North Adelaide
Statistical Area - sa2

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 approximately 7,354 as of August 2025. This represents an increase of 531 people, a 7.8% rise since the 2021 Census which recorded a population of 6,823. The growth is inferred from ABS' estimated resident population of 7,351 in June 2024 and additional 68 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 1,444 persons per square kilometer, higher than the national average assessed by AreaSearch. North Adelaide's growth rate exceeded both the state (6.7%) and metropolitan area averages, making it a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration was the primary driver of this population increase 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 by age category are adopted, released in 2023 based on 2021 data with adjustments made through a method of weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Future demographic trends project an above median population growth for statistical areas across the nation. By 2041, North Adelaide is expected to increase by 1,019 persons based on latest population numbers, recording a total gain of 13.8% over the 17 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. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) produces this data on a financial year basis, totalling 330 approvals over the past five financial years from FY-21 to FY-25, with none recorded so far in FY-26. Over these five years, an average of 0.6 new residents per year has been associated with each dwelling constructed, suggesting that new construction is keeping pace with demand and providing more housing options while supporting population growth that could exceed current projections. The average expected construction cost value for new dwellings during this period was $1,771,000, indicating a focus on the premium segment of the market.

In FY-26, commercial approvals amounting to $148.1 million have been registered in North Adelaide, reflecting high levels of local commercial activity. Compared to Greater Adelaide, North Adelaide has 18.0% less building activity per person but ranks at the 22nd percentile nationally among assessed areas, offering more limited housing choices for buyers and supporting demand for existing dwellings. The new development composition in North Adelaide is 7.0% detached houses and 93.0% townhouses or apartments, promoting higher-density living that creates more affordable entry points suited to downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. With around 696 people per dwelling approval, the market reflects a high level of maturity.

Future projections suggest North Adelaide will add approximately 1,016 residents by 2041. Based on current development patterns, new housing supply should readily meet demand, offering favourable conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

North Adelaide has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 18thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 34 projects that may affect this region. Notable initiatives include Eighty Eight O'Connell, Adelaide Aquatic Centre Redevelopment, and One North Terrace. The following details projects likely to have the greatest relevance.

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

Employment performance in North Adelaide exceeds national averages across key labour market indicators

North Adelaide has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. The unemployment rate was 2.9% as of June 2025, showing an estimated employment growth of 1.5% over the past year.

In comparison to Greater Adelaide's unemployment rate of 4.0%, North Adelaide had a rate of 1.1%. Workforce participation in North Adelaide was lower at 59.4% compared to Greater Adelaide's 61.7%. Key industries for employment among residents are health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training. The area has a specialization in professional & technical services with an employment share of 1.9 times the regional level.

Conversely, construction employs only 4.7% of local workers, below Greater Adelaide's 8.7%. With 1.5 workers for every resident as at the Census, North Adelaide functions as an employment hub hosting more jobs than residents and attracting workers from surrounding areas. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 1.5% while labour force increased by 1.7%, causing a rise in unemployment rate of 0.2 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Adelaide experienced employment growth of 2.1% with a marginal rise in unemployment rate. State-level data to Sep-25 shows SA employment grew by 1.06% year-on-year (adding 9,370 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.5%, broadly in line with the national rate of 4.5%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 suggest a potential future demand within North Adelaide. These projections estimate national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these industry-specific projections to North Adelaide's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 7.1% over five years and 14.7% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

The area exhibits notably strong income performance, ranking higher than 70% of areas assessed nationally through AreaSearch analysis

North Adelaide had a median income among taxpayers of $61,608 during financial year 2022. The average income level stood at $128,700 in the same period. These figures are significantly higher than national averages and compare to levels of $52,592 and $64,886 across Greater Adelaide respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.83% since financial year 2022, estimated median income for North Adelaide as of March 2025 is approximately $68,280, while the average is projected to be around $142,638. According to the 2021 Census, personal income ranks at the 75th percentile ($964 weekly), indicating high income levels in the area. Household income sits at the 57th percentile, suggesting a mix of incomes across households. Income distribution data shows that the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket is dominant, with 31.2% of residents (2,294 people) falling within this range, which aligns with the surrounding region where this cohort represents 31.8%. After accounting for housing costs, 85.7% of income remains for other expenses. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile, indicating relatively high income levels compared to other areas in Australia.

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

North Adelaide's dwellings, as per the latest Census, consisted of 21.4% houses and 78.6% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Adelaide metro's 8.8% houses and 91.1% 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, exceeding the Adelaide metro average of $1,733. The median weekly rent was $390, compared to Adelaide metro's $400. Nationally, North Adelaide's mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents exceeded the national figure of $375.

North Adelaide features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a higher-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, larger than the Greater Adelaide average of 1.8.

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

Educational attainment in North Adelaide is notably high, with 52.5% of residents aged 15 years and above holding university qualifications, compared to the broader benchmarks of 25.7% in South Australia (SA) and 28.9% in Greater Adelaide. The most common qualification is a Bachelor degree 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 years and above, with advanced diplomas comprising 8.3% and certificates making up 11.5%. Educational participation is particularly high in North Adelaide, 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. The educational provision in the area includes North Adelaide Primary School and St Dominic's Priory College, collectively serving a total of 970 students. The area demonstrates significant socio-educational advantages and academic achievement, with an ICSEA score of 1118. The educational mix consists of one primary school and one K-12 school. However, there is limited local school capacity in North Adelaide, with only 13.2 places available per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 30.5. As a result, many families travel to nearby areas for schooling.

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 76 individual routes, offering a total of 6,999 weekly passenger trips. The average distance from residents to the nearest stop is 126 meters, indicating excellent transport accessibility.

On average, there are 999 trips per day across all routes, which translates to approximately 104 weekly trips per individual stop.

North Adelaide'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

North Adelaide's health metrics are close to national benchmarks, with a standard level of common health conditions seen across both young and old age cohorts. The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 81% of the total population (5,971 people), compared to 58.6% across Greater Adelaide and the national average of 55.3%. Mental health issues and arthritis are the most common medical conditions in the area, impacting 8.2% and 7.3% of residents respectively.

Approximately 70.1% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 75.2% across Greater Adelaide. The area has 21.3% of residents aged 65 and over (1,569 people), which is higher than the 15.1% in Greater Adelaide. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, performing better than the general population in health metrics.

North Adelaide was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

North Adelaide's population, as of the 2016 Census, showed higher cultural diversity with 20.4% speaking a language other than English at home and 30.5% born overseas. Christianity was the predominant religion, accounting for 42.8%. Judaism, at 0.2%, was not significantly different from Greater Adelaide's 0.2%.

The top three ancestry groups were English (27.3%), Australian (19.0%), and Other (9.2%). Notable overrepresentations included German (5.9% vs regional 4.3%), Polish (1.1% vs 0.9%), and Russian (0.5% vs 0.4%).

North Adelaide's population is slightly older than the national pattern

North Adelaide's median age is 38, closely matching Greater Adelaide's figure of 39 and Australia's national median of 38. The 15-24 age group is over-represented in North Adelaide at 22.9%, compared to Greater Adelaide's average and the national figure of 12.5%. Conversely, the 5-14 age group is under-represented at 4.6% locally. Between 2021 and present, the median age has decreased by 1.5 years to 38 due to shifts in younger residents. Specifically, the 15-24 age group grew from 20.5% to 22.9%, while the 25-34 cohort increased from 16.4% to 18.7%. Meanwhile, the 65-74 age group declined from 12.6% to 9.0% and the 55-64 group dropped from 10.7% to 8.9%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate significant demographic changes in North Adelaide. Notably, the 25-34 age group is expected to grow by 21%, adding 283 people and reaching a total of 1,657 from its current figure of 1,373. Conversely, both the 55-64 and 65-74 age groups are projected to decrease in number.