Jamestown

Jamestown has shown very soft population growth performance across periods assessed by AreaSearch

As of Feb 2026, the estimated population of Jamestown is around 1,664, reflecting a 7.4% increase since the 2021 Census which reported 1,549 people. This growth was inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 1,605 in June 2024 and an additional 33 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 9.4 persons per square kilometer. Jamestown's growth exceeded that of its SA3 area (4.4%), marking it as a growth leader in the region. Interstate migration was the primary driver of this growth. 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, released in 2023 based on 2021 data. By 2041, the suburb is projected to expand by 33 persons, reflecting a decline of 1.6% over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Jamestown, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

Jamestown's construction activity has been low over the past five years, with only two new dwelling approvals annually, totalling 14. This limited development is characteristic of rural areas where housing needs are modest and infrastructure capacity limits construction activity. The small number of approvals can significantly impact annual growth statistics.

Compared to Rest of SA and national averages, Jamestown has significantly less construction activity. Recent building activity consists entirely of detached dwellings, reflecting the area's rural character with larger properties being typical. There were an estimated 402 people per dwelling approval in Jamestown, indicating its quiet development environment. With population expected to remain stable or decline, there should be reduced pressure on housing, potentially presenting buying opportunities.

With population expected to remain stable or decline, Jamestown should see reduced pressure on housing, potentially creating opportunities for buyers.

Jamestown has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 12thth percentile nationally

No factors influence a region's performance more than changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified zero projects that could potentially impact this area. Key projects include Mid North South Australia REZ Expansion, Silver to Sea Way, SA Public Housing Maintenance and Services Contracts, and SA Water Capital Work Delivery Contracts, with the following list providing details on those most relevant.

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

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Employment performance in Jamestown has been broadly consistent with national averages

Jamestown's workforce is balanced across white and blue-collar jobs with diverse sector representation. The unemployment rate was 3.3% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 1.0%. As of September 2025802 residents were employed, while the unemployment rate was 2.1% lower than Rest of SA's rate of 5.3%.

Workforce participation was 62.4%, slightly higher than Rest of SA's 58.5%. According to Census responses, 7.2% of residents worked from home. Leading employment industries were agriculture, forestry & fishing, health care & social assistance, and education & training. The area had a notable concentration in electricity, gas, water & waste services, with employment levels at 3.2 times the regional average.

Conversely, manufacturing showed lower representation at 6.1% compared to the regional average of 9.3%. Employment opportunities appeared limited locally, as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. Over a 12-month period ending in May-25, employment increased by 1.0%, while the labour force grew by 2.5%, causing unemployment to rise by 1.4 percentage points. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia project growth rates differing significantly between industry sectors over five and ten-year periods. Applying these projections to Jamestown's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 5.8% over five years and 12.6% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

The suburb of Jamestown's income level is approximately average nationally according to the latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. The median income among taxpayers in Jamestown is $54,017 and the average income stands at $67,575. In comparison, Rest of SA's figures are $48,920 and $58,933 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.8% since financial year 2023, current estimates for Jamestown would be approximately $58,770 (median) and $73,522 (average) as of September 2025. Census data reveals personal income ranks at the 34th percentile with a weekly income of $730, while household income sits at the 14th percentile. The predominant income cohort spans 28.3% of locals (470 people) in the $1,500 - 2,999 category, mirroring the region where 27.5% occupy this bracket. Housing costs are modest with 90.3% of income retained, however, total disposable income ranks at just the 21st percentile nationally.

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

As per Jamestown's latest Census evaluation, 96.7% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 3.3% comprising semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types. In contrast, Non-Metro SA had 88.5% houses and 11.5% other dwellings. Jamestown's home ownership rate was 47.1%, compared to mortgaged (32.5%) or rented (20.4%) dwellings. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Jamestown was $982, lower than Non-Metro SA's average of $1,153 and significantly below the national average of $1,863. The median weekly rent figure in Jamestown was recorded at $215, compared to Non-Metro SA's $220 and substantially below the national figure of $375.

Jamestown features high concentrations of lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 61.9% of all households, including 22.4% couples with children, 32.8% couples without children, and 6.9% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 38.1%, with lone person households at 34.9% and group households comprising 2.2% of the total. The median household size is 2.1 people, which is smaller than the Rest of South Africa average of 2.3.

Educational outcomes in Jamestown fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

The area's university qualification rate is 13.8%, significantly lower than Australia's average of 30.4%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 11.0%, followed by graduate diplomas (1.5%) and postgraduate qualifications (1.3%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 36.7% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas at 9.2% and certificates at 27.5%. A total of 21.1% of the population is actively pursuing formal education, including 9.1% in primary, 6.0% in secondary, and 1.6% in tertiary education.

A substantial 21.1% of the population actively pursues formal education. This includes 9.1% in primary education, 6.0% in secondary education, and 1.6% pursuing tertiary education.

No public transport data available for this catchment area.

Health performance in Jamestown is well below average with prevalence of common health conditions notable across both younger and older age cohorts

Jamestown faces significant health challenges, as indicated by AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are substantial across both younger and older age cohorts.

Private health cover is more prevalent than the average SA2 area, at approximately 54% of the total population (~893 people), compared to 48.9% across Rest of SA. The most common medical conditions are arthritis (10.5%) and mental health issues (8.3%). A total of 62.1% of residents claim to be completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 62.5% in Rest of SA. Working-age population health challenges include elevated chronic condition rates. The area has a higher proportion of residents aged 65 and over, at 30.3% (504 people), compared to 27.1% in Rest of SA. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

The latest Census data sees Jamestown placing among the least culturally diverse areas in the country when compared across a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Jamestown, founded in 1874, had a population with 93.7% born in Australia as of the 2016 Census. Of this population, 95.7% were Australian citizens and 98.0% spoke English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, practised by 57.7% of Jamestown's residents, compared to 45.2% across the Rest of South Australia (SA).

The top three ancestry groups in Jamestown were Australian (36.1%), English (34.9%), and Irish (8.0%). Notably, German ancestry was overrepresented at 6.9%, compared to 8.2% regionally, while Welsh ancestry stood at 0.8% versus 0.5%, and Maltese ancestry was 0.3% compared to the regional average of 0.2%.

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

The median age in Jamestown is 49, which is higher than the Rest of South Africa's figure of 47 and significantly exceeds the national norm of 38. Compared to Rest of SA, Jamestown has a higher concentration of residents aged 75-84 (11.7%), but fewer individuals aged 35-44 (9.0%). This concentration of 75-84 year-olds is well above the national figure of 6.1%. Between the 2021 Census and present, the 75 to 84 age group has increased from 9.4% to 11.7% of Jamestown's population. Conversely, the 45 to 54 cohort has decreased from 11.1% to 9.2%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Jamestown's age structure. Notably, the 85+ group is projected to grow by 105%, reaching 160 people from its current figure of 78. This growth is largely driven by an aging population dynamic, with those aged 65 and above comprising 98% of the projected growth. Conversely, both the 0 to 4 and 25 to 34 age groups are expected to see reduced numbers.