Belair

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

As of Feb 2026, the population of Belair is estimated at around 4,723 people. This reflects an increase of 5 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 4,718 people. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 4,721 following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024, along with an additional 3 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 318 persons per square kilometer. Population growth for Belair was primarily driven by overseas migration 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 and years post-2032, the SA State Government's Regional/LGA projections are adopted with adjustments made using weighted aggregation methods. Future population trends indicate lower quartile growth nationally, with Belair expected to grow by 192 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a gain of 4.1% over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Belair, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

Based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers, allocated from statistical area data, Belair has recorded around 8 residential properties granted approval each year. Over the past 5 financial years, between FY-21 and FY-25, approximately 41 homes were approved, with a further 5 approved so far in FY-26. On average, about 1.9 people have moved to the area for each dwelling built over these years. However, this number has decreased to -1.1 people per dwelling over the past 2 financial years.

Development projects in Belair average $586,000 in construction value, indicating a focus on the premium market with high-end developments. This year, there have also been $65,000 in commercial approvals, demonstrating the area's residential nature.

Recent development has been entirely comprised of standalone homes, maintaining the area's traditional low density character and appealing to those seeking space for families. The estimated count of 787 people in the area per dwelling approval reflects its quiet, low activity development environment. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Belair is forecasted to gain 192 residents through to 2041. With current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts and creating favourable conditions for buyers.

Belair has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 15thth percentile nationally

Five projects identified by AreaSearch are expected to influence the local area significantly: Adelaide Public Transport Capacity and Access, Adelaide's Inner And Outer Ring Route Capacity Improvements, Belair Electrical Infrastructure Modifications, and Belair National Park Redevelopment.

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Employment conditions in Belair rank among the top 10% of areas assessed nationally

Belair has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. Its unemployment rate was 1.2% in the past year, showing an estimated employment growth of 3.0%. As of September 2025, 2,620 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 2.8%, lower than Greater Adelaide's rate of 3.9%.

Workforce participation is similar to Greater Adelaide at 66.4%. According to Census responses, 18.4% of residents work from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. Dominant employment sectors include health care & social assistance, education & training, and professional & technical services. Education & training shows strong specialization with an employment share 1.6 times the regional level.

Retail trade is under-represented at 7.6% compared to Greater Adelaide's 10.0%. Local employment opportunities appear limited based on Census working population vs resident population comparison. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment increased by 3.0%, labour force by 3.2%, resulting in a slight unemployment rise of 0.2 percentage points. Greater Adelaide recorded similar employment growth but saw a slight decrease in unemployment. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project overall growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Belair's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.1% over five years and 14.5% over ten years, though this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

The suburb of Belair had a median taxpayer income of $59,005 and an average income of $78,083 in the latest postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for the financial year 2023. This is higher than the national averages, with Greater Adelaide's median income being $54,808 and average income being $66,852. By September 2025, based on an 8.8% Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2023, estimated incomes would be approximately $64,197 (median) and $84,954 (average). According to the 2021 Census data, household, family, and personal incomes in Belair rank highly nationally, between the 76th and 81st percentiles. The most common income bracket in Belair is $1,500 - 2,999, with 27.3% of locals (1,289 people) falling into this category, similar to the surrounding region where 31.8% occupy this bracket. A significant portion of residents earn more than $3,000 weekly, indicating strong purchasing power within the community. After housing costs, residents retain 88.6% of their income, reflecting strong purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

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

Belair's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 88.8% houses and 11.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Adelaide metro's 75.2% houses and 24.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Belair was at 44.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 47.0% and rented ones at 8.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,100, higher than Adelaide metro's average of $1,562. Median weekly rent in Belair was $376, compared to Adelaide metro's $320. Nationally, Belair's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents exceeded the national figure of $375.

Belair features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households account for 78.6% of all households, including 39.2% couples with children, 31.9% couples without children, and 6.8% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 21.4%, with lone person households at 19.6% and group households comprising 1.8%. The median household size is 2.6 people, which is larger than the Greater Adelaide average of 2.5.

Belair shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Belair's residents aged 15+ have notably higher educational attainment than broader benchmarks. In Belair, 48.9% hold university qualifications compared to 25.7% in South Australia and 28.9% in Greater Adelaide. Bachelor degrees are the most common (30.1%), followed by postgraduate qualifications (13.1%) and graduate diplomas (5.7%). Vocational pathways account for 24.5%, with advanced diplomas at 10.1% and certificates at 14.4%.

Educational participation is high, with 28.8% currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.4% in primary, 7.7% in secondary, and 6.9% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Transport analysis indicates 45 active public transport stops in Belair, offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 16 individual routes, collectively facilitating 507 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated good, with residents typically located 373 meters from the nearest stop. As primarily residential, most residents commute outward. Car remains dominant at 85%, followed by train at 6% and cycling at 2%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.7 per dwelling, exceeding regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, 18.4% of residents work from home, potentially due to COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 72 trips daily across all routes, equating to approximately 11 weekly trips per individual stop.

Belair's residents are extremely healthy with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Belair based on AreaSearch's assessment conducted from June to August 2021. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence were found to be very low across all age groups.

The rate of private health cover was high at approximately 58% of the total population, which is around 4,731 people, compared to 52.7% across Greater Adelaide as of December 2020. The most common medical conditions in Belair were arthritis and asthma, impacting 9.1% and 7.7% of residents respectively, while 67.7% declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, similar to the 67.9% across Greater Adelaide as per the same period. Working-age residents showed low chronic condition prevalence. Belair has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 25.2%, with around 1,190 people, compared to 19.3% in Greater Adelaide. Health outcomes among seniors in Belair were particularly strong, ranking broadly in line with the general population nationally as per the assessment period.

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

Belair's population, like the broader region, was predominantly Australian-born (77.1%), with a high proportion being citizens (91.4%) and speaking English only at home (92.6%). Christianity was the dominant religion in Belair (38.8%). While Judaism was similarly represented in Belair (0.1%) as in Greater Adelaide, notable overrepresentations were found among certain ethnic groups: Welsh (0.8% vs 0.6%), German (6.1% vs 5.1%), and Dutch (1.6% vs 1.2%).

The top three parental ancestry groups in Belair were English (33.3%), Australian (25.5%), and Scottish (9.3%).

Belair hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

Belair has a median age of 47, which is higher than Greater Adelaide's figure of 39 and also exceeds the national average of 38. The age distribution shows that those aged 75-84 years make up 10.5% of Belair's population, while those aged 25-34 years constitute only 5.7%. According to the 2021 Census, the proportion of people aged 75 to 84 has increased from 8.8% to 10.5%, and the age group of 35 to 44 has grown from 12.3% to 13.4%. Conversely, the percentage of those aged 65 to 74 has decreased from 12.7% to 10.5%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant changes in Belair's age structure. The number of people aged 85 and above is expected to grow by 88%, reaching 372 from 198. Notably, the combined population of those aged 65 and above will account for 52% of total population growth. In contrast, the populations of those aged 0-4 years and 35-44 years are projected to decrease.