St Peters - Marden
Statistical Area - sa2

An assessment of population growth drivers in St Peters - Marden reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

St Peters - Marden's population was around 14,351 as of Aug 2025. This figure reflects an increase of 836 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 13,515. The change is inferred from ABS estimates: 14,250 in June 2024 and an additional 65 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 2,399 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile nationally according to AreaSearch assessments. The area's 6.2% growth since census is within 0.5 percentage points of the state (6.7%), indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Overseas migration contributed approximately 92.0% of overall population gains recently.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections released in 2024 with a base year of 2022 for each SA2 area. For areas not covered by this data and years post-2032, the SA State Government's Regional/LGA projections based on 2021 data are used, adjusted employing weighted aggregation methods from LGA to SA2 levels. Demographic trends suggest a population increase just below the median of national areas, with an expected expansion of 1,619 persons by 2041, recording a total gain of 10.4% over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is slightly higher than average within St Peters - Marden when compared nationally

St Peters - Marden has seen approximately 54 new homes approved annually. Development approval data is produced by the ABS on a financial year basis, showing 273 homes over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25. As of now in FY-26, there have been 17 approvals. On average, about two people move to the area per new home constructed each year over these five financial years, indicating steady demand which may support property values.

New homes are being built at an average expected construction cost value of $836,000, suggesting a focus on the premium segment with upmarket properties. This financial year has seen $65.1 million in commercial approvals, indicating robust commercial development activity. Compared to Greater Adelaide, St Peters - Marden shows around 59% of the construction activity per person, and it ranks among the 45th percentile of areas assessed nationally.

New development consists of 60.0% standalone homes and 40.0% attached dwellings, offering choices across price ranges from spacious family homes to more affordable compact options. With around 380 people per dwelling approval, St Peters - Marden shows a developed market. Population forecasts indicate it will gain approximately 1,499 residents by 2041, suggesting current development is well-matched to future needs and may support steady market conditions without extreme price pressure.

St Peters - Marden has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 14thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified nine projects that could impact this region. Notable ones are East Park Development, Broad Street Reserve Playground Upgrade, Norwood Green, and Marden Connect Development. The following list details those expected to have the most relevance.

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

The labour market in St Peters - Marden shows considerable strength compared to most other Australian regions

St Peters - Marden has an educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. Its unemployment rate is 2.5%, with estimated employment growth of 1.6% over the past year.

As of June 2025, 8,266 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.5% below Greater Adelaide's rate of 4.0%. Workforce participation is 65.2%, compared to Greater Adelaide's 61.7%. Dominant employment sectors include health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training. The area shows high specialization in professional & technical services, with an employment share 1.8 times the regional level.

Conversely, construction has lower representation at 5.9% versus the regional average of 8.7%. Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data. In the year to June 2025, employment levels increased by 1.6%, with labour force increasing by 1.7%, keeping unemployment stable. Greater Adelaide recorded higher employment growth at 2.1% but had a marginal rise in unemployment. State-level data from Sep-25 shows SA employment grew by 1.06%, adding 9,370 jobs, with the state unemployment rate at 4.5%. National forecasts suggest total employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to St Peters - Marden's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 7.2% over five years and 14.8% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes only.

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

AreaSearch reports that St Peters - Marden had a median taxpayer income of $58,643 and an average income of $88,428 in the financial year 2022. These figures are among the highest in Australia, compared to $52,592 and $64,886 for Greater Adelaide respectively. Based on a 10.83% increase since FY2022, estimated incomes as of March 2025 would be approximately $64,994 (median) and $98,005 (average). According to the 2021 Census, personal income ranks at the 74th percentile ($954 weekly), while household income is at the 58th percentile. Income analysis shows that 28.0% of residents (4,018 individuals) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 range, similar to the metropolitan region's 31.8%. Higher earners comprise 31.1%, indicating strong purchasing power. After housing costs, residents retain 86.7% of income, reflecting strong purchasing power and the area's SEIFA income ranking in the 8th decile.

St Peters - Marden displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Dwelling structure in St Peters - Marden, as evaluated at the latest Census held on 28 August 2016, consisted of 61.6% houses and 38.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This is compared to Adelaide metro's structure of 51.7% houses and 48.4% other dwellings during the same period. Home ownership levels in St Peters - Marden were higher than Adelaide metro at 37.1%, with mortgaged dwellings making up 30.0% and rented dwellings comprising 32.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,080, exceeding Adelaide metro's average of $2,000. Meanwhile, the median weekly rent figure in St Peters - Marden was recorded at $320, compared to Adelaide metro's $340. Nationally, St Peters - Marden's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863 reported in 2019, while rents were substantially lower than the national figure of $375 during the same period.

St Peters - Marden features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 63.8% of all households, including 28.6% couples with children, 26.3% couples without children, and 7.8% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 36.2%, with lone person households at 31.8% and group households making up 4.5%. The median household size is 2.3 people, larger than the Greater Adelaide average of 2.2.

St Peters - Marden shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

St Peters - Marden's educational attainment significantly surpasses broader benchmarks. As of a recent report (20XX), 48.6% of residents aged 15+ hold university qualifications, compared to 25.7% in South Australia and 28.9% in Greater Adelaide. Bachelor degrees lead at 30.5%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 13.3% and graduate diplomas at 4.8%. Vocational pathways account for 21.9% of qualifications among those aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 9.3% and certificates at 12.6%.

Educational participation is notably high, with 29.2% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 9.1% in tertiary education, 8.4% in primary education, and 7.2% pursuing secondary education. St Peters - Marden's 4 schools have a combined enrollment reaching 6,993 students as of the latest data (20XX). The area demonstrates above-average socio-educational conditions with an ICSEA score of 1091. The educational mix includes 1 primary school, 1 secondary school, and 2 K-12 schools. School capacity exceeds typical residential needs, with 48.7 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 32.8, indicating that St Peters - Marden serves as an educational center for the broader region.

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

The analysis shows that in St Peters - Marden, there are currently 57 active public transport stops operating. These stops serve a mix of bus routes, with a total of 27 individual routes providing service. The combined weekly passenger trips across these routes amount to 2,660.

The accessibility of transport is rated as good, with residents on average located 216 meters from the nearest stop. On average, there are 380 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately 46 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

St Peters - Marden demonstrates above-average health outcomes for both young and elderly age cohorts, with low prevalence rates for common health conditions. Approximately 64% of its total population (9,184 people) have private health cover, compared to 61.4% across Greater Adelaide, and 55.3% nationally. Mental health issues affect 7.7% of residents in the area, while arthritis impacts 7.3%.

About 71.3% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 70.4% across Greater Adelaide. The area has 19.9% of residents aged 65 and over (2,858 people). Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

St Peters - Marden 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

St Peters-Marden has a higher level of cultural diversity than most local markets, with 28.8% of its population born overseas and 24.0% speaking a language other than English at home. The dominant religion in St Peters-Marden is Christianity, which accounts for 46.3% of the population. Notably, the 'Other' religious category comprises 1.5% of the population, slightly higher than the Greater Adelaide average of 1.6%.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups are English (24.7%), Australian (19.6%), and Italian (10.0%). Some ethnic groups show significant differences in representation: Greek is overrepresented at 3.2% compared to 2.9% regionally, German is at 5.1% versus 5.0%, and Polish is at 0.9% matching the regional average of 0.9%.

St Peters - Marden's median age exceeds the national pattern

The median age in St Peters-Marden is 40 years, similar to Greater Adelaide's average of 39 years but somewhat older than Australia's median age of 38 years. The 15-24 age group comprises 14.3%, higher than Greater Adelaide's percentage, while the 5-14 cohort stands at 9.7%. Post-2021 Census data reveals that the 15-24 age group increased from 12.0% to 14.3%, whereas the 45-54 group decreased from 12.8% to 11.3% and the 5-14 group dropped from 10.8% to 9.7%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate significant demographic changes in St Peters-Marden, with the 85+ age group set to grow by 90%, reaching 865 people from 456. Notably, combined 65+ age groups will account for 59% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. Conversely, the 0-4 cohort shows minimal growth of 0%.