Smithfield - Elizabeth North

An assessment of population growth drivers in Smithfield - Elizabeth North reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Smithfield - Elizabeth North's population was around 13,157 as of Feb 2026. This showed an increase of 711 people from the 2021 Census figure of 12,446. The growth was inferred from ABS' Jun 2024 estimated resident population of 12,869 and 204 validated new addresses since the Census date. This resulted in a density ratio of 1,646 persons per square kilometer, higher than national averages assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration contributed approximately 55.2% of overall population gains 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, and years post-2032, the SA State Government's Regional/LGA projections by age category are adopted with adjustments made employing weighted aggregation from LGA to SA2 levels. Future population dynamics anticipate significant growth in top quartile statistical areas, with this area expected to grow by 2,667 persons to 2041 based on latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an increase of 18.1% over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential approval activity sees Smithfield - Elizabeth North among the top 30% of areas assessed nationwide

Smithfield - Elizabeth North saw approximately 101 new homes approved annually over the past five financial years, totalling 509 homes. As of FY26, 73 approvals have been recorded. On average, each dwelling constructed between FY21 and FY25 accommodated around 0.7 new residents per year. This suggests that new construction is keeping pace with or exceeding demand, presenting more housing options for buyers and potentially driving population growth beyond current projections.

The average construction value of these properties was $221,000, which is below regional levels, indicating more affordable housing choices. This financial year has seen around $2.1 million in commercial approvals, highlighting the area's residential nature. Compared to Greater Adelaide, Smithfield - Elizabeth North shows significantly lower construction rates, with 55.0% fewer approvals per person. This constraint typically reinforces demand and pricing for existing homes.

The new development primarily consists of standalone homes (93.0%) and a smaller proportion of medium and high-density housing (7.0%), preserving the area's traditional suburban character and appealing to families seeking space. With approximately 139 people per approval, Smithfield - Elizabeth North reflects a low-density area. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, the area is expected to grow by around 2,379 residents by 2041. With current construction levels, housing supply should meet demand adequately, creating favourable conditions for buyers and potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Smithfield - Elizabeth North has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 27thth percentile nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 24 projects that could impact this region. Notable ones include Playford Alive, Riverbanks College Angle Vale, Playford Health and Wellbeing Precinct, and Tudor Vale Shopping Centre. The following list details those likely to be most relevant.

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

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Employment conditions in Smithfield - Elizabeth North face significant challenges, ranking among the bottom 10% of areas assessed nationally

Smithfield - Elizabeth North has a balanced workforce with white and blue collar jobs, prominent manufacturing and industrial sectors, an unemployment rate of 17.0% as of September 2025, and estimated employment growth of 2.6% over the past year. The area's unemployment rate is 13.0% higher than Greater Adelaide's rate of 3.9%, indicating room for improvement. Workforce participation in Smithfield - Elizabeth North lags at 50.0%, compared to Greater Adelaide's 66.4%.

Census responses show that only 4.4% of residents work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. Key industries of employment include health care & social assistance, retail trade, and manufacturing, with notable concentration in manufacturing at 1.7 times the regional average. Education & training is under-represented, with only 4.3% of Smithfield - Elizabeth North's workforce compared to Greater Adelaide's 9.3%. Limited local employment opportunities are indicated by the count of Census working population vs resident population.

Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment levels increased by 2.6%, labour force increased by 1.3%, and unemployment fell by 1.0 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Adelaide saw employment grow by 3.0%, labour force expand by 2.9%, and unemployment fall by 0.1 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that Smithfield - Elizabeth North's local employment should increase by 5.7% over five years and 12.5% over ten years, based on industry-specific projections mapped against the area's current employment mix.

Income metrics place the area in the bottom 10% of locations nationally according to AreaSearch analysis

The median taxpayer income in Smithfield - Elizabeth North SA2 is $46,492 and the average is $49,395 according to postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. This is lower than Greater Adelaide's median income of $54,808 and average income of $66,852. By September 2025, estimated median and average incomes would be approximately $50,583 and $53,742 respectively, based on an 8.8% wage growth since financial year 2023. Census data indicates that incomes in Smithfield - Elizabeth North fall within the 1st to 3rd percentiles nationally for households, families, and individuals. Income analysis shows that 32.4% of the population (4,262 individuals) earn between $800 and $1,499 annually, unlike broader area patterns where incomes between $1,500 and $2,999 dominate at 31.8%. Economic conditions suggest widespread financial pressure, with 42.0% of households having weekly budgets below $800. Housing affordability is a significant issue, with only 79.7% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 3rd percentile nationally.

Smithfield - Elizabeth North displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Smithfield - Elizabeth North's dwellings, as per the latest Census, were 69.7% houses and 30.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). Adelaide metro had 75.2% houses and 24.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Smithfield - Elizabeth North was 19.7%, with mortgaged dwellings at 31.0% and rented ones at 49.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $975, below Adelaide metro's average of $1,562. Median weekly rent was $245, compared to Adelaide metro's $320. Nationally, Smithfield - Elizabeth North's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 61.1% of all households, including 19.5% couples with children, 17.3% couples without children, and 22.4% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 38.9%, with lone person households at 34.6% and group households making up 4.3%. The median household size is 2.4 people, which is smaller than the Greater Adelaide average of 2.5.

Smithfield - Elizabeth North faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area's university qualification rate is 7.0%, significantly lower than the Australian average of 30.4%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are most common at 5.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (0.9%) and graduate diplomas (0.7%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 38.1% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas (6.6%) and certificates (31.5%).

Educational participation is high, with 31.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 14.4% in primary education, 7.8% in secondary education, and 3.2% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Smithfield - Elizabeth North has 106 active public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These are served by 24 routes, providing 2,947 weekly passenger trips in total. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 198 meters to the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward from this primarily residential area. Car remains the dominant mode of transport at 89%, while bus usage stands at 7%. The area has a lower than average vehicle ownership rate of 0.9 per dwelling.

According to the 2021 Census, only 4.4% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 421 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 27 weekly trips per individual stop. The accompanying map displays the 100 nearest stops to the location's centrepoint.

Health performance in Smithfield - Elizabeth North is a key challenge with a range of health conditions having marked impacts on both younger and older age cohorts

Smithfield - Elizabeth North faces significant health challenges, as per AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are high across various health conditions that affect both younger and older age groups. Private health cover is low at approximately 46% of the total population (~6,052 people), compared to 52.7% in Greater Adelaide and the national average of 55.7%.

Mental health issues and asthma are the most prevalent medical conditions, affecting 13.2 and 11.0% of residents respectively. However, 56.1% of residents claim to be completely free from medical ailments, compared to 67.9% in Greater Adelaide. The working-age population faces notable health challenges due to elevated chronic condition rates. The area has 16.4% of residents aged 65 and over (2,151 people), lower than the 19.3% in Greater Adelaide. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

In terms of cultural diversity, Smithfield - Elizabeth North records figures broadly comparable to the national average, as found in AreaSearch's assessment of a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Smithfield - Elizabeth North had a cultural diversity index above the average, with 22.2% of its population born overseas and 12.7% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Smithfield - Elizabeth North, comprising 34.3% of the population. However, Islam was overrepresented compared to Greater Adelaide, making up 3.9% versus 3.0%.

The top three ancestry groups were English (33.3%, substantially higher than the regional average of 27.8%), Australian (28.1%, also higher than the regional average of 22.8%), and Other (9.4%). Notably, German was overrepresented at 4.6% compared to the regional average of 5.1%. Australian Aboriginal representation was significantly higher at 4.3% versus 1.2%, and Welsh was slightly lower at 0.5% compared to the regional average of 0.6%.

Smithfield - Elizabeth North's population is younger than the national pattern

Smithfield - Elizabeth North has a median age of 35, which is younger than Greater Adelaide's figure of 39 and slightly below Australia's median age of 38 years. The age group of 5-14 years old represents 13.9%, higher than the Greater Adelaide figure, while the 75-84 cohort is less prevalent at 4.7%. Between 2021 and present, the population aged 15 to 24 has grown from 13.1% to 15.0%. Conversely, the age group of 45 to 54 years old has declined from 11.7% to 10.6%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Smithfield - Elizabeth North's age structure. The 45-54 age group is projected to grow by 34%, adding 471 people and reaching a total of 1,860 from the previous figure of 1,388. Meanwhile, the 0-4 cohort is expected to grow by a modest 8%, with an increase of 66 people.