Nairne

Population growth drivers in Nairne are above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Nairne's population was around 5,814 as of November 2025. This reflected an increase of 487 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 5,327 people. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 5,697 in June 2024 and an additional 78 validated new addresses since the Census date. This resulted in a density ratio of 233 persons per square kilometer. Nairne's growth rate of 9.1% since the 2021 census exceeded both the state (7.1%) and metropolitan area, making it a growth leader in the region. Natural growth contributed approximately 45.8% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopted ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data and years post-2032, the SA State Government's Regional/LGA projections were used, based on 2021 data and adjusted employing a method of weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Demographic trends projected an above median population growth for Nairne, with an expected increase of 1,013 persons by 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a total gain of 15.4% over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Nairne among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

Nairne has seen approximately 30 new homes approved each year over the past five financial years, totalling 154 homes. In the current financial year FY-26, 24 approvals have been recorded to date. On average, 3.1 new residents have been added per home built annually between FY-21 and FY-25. This supply lag indicates heightened buyer competition and pricing pressures, with new homes being constructed at an average cost of $296,000.

Commercial development has seen $4.5 million in approvals this financial year, suggesting limited focus on commercial projects compared to residential ones. Compared to Greater Adelaide, Nairne shows roughly half the construction activity per person but ranks among the 79th percentile nationally for building activity, with acceleration noted in recent years. Recent development has consisted solely of detached houses, maintaining the area's low density character and appealing to families seeking space.

The population density is approximately 160 people per dwelling approval, indicating an expanding market. Future projections estimate Nairne will add 896 residents by 2041. Current construction rates appear balanced with future demand, fostering steady market conditions without excessive price pressure.

Nairne has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 30thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified five projects that may impact this region. Notable projects include Larkview Mount Barker, Springlake Communities, Amblemead Estate, and Onkaparinga Valley Road Intersection Upgrade. The following list details those likely to be most relevant.

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

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Employment performance in Nairne exceeds national averages across key labour market indicators

Nairne's workforce is skilled with essential services sectors well represented. The unemployment rate in Nairne was 4.0% as of September 2025, with an estimated employment growth of 2.6% over the past year.

In this month, 3,305 residents were employed, aligning with Greater Adelaide's unemployment rate of 3.9%. Workforce participation in Nairne was higher at 71.2%, compared to Greater Adelaide's 61.7%. The dominant employment sectors among Nairne residents included health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction.

However, health care & social assistance was under-represented with only 15.2% of the workforce compared to 17.7% in Greater Adelaide. Employment opportunities locally appeared limited based on Census working population vs resident population data analysis. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment levels increased by 2.6%, labour force by 3.2%, causing unemployment rate to rise by 0.6 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Adelaide recorded employment growth of 3.0% with a slight fall in unemployment rate of 0.1 percentage points. State-level data from 25-Nov-25 shows SA employment grew by 1.19% year-on-year, adding 10,710 jobs, with the state unemployment rate at 4.0%. This outperformed national unemployment rate of 4.3%, with SA's employment growth outpacing national average of 0.14%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but growth rates vary between industry sectors. Applying these projections to Nairne's employment mix indicates local employment should increase by 6.3% over five years and 13.2% over ten years, based on simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income levels align closely with national averages, indicating typical economic conditions for Australian communities according to AreaSearch analysis

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2022, Nairne SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $52,393. The average income level stood at $60,499. This was below the national average and compared to levels of $52,592 and $64,886 across Greater Adelaide respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.83% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $59,115 (median) and $68,261 (average) as of September 2025. Census data showed household, family and personal incomes in Nairne clustered around the 55th percentile nationally. Looking at income distribution, the largest segment comprised 40.6% earning $1,500 - $2,999 weekly (2,360 residents), aligning with regional levels where this cohort likewise represented 31.8%. After housing, 85.3% of income remained for other expenses and the area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 5th decile.

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

In Nairne, as per the latest Census, 98.5% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 1.5% comprising semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types. This contrasts with Adelaide metro's figures of 95.2% houses and 4.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in Nairne stood at 25.0%, with mortgaged properties accounting for 54.1% and rented dwellings making up 20.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,500, lower than Adelaide metro's average of $1,733. Weekly rent in Nairne was recorded at $350, matching the Adelaide metro figure. Nationally, Nairne's mortgage repayments were significantly below the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were less than the national figure of $375.

Nairne features high concentrations of family households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households account for 77.4% of all households, including 36.3% couples with children, 27.4% couples without children, and 12.9% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 22.6%, with lone person households at 20.7% and group households comprising 2.0%. The median household size is 2.6 people, which matches the Greater Adelaide average.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 23.6%, significantly lower than the SA4 region average of 42.2%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 17.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.9%) and graduate diplomas (2.5%). Vocational credentials are held by 40.8% of residents aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 11.8% and certificates at 29.0%. Educational participation is high, with 29.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 12.4% in primary education, 6.9% in secondary education, and 4.3% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Nairne's public transport analysis indicates that there are 18 active transport stops in operation, offering a mix of bus services. These stops are served by 6 distinct routes, collectively facilitating 230 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is deemed good, with residents typically situated 303 meters from the nearest transport stop.

Service frequency averages 32 trips per day across all routes, translating to approximately 12 weekly trips per individual stop.

Nairne's residents are relatively healthy in comparison to broader Australia with a fairly standard level of common health conditions seen across both young and old age cohorts

Nairne's health metrics closely align with national benchmarks, showing a typical range of common health conditions across both younger and older age groups. Approximately 50% (~2,907 people) have private health cover, lower than Greater Adelaide's 55.2%, but close to the national average of 55.3%. Mental health issues (10.2%) and asthma (9.2%) are the most prevalent conditions.

About 68.8% report no medical ailments, similar to Greater Adelaide's 68.5%. The area has a lower proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 14.0% (812 people), compared to Greater Adelaide's 19.9%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors are above average and generally in line with the overall population's health profile.

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

Nairne's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 87.0% of its population born in Australia, 92.5% being citizens, and 96.3% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, composing 34.7% of Nairne's population. Judaism showed an overrepresentation, comprising 0.1% compared to the regional average of 0.1%.

The top three ancestry groups were English (32.6%), Australian (31.7%), and German (7.7%). Notable divergences included Dutch (2.6% vs regional 1.8%), Hungarian (0.4% vs 0.3%), and Welsh (0.6% vs 0.7%).

Nairne's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

The median age in Nairne is 36, which is slightly below Greater Adelaide's average of 39 and the Australian median of 38. Compared to Greater Adelaide, Nairne has a higher proportion of residents aged 5-14 (14.3%) but fewer residents aged 75-84 (4.3%). Between the 2021 Census and now, the population aged 55-64 has increased from 11.7% to 13.1%, while the 75-84 cohort has risen from 3.2% to 4.3%. Conversely, the 45-54 age group has decreased from 14.0% to 11.9%. By 2041, Nairne's population is expected to shift significantly in terms of age composition. The 65-74 age group is projected to grow by 41%, adding 211 people and reaching a total of 725 from the current 513. Meanwhile, the 0-4 age group is expected to grow at a more modest rate of 4%, with an increase of just 15 residents.