Victor Harbor

Population growth drivers in Victor Harbor are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Victor Harbor's population was around 17,607 as of November 2025. This reflects an increase of 1,760 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 15,847. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 16,887 in June 2024 and an additional 453 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 137 persons per square kilometer. Victor Harbor's growth of 11.1% since the 2021 census exceeded the non-metro area's growth of 6.8%. Population growth was primarily driven by interstate migration, contributing approximately 86.3% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopted 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 were adopted, released in 2023 based on 2021 data. Future population dynamics anticipate an above median growth for regional areas, with the area expected to increase by 1,994 persons to 2041, reflecting a total increase of 7.1% over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Victor Harbor among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

Victor Harbor has had approximately 240 new homes approved annually over the past five financial years, totalling 1,202 homes. As of FY-26193 approvals have been recorded. On average, each dwelling constructed between FY-21 and FY-25 accommodates around 1.2 new residents per year. The average construction value of these properties is $300,000.

This financial year has seen $46.1 million in commercial approvals registered, indicating high local commercial activity. Compared to the rest of South Australia, Victor Harbor has a somewhat elevated construction rate, with 14.0% more approvals per person over the past five years. This preserves buyer options while sustaining existing property demand, which is significantly above the national average. New developments consist of 96.0% detached dwellings and 4.0% townhouses or apartments, maintaining the area's low-density nature and attracting space-seeking buyers.

With around 59 people per approval, Victor Harbor reflects a developing area. Future projections estimate an addition of 1,248 residents by 2041 based on current development patterns. Given these projections, new housing supply should readily meet demand, offering good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating further population growth.

Victor Harbor has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 7thth percentile nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 14 projects that could impact the region. Notable ones include Best Life Canterbury Victor Harbor, McKinlay Street Car Parking Precinct, Victor Retail Depot, and Flinders Parade Townhouse Development. The following list details those most likely to be 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.

Victor Harbor has seen below average employment performance when compared to national benchmarks

Victor Harbor has a skilled workforce with well-represented essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate is 3.6%, with an estimated employment growth of 0.8% over the past year as of September 2025.

In this period, 5,929 residents were employed while the unemployment rate was 1.7% lower than Rest of SA's rate of 5.3%. Workforce participation in Victor Harbor is significantly lower at 39.1%, compared to Rest of SA's 54.1%. Key industries for employment among residents are health care & social assistance, retail trade, and accommodation & food. The area specializes particularly in health care & social assistance with an employment share of 1.5 times the regional level.

Agriculture, forestry & fishing has limited presence at 3.3% compared to the regional average of 14.5%. Employment opportunities locally appear limited based on Census working population vs resident population comparison. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment levels increased by 0.8%, labour force grew by 1.9%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 1.1 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of SA saw employment grow by 0.3%, labour force expand by 2.3%, with unemployment rising by 1.9 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years for national employment. Applying these projections to Victor Harbor's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.6% over five years and 13.8% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

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

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of ATO data released for financial year 2022, Victor Harbor SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $39,196 and an average level of $50,077. This is lower than the national average, which stood at $46,889 for Rest of SA during this period. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.83% since financial year 2022, estimated median and average incomes as of September 2025 would be approximately $44,225 and $56,502 respectively. According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in Victor Harbor fall between the 2nd and 6th percentiles nationally. The data shows that 33.4% of residents earn between $400 and $799 weekly (5,880 individuals), contrasting with other regions where the $1,500 - $2,999 bracket is prevalent at 27.5%. This indicates a significant proportion of lower-income residents in Victor Harbor, with 40.5% earning less than $800 per week. After housing expenses, 85.9% of income remains, ranking at the 5th percentile nationally for disposable income.

Victor Harbor is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Victor Harbor's latest Census data shows 88.3% houses and 11.7% other dwellings. Non-Metro SA has 92.1% houses and 7.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Victor Harbor is 53.4%, with mortgaged dwellings at 24.6% and rented ones at 22.0%. The median monthly mortgage repayment is $1,300, matching Non-Metro SA's average. Median weekly rent is $290 compared to Non-Metro SA's $280. Nationally, Victor Harbor's mortgage repayments are lower at $1,300 versus Australia's $1,863, and rents are substantially below the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 64.8% of all households, including 15.8% couples with children, 39.3% couples without children, and 9.0% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 35.2%, with lone person households at 33.3% and group households making up 1.9%. The median household size is 2.1 people, smaller than the Rest of SA average of 2.2.

Educational outcomes in Victor Harbor fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

The area's university qualification rate is 17.8%, significantly lower than Australia's average of 30.4%. This disparity presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most prevalent at 12.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.1%) and graduate diplomas (2.5%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 39.1% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (11.8%) and certificates (27.3%).

School and university attendance comprises 19.4% of the community, with 8.2% in primary education, 5.4% in secondary education, and 2.1% pursuing tertiary education.

No public transport data available for this catchment area.

Health performance in Victor Harbor is a key challenge with a range of health conditions having marked impacts on both younger and older age cohorts

Victor Harbor faces significant health challenges with various conditions affecting both younger and older age groups. The rate of private health cover stands at approximately 46%, covering around 8,134 people (~55.3% nationally).

Common medical conditions include arthritis (14.0%) and mental health issues (9.3%). Notably, 53.4% report no medical ailments compared to the Rest of SA's 58.3%. The area has a higher proportion of residents aged 65 and over at 44.7%, with 7,877 people in this age group (~37.0% in Rest of SA).

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

Victor Harbor has a cultural diversity below average, with 79.5% of its population born in Australia, 92.1% being citizens, and 96.4% speaking English only at home. Christianity is the main religion in Victor Harbor, comprising 47.5% of people, compared to 42.7% across Rest of SA. The top three ancestry groups are English (39.0%), Australian (27.5%), and Scottish (8.5%).

Notably, German ethnicity is slightly overrepresented at 6.5%, while Welsh and Dutch are similarly represented at 0.6% and 1.4% respectively, compared to regional averages of 6.7%, 0.6%, and 1.6%.

Victor Harbor ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide

The median age in Victor Harbor is 60 years, significantly higher than Rest of SA's average of 47 and Australia's average of 38 years. The age profile shows that the 75-84 year-old group makes up 18.3% of the population, which is particularly prominent compared to other age groups and well above the national average of 6%. Since the 2021 Census, this age group has grown from 15.0% to 18.3%, while the 65-74 cohort has declined from 22.4% to 20.5% and the 55-64 group has dropped from 14.4% to 13.3%. By 2041, Victor Harbor is expected to see notable shifts in its age composition, with the 85+ cohort projected to grow by 113%, adding 1,170 residents to reach 2,206. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups are expected to account for 94% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. Meanwhile, both the 35-44 and 15-24 age groups are projected to see reduced numbers.