Kingscote

Population growth drivers in Kingscote are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

As of November 2025, Kingscote's population is estimated at around 1,976 people. This reflects an increase of 14 individuals since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 1,962 people. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 1,967 following examination of ABS's latest ERP data release in June 2024 and an additional 42 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 112 persons per square kilometer. Over the past decade, Kingscote has demonstrated resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 1.2%, outpacing the SA4 region. Population growth for the suburb was primarily driven by overseas migration, contributing approximately 43.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting 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 by age category are adopted, released in 2023 and based on 2021 data, with adjustments made employing a method of weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Moving forward, demographic trends project an above median population growth for regional areas across the nation. The suburb is expected to increase by 343 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a gain of 23.9% in total over the 17 years.

AreaSearch analysis of residential development drivers sees Kingscote recording a relatively average level of approval activity when compared to local markets analysed countrywide

Kingscote has received approximately 14 dwelling approvals per year based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, around 71 homes were approved, with an additional three approved in FY26 so far. Each new dwelling built attracted an average of 1.9 people to the area over these five years, indicating a balanced supply and demand market that supports stable conditions.

The average construction value of new properties was $431,000. This financial year, Kingscote has seen $6.5 million in commercial approvals, reflecting its residential character. Compared to the rest of South Australia, Kingscote has about half the rate of new dwelling approvals per person and ranks among the 74th percentile nationally for this metric.

All new construction in Kingscote has been standalone homes, maintaining its traditional low-density character with a focus on family homes. The area has approximately 167 people per dwelling approval, indicating a low density market. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Kingscote is projected to gain 472 residents by 2041. Development activity is keeping pace with population growth projections, but increasing competition among buyers can be expected as the population expands.

Kingscote has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 21stth percentile nationally

Five projects identified by AreaSearch are expected to impact the area significantly: Seaview Motel Renovation and Expansion, Kingscote Town Centre Project, Kangaroo Island Wool Mill Retail and Commercial Buildings, and Cajetan Amadio Mixed Use Development (Dauncey Street, Kingscote).

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The labour market in Kingscote shows considerable strength compared to most other Australian regions

Kingscote has a skilled workforce with diverse sector representation and an unemployment rate of 1.5%, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data. As of June 2025992 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 3.1% lower than Rest of SA's rate of 4.6%.

Workforce participation in Kingscote matches Rest of SA's 54.1%. The dominant employment sectors among residents include health care & social assistance, retail trade, and agriculture, forestry & fishing. Notably, professional & technical services employ twice the regional average. Conversely, manufacturing employs only 3.7% of local workers, compared to Rest of SA's 9.3%.

The area appears to have limited local employment opportunities, indicated by the difference between Census working population and resident population. Over the year to June 2025, labour force levels decreased by 2.2%, combined with a 2.9% decrease in employment, causing unemployment to rise by 0.7 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of SA saw employment contract by 1.2%, labour force grow by 0.1%, and unemployment rise by 1.2 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 project national employment growth at 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Kingscote's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.1% over five years and 12.8% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes only and does not consider localised population projections.

Income metrics place the area in the bottom 10% of locations nationally according to AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows Kingscote's median income among taxpayers was $41,804, with an average of $50,365. This is lower than the national average, compared to Rest of SA's median of $46,889 and average of $56,582. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.83% since financial year 2022, current estimates for Kingscote are approximately $47,167 (median) and $56,827 (average) as of September 2025. According to Census 2021 income data, personal income ranks at the 23rd percentile ($673 weekly), while household income sits at the 7th percentile. The data shows that the $400 - 799 bracket dominates with 29.8% of residents (588 people), differing from patterns across the surrounding region where the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket dominates with 27.5%. Housing costs are modest with 87.6% of income retained, but total disposable income ranks at just the 11th percentile nationally.

Kingscote is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Kingscote's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 92.0% houses and 8.0% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Non-Metro SA's 92.1% houses and 7.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Kingscote was at 40.8%, with mortgaged dwellings at 27.7% and rented ones at 31.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,083, below Non-Metro SA's average of $1,300. Median weekly rent in Kingscote was $214, compared to Non-Metro SA's $280. Nationally, Kingscote's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 59.2% of all households, including 17.6% couples with children, 33.7% couples without children, and 6.8% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 40.8%, with lone person households at 37.5% and group households comprising 3.3%. The median household size is 2.1 people, which is smaller than the Rest of SA average of 2.2.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 19.5%, significantly lower than the Australian average of 30.4%. This disparity presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are most common at 14.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.5%) and graduate diplomas (1.8%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 39.2% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications, including advanced diplomas (10.1%) and certificates (29.1%).

Educational participation is high at 25.4%, comprising primary education (11.7%), secondary education (6.6%), and tertiary education (1.5%). Educational provision includes Kangaroo Island Community Education - Kingscote Campus and Kangaroo Island Community Education, serving a total of 713 students. The area has typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 993) with balanced educational opportunities. Both schools offer integrated K-12 education for academic continuity. The area functions as an education hub with 36.1 school places per 100 residents, attracting students from surrounding communities. Note: where schools show 'n/a' for enrolments, please refer to the parent campus.

No public transport data available for this catchment area.

Health performance in Kingscote is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts

Kingscote faces significant health challenges with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts. The rate of private health cover is very low at approximately 47% of the total population (~927 people), compared to the national average of 55.3%.

The most common medical conditions in the area are arthritis, impacting 9.8% of residents, and mental health issues, affecting 8.2%. A total of 63.7% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 58.3% across Rest of SA. The area has 32.2% of residents aged 65 and over (636 people), which is lower than the 37.0% in Rest of SA. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, performing even better than the general population in health metrics.

Kingscote is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics

Kingscote's population showed low cultural diversity, with 86.5% being citizens, 84.9% born in Australia, and 95.2% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, comprising 36.8%. Judaism's representation was negligible at 0.0%, similar to Rest of SA's 0.0%.

The top three ancestral groups were English (35.1%), Australian (30.9%), and Scottish (7.5%). Notably, German ancestry was slightly overrepresented at 7.1% compared to the regional average of 6.7%. Maori ancestry was also higher than average, at 0.8% versus 0.2%, as were Dutch origins, at 1.4% compared to 1.6%.

Kingscote ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide

Kingscote's median age is 51 years, which is higher than the Rest of SA average of 47 years and significantly older than the national norm of 38 years. The age profile shows that those aged 75-84 years make up a prominent 12.0% of the population, while those aged 15-24 years are comparably smaller at 7.5%. This concentration of 75-84 year-olds is notably higher than the national average of 6.0%. Between 2021 and present, the 75 to 84 age group has increased from 10.1% to 12.0% of the population. Conversely, the 55 to 64 age cohort has decreased from 16.8% to 14.0%, and the 45 to 54 age group has dropped from 10.9% to 9.3%. Looking ahead to 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Kingscote's age structure. The 85+ age cohort is projected to grow exceptionally, expanding by 165 people (194%) from 84 to 250. Demographic aging continues as residents aged 65 and older represent 65% of anticipated growth. Conversely, numbers in the 55 to 64 age range are expected to fall by 22.