Colonel Light Gardens

Colonel Light Gardens has shown very soft population growth performance across periods assessed by AreaSearch

As per ABS population updates for the broader area and new addresses validated by AreaSearch, the suburb of Colonel Light Gardens had an estimated population of around 3,357 as of Feb 2026. This figure represents a rise of 46 individuals (1.4%) since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 3,311 people. The increase is inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of 3,352 residents following analysis of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024 and address validation since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 2,165 persons per square kilometer, surpassing the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration was the primary driver of population growth for the area during recent periods.

AreaSearch employs 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, SA State Government's Regional/LGA projections by age category are adopted with adjustments made using a method of weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Future population trends suggest lower quartile growth for statistical areas analysed by AreaSearch, with the suburb expected to expand by 49 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting an overall gain of 1.4% over the 17-year period.

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

Colonel Light Gardens averaged approximately 2 new dwelling approvals per year. Between financial years FY-21 and FY-25, around 12 homes were approved, with an additional 1 approved in FY-26.

On average, each new home brought about 1.6 new residents annually over the past five financial years. This suggests a balance between supply and demand, maintaining stable market conditions. The average construction cost of new properties was $412,000, indicating that developers targeted the premium market segment with higher-end properties. Compared to Greater Adelaide, Colonel Light Gardens had significantly less development activity, 79.0% below the regional average per person as of recent data. This scarcity typically strengthens demand and prices for existing properties, although building activity has accelerated in recent years.

However, this activity remains below national averages, reflecting the area's maturity and possible planning constraints. Recent building activity comprised entirely detached houses, sustaining Colonel Light Gardens' suburban identity with a concentration of family homes suited to buyers seeking space. With around 1114 people per dwelling approval, the area reflects a highly mature market. Population forecasts indicate that Colonel Light Gardens will gain approximately 47 residents by 2041, based on the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate. Given current development patterns, new housing supply should readily meet demand, offering good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

Colonel Light Gardens has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 19thth percentile nationally

Area infrastructure changes significantly impact local performance. AreaSearch identified five projects potentially affecting the area. Key projects are Springbank Road Pedestrian Actuated Crossing, SA Health's Building a Bigger Health System in the South (Daw Park Urgent Care Hub & other upgrades), Believe Housing Australia's Panorama Apartments, and New Hospital and Allied Centre at Repat Health Precinct.

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AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees Colonel Light Gardens performing better than 90% of local markets assessed across Australia

Colonel Light Gardens had an unemployment rate of 1.8% as of September 2025, with estimated employment growth of 3.3% over the past year. This was lower than Greater Adelaide's rate of 3.9%. Workforce participation in Colonel Light Gardens was higher at 75.3%, compared to Greater Adelaide's 66.4%.

A moderate 15.7% of residents worked from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. The leading employment industries were health care & social assistance, education & training, and professional & technical services. Education & training had particularly high representation, at 1.4 times the regional average. Manufacturing, however, had limited presence with 5.2% employment compared to 7.0% regionally.

Employment opportunities seemed limited locally, as indicated by the difference between the working population and resident population counts. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment levels increased by 3.3% and labour force grew by 3.4%, with unemployment remaining relatively stable. In contrast, Greater Adelaide saw employment rise by 3.0%, labour force grow by 2.9%, and a slight fall in unemployment of 0.1 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that Colonel Light Gardens' employment should increase by 6.9% over five years and 14.3% over ten years, based on industry-specific projections applied to the local employment mix.

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

In AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2023, Colonel Light Gardens' median income among taxpayers is $65,159. The average income in the suburb is $84,115. This places Colonel Light Gardens among the highest income suburbs in Australia. In comparison, Greater Adelaide's median income is $54,808 with an average of $66,852. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.8% since financial year 2023, current estimates for Colonel Light Gardens would be approximately $70,893 (median) and $91,517 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census, incomes in Colonel Light Gardens rank highly nationally, with household, family, and personal incomes between the 82nd and 90th percentiles. The earnings profile shows that 30.2% of locals (1,013 people) fall into the $1,500 - $2,999 income category. This aligns with the surrounding region where this cohort represents 31.8%. Economic strength is evident in Colonel Light Gardens, with 41.5% of households achieving high weekly earnings exceeding $3,000, supporting elevated consumer spending. After housing costs, residents retain 88.8% of their income, reflecting strong purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

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

Colonel Light Gardens' dwelling structure, as evaluated in the latest Census, consisted of 91.2% houses and 8.8% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Adelaide metro's 75.2% houses and 24.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Colonel Light Gardens was at 41.9%, with mortgaged dwellings at 46.5% and rented dwellings at 11.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,173, higher than Adelaide metro's average of $1,863. The median weekly rent figure for Colonel Light Gardens was $400, compared to Adelaide metro's $320 and the national average of $375.

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

Family households are 82.2% of all households, consisting of 45.8% couples with children, 26.9% couples without children, and 8.6% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 17.8%, with lone person households at 16.3% and group households making up 1.5%. The median household size is 2.8 people, larger than the Greater Adelaide average of 2.5.

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

Colonel Light Gardens has a higher proportion of residents with university qualifications than South Australia (SA) as a whole or the SA4 region. Specifically, 41.7% of its residents aged 15 and above have university degrees compared to 25.7% in SA and 28.1% in the SA4 region. This educational advantage is evident in various qualifications: Bachelor degrees are most common at 27.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (9.0%) and graduate diplomas (5.7%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 27.0% of residents aged 15 and above holding them, including advanced diplomas (11.4%) and certificates (15.6%).

Educational participation is notably high in the area, with 32.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes primary education (10.6%), secondary education (10.2%), and tertiary education (6.8%).

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

Colonel Light Gardens has 22 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 22 different routes that together facilitate 1,788 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents on average located just 168 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward due to its residential nature. Cars remain the primary mode of transportation for 85% of residents, while buses are used by 6%, and cycling by 3%. The area has an average vehicle ownership rate of 1.8 per dwelling, higher than the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, 15.7% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. Across all routes, service frequency averages 255 trips per day, equating to approximately 81 weekly trips per stop.

Colonel Light Gardens's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

Colonel Light Gardens shows excellent health outcomes according to AreaSearch's assessment as of July 2021. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence were low, particularly among younger residents.

Private health cover was high at approximately 60% of the total population (2,020 people), compared to 52.7% across Greater Adelaide. The most prevalent medical conditions were asthma and arthritis, affecting 7.4 and 7.0% of residents respectively. 72.6% of residents reported no medical ailments, higher than the 67.9% rate in Greater Adelaide. Working-age residents had low chronic condition prevalence. The area had 15.7% of residents aged 65 and over (527 people), lower than Greater Adelaide's 19.3%. Health outcomes among seniors were above average, but ranked lower nationally compared to the broader population.

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

Colonel Light Gardens, as per the findings, had a lower than average cultural diversity level with 85.5% of its population born in Australia, 95.2% being citizens, and 91.7% speaking English only at home. Christianity was found to be the predominant religion in Colonel Light Gardens, accounting for 45.3% of people residing there. Notably, Judaism, comprising 0.2% of the population, was overrepresented compared to Greater Adelaide's 0.1%.

The top three ancestry groups based on parental country of birth were English at 30.9%, Australian at 26.5%, and Scottish at 7.9%. There were also notable differences in the representation of certain ethnic groups: Polish was overrepresented at 1.2% compared to the regional average of 1.0%, German at 6.0% versus 5.1%, and Hungarian at 0.4% against 0.3%.

Colonel Light Gardens's median age exceeds the national pattern

Colonel Light Gardens has a median age of 42, which is higher than Greater Adelaide's figure of 39 and the national norm of 38. The age group of 45-54 years old shows strong representation at 15.9% compared to Greater Adelaide, while the 25-34 age group is less prevalent at 8.0%. According to the 2021 Census, the 75 to 84 age group has increased from 3.8% to 4.9% of the population. Conversely, the 45 to 54 age group has decreased from 17.5% to 15.9%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests that Colonel Light Gardens' age profile will significantly evolve. The 75 to 84 age group is projected to grow by 25%, reaching 205 people from 164. The aging population trend is evident, with those aged 65 and above comprising 61% of the projected growth. Meanwhile, the 0 to 4 and 35 to 44 age groups are expected to experience population declines.