Naracoorte Surrounds

An assessment of population growth drivers in Naracoorte Surrounds reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Naracoorte Surrounds' population is approximately 2,479 as of November 2025. This figure represents an increase of 84 people, a 3.5% rise from the 2021 Census count of 2,395 inhabitants. The growth was inferred from ABS estimated resident population data of 2,454 in June 2024 and validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density of 0.60 persons per square kilometer. Naracoorte Surrounds' growth rate is close to that of its SA3 area (5.4%), indicating strong fundamentals. Natural growth contributed approximately 80% 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, SA State Government's Regional/LGA projections are adopted, adjusted using weighted aggregation from LGA to SA2 levels. Future growth is anticipated at the lower quartile rate of national regional areas, with an expected increase of 113 persons by 2041, reflecting a total rise of 3.5% over 17 years based on latest annual ERP population numbers.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Naracoorte Surrounds, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

Naracoorte Surrounds granted approval for approximately 4 residential properties annually over the past 5 financial years, totalling 24 homes. No approvals have been recorded so far in FY-26. On average, 2.3 people moved to the area per new home constructed between FY-21 and FY-25. New homes were built at an average value of $316,000 during this period.

In FY-26, $19.0 million in commercial approvals have been registered. Naracoorte Surrounds recorded 60.0% lower building activity compared to the regional average per person in Rest of SA. The area has seen entirely detached houses being developed, preserving its low density nature and attracting space-seeking buyers. As of FY-25, there were an estimated 655 people per dwelling approval in Naracoorte Surrounds. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, the area is projected to add 88 residents by 2041.

At current development rates, new housing supply should meet demand comfortably, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting population growth beyond current projections.

Naracoorte Surrounds has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 5thth percentile nationally

The performance of an area can significantly be influenced by changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified a total of 7 projects that are expected to impact this particular area. Notable projects include North Parklands Development, Moyhall Road Reconstruction, Naracoorte High School Major Upgrades, and NRLE Sheep eID Infrastructure Upgrade. The following list provides details on those projects deemed most 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 of employment trends sees Naracoorte Surrounds performing better than 90% of local markets assessed across Australia

Naracoorte Surrounds had an unemployment rate of 1.0% in the past year, with estimated employment growth at 0.7%. As of September 2025, there were 1,525 residents employed, and the unemployment rate was 4.3% lower than Rest of SA's rate of 5.3%.

Workforce participation in Naracoorte Surrounds stood at 70.1%, compared to Rest of SA's 54.1%. The leading employment industries were agriculture, forestry & fishing, health care & social assistance, and manufacturing. Agriculture, forestry & fishing had a particularly strong presence with an employment share 3.8 times the regional level, while health care & social assistance had limited presence at 6.3% compared to the regional average of 13.9%. Many residents appeared to commute elsewhere for work based on Census data analysis.

In the 12-month period ending in September 2025, employment increased by 0.7%, labour force grew by 1.2%, and unemployment rose by 0.5 percentage points. By comparison, Rest of SA had employment growth of 0.3%, labour force growth of 2.3%, and an increase in unemployment of 1.9 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 projected national employment to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Naracoorte Surrounds' employment mix suggested local employment should increase by 3.9% over five years and 9.6% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

Naracoorte Surrounds SA2 had a median taxpayer income of $50,095 and an average of $67,834 in the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2022. This was higher than the national average, contrasting with Rest of SA's median income of $46,889 and average income of $56,582. By September 2025, current estimates based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.83% would be approximately $56,522 (median) and $76,537 (average). According to the 2021 Census, personal income ranked at the 63rd percentile ($874 weekly), while household income was at the 43rd percentile. Income brackets showed that 35.2% of the population (872 individuals) fell within the $1,500 - $2,999 range. This reflected patterns seen in the surrounding region where 27.5% similarly occupied this range. After housing costs, residents retained 95.0% of their income, indicating strong purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 6th decile.

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

The latest Census evaluated dwelling structures in Naracoorte Surrounds with 98.0% houses and 2.0% other dwellings such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. This compares to Non-Metro SA's 87.6% houses and 12.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Naracoorte Surrounds was 55.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 25.7% and rented ones at 18.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $900, below Non-Metro SA's average of $1,083. The median weekly rent figure was $150, compared to Non-Metro SA's $205. Nationally, Naracoorte Surrounds' mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Naracoorte Surrounds has a typical household mix, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households comprise 75.9% of all households, including 34.0% couples with children, 37.3% couples without children, and 4.5% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 24.1%, with lone person households at 22.5% and group households comprising 1.3%. The median household size is 2.5 people, which is larger than the Rest of SA average of 2.3.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 17.0%, significantly lower than the Australian average of 30.4%. This indicates a need for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are most common at 13.6%, followed by graduate diplomas (1.8%) and postgraduate qualifications (1.6%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 37.8% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas at 11.2% and certificates at 26.6%.

Educational participation is high, with 27.3% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 13.0% in primary education, 8.4% in secondary education, and 1.6% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Naracoorte Surrounds has one active public transport stop operating within its boundaries. This stop is a mix of bus services. There is one individual route that serves this stop, collectively providing ten weekly passenger trips.

The accessibility of these transports is rated as limited, with residents typically located 29583 meters from the nearest transport stop. On average, there is one trip per day across all routes, equating to approximately ten weekly trips per individual stop.

Naracoorte Surrounds's residents are extremely healthy with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Naracoorte Surrounds with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. The rate of private health cover is found to be fairly high at approximately 53% of the total population (~1,323 people), compared to 49.4% across Rest of SA.

The most common medical conditions in the area are arthritis and asthma, impacting 7.1 and 7.1% of residents respectively, while 73.4% declare themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 65.5% across Rest of SA. The area has 21.2% of residents aged 65 and over (525 people), which is lower than the 23.3% in Rest of SA. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, performing even better than the general population in health metrics.

The latest Census data sees Naracoorte Surrounds placing among the least culturally diverse areas in the country when compared across a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Naracoorte Surrounds had a cultural diversity index below the average, with 89.4% of its population being Australian citizens, 93.7% born in Australia, and 98.0% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, accounting for 46.2% of people in Naracoorte Surrounds, compared to 42.9% across the Rest of SA. The top three ancestry groups were Australian (35.0%), English (34.2%), and Scottish (10.3%).

Notably, German ancestry was overrepresented at 7.9%, compared to 6.4% regionally, while Sri Lankan and Samoan ancestries were present at 0.2% and 0.1% respectively, unlike the regional averages of 0.0%.

Naracoorte Surrounds hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

Naracoorte Surrounds has a median age of 44 years, which is slightly younger than the Rest of SA's median age of 47 but significantly higher than Australia's median age of 38. The age profile shows that individuals aged 45-54 are particularly prominent, making up 13.7% of the population, while those aged 75-84 make up a comparatively smaller proportion at 5.9%. According to post-2021 Census data, the 75-84 age group has grown from 4.7% to 5.9%, while the 25-34 cohort has declined from 9.1% to 7.8% and the 55-64 group has dropped from 17.2% to 16.0%. Demographic modeling suggests that Naracoorte Surrounds' age profile will evolve significantly by 2041, with the 75-84 age cohort projected to expand considerably, increasing by 118 people (81%) from 146 to 265. Senior residents aged 65 and above will drive 78% of population growth, highlighting demographic aging trends. Meanwhile, both the 15-24 and 5-14 age groups are expected to see reduced numbers.