North Adelaide

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

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, North Adelaide's population is around 7,368 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 545 people (8.0%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 6,823 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 7,351 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 231 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 1,447 persons per square kilometer, which is above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. North Adelaide's 8.0% growth since the census positions it within 1.0 percentage points of the state (9.0%), demonstrating competitive growth fundamentals. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, which was essentially the sole driver of 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. Considering the projected demographic shifts, a population increase just below the median of statistical areas across the nation is expected, with the area expected to grow by 1,019 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an increase of 13.6% in total 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 recorded around 66 residential properties granted approval each year, with 330 homes approved over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25) and 3 so far in FY-26. With an average of only 0.6 people per year moving to the area for each dwelling built over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25), new supply is keeping pace with or exceeding demand, offering ample buyer choice and creating capacity for population growth beyond current forecasts, while new properties are constructed at an average value of $635,000, demonstrating a developer focus on the premium segment with upmarket properties. There have also been $148.1 million in commercial approvals this financial year, demonstrating high levels of local commercial activity.

Relative to Greater Adelaide, North Adelaide has 18.0% less new development (per person) while it places among the 22nd percentile of areas assessed nationally, meaning more limited choices for buyers and supporting demand for existing homes. New development consists of 7.0% detached houses and 93.0% attached dwellings. This focus on higher-density living creates more affordable entry points and suits downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. The location has approximately 696 people per dwelling approval, demonstrating an established market.

Looking ahead, North Adelaide is expected to grow by 1,002 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

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

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total 36 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include the Calvary North Adelaide Hospital Redevelopment, Adelaide Aquatic Centre Redevelopment, 87 Melbourne Street Mixed-Use Development, and North Adelaide Golf Course Links Precinct Masterplan, with the list below detailing those likely to be of most relevance.

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 showing strong representation, an unemployment rate of just 2.8%, and 5.3% in estimated employment growth over the past year. As of December 2025, 4,481 residents are in work while the unemployment rate is 1.1% below Greater Adelaide's rate of 3.8%, and workforce participation is on par with Greater Adelaide's 67.2%. Based on Census responses, a moderate 15.3% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

Leading employment industries among residents comprise health care & social assistance, professional & technical, and education & training. The area shows particularly strong specialization in professional & technical, with an employment share of 1.9 times the regional level. In contrast, construction employs just 4.7% of local workers, below Greater Adelaide's 8.7%. With 1.5 workers for every resident, as at the Census, the area functions as an employment hub, hosting more jobs than residents and attracting workers from surrounding areas.

Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data, during the year to December 2025, employment levels increased by 5.3% and the labour force increased by 5.3%, leaving unemployment broadly flat. This compares to Greater Adelaide, where employment grew by 4.2%, the labour force expanded by 3.9%, and unemployment fell 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 can offer further insight into potential future demand within North Adelaide. These projections, covering five and ten-year periods, have been mapped against the local employment profile to estimate growth patterns. While national employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to North Adelaide's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.1% over five years and 14.7% over ten years (please note 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

The North Adelaide SA2's income level is among the top percentile nationally according to the latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for FY-23. The North Adelaide SA2's median income among taxpayers is $63,267 and the average income stands at $115,864, which compares to figures for Greater Adelaide of $54,808 and $66,852 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.8% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $68,834 (median) and $126,060 (average) as of September 2025. Census 2021 income data shows personal income ranks at the 75th percentile ($964 weekly), while household income sits at the 57th percentile. Distribution data shows the largest segment comprises 31.2% earning $1,500 - 2,999 weekly (2,298 residents), consistent with broader trends across the metropolitan region showing 31.8% in the same category. After housing, 85.7% of income remains for other expenses and 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

Dwelling structure within North Adelaide, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 21.4% houses and 78.6% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), in comparison to Adelaide metro's 75.2% houses and 24.9% other dwellings. Meanwhile, the level of home ownership within North Adelaide was higher than that of Adelaide metro, at 34.0%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (17.7%) or rented (48.3%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was well above the Adelaide metro average at $1,914, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $390, compared to Adelaide metro's $1,562 and $320. Nationally, North Adelaide's mortgage repayments are higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents exceed the national figure of $375.

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

Family households dominate at 51.9% of all households, comprising 13.7% couples with children, 31.4% couples without children, and 5.3% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 48.1%, with lone person households at 41.7% and group households comprising 6.4% of the total. The median household size of 1.9 people 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

Educational attainment in North Adelaide significantly surpasses broader benchmarks, with 52.5% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications compared to 25.7% in SA and 28.9% in Greater Adelaide. This substantial educational advantage positions the area strongly for knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees lead at 31.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (16.8%) and graduate diplomas (4.6%). Vocational pathways account for 19.8% of qualifications among those aged 15+ – advanced diplomas (8.3%) and certificates (11.5%).

Educational participation is notably 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

Public transport analysis reveals 67 active transport stops operating within North Adelaide, comprising a mix of trains and buses. These stops are serviced by 88 individual routes, collectively providing 7,034 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 126 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward; the car remains the dominant mode at 64%, with 17% walking and 12% by bus. Vehicle ownership averages 0.8 per dwelling, which is below the regional average. Some 15.3% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 1,004 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 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, based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Both young and old age cohorts see low prevalence of common health conditions, and the rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 78% of the total population (5,783 people). This compares to 52.7% across Greater Adelaide. The national average is 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions in the area were found to be mental health issues and arthritis, impacting 8.2 and 7.3% of residents, respectively, while 70.1% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 67.9% across Greater Adelaide. Working-age residents are notably healthy with low chronic condition prevalence. The area has 21.3% of residents aged 65 and over (1,569 people), which is higher than the 19.3% in Greater Adelaide. Health outcomes among seniors are 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 is more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets, with 20.4% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 30.5% born overseas. The main religion in North Adelaide is Christianity, which makes up 42.8% of the population. However, the most apparent overrepresentation is in Judaism, which comprises 0.2% of the population, compared to 0.1% across Greater Adelaide.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in North Adelaide are English, comprising 27.3% of the population, Australian, comprising 19.0% of the population, and Other, comprising 9.2% of the population. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: Polish is notably overrepresented at 1.1% of North Adelaide (vs 1.0% regionally), German at 5.9% (vs 5.1%), and Russian at 0.5% (vs 0.3%).

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

The 37-year median age in North Adelaide is somewhat lower than Greater Adelaide's average of 39 and similarly very close to the 38-year national average. Compared to the Greater Adelaide average, the 15 - 24 cohort is notably over-represented (22.8% locally), while 5 - 14 year-olds are under-represented (4.5%). This 15 - 24 concentration is well above the national 12.5%. Post-2021 Census data shows the area has become younger, with the median age dropping 1.6 years to 37 from 39. Notable shifts include the 25 to 34 age group growing from 16.4% to 19.1% of the population, while the 15 to 24 cohort increased from 20.5% to 22.8%. Conversely, the 65 to 74 cohort has declined from 12.6% to 8.6% and the 55 to 64 group dropped from 10.7% to 8.5%. By 2041, North Adelaide is expected to see notable shifts in its age composition. Leading the demographic shift, the 25 to 34 group will grow by 18% (248 people), reaching 1,657 from 1,408. In contrast, the 65 to 74 cohort is projected to decline by 2 people.