Roxby Downs

Roxby Downs has shown very soft population growth performance across periods assessed by AreaSearch

Roxby Downs' population was approximately 4,118 as of February 2026, reflecting a growth of 142 people (3.6%) since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 3,976. This increase is inferred from the estimated resident population of 4,089 in June 2024 and an additional 14 validated new addresses since the Census date. The population density was approximately 14.3 persons per square kilometer. Roxby Downs' growth rate of 3.6% since the census is within 1.1 percentage points of the SA3 area's growth rate of 4.7%. Natural growth contributed approximately 60.7% of overall population gains during recent periods. AreaSearch adopts 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 a method of weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Projections indicate a decline in overall population by 252 persons by 2041. However, specific age cohorts are expected to grow, notably the 45 to 54 age group which is projected to expand by 37 people.

The level of residential development activity in Roxby Downs is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Roxby Downs had minimal construction activity from 2013 to 2018, with less than one new dwelling approved annually. There were only three approvals in total during these five years. This low development level reflects the rural nature of Roxby Downs, where housing needs are typically met based on local requirements rather than broader market demand.

It is important to note that yearly growth figures and relativities can vary significantly due to the small number of approvals. Compared to Rest of SA, Roxby Downs had substantially lower development levels during this period.

Nationally, development levels were also higher than those seen in Roxby Downs. With stable or declining population forecasts for Roxby Downs, housing pressure is expected to remain low, creating favourable conditions for property buyers.

Roxby Downs has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 9thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure can significantly influence an area's performance. Three projects have been identified by AreaSearch as potentially impacting the area. Key projects include the Roxby Downs Area School Refurbishment, Olympic Dam Underground Growth Projects, Olympic Dam Smelter Refinery Expansion Project, and Woomera Redevelopment Program. The following list details those likely to be 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 exceptional employment performance in Roxby Downs places it among Australia's strongest labour markets

Roxby Downs has a skilled workforce with strong representation in manufacturing and industrial sectors. The unemployment rate was 1.1% as of September 2025, with an estimated employment growth of 3.0% over the past year. There were 2,721 residents employed at that time, with an unemployment rate of 4.3%, which is below Rest of SA's rate of 5.3%.

Workforce participation was high at 89.6%, compared to Rest of SA's 58.5%. According to Census responses, only 3.4% of residents worked from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. Key industries of employment among residents are mining, construction, and accommodation & food services. Mining has a notable concentration with employment levels at 17.6 times the regional average, while agriculture, forestry & fishing shows lower representation at 0.2% versus the regional average of 14.5%.

There were 1.6 workers for every resident as per Census data, indicating that Roxby Downs functions as an employment hub hosting more jobs than residents and attracting workers from surrounding areas. Over a 12-month period ending in September 2025, employment increased by 3.0% alongside labour force growth of 3.5%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.5 percentage points. This contrasts with Rest of SA where employment rose by 0.3%, labour force grew by 2.3%, and unemployment rose by 1.9 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that national employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these industry-specific projections to Roxby Downs' employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 4.1% over five years and 10.3% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and not accounting for localised population projections.

The economic profile demonstrates exceptional strength, placing the area among the top 10% nationally based on comprehensive AreaSearch income analysis

Roxby Downs SA2's median income among taxpayers was $103,714 and average income stood at $113,009 in the financial year 2023. These figures were significantly higher than those for Rest of SA, which were $48,920 and $58,933 respectively. By September 2025, estimated median and average incomes would be approximately $112,841 and $122,954 based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.8% since financial year 2023. Census data from 2021 showed that household, family, and personal incomes in Roxby Downs ranked highly nationally, between the 97th and 99th percentiles. The $1,500 - 2,999 earnings band captured 35.1% of the community (1,445 individuals), which was consistent with broader trends across the surrounding region showing 27.5% in the same category. A substantial proportion of high earners, at 54.3%, indicated strong economic capacity throughout the locality. After housing costs, residents retained 91.6% of their income, reflecting strong purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 5th decile.

Roxby Downs is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Roxby Downs' dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 96.7% houses and 3.4% other dwellings. This compares to Non-Metro SA's 88.5% houses and 11.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Roxby Downs was at 6.8%, with mortgaged dwellings at 23.0% and rented ones at 70.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,517, higher than Non-Metro SA's average of $1,153. Median weekly rent in Roxby Downs was $260, compared to Non-Metro SA's $220. Nationally, Roxby Downs' mortgage repayments were lower at $1,517 versus Australia's average of $1,863, and rents were substantially lower at $260 compared to the national figure of $375.

Roxby Downs features high concentrations of group households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 70.9% of all households, including 39.9% couples with children, 22.5% couples without children, and 7.4% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 29.1%, with lone person households at 24.3% and group households comprising 4.8%. The median household size is 2.7 people, larger than the Rest of SA average of 2.3.

Roxby Downs faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area's university qualification rate is 17.2%, significantly lower than Australia's average of 30.4%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 12.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.3%) and graduate diplomas (1.6%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 48.0% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas at 7.8% and certificates at 40.2%. Educational participation is high, with 34.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 17.6% in primary education, 7.9% in secondary education, and 2.7% pursuing tertiary education.

No public transport data available for this catchment area.

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

Analysis shows Roxby Downs performed well across health metrics, based on AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates were low, as was chronic condition prevalence among both young and old age cohorts. Private health cover was exceptionally high at approximately 76% of the total population (3,133 people), compared to 48.9% in Rest of SA and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions were asthma and mental health issues, affecting 6.9 and 5.8% respectively. 81.6% declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, higher than the 62.5% across Rest of SA. Only 2.6% of residents were aged 65 and over (107 people), lower than the 27.1% in Rest of SA. Health outcomes among seniors ranked high nationally, even higher than the general population.

Roxby Downs ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Roxby Downs' cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 80.3% of its population being citizens, 84.5% born in Australia, and 90.0% speaking English only at home. Christianity is the main religion in Roxby Downs, comprising 35.1% of people there. Buddhism, however, is overrepresented compared to the rest of South Australia (SA), with 1.5% of Roxby Downs' population identifying as Buddhist versus SA's 0.6%.

The top three represented ancestry groups are Australian at 32.4%, English at 28.8%, and Scottish at 6.5%. Notably, Filipino, Maori, and Welsh ethnicities are overrepresented in Roxby Downs compared to regional averages: Filipino at 2.7% versus SA's 0.7%, Maori at 1.1% versus 0.2%, and Welsh at 0.7% versus 0.5%.

Roxby Downs hosts a very young demographic, ranking in the bottom 10% of areas nationwide

Roxby Downs has a median age of 30, which is lower than the Rest of South Australia's figure of 47 and significantly lower than Australia's median age of 38 years. Compared to the average for the Rest of South Australia, Roxby Downs has an over-representation of the 25-34 cohort (21.5% locally) while the 65-74 year-olds are under-represented (2.1%). This concentration of individuals aged 25-34 is notably higher than the national average of 14.4%. Between 2021 and present, the population percentage for those aged 35 to 44 has increased from 18.7% to 21.2%, while the percentage for those aged 45 to 54 has decreased from 12.8% to 11.2%. Demographic projections indicate that Roxby Downs' age profile will change significantly by 2041, with the 45-54 age cohort expected to grow notably, increasing by 62 people (13%) from 462 to 525. Conversely, both the 0-4 and 65-74 age groups are projected to decrease in numbers.