 141% (489 people), reaching 836 from 346. Meanwhile, population declines are projected for the 5 to 14 and 65 to 74 cohorts.