Highbury (SA)

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

As of Feb 2026, the estimated population of the suburb of Highbury (SA) is around 7,621, reflecting a 9.6% increase from the 2021 Census figure of 6,956 people. This growth was inferred from AreaSearch's resident population estimate of 7,228 in June 2024 and additional validated new addresses since the Census date. Highbury's population density is 1,756 persons per square kilometer, above the national average assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's growth rate exceeded the state's 9.0%, positioning it as a regional growth leader. Overseas migration contributed approximately 48.0% of overall 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 by this data and years post-2032, the SA State Government's Regional/LGA projections are adopted with adjustments made using weighted aggregation methods. Future population trends project an above median growth for Highbury, with an expected increase of 1,053 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a total gain of 9.4% over the 17 years.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Highbury when compared nationally

Based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers, allocated from statistical area data, Highbury has seen around 25 new homes approved each year over the past five financial years. This totals an estimated 128 homes between FY-21 and FY-25. So far in FY-26, 31 approvals have been recorded. On average, 3.4 new residents per year are associated with every home built during this period, indicating a significant lag between supply and demand, which typically leads to heightened buyer competition and pricing pressures.

Developers are targeting the premium market segment, as evidenced by an average construction value of $412,000 for new homes. In FY-26, commercial approvals totalled $380,000, reflecting the area's residential nature.

The current building activity shows 94.0% detached dwellings and 6.0% medium and high-density housing, maintaining Highbury's traditional suburban character focused on family homes. With around 219 people per dwelling approval, the area exhibits a developing market. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Highbury is expected to grow by 720 residents through to 2041, suggesting that current development appears well-matched to future needs, supporting steady market conditions without extreme price pressure.

Highbury has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 37thth percentile nationally

Ten projects identified by AreaSearch are expected to impact the area, significantly influencing its performance. These include key initiatives such as the Modbury Hospital Redevelopment, Tea Tree Gully Township North East Road Streetscape Upgrade, Highbury Aqueduct Reserve Master Plan Implementation, and Modbury Sporting Club Redevelopment. The following list details those projects likely to be most relevant.

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The exceptional employment performance in Highbury places it among Australia's strongest labour markets

Highbury has an educated workforce with prominent representation in essential services sectors. The unemployment rate is 1.4%, showing a 1.4% increase in employment over the past year, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data. As of September 2025, 4,062 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 2.5% lower than Greater Adelaide's rate of 3.9%.

Workforce participation stands at 68.4%, slightly higher than Greater Adelaide's 66.4%. Census responses indicate that 11.7% of residents work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. The leading employment industries among Highbury residents are health care & social assistance, education & training, and construction. Notably, the area has a strong specialization in education & training, with an employment share 1.3 times the regional level.

Conversely, health care & social assistance is under-represented, accounting for only 16.1% of Highbury's workforce compared to Greater Adelaide's 17.7%. The predominantly residential area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the ratio of Census working population to resident population. Over a 12-month period ending in September 2025, employment increased by 1.4% while labour force grew by 1.3%, resulting in a slight decrease in unemployment rate by 0.1 percentage points. By comparison, Greater Adelaide recorded higher employment growth of 3.0% and labour force growth of 2.9%, with a similar unemployment reduction of 0.1 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project overall employment expansion by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Highbury's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, assuming current industry distributions remain stable (note: this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localized population projections).

The economic profile demonstrates above-average performance, with income metrics exceeding national benchmarks based on AreaSearch comparative assessment

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year ending June 2023 shows that median income in Highbury is $53,602 and average income is $65,110. This is lower than national averages of $54,808 (median) and $66,852 (average) for Greater Adelaide. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.8% from July 2023 to September 2025, estimated median income in Highbury would be approximately $58,319 and average income $70,840 by that date. According to the 2021 Census, incomes in Highbury cluster around the 63rd percentile nationally. The largest income segment comprises 34.6% of residents earning between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly. This is similar to the surrounding region where 31.8% fall into this bracket. After housing costs, Highbury residents retain 88.9% of their income, indicating strong purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile nationally.

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

Highbury's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 97.4% houses and 2.6% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Adelaide metro's 75.2% houses and 24.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Highbury was at 42.4%, with mortgaged dwellings at 45.4% and rented ones at 12.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,733, higher than Adelaide metro's average of $1,562. The median weekly rent figure in Highbury was $369, compared to Adelaide metro's $320. Nationally, Highbury's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were less than the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 81.7% of all households, including 38.8% couples with children, 32.5% couples without children, and 10.1% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 18.3%, with lone person households at 16.7% and group households comprising 1.6% of the total. The median household size is 2.7 people, which is larger than the Greater Adelaide average of 2.5.

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

Highbury residents aged 15+ with university qualifications are higher at 30.1%, compared to South Australia's average of 25.7%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 20.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.9%) and graduate diplomas (3.6%). Vocational credentials are held by 33.5% of residents aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 11.4% and certificates at 22.1%.

Educational participation is high, with 28.5% currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.6% in primary education, 7.9% in secondary education, and 6.5% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Highbury has 28 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by seven different routes that together facilitate 480 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is considered good, with residents typically located 289 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward due to Highbury being primarily residential. Car remains the dominant mode of transport at 87%, while bus use stands at 10%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.8 per dwelling, higher than the regional average.

Only 11.7% of residents work from home (2021 Census), potentially reflecting COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency across all routes averages 68 trips per day, equating to approximately 17 weekly trips per individual stop.

Highbury's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Health outcomes data shows excellent results across Highbury, as per AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence.

The area has a very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. Private health cover is high at approximately 53% of the total population (~4,019 people), leading that of the average SA2 area. The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis and asthma, affecting 7.8 and 7.3% of residents respectively. Notably, 70.4% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 67.9% across Greater Adelaide. Working-age residents have low chronic condition prevalence. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 20.4%, with 1,554 people, compared to 19.3% in Greater Adelaide. Health outcomes among seniors are strong, aligning with national rankings for the general population.

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

Highbury had a cultural diversity above average, with 23.4% of its population born overseas and 16.6% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the main religion in Highbury, comprising 53.2% of people. The most notable overrepresentation was in Other religions, making up 1.9% compared to 1.8% across Greater Adelaide.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were English (27.1%), Australian (23.3%), and Italian (10.9%), significantly higher than regional averages of 25.6%, 21.4%, and 5.2% respectively. Some ethnic groups showed notable divergences: Polish was overrepresented at 1.6% compared to the regional average of 1.0%, Russian at 0.6% versus 0.3%, and Hungarian at 0.4% compared to 0.3%.

Highbury's median age exceeds the national pattern

The median age in Highbury is 40 years, similar to Greater Adelaide's average of 39 years but somewhat older than Australia's median age of 38 years. The percentage of individuals aged 15-24 in Highbury is 14.4%, higher than that of Greater Adelaide. Conversely, the percentage of those aged 25-34 is lower at 11.1%. According to post-2021 Census data, the percentage of individuals aged 75-84 has increased from 6.4% to 8.1%, while the 15-24 age group has risen from 12.8% to 14.4%. However, the 65-74 age cohort has decreased from 11.8% to 9.9%, and the 45-54 age group has dropped from 14.1% to 13.0%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate significant demographic changes in Highbury, with the 85+ age group projected to grow by 135 people, reaching 429 from an initial 182. Conversely, the 65-74 age cohort is expected to decline by 14 people.