Toorak Gardens
Statistical Area - sa2

Toorak Gardens has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

Toorak Gardens' population, as per AreaSearch's analysis, is approximately 17,351 by August 2025. This figure indicates a rise of 716 individuals (4.3%) since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 16,635. The increase is inferred from the estimated resident population of 17,170 in June 2024 and an additional 242 validated new addresses post-Census. This results in a density ratio of 2,593 persons per square kilometer, placing Toorak Gardens in the upper quartile nationally. The area's growth rate since Census is 4.3%, closely matching the SA3 area's 4.4%. Overseas migration primarily drove this population growth.

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, adjusted via weighted aggregation from LGA to SA2 levels. By 2041, Toorak Gardens is expected to increase by approximately 2,009 persons, representing a total rise of 10.5% over 17 years.

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

Toorak Gardens has seen approximately 91 dwellings receive development approval annually. The Australian Bureau of Statistics produces this data on a financial year basis, showing 458 homes approved over the past five years, from FY20 to FY25, with 5 approvals so far in FY26. On average, 0.8 new residents have been added per dwelling constructed annually during these five years. This indicates that supply is meeting or exceeding demand, providing more buyer choices and potentially supporting population growth above projections.

The average value of new homes being built is $594,000, demonstrating a focus on the premium segment with upmarket properties. Additionally, $70.4 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded this financial year, suggesting strong local business investment. Comparatively, Toorak Gardens has 73.0% higher new home approvals per person than Greater Adelaide, offering greater choice for buyers. The current new development consists of 14.0% standalone homes and 86.0% attached dwellings, promoting higher-density living which creates more affordable entry points suitable for downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. This shift reflects the reduced availability of development sites and addresses changing lifestyle demands and affordability requirements, differing from the current housing mix of 55.0% houses. With around 73 people per dwelling approval, Toorak Gardens exhibits characteristics of a low-density area.

Population forecasts indicate that Toorak Gardens will gain approximately 1,828 residents by 2041. Given current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Toorak Gardens has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 17thth percentile nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified four projects that may affect this region: Glenside Development, Burnside Village Expansion, UniSA Magill Campus Redevelopment (Magill Project), and 12-16 Glen Osmond Road Mixed-Use Development. The following details the most relevant projects.

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

Toorak Gardens ranks among the top 25% of areas assessed nationally for overall employment performance

Toorak Gardens has a highly educated workforce with professional services being well represented. Its unemployment rate is 1.9%, lower than the Greater Adelaide average of 4.0%.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 1.7%. As of June 2025, 8,955 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 2.1% below Greater Adelaide's rate and workforce participation at 59.1%, slightly below Greater Adelaide's 61.7%. Key industries for employment among residents include health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training. The area has a strong specialization in professional & technical services with an employment share of 2.0 times the regional level.

Conversely, construction employs just 5.0% of local workers, below Greater Adelaide's 8.7%. The ratio of 0.7 workers per resident, as at the Census, indicates a higher than average level of local employment opportunities. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment increased by 1.7%, while labour force increased by 1.7% in Toorak Gardens, with unemployment remaining essentially unchanged. In comparison, Greater Adelaide recorded employment growth of 2.1%, labour force growth of 2.1%, and a marginal rise in unemployment. State-level data from Sep-25 shows that South Australian employment grew by 1.06% year-on-year (adding 9,370 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.5%, aligning with the national rate of 4.5%. SA's employment growth outperformed the national average of 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project overall employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Toorak Gardens' employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 7.4% over five years and 15.1% over ten years, assuming constant population projections for illustrative purposes.

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

Toorak Gardens' income level is exceptionally high nationally according to latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2022. Toorak Gardens' median income among taxpayers was $58,422 and average income stood at $95,686, compared to Greater Adelaide's figures of $52,592 and $64,886 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.83% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $64,749 (median) and $106,049 (average) as of March 2025. According to Census 2021 income data, personal income ranks at the 77th percentile ($977 weekly), while household income sits at the 61st percentile. Income brackets indicate that the largest segment comprises 27.8% earning $1,500 - 2,999 weekly (4,823 residents), consistent with broader trends across the surrounding region showing 31.8% in the same category. Higher earners represent a substantial presence with 31.6% exceeding $3,000 weekly, indicating strong purchasing power within the community. After housing costs, residents retain 87.8% of income, reflecting strong purchasing power and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

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

Dwelling structure in Toorak Gardens, as evaluated at the latest Census in 2016, consisted of 55.2% houses and 44.8% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Adelaide metro's 67.0% houses and 33.0% other dwellings. Home ownership in Toorak Gardens was at 44.0%, with the rest of dwellings either mortgaged at 28.0% or rented at 28.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area, as of 2016, was $2,167, below Adelaide metro's average of $2,300. The median weekly rent figure for Toorak Gardens was recorded at $339, compared to Adelaide metro's $360. Nationally, mortgage repayments in Toorak Gardens were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863 as of 2016, while rents were less than the national figure of $375.

Toorak Gardens features high concentrations of lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 65.1% of all households, including 30.4% couples with children, 26.5% couples without children, and 7.4% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 34.9%, with lone person households at 32.5% and group households comprising 2.4%. The median household size is 2.3 people, which is smaller than the Greater Adelaide average of 2.5.

Educational achievement in Toorak Gardens places it within the top 10% nationally, reflecting strong academic performance and high qualification levels across the community

Educational attainment in Toorak Gardens is significantly higher than broader benchmarks. 52.7% of residents aged 15 and above hold university qualifications, compared to 25.7% in South Australia (SA) and 28.9% in the Greater Adelaide area. This educational advantage positions the area strongly for knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 32.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 15.2% and graduate diplomas at 4.7%.

Vocational pathways account for 19.5% of qualifications among those aged 15 and above, with advanced diplomas at 9.5% and certificates at 10.0%. Educational participation is notably high, with 29.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.5% in primary education, 7.8% in secondary education, and 7.5% pursuing tertiary education. Toorak Gardens' three schools have a combined enrollment of 1,520 students. The area demonstrates significant socio-educational advantages and academic achievement, with an ICSEA score of 1148. The educational mix includes two primary schools and one K-12 school. Local school capacity is limited, with only 8.8 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 21.3, meaning many families travel to nearby areas for schooling.

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

Analysis of public transport in Toorak Gardens shows 100 active transport stops operating, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 43 different routes, collectively providing 2,587 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 174 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 369 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 25 weekly trips per individual stop.

Toorak Gardens's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with prevalence of common health conditions quite low across both younger and older age cohorts

Health data shows Toorak Gardens residents have relatively positive health outcomes. The prevalence of common health conditions is low across both younger and older age groups.

Private health cover rate is exceptionally high at approximately 69% of the total population (12,024 people), compared to the national average of 55.3%. The most common medical conditions are arthritis and mental health issues, affecting 7.8 and 6.7% of residents respectively. 71.0% of residents declare they are completely clear of medical ailments, slightly lower than the Greater Adelaide average of 72.6%. As of 2021, 26.3% of residents are aged 65 and over (4,566 people), higher than the Greater Adelaide average of 23.6%. Health outcomes among seniors in Toorak Gardens are particularly strong, performing better than the general population in health metrics.

Toorak Gardens 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

Toorak Gardens, surveyed in August 2016, had a higher level of cultural diversity than most local markets, with 31.6% of its population born overseas and 26.2% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Toorak Gardens, comprising 45.2% of its population as per data from June 2019. Buddhism, however, showed an overrepresentation in Toorak Gardens compared to Greater Adelaide, with 3.1% versus 3.4%.

Ancestry-wise, the top three groups were English (25.8%), Australian (19.3%), and Other (9.3%). Notably, Sri Lankan (0.6%) and Chinese (8.7%) populations were overrepresented compared to regional averages of 0.6% and 9.9%, respectively. Italian ancestry also showed a slight overrepresentation at 5.3% versus 6.0%.

Toorak Gardens hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

The median age in Toorak Gardens is 44 years, which is higher than Greater Adelaide's average of 39 years and above the Australian median of 38 years. Compared to Greater Adelaide, the 75-84 age group is over-represented in Toorak Gardens at 10.1%, while the 25-34 age group is under-represented at 10.0%. Between the 2021 Census and now, the population of those aged 15 to 24 has grown from 11.6% to 13.2%, while the 75-84 cohort has increased from 8.7% to 10.1%. Conversely, the 45-54 age group has declined from 12.4% to 11.4%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate significant demographic changes in Toorak Gardens. The 85+ age cohort is projected to grow by 702 people (an increase of 86%), from 815 to 1,518. Those aged 65 and above are expected to comprise 65% of the population growth. Conversely, the 0-4 and 5-14 age groups are projected to experience population declines.