Kangaroo Island

Population growth drivers in Kangaroo Island are slightly above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium term trends

Kangaroo Island's population is approximately 5,277 as of November 2025. This figure reflects an increase of 383 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 4,894. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 5,240 in June 2024 and an additional 124 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density of 1.2 persons per square kilometer. Kangaroo Island's growth rate of 7.8% since the 2021 census exceeds that of non-metro areas (6.8%) and the state, indicating it as a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 42.9% of overall population gains recently.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered and years post-2032, the SA State Government's Regional/LGA projections by age category are adopted, based on 2021 data and adjusted using weighted aggregation from LGA to SA2 levels. Looking ahead, demographic trends suggest a population increase just below the median of regional areas nationally, with an expected expansion of 636 persons to reach approximately 5,913 by 2041, reflecting a total gain of 10.0% over the 17-year period.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Kangaroo Island when compared nationally

Kangaroo Island has seen approximately 52 new homes approved annually over the past five financial years, totalling 263 homes. As of FY-26, 22 approvals have been recorded. On average, around one person per year moves to the area for each dwelling built between FY-21 and FY-25, indicating that supply is meeting or exceeding demand. The average construction cost value of new dwellings over this period was $298,000.

In FY-26, commercial development approvals totalling $13.6 million have been recorded, suggesting balanced commercial development activity. Compared to the rest of South Australia, Kangaroo Island shows approximately 75% of construction activity per person, placing it among the top 88th percentile nationally in terms of new building activity. New housing development consists predominantly of detached houses (98.0%) with a smaller proportion of attached dwellings (2.0%), maintaining the area's traditional low-density character focused on family homes.

There are approximately 90 people per dwelling approval, indicating an expanding market. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Kangaroo Island is projected to grow by 526 residents through to 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing favourable conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Kangaroo Island has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 7thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 14 projects that could impact this region. Notable ones include the Kingscote Airport Master Plan, Seaview Motel Renovation and Expansion, Kingscote Town Centre Project, and Kangaroo Island Wool Mill Retail and Commercial Buildings. The following list details those most likely to be relevant.

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.

AreaSearch analysis places Kangaroo Island well above average for employment performance across multiple indicators

Kangaroo Island has a skilled workforce with diverse sector representation. Its unemployment rate is 1.9%, with an estimated employment growth of 0.8% in the past year.

As of September 2025, 2747 residents are employed, and the unemployment rate is 3.5% lower than Rest of SA's rate of 5.3%. Workforce participation is 57.8%, comparable to Rest of SA's 54.1%. Employment is concentrated in agriculture, forestry & fishing, accommodation & food, and health care & social assistance. Agriculture, forestry & fishing has an employment share 1.5 times the regional level, while manufacturing employs only 3.6% of local workers, below Rest of SA's 9.3%.

Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. In the year ending September 2025, employment increased by 0.8%, labour force by 1.7%, causing unemployment to rise by 0.8 percentage points. Comparatively, Rest of SA had employment growth of 0.3%, labour force growth of 2.3%, and a 1.9 percentage point increase in unemployment. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia, issued May-25, project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Kangaroo Island's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 5.4% over five years and 11.6% over ten years.

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

AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2022 indicates that Kangaroo Island SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $41,742 and an average income of $50,291. Both figures are below the national averages of $46,889 and $56,582 respectively for Rest of SA. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.83% since financial year 2022, estimated incomes as of September 2025 would be approximately $47,097 (median) and $56,743 (average). According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in Kangaroo Island fall between the 8th and 23rd percentiles nationally. Income analysis shows that the predominant cohort spans 27.3% of locals (1,440 people) with incomes in the $400 - $799 category, differing from the broader area where the $1,500 - $2,999 category is predominant at 27.5%. Housing costs are modest, with 89.4% of income retained, but total disposable income ranks at just the 14th percentile nationally.

Kangaroo Island is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

The dwelling structure in Kangaroo Island, as per the latest Census, consisted of 95.5% houses and 4.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Non-Metro SA's 92.1% houses and 7.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Kangaroo Island stood at 46.5%, with mortgaged dwellings at 30.0% and rented ones at 23.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,023, lower than Non-Metro SA's average of $1,300. The median weekly rent figure was $208, compared to Non-Metro SA's $280. Nationally, Kangaroo Island's mortgage repayments were significantly lower at $1,023 versus the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Kangaroo Island features high concentrations of lone person households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households constitute 63.8% of all households, including 20.3% couples with children, 36.3% couples without children, and 6.4% single parent families. Non-family households account for 36.2%, with lone person households at 33.7% and group households comprising 2.5%. The median household size is 2.2 people, aligning with the average in the Rest of South Africa.

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

Kangaroo Island's educational qualifications trail Australian averages. Among residents aged 15+, 21.4% hold university degrees, compared to Australia's 30.4%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 15.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.6%) and graduate diplomas (2.4%). Vocational credentials are prominent with 37.7% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas at 9.6% and certificates at 28.1%.

A significant 24.3% of the population is actively pursuing formal education, including 12.1% in primary, 6.2% in secondary, and 1.4% in tertiary education.

No public transport data available for this catchment area.

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

Kangaroo Island faces significant health challenges with common health conditions prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts. The rate of private health cover is extremely low at approximately 46% of the total population (~2,437 people), compared to the national average of 55.3%.

The most common medical conditions are arthritis (10.0%) and mental health issues (7.6%), while 65.4% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 58.3% across Rest of SA. There are 30.1% of residents aged 65 and over (1,588 people), which is lower than the 37.0% in Rest of SA. Health outcomes among seniors on Kangaroo Island are particularly strong, performing even better than the general population in health metrics.

Kangaroo Island is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics

Kangaroo Island had a cultural diversity index below the average, with 86.2% of its population being citizens, 84.1% born in Australia, and 95.5% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion on Kangaroo Island, comprising 35.3% of the population. Judaism, however, was overrepresented at 0.1%, compared to 0.0% across the Rest of SA.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were English (34.1%), Australian (31.0%), and Scottish (8.2%). Notably, German (6.8%) and Dutch (1.6%) were similarly represented on Kangaroo Island as in the rest of SA, while Maori was overrepresented at 0.8% compared to 0.2%.

Kangaroo Island ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide

The median age in Kangaroo Island is 50 years, slightly higher than Rest of SA's average of 47 and considerably older than Australia's national norm of 38. Compared to the Rest of SA average, the 65-74 age cohort is notably over-represented at 16.8% in Kangaroo Island, while the 15-24 year-olds are under-represented at 7.2%. This concentration of the 65-74 cohort is well above the national average of 9.4%. Between the 2021 Census and the present, the 75 to 84 age group has grown from 8.2% to 10.3% of the population. Conversely, the 55 to 64 age cohort has declined from 17.4% to 15.2%. By 2041, Kangaroo Island is expected to see significant shifts in its age composition. The 85+ age cohort is projected to expand substantially, increasing by 245 people (158%) from 155 to 401. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 68% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. However, both the 35-44 and 65-74 age groups are expected to decrease in number.