North Adelaide

North Adelaide has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

North Adelaide's population is 7,519 as of May 2026. This reflects a growth of 696 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 6,823 people. The increase is inferred from the estimated resident population of 7,516 in June 2025 and an additional 237 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 1,477 persons per square kilometer, above the national average assessed by AreaSearch. North Adelaide's growth of 10.2% since the 2021 census exceeded both the state (7.5%) and Greater Adelaide, making it a regional growth leader. Overseas migration was the primary driver of population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch uses 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 are adopted with adjustments made using weighted aggregation from LGA to SA2 levels. By 2041, North Adelaide is expected to increase by 918 persons based on latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a gain of 12.2% over the 16 years.

Residential development activity is lower than average in North Adelaide according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

North Adelaide has seen approximately 66 dwellings granted development approval annually over the past five financial years, totalling 330 homes. By FY26, three approvals have been recorded so far. On average, around 0.6 people moved to the area each year for every dwelling built between FY21 and FY25, indicating that new construction is keeping pace with or exceeding demand. The average expected construction cost of new dwellings is $635,000, suggesting a focus on the premium segment.

This financial year has seen $148.1 million in commercial approvals, reflecting high local commercial activity. Compared to Greater Adelaide, North Adelaide experiences 16.0% less building activity per person but ranks among the 22nd percentile of areas assessed nationally. This results in relatively constrained buyer choice and supports interest in existing properties. New development primarily consists of townhouses or apartments (93.0%), with detached houses making up only 7.0%.

This focus on higher-density living creates more affordable entry points for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. With approximately 696 people moving to the area per dwelling approval, North Adelaide reflects a mature market. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, North Adelaide is projected to grow by 915 residents by 2041. With current construction levels, housing supply should meet demand adequately, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

North Adelaide has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 32ndth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 39 projects that could impact this region. Notable projects include Calvary North Adelaide Hospital Upgrades, North Adelaide Public Golf Course Redevelopment, Skyline North Adelaide, and Adelaide Aquatic Centre Redevelopment. The following list details those most relevant.

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

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Employment conditions in North Adelaide demonstrate strong performance, ranking among the top 35% of areas assessed nationally

North Adelaide has a highly educated workforce with professional services being strongly represented. The unemployment rate is 2.8% and there was an estimated employment growth of 5.3% in the past year. As of December 2025, 4,481 residents are employed with an unemployment rate of 1.1% below Greater Adelaide's rate of 3.8%.

Workforce participation is on par with Greater Adelaide at 66.0%. According to Census responses, 15.3% of residents work from home. Key industries of employment include health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training. The area has a particular specialization in professional & technical services, with an employment share 1.9 times the regional level.

In contrast, construction employs only 4.7% of local workers compared to Greater Adelaide's 8.7%. With 1.5 workers per resident as at the Census, North Adelaide functions as an employment hub hosting more jobs than residents and attracting workers from surrounding areas. During the year to December 2025, employment levels increased by 5.3% while labour force grew by 5.3%, keeping the unemployment rate relatively stable. In contrast, Greater Adelaide experienced employment growth of 4.2% with a 0.3 percentage point drop in unemployment rate. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 offer insight into potential future demand within North Adelaide. These projections suggest national employment should increase by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these projections to North Adelaide's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.1% over five years and 14.7% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections.

Income analysis reveals strong economic positioning, with the area outperforming 60% of locations assessed nationally by AreaSearch

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2023, North Adelaide SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $63,267. The average income stood at $115,864. Nationally, these figures are exceptionally high compared to Greater Adelaide's median and average incomes of $54,808 and $66,852 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.17% since financial year 2023, current estimates for North Adelaide SA2 would be approximately $69,701 (median) and $127,647 (average) as of March 2026. From the 2021 Census, personal income ranks at the 75th percentile ($964 weekly), while household income sits at the 57th percentile. Distribution data shows that 31.2% of residents (2,345 people) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 income bracket, similar to the surrounding region where this cohort represents 31.8%. After housing expenses, 85.7% of income remains for other expenses. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

North Adelaide displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

North Adelaide's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 21.4% houses and 78.6% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Adelaide metro's 75.2% houses and 24.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in North Adelaide stood at 34.0%, with mortgaged dwellings at 17.7% and rented ones at 48.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,914, higher than the Adelaide metro average of $1,562. Median weekly rent in North Adelaide was $390, compared to Adelaide metro's $320. Nationally, North Adelaide's mortgage repayments exceeded the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were at $375.

North Adelaide features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 51.9% of all households, including 13.7% couples with children, 31.4% couples without children, and 5.3% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 48.1%, with lone person households at 41.7% and group households comprising 6.4%. The median household size is 1.9 people, which is smaller than the Greater Adelaide average of 2.5.

North Adelaide shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

North Adelaide's educational attainment is notably higher than broader benchmarks. Among residents aged 15+, 52.5% hold university qualifications compared to 25.7% in South Australia (SA) and 28.9% in Greater Adelaide. This advantage positions the area strongly for knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees lead at 31.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 16.8% and graduate diplomas at 4.6%.

Vocational pathways account for 19.8% of qualifications among those aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 8.3% and certificates at 11.5%. Educational participation is high, with 34.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 22.6% in tertiary education, 4.2% in primary education, and 3.1% pursuing secondary education.

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

North Adelaide has 67 active public transport stops serving a mix of train and bus services. These stops are covered by 88 routes, offering 7,034 weekly passenger trips in total. Residents have excellent access to transport, with an average distance of 126 meters to the nearest stop. The area is predominantly residential, with most residents commuting outward. Cars remain the primary mode of transport at 64%, followed by walking at 17% and bus at 12%. On average, there are 0.8 vehicles per dwelling, lower than the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, 15.3% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency averages 1,004 trips per day across all routes, equating to around 104 weekly trips per individual stop.

North Adelaide's residents are extremely healthy with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout North Adelaide. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence were both low across young and old age cohorts. Approximately 78% of the total population (5,902 people) had private health cover, compared to 52.7% across Greater Adelaide and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions in North Adelaide were mental health issues at 8.2%, followed by arthritis at 7.3%. A total of 70.1% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 67.9% across Greater Adelaide. Working-age residents had low chronic condition prevalence. The area has 21.2% of residents aged 65 and over (1,590 people), higher than the 19.2% in Greater Adelaide. Health outcomes among seniors were particularly strong, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in North Adelaide was found to be above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

North Adelaide's cultural diversity was significant, with 20.4% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 30.5% born overseas. Christianity dominated as the main religion, comprising 42.8%. Notably, Judaism was overrepresented in North Adelaide at 0.2%, compared to 0.1% across Greater Adelaide.

The top three ancestry groups were English (27.3%), Australian (19.0%), and Other (9.2%). Some ethnic groups showed notable divergences: Polish was slightly overrepresented at 1.1%, German at 5.9%, and Russian at 0.5%.

North Adelaide's population aligns closely with national norms in age terms

The median age in North Adelaide as of 2021 was 37 years, which is lower than Greater Adelaide's average of 39 years and close to the national average of 38 years. The 15-24 age group was notably over-represented at 23.6% compared to Greater Adelaide's average, while the 5-14 age group was under-represented at 4.0%. This concentration of young adults in North Adelaide is significantly higher than the national average of 12.7%. Post-2021 Census data shows a decrease in median age from 39 years to 37 years, with notable shifts including an increase in the 25-34 age group from 16.4% to 19.5%, and an increase in the 15-24 age group from 20.5% to 23.6%. Conversely, the 65-74 age group declined from 12.6% to 8.8%, and the 55-64 age group dropped from 10.7% to 8.5%. By 2041, North Adelaide is expected to see significant shifts in its age composition, with the 25-34 age group projected to grow by 16% (240 people), reaching 1,707 from 1,466. In contrast, the 65-74 age group is projected to decline by 9 people.