Jamestown

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

By May 2026, Jamestown's population is estimated at around 1,608 people. This reflects a growth of 59 individuals since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 1,549 people. The increase was inferred from AreaSearch's resident population estimate of 1,608 following analysis of ABS's ERP data release in June 2025 and validation of 37 new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 9.1 persons per square kilometer. Jamestown's growth rate of 3.8% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area's growth rate of 2.4%. Population growth was primarily driven by interstate migration.

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 are adopted with adjustments made using weighted aggregation methods. According to these projections, the suburb is expected to expand by 21 persons to reach a total population of 1,629 by 2041, reflecting an increase of 1.3% over the 16-year period.

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 has seen minimal construction activity with an average of two new dwelling approvals per year over the past five years (totalling 14). This low level of development is typical in rural areas where housing needs are modest and construction activity is limited by local demand and infrastructure capacity. It should be noted that due to the small number of approvals, individual projects can significantly impact annual growth statistics.

Jamestown has shown less construction activity compared to Rest of SA and its development levels are below national averages. Recent building activity consists solely of detached dwellings, reflecting the rural character of the area where larger properties are common. The estimated population per dwelling approval is 401 people, indicating a quiet and low-activity development environment. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Jamestown is projected to grow by 21 residents by 2041.

Given current development patterns, new housing supply should meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating further population growth beyond current projections.

Jamestown has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 16thth percentile nationally

No infrastructure projects have been identified by AreaSearch that will impact the area. Key projects include Mid North South Australia REZ Expansion, Silver to Sea Way, SA Housing Trust Maintenance Contracts Review and Service Program, and SA Water Capital Work Delivery Contracts 2024-28.

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

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Employment performance in Jamestown exceeds national averages across key labour market indicators

Jamestown's workforce is balanced across white and blue-collar jobs with diverse sector representation. The unemployment rate was 3.4% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 2.4%. As of December 2025801 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 2.4%, below Regional SA's rate of 5.7%.

Workforce participation was 62.1%, compared to Regional SA's 58.3%. Only 7.2% of residents worked from home, considering Covid-19 lockdown impacts. Leading industries included 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.

Manufacturing representation was lower at 6.1% compared to the regional average of 9.3%. Employment opportunities locally appeared limited based on Census data. In the 12 months prior, employment increased by 2.4%, while the labour force grew by 3.8%, raising the unemployment rate by 1.2 percentage points. This contrasted with Regional SA's employment growth of 0.7% and unemployment rise of 2.2 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia forecasts national employment to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but industry-specific projections suggest Jamestown's employment should increase by 5.8% over five years and 12.6% over ten years.

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. These figures compare to those of Regional SA, which are $48,920 and $58,933 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.17% since financial year 2023, current estimates for Jamestown's median income would be approximately $59,511 and the average income would be around $74,447 as of March 2026. Census data reveals that personal income ranks at the 34th percentile ($730 weekly), while household income sits at the 14th percentile. Looking at income distribution, the predominant cohort spans 28.3% of locals (455 people) in the $1,500 - 2,999 category, mirroring the region where 27.5% occupy this bracket. While housing costs are modest with 90.3% of income retained, the 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

Jamestown's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 96.7% houses and 3.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Regional SA's 88.5% houses and 11.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Jamestown was at 47.1%, with mortgaged dwellings at 32.5% and rented ones at 20.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $982, below Regional SA's average of $1,153. The median weekly rent figure was recorded at $215, compared to Regional SA's $220. Nationally, Jamestown's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were 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%. The median household size is 2.1 people, smaller than the Regional SA 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 prevalent at 11.0%, followed by graduate diplomas (1.5%) and postgraduate qualifications (1.3%). Vocational credentials are common, with 36.7% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (9.2%) and certificates (27.5%). A total of 21.1% of the population is actively engaged in formal education, with 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 lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts

Jamestown faces significant health challenges based on AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts.

The rate of private health cover is approximately 54% of the total population (~863 people), leading that of the average SA2 area, which compares to 48.9% across Regional SA. The most common medical conditions in the area are arthritis and mental health issues, impacting 10.5 and 8.3% of residents respectively. Meanwhile, 62.1% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments compared to 62.5% across Regional SA. The working-age population faces notable health challenges with elevated chronic condition rates. The area has 30.1% of residents aged 65 and over (484 people), higher than the 27.1% in Regional 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's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 93.7% of its population born in Australia, 95.7% being citizens, and 98.0% speaking English only at home. The dominant religion in Jamestown is Christianity, accounting for 57.7% of the population, compared to 45.2% across Regional SA. Regarding ancestry (country of birth of parents), Australian was the top group in Jamestown at 36.1%, followed by English at 34.9% and Irish at 8.0%.

Notably, German ethnicity is overrepresented in Jamestown at 6.9% compared to 8.2% regionally, Welsh at 0.8% versus 0.5%, and Maltese at 0.3% versus 0.2%.

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

Jamestown's median age is 49, which is higher than the Regional SA figure of 47 and substantially exceeds the national norm of 38. Compared to Regional SA, Jamestown has a higher concentration of residents aged 75-84 (11.6%), but fewer individuals aged 35-44 (9.1%). The 75-84 concentration is well above the national figure of 6.1%. Between the 2021 Census and now, the 75 to 84 age group has grown from 9.4% to 11.6% of the population. Conversely, the 45 to 54 cohort has declined from 11.1% to 9.3%, and the 25 to 34 group has dropped from 10.6% to 9.5%. Looking ahead to 2041, demographic projections show significant shifts in Jamestown's age structure. The 85+ group is projected to grow by 112%, reaching 157 people from the current 73. Those aged 65 and above will comprise 97% of this growth. Meanwhile, both the 25 to 34 and 0 to 4 age groups are expected to decrease in number.