Payneham - Felixstow

Population growth drivers in Payneham - Felixstow are slightly above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium term trends

Payneham-Felixstow's population was approximately 14,410 as of February 2026. This figure represents an increase of 1,288 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 13,122. The growth is inferred from ABS data showing an estimated resident population of 13,870 in June 2024 and an additional 95 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density of 2,755 persons per square kilometer, placing Payneham-Felixstow in the upper quartile nationally according to AreaSearch assessments. The area's 9.8% growth since the 2021 census exceeded both the state (9.0%) and Greater Adelaide figures, indicating strong population growth. Overseas migration was the primary driver of this growth.

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 methods. Future population projections indicate above median growth for statistical areas nationally. Payneham-Felixstow is expected to expand by 3,123 persons to 2041 based on latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a total increase of 17.9% over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Payneham - Felixstow among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

Payneham-Felixstow has seen approximately 117 new homes approved annually over the past five financial years, totalling 585 homes. As of FY26, 43 approvals have been recorded. On average, 1.5 people move to the area each year for each dwelling built between FY21 and FY25. New dwellings are developed at an average cost of $345,000.

This financial year has seen $6.8 million in commercial approvals. Relative to Greater Adelaide, Payneham-Felixstow shows moderately higher development activity, with 32.0% above the regional average per person over the five-year period. New development consists of 63.0% standalone homes and 37.0% attached dwellings.

Population forecasts indicate Payneham-Felixstow will gain 2,583 residents by 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should meet demand comfortably.

Payneham - Felixstow has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 31stth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified five projects potentially impacting the area. Key projects are East Marden Primary School Major Upgrades, Payneham Memorial Swimming Centre Redevelopment, Trinity Valley Stormwater Drainage Upgrade, and Norwood Green. The following list details those most relevant.

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

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

The employment environment in Payneham - Felixstow shows above-average strength when compared nationally

Payneham-Felixstow has a highly educated workforce with professional services being strongly represented. The unemployment rate in the area was 3.2% as of September 2025. This is lower than Greater Adelaide's rate of 3.9%.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 3.4%. There were 7,593 residents employed while the workforce participation rate was on par with Greater Adelaide's 66.4%. Only 12.3% of residents worked from home based on Census responses. The dominant employment sectors include health care & social assistance, education & training, and professional & technical services.

Payneham-Felixstow has a particularly strong specialization in professional & technical services with an employment share of 1.4 times the regional level. Conversely, manufacturing shows lower representation at 5.1% compared to the regional average of 7.0%. Many residents appear to commute elsewhere for work based on Census data comparing working population to local population. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment levels increased by 3.4%, labour force increased by 3.2%, causing the unemployment rate to fall by 0.2 percentage points. Greater Adelaide recorded employment growth of 3.0% during this period, with unemployment falling by 0.1 percentage points. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia indicate that Payneham-Felixstow's employment should increase by 6.9% over five years and 14.1% over ten years based on a simple weighting extrapolation of industry-specific projections.

The area's income profile falls below national averages based on AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year ending 2023 shows that Payneham - Felixstow SA2 has very high national incomes, with a median of $55,383 and an average of $75,364. This contrasts with Greater Adelaide's median income of $54,808 and average income of $66,852. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.8% since financial year ending 2023, current estimates suggest a median income of approximately $60,257 and an average income of $81,996 as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census, incomes in Payneham - Felixstow rank modestly, between the 34th and 42nd percentiles for household, family, and personal incomes. The income bracket of $1,500 - 2,999 dominates with 29.5% of residents (4,250 people), similar to broader metropolitan trends at 31.8%. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 83.2% of income remaining, ranking at the 34th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile.

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

Payneham-Felixstow's dwelling structure in its latest Census showed 59.4% houses and 40.7% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other'). Adelaide metro had 75.2% houses and 24.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Payneham-Felixstow was higher at 34.2%, with mortgaged dwellings at 30.0% and rented at 35.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,870, above Adelaide metro's $1,562. Median weekly rent in Payneham-Felixstow was $330, compared to Adelaide metro's $320. Nationally, Payneham-Felixstow's mortgage repayments were higher at $1,870 than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were lower at $330 compared to the national figure of $375.

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

Family households make up 61.3% of all households, including 26.1% couples with children, 24.4% couples without children, and 9.5% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 38.7%, with lone person households at 34.1% and group households comprising 4.6%. The median household size is 2.3 people, which is smaller than the Greater Adelaide average of 2.5.

The educational profile of Payneham - Felixstow exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

Payneham-Felixstow has a higher proportion of residents with university qualifications than the state or city averages. Specifically, 39.3% of Payneham-Felixstow residents aged 15 and above have university degrees, compared to 25.7% in South Australia and 28.9% in Greater Adelaide. Bachelor degrees are most common at 25.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (10.1%) and graduate diplomas (3.6%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 25.4% of residents holding such qualifications.

Advanced diplomas account for 10.0% and certificates for 15.4%. Educational participation is high, with 27.3% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.5% in primary education, 7.7% in tertiary education, and 5.6% pursuing secondary education.

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

Payneham-Felixstow has 67 active public transport stops serving a mix of bus routes. These stops are covered by 39 individual routes, offering 2,598 weekly passenger trips in total. Residents have good transport accessibility, with an average distance of 202 meters to the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward from this primarily residential area. Cars remain the dominant mode of transport at 82%, while buses account for 11%. The average vehicle ownership is 1.1 per dwelling, lower than the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, a relatively low 12.3% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 371 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 38 weekly trips per individual stop.

Payneham - Felixstow's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with prevalence of common health conditions quite low among the general population though higher than the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts

Payneham-Felixstow residents show positive health outcomes, matching national benchmarks for mortality rates and health conditions. Common health conditions are low among the general population but higher among older, at-risk cohorts compared to national averages.

Private health cover is high at 57% (~8,156 people), exceeding Greater Adelaide's 52.7%. The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (8.8%) and mental health issues (7.3%), with 69.3% of residents reporting no medical ailments, compared to 67.9% in Greater Adelaide. Working-age residents have low chronic condition prevalence. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 21.3% (3,072 people), compared to Greater Adelaide's 19.3%. Health outcomes among seniors present challenges but rank lower nationally than the broader population.

Payneham - Felixstow 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

Payneham-Felixstow has a high level of cultural diversity, with 35.1% of its population born overseas and 33.6% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Payneham-Felixstow, comprising 51.4% of its population. However, there is an overrepresentation of people identifying as 'Other', which makes up 2.2% of Payneham-Felixstow's population compared to 1.8% across Greater Adelaide.

The top three represented ancestry groups in Payneham-Felixstow are English (20.7%), Australian (17.1%), and Italian (16.5%). Notably, these percentages are lower than the regional averages for English and Australian ancestry but higher for Italian ancestry. There are also significant differences in the representation of certain ethnic groups: Greek (2.9% vs 2.0%), Korean (0.7% vs 0.3%), and Chinese (7.9% vs 3.1%) are notably overrepresented in Payneham-Felixstow compared to Greater Adelaide.

Payneham - Felixstow's population is slightly older than the national pattern

The median age in Payneham-Felixstow is 40 years, similar to Greater Adelaide's average of 39 years but somewhat older than Australia's average of 38 years. The 85+ age group comprises 5.1% of the population, higher than Greater Adelaide's percentage, while the 5-14 cohort makes up 10.0%, lower than Greater Adelaide's figure. According to post-2021 Census data, the 35-44 age group has increased from 13.3% to 15.0% of the population, whereas the 45-54 cohort has decreased from 12.1% to 10.8%. Population forecasts for 2041 suggest significant demographic changes in Payneham-Felixstow, with the 85+ group expected to grow by 66%, reaching 1,227 people from its current figure of 740.