Daw Park

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

As of February 2026, the estimated population of the suburb of Daw Park is around 2,777. This reflects an increase of 72 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 2,705. The change was inferred from the resident population of 2,774, estimated by AreaSearch following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024, and an additional 6 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 2,696 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Daw Park's 2.7% growth since census positions it within 2.3 percentage points of the SA3 area (5.0%), demonstrating competitive growth fundamentals. Population growth for the suburb was primarily driven by overseas migration 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. Moving forward with demographic trends, a population increase just below the median of statistical areas across the nation is expected for the suburb of Daw Park, with an expected expansion by 145 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a gain of 4.9% in total over the 17 years.

The level of residential development activity in Daw Park is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers in Daw Park shows approximately 6 new homes approved annually over the past five financial years, totalling an estimated 32 homes. As of FY-26, 4 approvals have been recorded. The average number of new residents per year arriving per new home is around 0.3 between FY-21 and FY-25, indicating that supply meets or exceeds demand. New properties are constructed at an average value of $412,000, targeting the premium market segment with higher-end properties.

In FY-26, $79.1 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded, suggesting strong commercial development momentum. Compared to Greater Adelaide, Daw Park records about 67% of building activity per person and ranks among the 21st percentile nationally, indicating somewhat limited buyer options but strengthening demand for established properties. New development consists of approximately 67.0% standalone homes and 33.0% townhouses or apartments, with a growing mix providing options across different price points. Interestingly, developers are building more traditional houses than the current market suggests (51.0% at Census), indicating continued strong demand for family homes despite density pressures.

The location has approximately 788 people per dwelling approval, demonstrating an established market. Future projections show Daw Park adding 135 residents by 2041, with current construction levels expected to adequately meet housing supply demands and create favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Daw Park has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 19thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified four projects expected to affect the region: SA Health's "Building a Bigger Health System in the South" (including Daw Park Urgent Care Hub and other upgrades), Hotel Panorama, New Hospital and Allied Centre at Repat Health Precinct, and Believe Housing Australia's Panorama Apartments. The following details those most likely to be relevant.

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Daw Park ranks among the top 25% of areas assessed nationally for overall employment performance

Daw Park's workforce is highly educated with significant representation in professional services. The unemployment rate was 2.3% as of September 2025, lower than Greater Adelaide's 3.9%. Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 3.2%.

As of September 2025, 1,616 residents were employed with an unemployment rate of 1.6% below Greater Adelaide's. Workforce participation was 70.6%, slightly higher than Greater Adelaide's 66.4%. A low 12.3% of residents worked from home as per Census responses.

Leading employment industries included health care & social assistance, education & training, and professional & technical services. Manufacturing had limited presence with 4.3% employment compared to the regional average of 7.0%. Many residents commuted elsewhere for work based on Census data. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment increased by 3.2%, labour force by 3.3%, raising unemployment by 0.1 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Adelaide saw employment grow by 3.0% and unemployment fall by 0.1%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Daw Park's industry mix suggests local employment growth of 7.1% over five years and 14.7% over ten years, though these are illustrative extrapolations based on national data.

The area's income profile falls below national averages based on AreaSearch analysis

The suburb of Daw Park had an income level below the national average according to ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. The median income among taxpayers was $49,838 and the average income stood at $64,338. These figures compared to Greater Adelaide's median of $54,808 and average of $66,852 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.8% since financial year 2023, current estimates would be approximately $54,224 (median) and $70,000 (average) as of September 2025. Census data from 2021 showed household, family and personal incomes all ranked modestly in Daw Park, between the 44th and 49th percentiles. Income analysis revealed that the predominant cohort spanned 30.2% of locals (838 people) with incomes in the $1,500 - 2,999 category, consistent with broader trends across regional levels showing 31.8% in the same category. Housing affordability pressures were severe, with only 84.6% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 45th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 6th decile.

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

Dwelling structure in Daw Park, as evaluated at the latest Census, consisted of 51.3% houses and 48.7% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Adelaide metro's 51.3% houses and 24.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Daw Park was at 30.1%, with the rest of dwellings either mortgaged (36.7%) or rented (33.2%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,800, higher than Adelaide metro's average of $1,562. Median weekly rent in Daw Park was recorded at $300, compared to Adelaide metro's $320. Nationally, Daw Park's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Daw Park features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 61.9 percent of all households, including 28.8 percent couples with children, 20.6 percent couples without children, and 10.7 percent single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 38.1 percent, with lone person households at 33.4 percent and group households comprising 4.9 percent of the total. The median household size is 2.3 people, which is smaller than the Greater Adelaide average of 2.5.

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

Daw Park has a notably high educational attainment rate, with 37.3% of its residents aged 15 and above holding university qualifications, surpassing the state (SA) average of 25.7% and the SA4 region average of 28.1%. This is indicative of a strong educational advantage for the area, positioning it favourably for knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 25.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 7.9% and graduate diplomas at 4.1%. Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 26.2% of residents aged 15 and above holding such qualifications, including advanced diplomas at 9.7% and certificates at 16.5%.

Educational participation is notably high in Daw Park, with 28.7% of its residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.5% in primary education, 7.4% in secondary education, and 7.0% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Daw Park has 15 operational public transport stops, all serving buses. These stops are covered by 12 different routes, offering a total of 1049 weekly passenger trips. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 198 meters to the nearest stop. Most residents commute outwards daily. Cars remain the primary mode of transport at 84%, while buses account for 9%. On average, there are 1.2 vehicles per dwelling, lower than the regional norm.

In 2021 Census data, 12.3% of residents worked from home, which might be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency averages 149 trips daily across all routes, equating to about 69 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Daw Park is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across the board, though to a considerably higher degree among older age cohorts

Daw Park faces significant health challenges, as assessed by AreaSearch's analysis of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence.

Common health conditions are somewhat prevalent across all age groups but more so among older cohorts. The area has approximately 52% private health cover, slightly higher than the average SA2 area (around 1,456 people). Mental health issues affect 9.1% of residents, while arthritis impacts 8.6%. About 67.9% of residents report no medical ailments, similar to Greater Adelaide's figure. Health outcomes among working-age residents are typical. Daw Park has 20.0% of its population aged 65 and over (555 people). Health outcomes for seniors present some challenges but rank lower nationally than the broader population.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Daw Park was found to be slightly above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Daw Park's population showed higher cultural diversity compared to most local markets, with 24.4% born overseas and 20.9% speaking languages other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Daw Park, accounting for 44.5% of its population. The category 'Other' religions had a slightly higher representation in Daw Park at 1.5%, compared to Greater Adelaide's 1.8%.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were English (27.7%), Australian (21.6%), and Other (10.0%). Notably, Polish (1.5% vs regional 1.0%) and Greek (4.3% vs regional 2.0%) populations were overrepresented in Daw Park, while German showed a slight increase from the regional average of 5.1%.

Daw Park's population aligns closely with national norms in age terms

Daw Park's median age is 39 years, aligning with Greater Adelaide's average of 39 and closely matching Australia's median of 38. Compared to Greater Adelaide, Daw Park has a notably higher proportion of 25-34 year-olds (15.8%) but fewer 55-64 year-olds (9.5%). Post-2021 Census, the 75-84 age group increased from 5.3% to 6.8%, while the 45-54 cohort decreased from 14.1% to 12.5%. By 2041, Daw Park's age profile is projected to change significantly. The 85+ cohort is expected to grow by 77%, adding 87 residents to reach 201. Residents aged 65 and older are anticipated to represent 77% of the population growth. Conversely, populations in the 35-44 and 5-14 age groups are projected to decline.