Glenelg East

An assessment of population growth drivers in Glenelg East 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 November 2025, the estimated population of Glenelg East is around 4,055. This reflects an increase of 200 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 3,855. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 3,978 following examination of the latest ERP data release by ABS in June 2024, along with validation of three new addresses since the Census date. This level of population results in a density ratio of 3,003 persons per square kilometer, placing Glenelg East in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's growth rate of 5.2% since the census is within 0.2 percentage points of the SA4 region's growth rate of 5.4%, indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, which was the sole driver of population gains 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, SA State Government's Regional/LGA projections by age category are adopted, based on 2021 data and released in 2023. Considering projected demographic shifts, Glenelg East is expected to increase by just below the median of national areas, with an expected population increase of 386 persons to 2041, reflecting a total increase of 9.2% over the 17 years.

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

Based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers, Glenelg East recorded around 13 residential properties granted approval each year. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, approximately 69 homes were approved, with an additional four approved in FY26 so far.

On average, each dwelling constructed over these years accommodated about 1.4 new residents annually. This balance between supply and demand supports stable market conditions. The average construction value of new properties was $631,000, indicating a focus on the premium segment with upmarket properties. Comparatively, Glenelg East showed around 56% of Greater Adelaide's construction activity per person, placing it in the 55th percentile nationally. This reflects market maturity and potential development constraints.

New developments consisted of approximately 38% standalone homes and 62% attached dwellings, promoting higher-density living for affordability and suitability to downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. Glenelg East had around 287 people per dwelling approval, indicating a low-density market. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, the location is expected to grow by approximately 373 residents by 2041. Current development levels appear aligned with future requirements, maintaining stable market conditions without significant price pressures.

Glenelg East has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified six projects potentially affecting this region. Notable projects include Tram Grade Separation at Marion Road and Cross Road in Plympton, River Torrens to Darlington (T2D) Project, Morphettville/Glengowrie Horse Related Activities Code Amendment, and 12-Storey Residential Tower In Glenelg. The following details those most relevant.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

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AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees Glenelg East performing better than 85% of local markets assessed across Australia

Glenelg East has a highly educated workforce with significant representation in professional services. Its unemployment rate is 2.0%, lower than Greater Adelaide's 4.0%.

Over the past year, ending June 2025, employment grew by an estimated 3.1%. As of this date, 2,391 residents are employed, with a workforce participation rate of 66.4%. Key industries include health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training. Notably, the area has a high concentration in professional & technical jobs, at 1.4 times the regional average.

However, retail trade is under-represented, with only 7.7% of Glenelg East's workforce compared to Greater Adelaide's 10.0%. The area offers limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by Census data comparing working population and resident population. In the 12 months prior to June 2025, employment increased by 3.1%, while labour force grew by 2.9%, reducing the unemployment rate by 0.2 percentage points. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia (Sep-22) project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Glenelg East's employment mix suggests local employment could increase by 6.9% over five years and 14.2% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes only and do not account for localised population projections.

Income analysis reveals strong economic positioning, with the area outperforming 60% of locations assessed nationally by AreaSearch

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows Glenelg East had a median taxpayer income of $60,751 and an average of $85,676. Nationally, these figures are very high compared to Greater Adelaide's median of $52,592 and average of $64,886. As of September 2025, estimated incomes would be approximately $68,545 (median) and $96,668 (average), based on Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2022. According to 2021 Census figures, Glenelg East's personal income ranks at the 76th percentile ($976 weekly) and household income at the 46th percentile. Income distribution shows that 28.4% of individuals earn between $1,500 - 2,999 annually (1,151 individuals), similar to the surrounding region's 31.8%. After housing expenses, 85.2% of income remains for other costs. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

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

Dwelling structure in Glenelg East, as evaluated at the latest Census held on 28 August 2016, comprised 47.7% houses and 52.3% other dwellings including semi-detached, apartments, and 'other' dwellings, compared to Adelaide metropolitan area's 52.9% houses and 47.2% other dwellings. Home ownership in Glenelg East stood at 35.5%, with mortgaged dwellings at 31.9% and rented dwellings at 32.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,950, aligning with the Adelaide metropolitan average, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded as $325, compared to Adelaide's $340. Nationally, Glenelg East's mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially lower than the national figure of $375.

Glenelg East features high concentrations of lone person households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households constitute 61.5% of all households, including 24.5% couples with children, 27.5% couples without children, and 8.2% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 38.5%, with lone person households at 35.3% and group households making up 3.4% of the total. The median household size is 2.2 people, which aligns with the Greater Adelaide average.

The educational profile of Glenelg East exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

Educational attainment in Glenelg East is notably higher than broader benchmarks. Specifically, 37.0% of residents aged 15 years or older have university qualifications, compared to 25.7% in South Australia (SA) and 28.1% in the SA4 region. Bachelor degrees are most common at 25.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 7.1% and graduate diplomas at 4.2%. Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 30.3% of residents aged 15 years or older holding them - advanced diplomas account for 11.7% and certificates for 18.6%.

A significant 24.9% of the population is actively pursuing formal education, including 8.6% in primary education, 6.0% in tertiary education, and 5.6% pursuing secondary education. Glenelg Primary School serves local educational needs within Glenelg East, with an enrollment of 608 students as of a recent report. The area exhibits above-average socio-educational conditions, indicated by an ICSEA score of 1074. There is one school focusing exclusively on primary education in the area, while secondary options are available in nearby regions. School places per 100 residents stand at 15.0, which is below the regional average of 20.1, suggesting some students may attend schools in adjacent areas.

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

Glenelg East has 22 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 21 different routes that together facilitate 2,224 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents on average located just 145 meters from the nearest stop.

On a daily basis, these routes run an average of 317 trips, which works out to around 101 weekly trips per individual stop.

Glenelg East's residents are healthier than average in comparison to broader Australia with prevalence of common health conditions quite low across both younger and older age cohorts

Health data shows Glenelg East residents have a relatively low prevalence of common health conditions across both younger and older age groups. Approximately 61% (2,465 people) have private health cover, compared to Greater Adelaide's 58.8%. Nationally, the average is 55.3%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (8.6%) and asthma (7.6%). Around 69.4% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to Greater Adelaide's 65.9%. Glenelg East has 21.7% (879 people) aged 65 and over, lower than Greater Adelaide's 28.3%. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, outperforming the general population in health metrics.

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

Glenelg East had a higher than average cultural diversity, with 21.9% of its population born overseas and 12.3% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Glenelg East, making up 45.6% of people there. However, Judaism was most notably overrepresented, comprising 0.1% of Glenelg East's population compared to 0.1% across Greater Adelaide.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were English at 31.0%, Australian at 23.8%, and Scottish at 8.7%. Notably, Welsh was overrepresented at 0.8% in Glenelg East versus 0.7% regionally, German remained at 5.5% for both areas, and Polish also stayed consistent at 0.9% across both locations.

Glenelg East hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

The median age in Glenelg East is 43 years, which is significantly higher than Greater Adelaide's average of 39 years and Australia's average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Adelaide, Glenelg East has a higher percentage of residents aged 55-64 (13.9%) but fewer residents aged 15-24 (11.1%). According to the 2021 Census, the age group of 75 to 84 years has increased from 5.6% to 7.4% of the population, while the age group of 55 to 64 has decreased from 14.9% to 13.9%. By 2041, demographic projections show that the age group of 75 to 84 will grow by 39%, adding 116 people and reaching a total of 417. The combined age groups of 65+ will account for 57% of the total population growth, reflecting Glenelg East's aging demographic profile. In contrast, the age group of 5 to 14 is projected to decrease by 2 residents.