Highgate (SA)

Highgate is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

As of November 2025, the population of Highgate (SA) is estimated to be around 1,502 people. This figure reflects a decrease of 2 individuals since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 1,504 people. The current population is inferred from AreaSearch's validation of resident addresses and ABS ERP data released in June 2024, indicating an estimated resident population of 1,500. This results in a density ratio of approximately 2,682 persons per square kilometer, placing Highgate (SA) in the upper quartile relative to other locations assessed by AreaSearch. Over the past decade, from 2012 to 2022, Highgate (SA) exhibited resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 0.7%, outperforming its SA3 area. Overseas migration was the primary driver of population growth during this period.

For future projections, AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia's 2024 data with a base year of 2022 for each SA2 area. By 2041, Highgate (SA) is projected to increase by approximately 151 persons, representing a growth rate of around 15.8% over the 17-year period from 2024 to 2041.

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

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers shows Highgate had virtually no dwelling approvals in recent years. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, only an estimated three homes were approved. In FY26 so far, no approvals have been recorded.

This limited supply contrasts with a high demand, averaging 19.7 people moving to the area per year for each dwelling built over the past five financial years. Compared to Greater Adelaide's average building activity per person, Highgate records significantly lower activity, at 88.0% below the regional average. Nationally, this activity is also below average, indicating possible planning constraints and supporting stronger demand and values for established dwellings in the area due to its maturity and limited new supply.

Highgate has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified two projects that may affect this region: 23 Riverdale Road Residential Development, Ridge Park Master Plan, Highgate Village Streetscape Upgrade, and 400 Fullarton Road Residential Development. The following list details those most relevant.

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

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Employment conditions in Highgate demonstrate exceptional strength compared to most Australian markets

Highgate has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. Its unemployment rate is 2.3%, lower than Greater Adelaide's 4.0%.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 2.3% based on AreaSearch aggregation of statistical area data. As of June 2025884 residents are employed with an unemployment rate of 1.7% below Greater Adelaide's rate. Workforce participation is 66.0%, slightly higher than Greater Adelaide's 61.7%. Leading employment industries among residents include health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training.

Notably, professional & technical services employ 1.7 times the regional average. Retail trade employs just 5.9% of local workers, below Greater Adelaide's 10.0%. The worker-to-resident ratio is 0.7, indicating a level of local employment opportunities above the norm. In the 12-month period ending June 2025, employment increased by 2.3% while labour force grew by 2.0%, causing the unemployment rate to fall by 0.3 percentage points. This contrasts with Greater Adelaide where employment rose by 2.1%, labour force grew by 2.1%, and unemployment rose marginally. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Highgate's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.2% over five years and 14.9% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows Highgate's median income among taxpayers is $62,448, with an average of $98,521. Nationally, these figures are exceptionally high compared to Greater Adelaide's median of $52,592 and average of $64,886. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.83% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Highgate as of September 2025 would be approximately $70,460 (median) and $111,161 (average). According to 2021 Census figures, household, family and personal incomes in Highgate rank highly nationally, between the 77th and 77th percentiles. In income distribution, the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket dominates with 27.3% of residents (410 people), aligning with regional levels where this cohort represents 31.8%. Highgate demonstrates considerable affluence with 35.6% earning over $3,000 per week, supporting premium retail and service offerings. After housing costs, residents retain 89.0% of income, reflecting strong purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

Highgate displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

The dwelling structure in Highgate, as per the latest Census, consisted of 68.7% houses and 31.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Adelaide metro had 59.2% houses and 40.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Highgate was at 43.0%, with the rest being mortgaged (34.1%) or rented (23.0%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in Highgate was $2,009, lower than Adelaide metro's $2,167. The median weekly rent in Highgate was $360, compared to Adelaide metro's $350. Nationally, Highgate's mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were less than the national figure of $375.

Highgate has a typical household mix, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 72.7% of all households, including 37.9% couples with children, 23.4% couples without children, and 9.6% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 27.3%, with lone person households at 25.3% and group households making up 1.9% of the total. The median household size is 2.6 people, larger than the Greater Adelaide average of 2.3.

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

Highgate's educational attainment is notably higher than broader benchmarks. Among residents aged 15+, 52.2% hold university qualifications, compared to 25.7% in South Australia (SA) and 28.9% in Greater Adelaide. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 35.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (13.1%) and graduate diplomas (4.0%). Vocational pathways account for 19.8% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 9.3% and certificates at 10.5%.

Educational participation is high, with 32.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes primary education (9.8%), secondary education (9.7%), and tertiary education (8.7%). Highgate School and Concordia College serve a total of 1,908 students. The area has significant socio-educational advantages with an ICSEA score of 1145. There is one primary school and one K-12 school in the area. Highgate functions as an education hub with 127.0 school places per 100 residents, significantly above the regional average of 13.1, attracting students from surrounding communities.

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

Highgate has seven active public transport stops currently operating. These are served by a mix of bus routes, totalling 20 different services. Together, these provide 758 weekly passenger trips.

The accessibility of the transport in Highgate is rated as good, with residents located an average of 207 meters from their nearest stop. On average, there are 108 trips per day across all routes, which translates to approximately 108 weekly trips per individual stop.

Highgate's residents are extremely healthy with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Analysis of health metrics indicates robust performance across Highgate, with both young and elderly cohorts exhibiting low prevalence of common health conditions. Approximately 66% of the total population (988 people) has private health cover, exceeding the national average of 55.3%.

Mental health issues and arthritis are the most prevalent medical conditions in the area, affecting 7.3% and 6.7% of residents respectively. Conversely, 74.0% of residents report being completely free from medical ailments, compared to 69.9% across Greater Adelaide. Highgate has a lower proportion of seniors aged 65 and over, with 17.3% (259 people) compared to the Greater Adelaide average of 22.6%. Health outcomes among seniors in Highgate are notably strong, mirroring those of the general population.

Highgate 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

Highgate's population showed high cultural diversity, with 25.4% born overseas and 21.8% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the dominant religion, at 45.3%, while Buddhism was overrepresented compared to Greater Adelaide, at 3.4%. The top three ancestral groups were English (27.9%), Australian (22.7%), and Chinese (8.9%).

Hungarian (0.5%) and French (0.8%) showed notable overrepresentation in Highgate compared to regional figures of 0.3% and 0.6%, respectively, while German was slightly underrepresented at 5.3%.

Highgate hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

The median age in Highgate is 41 years, which is higher than Greater Adelaide's average of 39 years and exceeds the national average of 38 years. The age profile shows that those aged 15-24 are particularly prominent at 15.7%, while the 25-34 group is smaller at 9.9% compared to Greater Adelaide. Between 2021 and present, the proportion of 15-24 year-olds has increased from 13.9% to 15.7%. Conversely, the proportion of those aged 65-74 has decreased from 10.1% to 9.0%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Highgate's age structure. The 75-84 age cohort is projected to increase by 51 people (48%) from 106 to 158. Meanwhile, the 5-14 age cohort is expected to grow by a modest 1% (2 people).