Cowandilla

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

Based on analysis of ABS population updates for the broader area, as of Nov 2025, the Cowandilla statistical area (Lv2)'s population is estimated at around 1,519. This reflects an increase of 64 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 1,455. The change is inferred from the resident population of 1,496 estimated by AreaSearch following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS (June 2024) and an additional one validated new address since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 2,866 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration that contributed approximately 89.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For any SA2 areas not covered by this data, and for years post-2032, the SA State Government's Regional/LGA projections by age category, released in 2023 and based on 2021 data, are adopted with adjustments made employing a method of weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Considering the projected demographic shifts, an above median population growth of statistical areas analysed by AreaSearch is projected for the Cowandilla (SA2), with the area expected to expand by 320 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a total increase of 23.2% over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Cowandilla according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Cowandilla has had virtually no dwelling approvals in recent years, totalling an estimated 3 homes over the past five financial years from FY-21 to FY-25. So far in FY-26, 0 approvals have been recorded. This results in an average of 25.3 people moving to the area for each dwelling built over these years.

The supply is substantially lagging demand, which typically leads to heightened buyer competition and pricing pressures. New homes are being built at an average expected construction cost value of $412,000, indicating a focus on the premium segment with upmarket properties. Compared to Greater Adelaide, Cowandilla records markedly lower building activity, 94.0% below the regional average per person. This limited new supply generally supports stronger demand and values for established homes. However, construction activity has intensified recently. Nationally, Cowandilla's level of construction activity is also lower, reflecting market maturity and possible development constraints.

Cowandilla has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 31stth percentile nationally

No changes can influence a region's performance more than modifications to local infrastructure, significant projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified zero projects that are expected to impact this area. Notable projects include Southwark Grounds (Thebarton Technology Hub), North-South Corridor, Henley Beach Road Visioning Project, and New Women's and Children's Hospital. The following list details those anticipated to be most relevant.

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Employment performance in Cowandilla has been broadly consistent with national averages

Cowandilla has a highly educated workforce with significant representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate stands at 3.6%, lower than the national average of 5.1% as of September 2025.

The area experienced an estimated employment growth of 4.4% over the past year, based on AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data. As of September 2025805 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 0.3% below Greater Adelaide's rate of 3.9%. However, workforce participation in Cowandilla lags behind Greater Adelaide at 54.7%, compared to 61.7%. The leading employment industries among Cowandilla residents include health care & social assistance, retail trade, and accommodation & food services.

The area has a particular employment specialization in health care & social assistance, with an employment share of 1.2 times the regional level. Conversely, construction employs only 6.6% of local workers, below Greater Adelaide's 8.7%. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment levels increased by 4.4%, while the labour force grew by 4.0%. This resulted in a decrease in unemployment rate by 0.4 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Adelaide recorded employment growth of 3.0% and unemployment fell by 0.1 percentage points during the same period. Providing broader context, state-level data from November 25 shows that South Australian employment grew by 1.19% year-on-year, adding 10,710 jobs. The state's unemployment rate stood at 4.0%, outperforming the national average of 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that national employment is expected to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these industry-specific projections to Cowandilla's employment mix indicates that local employment should increase by approximately 6.9% over five years and 14.3% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

The area's income levels rank in the lower 15% nationally based on AreaSearch comparative data

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year ended June 2023, Cowandilla had a median income among taxpayers of $39,955. The average income stood at $47,661. This is lower than national averages which were $54,808 and $66,852 across Greater Adelaide respectively during the same period. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.8% from financial year ended June 2023 to September 2025, current estimates for median income would be approximately $43,471 and average income around $51,855. Census data from 2021 shows household, family, and personal incomes in Cowandilla all fall between the 10th and 20th percentiles nationally. Income brackets indicate that the largest segment comprises 28.0% earning $1,500 to $2,999 weekly, with 425 residents falling into this category, reflecting patterns seen in the broader area where 31.8% similarly occupy this range. Housing affordability pressures are severe in Cowandilla, with only 81.0% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 18th percentile nationally.

Cowandilla is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Cowandilla's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 76.3% houses and 23.7% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Adelaide metro's 63.9% houses and 36.2% other dwellings. Home ownership in Cowandilla was at 26.9%, with the rest being mortgaged (29.7%) or rented (43.4%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,733, below Adelaide metro's average of $1,745. Median weekly rent in Cowandilla was $300, compared to Adelaide metro's $310. Nationally, Cowandilla's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Cowandilla features high concentrations of group households and lone person households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households constitute 58.3% of all households, including 24.5% couples with children, 20.8% couples without children, and 11.0% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 41.7%, with lone person households at 32.8% and group households comprising 9.2%. The median household size is 2.3 people, which aligns with the Greater Adelaide average.

Cowandilla performs slightly above the national average for education, showing competitive qualification levels and steady academic outcomes

The area's educational profile is notable regionally with university qualification rates at 33.5% of residents aged 15+, surpassing the South Australian average of 25.7% and that of Greater Adelaide at 28.9%. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 23.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (7.8%) and graduate diplomas (2.1%). Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 25.7% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas account for 9.0% and certificates for 16.7%.

Educational participation is high, with 25.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.1% in tertiary education, 6.6% in primary education, and 3.6% pursuing secondary education.

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

Cowandilla has eight active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by sixteen different routes that together facilitate 1049 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these services is rated as excellent, with residents on average being located 145 meters from the nearest stop.

On a daily basis, there are an average of 149 transport trips across all routes, which equates to approximately 131 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Cowandilla is well below average with a range of health conditions having marked impacts on both younger and older age cohorts

Cowandilla faces significant health challenges, as indicated by its health data. A variety of health conditions affect both younger and older age groups in the area. The rate of private health cover is notably low at approximately 46% (around 697 people), compared to Greater Adelaide's 52.3% and the national average of 55.7%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis, affecting 9.6% of residents, and mental health issues, impacting 8.2%. Conversely, 64.3% of residents report having no medical ailments, compared to Greater Adelaide's 70.9%. Cowandilla has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over, at 25.6% (388 people), than Greater Adelaide's 17.6%. The health outcomes among seniors largely align with the general population's health profile in the area.

Cowandilla 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

Cowandilla's cultural diversity is notable, with 37.4% of its population born overseas and 36.2% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Cowandilla, accounting for 47.7% of people. The category 'Other' shows slight overrepresentation compared to Greater Adelaide, comprising 3.4% versus 3.1%.

The top three ancestral groups based on country of birth of parents are English (19.0%), Australian (18.9%), and Other (13.8%). Some ethnic groups show notable differences: Greek is overrepresented at 9.3% compared to the regional average of 6.1%, Italian at 5.3% versus 6.7%, and Dutch at 1.7% compared to 1.0%.

Cowandilla's median age exceeds the national pattern

The median age in Cowandilla is 40 years, similar to Greater Adelaide's average of 39 years, and somewhat older than Australia's median age of 38 years. The percentage of the population aged 85 and over in Cowandilla is 8.3%, compared to Greater Adelaide, while the percentage of the population aged 5 to 14 is 6.0%. This concentration of the 85+ age group is well above the national average of 2.2%. According to post-2021 Census data, the percentage of the population aged 65 to 74 has grown from 8.5% to 9.8%, and the percentage of those aged 25 to 34 has increased from 16.2% to 17.3%. Conversely, the percentage of the population aged 45 to 54 has declined from 11.4% to 9.8%, and the percentage of those aged 5 to 14 has dropped from 7.2% to 6.0%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes in Cowandilla, with the 75 to 84 age group expected to grow by 62% (70 people), reaching a total of 184 from 113.