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This analysis uses Suburbs and Localities (SAL) boundaries, which can materially differ from Statistical Areas (SA2) even when sharing the same name.
SAL boundaries are defined by Australia Post and the Australian Bureau of Statistics to represent commonly-known suburb names used in postal addresses.
Statistical Areas (SA2) are designed for census data collection and may combine multiple suburbs or use different geographic boundaries. For comprehensive analysis, consider reviewing both boundary types if available.
est. as @ -- *
2021 Census | -- people
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Modbury Heights has an estimated 6,969 residents, down from 6,995 at the 2021 Census. That puts 2,131 residents on each square kilometre. Population is estimated from ABS Estimated Resident Population releases and GNAF address data, re-based from the 2021 Census and updated annually.
Detail
Drawing from AreaSearch's evaluation of broader ABS population releases and 17 validated new addresses identified following the Census, the suburb of Modbury Heights has an estimated resident tally of roughly 6,969 as of Aug 2026. Compared to the 2021 Census total of 6,995 people, this indicates a reduction of 26 people (0.4%). The calculation builds upon the resident population figure of 6,942 determined by AreaSearch after reviewing the ABS June 2025 ERP data release alongside subsequent address validations. This community size results in a population density of 2,131 persons per square kilometer, exceeding the nationwide average across locations evaluated by AreaSearch.
Inbound overseas migration served as the primary contributor to demographic expansion, accounting for roughly 60.0% of all population additions over recent timeframes. Projections for the suburb of Modbury Heights utilize the 2024 ABS/Geoscience Australia SA2 series based on 2022 figures, supplemented for unmapped areas and years past 2032 by the SA State Government's 2023 age-cohort projections (benchmarked to 2021 data) via weighted LGA-to-SA2 growth aggregation. Demographic trends point toward an expansion rate slightly below the national statistical area median, with the suburb of Modbury Heights projected to add 352 persons by 2041 under aggregated SA2-level modeling, representing an overall increase of 4.7% across the 16 years.
Frequently Asked Questions - Population
96 new dwellings have been approved in Modbury Heights over the past five years, an average of 19 a year. That is 2.4 approvals per 1,000 residents. Approvals are currently running at an annualised 9, well below that longer-run average. Figures come from ABS building approvals aggregated to this Suburb (SAL) boundary and are updated monthly as the ABS releases them.
Detail
According to AreaSearch's compilation of ABS residential building approvals, Modbury Heights averages roughly 19 dwelling approvals each year, totaling approximately 96 homes sanctioned across the preceding 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25), with 9 approved to date in FY-25. Amid recent population contraction, this level of construction has maintained balanced conditions between supply and demand, granting prospective purchasers ample selection, with newly approved homes reflecting an average construction cost of $334,000. Additionally, commercial approvals registered at $6.1 million during this financial year, reflecting a modest commercial development footprint. Residential building activity has consisted entirely of standalone single-family residences, preserving the neighborhood's low-density character and offering spacious housing suited to families.
Recording approximately 994 people per dwelling approval, the local housing market displays considerable maturity. Long-term projections indicate that Modbury Heights will add 325 residents up to 2041 based on recent AreaSearch quarterly metrics. Sustaining existing construction rates will allow new residential additions to readily accommodate this projected demand, preserving favorable buyer conditions and creating scope for expansion beyond baseline forecasts.
Frequently Asked Questions - Development
Development applications around Modbury Heights
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| Lodged | Address | Description | Type | Distance | Status |
|---|
SOURCE: Planning portals and council registers, compiled by AreaSearch. Distance & bearing measured from the suburb midpoint.
AreaSearch tracks one current infrastructure or development project inside Modbury Heights, worth an estimated $7 million. A further 26 sit in the immediately surrounding suburbs, taking the tracked pipeline within reach of the area to $3.43 billion. 5 are already under construction and 5 are due for completion within three years. The pipeline spans transport & logistics, residential development and sports & recreation. Records are compiled from Infrastructure Australia, state agencies, council planning portals and public announcements, reviewed and updated daily, then ranked by proximity, construction stage, completion horizon and project scale.
Detail
Infrastructure upgrades, major civic developments, and urban planning decisions play a critical role in shaping local growth. AreaSearch has highlighted 3 notable projects expected to influence the surrounding district, featuring the Tea Tree Gully Sustainable Sewers Program, Tilley Recreation Park Indoor Training Facility, The Oasis Estate, and Gawler Line Electrification & Level Crossing Removals, with key details provided below.
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Frequently Asked Questions - Infrastructure
Tea Tree Gully Sustainable Sewers Program
SA Water program to transfer approximately 4,700 properties in the City of Tea Tree Gully from a council run Community Wastewater Management System with on site septic tanks to a modern sewer network. Delivery is being rolled out in zones between 2022 and 2028 to improve service reliability and public health outcomes.
Wynn Vale Grove Shopping Centre Redevelopment
Proposed expansion and refurbishment of the Wynn Vale Grove Shopping Centre including upgraded retail tenancies, expansion of the existing medical centre, improved pedestrian access, landscaping and a reconfigured car park. As of mid-2026 the proposal remains in the planning phase with no confirmed construction commencement publicly announced.
Springbank Waters Residential Estate
A large, master-planned residential community completed in stages over two decades, featuring over 1,100 homes, wetlands, and parks. The final stage is delivering over 400 new homes and is currently under construction.
Tilley Recreation Park Indoor Training Facility & Clubrooms
Redevelopment and construction of a modern multi-use flexible clubroom and sporting facility at Tilley Recreation Park for the Tea Tree Gully City Soccer Club. The project includes four unisex changerooms, umpire and medical rooms, clubrooms, an undercover viewing area, enhanced public amenities, viewing mounds, additional green space, and integrated public art elements. Delivered by City of Tea Tree Gully in partnership with Sarah Constructions.
Golden Grove Neighbourhood Code Amendment
A planning policy review and code amendment initiated by the City of Tea Tree Gully to update development standards and zoning overlays for established residential areas across Golden Grove. The proposal reviews allotment sizes, setback requirements, and residential infill policies to protect neighbourhood character while accommodating measured growth.
Euca Modbury Townhomes
Boutique development of 25 contemporary park-facing townhomes overlooking Australia Reserve. Features architecturally designed two-storey homes with 7-star energy rating, developed by local consortium Centina, Kolabb and Greenstate. Located just 20 minutes from Adelaide CBD and 1km from Tea Tree Plaza.
Modbury Sporting Club building project
Completed council-led redevelopment delivering a new two-storey clubroom facility for Modbury Sporting Club at Ridgehaven, jointly funded by the City of Tea Tree Gully and the State Government. The project delivered four unisex change rooms, umpire rooms, function space and amenities to support the Modbury Football and Cricket clubs and their 700-plus players and members.
ECH Encore Apartments Modbury
Modern retirement accommodation featuring Livable Housing Design Australia Gold Accreditation. 77 dwelling 4-8 level retirement living apartment and allied health services development featuring an integrated early childhood centre. Located within 5 minutes of local shops and public transport.
3,659 residents of Modbury Heights are employed, from a labour force of 3,749. Unemployment sits at 2.4%, with participation at 65.5%. Weighted for its industry mix, the area's sectors are forecast to grow about 6.4% nationally over five years. That reflects industry composition only and makes no allowance for local population growth. The working-day population is estimated at 5,329, about 76% of the resident population, so more people leave the area for work than travel in. Unemployment and labour force come from ABS Small Area Labour Markets, updated quarterly; the industry and occupation profile is from the 2021 Census.
Detail
Modbury Heights maintains a qualified workforce with a solid foundation in essential service industries, characterized by an unemployment rate of only 2.4% and dependable employment conditions over the preceding year, according to statistical area data synthesized by AreaSearch. As of March 2026, employed residents total 3,659, with the local unemployment rate tracking 1.4% below Greater Adelaide's 3.8% benchmark, while the labor force participation rate aligns closely with the metropolitan standard of 66.4%. Census figures indicated that a modest 9.6% of workers carried out their duties from home, an outcome potentially shaped by Covid-19 restrictions.
Local workers are concentrated primarily in health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction sectors. Conversely, accommodation & food services accounts for only 5.0% of the working population, lagging Greater Adelaide's 6.8%. Because the neighborhood is overwhelmingly residential, resident workers outnumber local jobs, pointing to limited workplace capacity within the suburb's boundaries. AreaSearch's synthesis of ABS and SALM metrics demonstrates that over the 12-month timeframe, employment edged up by 0.1% while the workforce expanded by 0.3%, nudging the local jobless rate upward by 0.2 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Adelaide experienced a 4.2% rise in employment and a 4.0% increase in the labor pool, alongside a 0.2 percentage points drop in unemployment. Broader workforce projections from Jobs and Skills Australia as of Mar-26 provide context for future industry demand. Across the country, total employment is projected to expand by 6.6% across five years and 13.7% across ten years, with performance varying widely across sectors. Applying these national sector trajectories to Modbury Heights's local workforce distribution indicates potential local job gains of 6.4% over five years and 13.4% over ten years (representing an unadjusted weighted baseline for illustrative purposes that excludes specific local demographic shifts).
Frequently Asked Questions - Employment
Median household income in Modbury Heights is $1,573 a week (about $82,000 a year), with median personal income at $782 a week. ATO records put median taxable income at $52,111 a year against an average of $58,403. Household income is from the 2021 Census; taxable income is from ATO Taxation Statistics for the latest financial year available, indexed forward using the ABS Wage Price Index.
Detail
ATO postcode statistics compiled by AreaSearch for financial year 2023 indicate that the suburb of Modbury Heights recorded a median taxpayer earnings figure of $52,111 and an average of $58,403. These amounts trail Australian benchmarks as well as Greater Adelaide's median of $54,808 and average of $66,852. Factoring in a 10.17% increase in the Wage Price Index since financial year 2023, modeled levels as of March 2026 stand at roughly $57,411 (median) and $64,343 (average). Census findings from 2021 placed local family, household, and individual earnings in a moderate range between the 39th and 45th percentiles.
In terms of earnings distribution, the largest segment accounts for 34.3% of residents (2,390 people) in the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket, similar to the broader metropolitan proportion of 31.8%. After meeting mortgage or rent obligations, residents retain 86.1% of their income for general living costs, placing the suburb in the 5th decile of the SEIFA income index.
Frequently Asked Questions - Income
Modbury Heights had 2,628 occupied dwellings at the 2021 Census, 92% detached houses and 0% apartments. 46% are owned with a mortgage, 18% rented and 36% owned outright. At that Census the median rent was $340 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,495 a month. Rent absorbs 21.6% of household income here and mortgage repayments 21.9%. Dwelling stock, tenure and housing costs are 2021 Census measures — the only source that counts dwellings at this boundary size.
Detail
According to the most recent Census, the local housing stock consisted of 91.8% standalone houses and 8.2% alternative housing formats (such as semi-detached properties, apartments, and other dwellings), diverging from the Adelaide metropolitan profile of 75.2% houses and 24.9% other dwellings. Outright property ownership in Modbury Heights was notably higher than the metropolitan level at 36.4%, while remaining households held mortgages (45.8%) or rented (17.8%). Monthly mortgage costs centered at a median of $1,495, below the metropolitan benchmark of $1,562, while median weekly rent stood at $340, compared to $320 across Adelaide metro.
On a nationwide scale, local mortgage obligations sit substantially below the Australian median of $1,863, and weekly rents track beneath the national standard of $375.
Frequently Asked Questions - Housing
Modbury Heights counted 2,628 households at the 2021 Census, averaging 2.6 people each. 35% are couples with children, against 28% couples without children. 23% of households are people living alone, and families average 1.6 children. Household and family composition is measured only by the Census, so these are 2021 figures.
Detail
Families constitute the core of the local community, making up 75.5% of all households. This group includes couples with children (35.2%), couples without children (27.9%), and single parent arrangements (11.8%). Non-family living situations represent the remaining 24.5%, comprising single-person dwellings at 22.9% and group arrangements at 1.6%. The typical household contains a median of 2.6 people, marginally exceeding the Greater Adelaide figure of 2.5.
Frequently Asked Questions - Households
21.7% of adults in Modbury Heights hold a university qualification, including 14.4% with a bachelor degree and 5.0% with postgraduate qualifications. A further 26.1% hold a vocational qualification. 1 school serves the area, with 1,805 enrolment places and an average ICSEA of 1,057 against a national benchmark of 1,000. Qualifications come from the 2021 Census; school enrolments, ICSEA and results come from ACARA's current release.
Detail
Attainment levels in Modbury Heights sit below wider benchmarks, with 21.7% of persons aged 15+ possessing higher education qualifications compared to 30.4% across Australia, showing room for further academic and professional upskilling. Bachelor degree holders form the largest academic segment at 14.4%, alongside postgraduate degrees (5.0%) and graduate diplomas (2.3%). Vocational pathways are well represented, with 37.5% of the population aged 15+ holding technical credentials, including advanced diplomas (11.4%) and certificates (26.1%). A substantial 27.8% of the local population is engaged in formal education. This proportion comprises 11.3% attending primary school, 7.2% enrolled in secondary education, and 3.6% engaged in tertiary studies.
Frequently Asked Questions - Education
Schools Detail
Public transport in Modbury Heights reaches 44 stops on 22 routes, timetabled for about 1,800 services a week. The typical home sits about 180 m from its nearest stop. Buses carry the largest share of public transport commuters. Households keep an average of 1.5 vehicles. Stop and service counts are built from operators' published GTFS timetables and refresh with each timetable release; vehicle ownership is from the 2021 Census.
Detail
Modbury Heights contains 44 public transport stops facilitating bus connections across the suburb. These locations are connected by 22 separate routes that deliver a total of 1,828 weekly passenger services. Accessibility across the area is strong, with typical resident proximity to the closest transit stop measuring 181 meters. As an established residential community, outbound commuting is widespread, with private vehicle travel accounting for 86% of trips and bus transit comprising 11%. Households maintain an average of 1.5 motor vehicles, while 9.6% of the workforce worked from home at the 2021 Census, a figure potentially influenced by COVID-19 settings.
Transit services provide an average volume of 261 trips per day across the network, corresponding to roughly 41 weekly services per stop.
Frequently Asked Questions - Transport
Transport Stops Detail
67.9% of residents in Modbury Heights report no long-term health condition. 5.0% need daily assistance with core activities, and 50.1% hold private health cover. The standardised death rate runs at 5.0 per 1,000 residents. Health conditions, assistance needs and insurance are 2021 Census measures; the death rate comes from current ABS releases.
Detail
Health and mortality analyses conducted by AreaSearch show that Modbury Heights residents experience favorable overall health, aligning with national standards and showing typical rates of common medical conditions across both younger and older cohorts. Private health insurance participation stands at approximately 50% of the population (~3,492 people), trailing the Greater Adelaide benchmark of 52.7% and the Australian average of 55.7%. Arthritis and mental health conditions represent the most frequently reported diagnoses, affecting 8.8 and 8.3% of residents, respectively. Meanwhile, 67.9% of the population reported no long-term medical conditions, matching the 67.9% benchmark across Greater Adelaide.
Working-age residents exhibit typical health outcomes. The community features 20.5% of residents aged 65 and over (1,428 people), exceeding the 19.1% share in Greater Adelaide, with overall health metrics tracking in line with national averages.
Frequently Asked Questions - Health
28.3% of Modbury Heights residents were born overseas and 19.4% speak a language other than English at home. The largest reported ancestries are English (30.5%) and Australian (23.6%). Ancestry, language and country of birth are counted only by the Census, so these are 2021 figures.
Detail
Cultural diversity in Modbury Heights is pronounced relative to most local markets, with 28.3% of residents born abroad and 19.4% using a primary language other than English in the home. Christianity represents the most common religious affiliation at 40.3% of the community. The most distinct variance appears in the Other religious category, which accounts for 3.6% of residents compared to 1.8% across Greater Adelaide. Looking at parental lineage, the leading reported ancestries are English (30.5%), Australian (23.6%), and Other (9.4%). Notable differences also emerge across specific heritage groups, including Hungarian at 0.5% (against 0.3% regionally), German at 5.1% (against 5.1%), and Korean at 0.6% (against 0.3%).
Frequently Asked Questions - Diversity
The median resident of Modbury Heights is 40. 22.2% of residents are aged 15 to 34. Age cohorts are not raw Census counts: the Census split is re-based to the latest ABS population estimates and state projections.
Detail
Modbury Heights presents an age distribution closely tracking the Greater Adelaide profile, with the maximum divergence across the four main age brackets reaching only 2.6 percentage points. The median age is estimated at 40 as at August 2026, remaining stable from the 2021 Census and sitting 1 year older than Greater Adelaide's median of 39 at that Census. Since that time, the proportion of residents aged 65 and above has grown from 18.3% to an estimated 20.5%. By 2041, older residents are projected to drive the majority of population expansion, adding 217 residents (15%) to reach 1,646, while younger and middle-aged cohorts are expected to decrease.
Frequently Asked Questions - Age
Data & MethodBoundaries, Sources & Method for Modbury Heights
9 of 14 data sections on this page were updated within the last 12 months — the newest current to Oct 2026.
Everything is aggregated to the Suburb (SAL) boundary shown above, on a 2021 Census baseline. Only 3 sections — housing, households and cultural diversity — still wait on the 2026 Census.
The ledger — source, cycle and currency by section
| Section | Source & update cycle | Currency |
|---|---|---|
| Updated within the last 12 months 9 sections | ||
| Population | ABS, GNAF, Geoscience Australia Annual (ABS ERP) | Aug 2026 2 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Re-based to the ABS Estimated Resident Population (June 2025 release) and updated with new dwellings from GNAF address data. Current to Aug 2026, with the 2021 Census supplying the small-area baseline. | ||
| Age profile | ABS, Geoscience Australia, State governments Annual | Aug 2026 2 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Age cohorts are re-based to the latest ABS population estimates and state projections, current to Aug 2026. Each cohort is held as a Census baseline and a current estimate. | ||
| Development & approvals | ABS, GNAF Monthly (ABS approvals) | Aug 2026 2 months ago headline measures · Jul 2026 baseline |
| Property sales & rents | Valuer General, Rental Board, ABS Weekly sales, quarterly rents | Oct 2026 this month headline measures · Sep 2026 baseline |
| Sales from the state Valuer General register, refreshed weekly, and rents from quarterly rental bond lodgements. Both are read live each time this page loads, current to Oct 2026. | ||
| Infrastructure projects | Infrastructure Australia, State agencies, Local governments Daily | Aug 2026 2 months ago all 1 projects tracked here |
| Project pipeline maintained continuously from Infrastructure Australia, state agencies, local government and public announcements. Records are added and revised daily; this area was last updated Aug 2026. | ||
| Employment | ABS, DEWR, JSA Quarterly (ABS SALM) | Mar 2026 7 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Unemployment and labour force from ABS Small Area Labour Markets, current to Mar 2026. The growth outlook applies Department of Employment (now Jobs and Skills Australia) forecasts for all 19 industry divisions to the local industry mix, so it measures sector composition rather than local expansion and makes no allowance for population growth. Job demand comes from the same agency via its Internet Vacancy Index; industry and occupation structure from the 2021 Census. | ||
| Education | ABS, ACARA Annual (ACARA) | Sep 2026 last month headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Transport | ABS, State Transport Departments Each timetable release | Jul 2026 3 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Services & amenities | Provider directories, ACECQA Continuous | Sep 2026 last month all 14 measures |
| Annual and financial-year sources 2 sections | ||
| Income | ABS, ATO Annual (ATO) | FY 2023 3 years ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| ATO taxable income statistics for FY 2023, indexed forward using the Wage Price Index. Census household income provides the distribution detail. | ||
| Health | ABS, ATO Annual | 2024 2 years ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Census-measured — next update: 2026 Census 3 sections No more current small-area source exists for these, so they are labelled as Census-measured rather than implied to be current. | ||
| Housing | ABS 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 30 measures |
| Households | ABS 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 18 measures |
| Cultural diversity | ABS, Geoscience Australia 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 44 measures |
"Currency" is the most recent release feeding that section. Where the Census supplies the structural baseline underneath a current headline figure, the row says so.
How the numbers are built
Population
The Census provides the small-area baseline, aggregated from mesh blocks to this boundary. It is then re-based to the ABS Estimated Resident Population (June 2025 release), and new dwellings built since Census night are counted from address data — 17 validated new addresses here. The headline figure is therefore a current estimate for Aug 2026, not a 2021 count (6,995 at the 2021 Census → 6,969 now). Annual growth rates are compound (CAGR), not simple averages.
Age profile
Cohort shares are not raw Census counts. Every cohort is held as a pair — the Census baseline and a current estimate — and the split is re-based using ERP and state population projections, current to Aug 2026. Median age is the Census median plus modelled change since. Charts that show both are labelled "2021 Census vs Current Estimate".
Property sales
Sourced from the state valuation authority's sales register — current, not Census, and refreshed weekly. Medians are calculated from settled transactions in the period shown; periods with very low transaction counts are flagged or suppressed, because a handful of sales can move a median substantially.
Rents
Derived from state rental bond lodgement data, by dwelling type and bedroom count. Bonds are lodged at the start of a new tenancy, so this reflects new lettings, not the whole rented stock.
Development & infrastructure
Building approvals come from current ABS releases; development applications are collected from council and state planning portals; the infrastructure pipeline is compiled from Infrastructure Australia and local government sources. Applications are matched to this boundary by address or coordinates, so very recent lodgements may not yet appear.
Employment & income
Industry and occupation structure comes from the Census, but the headline labour-market indicators do not. Unemployment and labour force are derived from ABS Small Area Labour Markets (quarterly). The employment outlook applies Department of Employment forecasts for all 19 industry divisions to this area's own industry mix (the agency is now Jobs and Skills Australia), as does the Internet Vacancy Index used for job demand. Because it is weighted on industry composition alone, that outlook carries no allowance for local population growth — in fast-growing areas the real rise in local jobs will typically be higher. Income combines Census household income with ATO taxable-income statistics for FY 2023, indexed forward using the Wage Price Index.
Education, transport & amenities
School enrolments, ICSEA and performance come from ACARA's current release, not the Census. Public transport stops and service frequency are derived from GTFS timetable feeds published by state transport departments. Services and amenities are proximity and count scores built from provider directories, refreshed on their own cycle. The Census contributes only the travel-to-work and qualification measures.
Rankings and benchmarks. Where we rank this area, the comparison set is every area of the same boundary type — suburbs against suburbs, SA2s against SA2s. Benchmarks compare this area against its greater capital city region and the national figure for the same measure and period.
Limits worth knowing. Small areas carry larger error margins, and the ABS introduces small random adjustments to Census counts to protect confidentiality — so totals may not sum exactly. Estimates re-based from regional data describe the area's expected trajectory, not a direct count of it. Figures are indicative for research and are not financial, planning or valuation advice.
Cross-check us. The Census baseline for this boundary is at ABS 2021 Census QuickStats (SAL40899). QuickStats reports 2021 only — the figures on this page are more current wherever the ledger shows a later date.