Naracoorte Surrounds
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Naracoorte Surrounds' population is around 2,469 as of Aug 2025. This reflects an increase of 74 people (3.1%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 2,395 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 2,454 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 32 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 0.60 persons per square kilometer. Naracoorte Surrounds' 3.1% growth since census positions it within 2.3 percentage points of the SA3 area (5.4%), demonstrating competitive growth fundamentals. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by natural growth that contributed approximately 80.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting 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. Anticipating future population dynamics, lower quartile growth of national regional areas is anticipated, with the area expected to increase by 113 persons to 2041 based on the latest population numbers, resulting in an increase of 4.0% in total over the 17 years.

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 has seen limited development activity with an average of 3 approvals per year over the past five years, totalling 18. This low level reflects its rural nature where housing needs drive development rather than market demand. Yearly growth figures can vary greatly due to individual projects.

Development levels are substantially lower compared to Rest of SA and national averages. Recent building activity consists solely of detached houses, aligning with rural living preferences for space and privacy. The area has an estimated 655 people per dwelling approval, reflecting its quiet development environment. Population forecasts indicate Naracoorte Surrounds will gain 98 residents by 2041.

Construction pace is reasonable but buyers may face growing competition as population increases.

Naracoorte Surrounds has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 23rdth percentile nationally

Seven projects have been identified by AreaSearch as potentially impacting the area. These include North Parklands Development, Moyhall Road Reconstruction, Naracoorte High School Major Upgrades, and NRLE Sheep eID Infrastructure Upgrade, with the following providing more details on those considered most relevant.

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

Employment conditions in Naracoorte Surrounds rank among the top 10% of areas assessed nationally

Naracoorte Surrounds has a skilled workforce with diverse sector representation and an unemployment rate of 0.8% as of June 2025. There are 1,502 residents employed while the unemployment rate is 3.8% below Rest of SA's rate of 4.6%.

Workforce participation is higher at 70.1%, compared to Rest of SA's 54.1%. Key industries include agriculture, forestry & fishing, health care & social assistance, and manufacturing. The area has a strong specialization in agriculture, forestry & fishing with an employment share 3.8 times the regional level. However, health care & social assistance is under-represented at 6.3%, compared to Rest of SA's 13.9%.

Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census working population counts. Between June 2024 and June 2025, the labour force decreased by 2.3% alongside a 2.5% employment decline, causing unemployment to rise by 0.2 percentage points. This contrasts with Rest of SA where employment fell by 1.2%, labour force expanded by 0.1%, and unemployment rose by 1.2 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with varying rates across sectors. Applying these projections to Naracoorte Surrounds' employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 3.9% over five years and 9.6% over ten years.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year ending June 2022 shows that median income in Naracoorte Surrounds is $50,095 and average income stands at $67,834. This contrasts with Rest of SA's figures where median income is $46,889 and average income is $56,582. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.83% since financial year ending June 2022, current estimates for Naracoorte Surrounds would be approximately $55,520 (median) and $75,180 (average) as of March 2025. According to Census 2021 income data, personal income ranks at the 63rd percentile ($874 weekly), while household income sits at the 43rd percentile. The earnings profile shows that 35.2% of locals (869 people) fall into the $1,500 - 2,999 category, aligning with regional levels where this cohort represents 27.5%. After housing costs, residents retain 95.0% of income, reflecting strong purchasing power and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile.

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

Dwelling structure in Naracoorte Surrounds, as per the latest Census, consisted of 98.0% houses and 2.0% other dwellings. In comparison, Non-Metro SA had 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. Median weekly rent in the area 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 account for 75.9 percent of all households, consisting of 34.0 percent couples with children, 37.3 percent couples without children, and 4.5 percent single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 24.1 percent, with lone person households at 22.5 percent and group households comprising 1.3 percent of the total. 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%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 13.6%, followed by graduate diplomas (1.8%) and postgraduate qualifications (1.6%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 37.8% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (11.2%) and certificates (26.6%). Current educational participation is high at 27.3%, comprising 13.0% in primary education, 8.4% in secondary education, and 1.6% in tertiary education.

Educational institutions include Lucindale Area School and Frances Primary School, serving a total of 230 students. Naracoorte Surrounds has typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 979) with balanced educational opportunities, featuring one primary and one K-12 school. The area has 9.3 school places per 100 residents, below the regional average of 15.0, indicating some students may attend schools in nearby areas.

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. This stop is a mix of bus services. There is one individual route servicing this stop, providing ten weekly passenger trips in total.

The accessibility of these transport services is limited, with residents typically located 29583 meters from the nearest stop. The service frequency averages one trip per day across all routes, equating to approximately ten weekly trips per 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. The prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups is very low.

Approximately 53% of the total population (~1,318 people) have private health cover, 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. 73.4% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 65.5% across Rest of SA. As of 2021, 21.2% of residents are aged 65 and over (522 people), which is lower than the 23.3% in Rest of SA. Health outcomes among seniors in Naracoorte Surrounds 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 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 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. Sri Lankan and Samoan ancestries were also present but not significantly so, at 0.2% and 0.1% respectively, unlike the regional averages of 0.0%.

Naracoorte Surrounds hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

Naracoorte Surrounds has a median age of 44 years, which is slightly younger than Rest of SA's 47 but significantly higher than the Australian median of 38. The age profile shows that those aged 45-54 are particularly prominent, making up 13.7% of the population, while those aged 75-84 comprise a smaller proportion at 5.9%. According to post-2021 Census data, the 75 to 84 age group has grown from 4.7% to 5.9%, while the 25 to 34 cohort has declined from 9.1% to 7.8% and the 55 to 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 to 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, reflecting demographic aging trends. Meanwhile, both the 15 to 24 and 5 to 14 age groups are expected to see reduced numbers.