McLaren Vale

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

McLaren Vale's population was around 8,776 as of November 2025. This reflected an increase of 1,432 people (19.5%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 7,344 people. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 8,441 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 378 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equated to a density ratio of 73 persons per square kilometer. McLaren Vale's growth exceeded that of the SA3 area (4.9%) and the SA4 region, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth was primarily driven by interstate migration contributing approximately 81.4% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopted ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered and years post-2032, SA State Government's Regional/LGA projections by age category were adopted, released in 2023 based on 2021 data. Future population growth was projected to be above median national areas, with McLaren Vale expected to grow by 2,068 persons to 2041, reflecting an increase of 19.8% over the 17 years.

The level of residential development activity in McLaren Vale was found to be higher than 90% of real estate markets across the country

McLaren Vale has annually approved around 139 dwellings for development. Between FY-21 and FY-25, a total of 698 homes received approvals, with an additional 34 approved so far in FY-26. Over the past five financial years, each dwelling is estimated to accommodate approximately 2.5 new residents annually.

The average construction cost value for new homes is $209,000, which is lower than regional norms, indicating more affordable housing options. In FY-26, commercial development approvals have reached $11.5 million, demonstrating moderate levels of commercial activity. Compared to Greater Adelaide, McLaren Vale has seen 290.0% higher new home approvals per person. The area's building activity has slowed in recent years but continues to show strong developer confidence with a substantial majority (93.0%) of detached houses and 7.0% attached dwellings being developed. There are approximately 94 people per dwelling approval, suggesting an expanding market.

According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, McLaren Vale is projected to add 1,733 residents by 2041. Based on current development patterns, new housing supply should meet demand, providing favorable conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating further population growth.

McLaren Vale has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 14thth percentile nationally

The performance of an area can significantly be influenced by changes in local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified a total of 18 such projects that could potentially impact the area. Notable among these are McLaren Vale Central Shopping Centre, Willunga Basin Water Infrastructure Expansion, Majors Road Interchange, and Old Coach Road Reconstruction at Maslin Beach. The following list provides details on those projects likely to be most relevant.

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

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AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees McLaren Vale performing better than 85% of local markets assessed across Australia

McLaren Vale has a skilled workforce with strong representation in manufacturing and industrial sectors. Its unemployment rate was 2.2% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 3.8%.

As of September 2025, 4,574 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.7%, below Greater Adelaide's rate of 3.9%. Workforce participation is at 61.7%, on par with Greater Adelaide. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, construction, and manufacturing. The area has a significant employment specialization in agriculture, forestry & fishing, with an employment share 4.5 times the regional level.

However, health care & social assistance employs only 14.4% of local workers, below Greater Adelaide's 17.7%. Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census working population data. Over the 12 months to September 2025, employment increased by 3.8%, while labour force grew by 4.0%, causing unemployment to rise by 0.1 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Adelaide saw employment rise by 3.0% and unemployment fall by 0.1 percentage points. State-level data to 25-Nov-25 shows SA employment grew by 1.19% year-on-year, with the state unemployment rate at 4.0%, outperforming the national average of 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest McLaren Vale's employment should increase by 6.0% over five years and 12.8% over ten years, based on industry-specific projections.

The area's income profile falls below national averages based on AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch aggregated latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2022. McLaren Vale SA2 had a median taxpayer income of $49,493 and an average income of $61,173. These figures were below the national averages of $52,592 and $64,886 respectively for Greater Adelaide. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.83% since financial year 2022, estimated median income as of September 2025 was approximately $55,843, with average income at $69,021. Census data showed household, family and personal incomes in McLaren Vale ranked modestly between the 43rd and 44th percentiles. Income distribution revealed that 32.7% of individuals earned between $1,500 - 2,999 annually (2,869 individuals), consistent with broader regional trends at 31.8%. After housing expenses, 85.7% of income remained for other expenses. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 6th decile.

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

The dwelling structure in McLaren Vale, as per the latest Census, consisted of 90.5% houses and 9.5% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compared to Adelaide metro's 89.2% houses and 10.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in McLaren Vale stood at 39.3%, with the rest being mortgaged (44.8%) or rented (15.8%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,733, higher than Adelaide metro's average of $1,452. The median weekly rent figure in McLaren Vale was $350, compared to Adelaide metro's $314. Nationally, McLaren Vale's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were less than the national figure of $375.

McLaren Vale has a typical household mix, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households account for 76.8% of all households, consisting of 32.3% couples with children, 35.1% couples without children, and 8.8% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 23.2%, with lone person households at 21.9% and group households comprising 1.2% of the total. The median household size is 2.5 people, which matches the Greater Adelaide average.

McLaren Vale performs slightly above the national average for education, showing competitive qualification levels and steady academic outcomes

Educational qualifications in McLaren Vale trail regional benchmarks; 22.2% of residents aged 15+ hold university degrees compared to the Australian average of 30.4%. This gap highlights potential for educational development and skills enhancement. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 15.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.9%) and graduate diplomas (2.9%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 40.1% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (11.8%) and certificates (28.3%).

Educational participation is notably high; 26.4% of residents are currently enrolled in formal education, including 10.6% in primary, 7.0% in secondary, and 3.8% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Transport analysis indicates 34 active stops in McLaren Vale, operated by various bus routes. These stops are served by six unique routes, facilitating a total of 290 weekly passenger trips. Residents have good transport access, with an average proximity of 333 meters to the nearest stop.

The service frequency averages 41 daily trips across all routes, equating to roughly eight weekly trips per individual stop.

Health outcomes in McLaren Vale are marginally below the national average with common health conditions slightly more prevalent than average across both younger and older age cohorts

McLaren Vale's health indicators show below-average outcomes, with common health conditions slightly more prevalent than average across both younger and older age cohorts. The rate of private health cover is relatively low at approximately 50% of the total population (~4,388 people), compared to the national average of 55.3%.

The most common medical conditions are arthritis (10.2%) and asthma (7.5%), while 66.8% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 62.9% across Greater Adelaide. The area has 23.2% of residents aged 65 and over (2,032 people), higher than the 21.0% in Greater Adelaide. Health outcomes among seniors are above average, performing better than the general population in health metrics.

McLaren Vale ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

McLaren Vale, surveyed in 2016, showed low cultural diversity with 76.0% Australian-born residents, 90.8% citizens, and 94.7% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the dominant religion, at 39.4%. Hinduism, though small, was overrepresented at 0.4%, compared to Greater Adelaide's 0.6%.

Top ancestral groups were English (38.7%), Australian (26.3%), and Scottish (8.2%). Welsh (0.8%) and German (5.2%) showed notable divergences from regional averages of 0.8% and 5.4%, respectively, while Dutch at 1.5% was slightly below the region's 1.7%.

McLaren Vale hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

The median age in McLaren Vale is 44 years, which is notably higher than Greater Adelaide's average of 39 and well above the Australian median of 38. Compared to the Greater Adelaide average, the 55-64 age cohort is significantly over-represented at 13.4% locally, while the 25-34 age group is under-represented at 11.3%. According to the 2021 Census, the 0-4 age group has increased from 5.1% to 6.0% of the population in McLaren Vale. Conversely, the 45-54 age cohort has decreased from 13.5% to 11.2%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes for McLaren Vale, with the 85+ age cohort projected to surge dramatically by 400 people (133%), from 301 to 702.