Norwood (SA)
Statistical Area - sa2

Population growth drivers in Norwood are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Norwood SA's population is approximately 12,011 as of August 2025. This figure represents a rise of 1,162 people (10.7%) since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 10,849. The increase is estimated based on ABS data from June 2024 showing an estimated resident population of 11,961 and validated new addresses totalling 149 since the census date. This results in a population density of 3,087 persons per square kilometer, placing Norwood in the upper quartile nationally according to AreaSearch assessments. Norwood's growth rate exceeds both state (6.7%) and metropolitan area averages, indicating its status as a regional growth leader. Overseas migration accounted for approximately 94.3% of total 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, the SA State Government's Regional/LGA projections by age category are adopted, based on 2021 data and adjusted using a weighted aggregation method from LGA to SA2 levels. Future demographic trends project above median population growth for the area, with an expected expansion of 1,735 persons by 2041, representing a total gain of 14.0% over 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Norwood among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

Norwood has seen approximately 83 new homes approved annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, around 417 homes were approved, with a further 4 approved so far in FY26. On average, about 2.8 people per year moved into the area for each new home constructed during this period, indicating solid demand that supports property values.

New homes are being built at an average expected construction cost of $759,000, suggesting a focus on the premium segment with upmarket properties. This financial year has seen around $132.6 million in commercial approvals, indicating strong commercial development momentum. Compared to Greater Adelaide, Norwood has slightly more development, with 13.0% above the regional average per person over the five-year period. This maintains good buyer choice while supporting existing property values.

New development consists of 20.0% detached houses and 80.0% attached dwellings, promoting denser development that provides accessible entry options for downsizers, investors, and entry-level buyers. The location has approximately 326 people per dwelling approval, indicating room for growth. Future projections suggest Norwood will add around 1,685 residents by 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting population growth beyond current projections.

Norwood has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 22ndth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 13 projects likely to impact the area. Notable ones are Osmond Terrace Mixed-Use Development, Glenside Development, Norwood Green, and The Parade Quarter. Below is a list of most relevant projects.

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

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AreaSearch assessment positions Norwood ahead of most Australian regions for employment performance

Norwood SA has a highly educated workforce with professional services being strongly represented. Its unemployment rate was 3.1% in the past year, showing an estimated employment growth of 1.8%.

As of June 2025, 6,943 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 3.1%, which is 0.9% lower than Greater Adelaide's rate of 4.0%. The workforce participation in Norwood was broadly similar to Greater Adelaide's 61.7%. Key industries for employment among residents include health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training. Notably, the area has a high specialization in professional & technical services, with an employment share of 2.0 times the regional level.

Conversely, construction employs only 5.5% of local workers, lower than Greater Adelaide's 8.7%. The area functions as an employment hub, hosting more jobs than residents and attracting workers from surrounding areas, with a ratio of 1.2 workers per resident at the Census. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 1.8%, while the labour force grew by 1.7%, leading to a decrease in unemployment by 0.1 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Adelaide saw an increase of 2.1% in both employment and labour force, with a marginal rise in unemployment. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project that national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Norwood's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 7.2% over five years and 14.7% over ten years, although these are simple weighting extrapolations for illustrative purposes and do not account for localized population projections.

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

AreaSearch's data for financial year 2022 shows Norwood's median income at $58,654 and average income at $88,660. This is higher than Greater Adelaide's median of $52,592 and average of $64,886. By September 2025, estimated incomes are approximately $66,179 (median) and $100,035 (average), accounting for a 12.83% Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2022. Census 2021 data ranks Norwood's personal income at the 72nd percentile ($933 weekly) and household income at the 45th percentile. The largest earnings segment, comprising 29.1%, earns $1,500 - 2,999 weekly (3,495 residents), similar to the metropolitan region's 31.8%. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 83.4% of income remaining, ranking at the 45th percentile. Norwood's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

Norwood displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

As per the latest Census evaluation in Norwood, dwelling structures consisted of 32.0% houses and 68.0% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Adelaide metro had 51.7% houses and 48.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in Norwood stood at 30.3%, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (22.0%) or rented (47.8%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in Norwood was $2,000, aligning with Adelaide metro's average, while the median weekly rent figure was $360, compared to Adelaide metro's $2,000 and $340 respectively. Nationally, Norwood's mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were lower than the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 53.7% of all households, including 18.6% couples with children, 25.9% couples without children, and 8.0% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 46.3%, with lone person households at 40.1% and group households making up 6.0%. The median household size is 2.0 people, which is smaller than the Greater Adelaide average of 2.2.

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

Norwood's educational attainment exceeds broader benchmarks with 51.6% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications compared to 25.7% in SA and 28.9% in Greater Adelaide. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 32.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (15.1%) and graduate diplomas (4.5%). Vocational pathways account for 21.3%. Educational participation is high with 29.7% of residents currently enrolled, including 10.5% in tertiary education, 7.5% in primary education, and 6.8% pursuing secondary education.

Norwood has a robust network of 9 schools educating approximately 4,948 students, with an ICSEA score of 1113 indicating significant socio-educational advantages and academic achievement. The educational mix includes 4 primary, 2 secondary, and 3 K-12 schools. School capacity exceeds typical residential needs at 41.2 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 32.8, suggesting Norwood serves as an educational center for the broader region.

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

Norwood has 54 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 54 different routes that together facilitate 3,672 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these transports is rated as excellent, with residents typically located just 178 meters away from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 524 trips per day across all routes, which amounts to approximately 68 weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in Norwood is notably higher than the national average with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Norwood exhibits above-average health outcomes with both younger and older age cohorts experiencing low prevalence of common health conditions. The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 64% of the total population (7,687 people), compared to 61.4% across Greater Adelaide, which is higher than the national average of 55.3%. The most common medical conditions in the area are mental health issues and arthritis, impacting 8.6% and 7.5% of residents respectively.

A total of 70.6% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, similar to the 70.4% across Greater Adelaide. The area has 21.6% of residents aged 65 and over (2,597 people). Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, performing even better than the general population in health metrics.

Norwood 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

Norwood's population was found to be more linguistically diverse than most local areas, with 24.4% speaking a language other than English at home as of the latest data. Additionally, 33.5% of Norwood residents were born overseas. Christianity was identified as the predominant religion in Norwood, accounting for 40.2% of its population.

However, Judaism was found to be overrepresented compared to regional figures, comprising 0.2% of Norwood's population versus 0.2% across Greater Adelaide. In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were English at 26.0%, Australian at 17.9%, and Other at 9.7%. Some ethnic groups showed notable variations: Italian was overrepresented in Norwood at 6.2% compared to 11.1% regionally, Hungarian stood at 0.4% versus 0.3%, and German was present at 4.9% versus 5.0%.

Norwood's population is slightly older than the national pattern

The median age in Norwood was 40 years as of the census, comparable to Greater Adelaide's average of 39 years but slightly higher than Australia's national average of 38 years. The 25-34 age group constituted 17.8% of Norwood's population, higher than Greater Adelaide's proportion. Conversely, the 5-14 age group made up only 7.9%. Post-census data from 2021 showed that the 75-84 age group grew from 6.9% to 8.2%, while the 15-24 cohort increased from 12.6% to 13.9%. However, the 55-64 age group decreased from 12.0% to 10.9%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate significant demographic shifts in Norwood. Notably, the 85+ age group is projected to grow by 126%, reaching 688 people from an initial 305. The combined 65+ age groups are expected to account for 52% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic trend. In contrast, the 5-14 age group is projected to decrease by 8 people.