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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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Mount Compass has an estimated 1,879 residents, up from 1,580 at the 2021 Census — a change of 299 people, or 18.9%. Growth has averaged 3.3% a year over five years, faster than 90% of areas nationally. Interstate and internal migration accounts for 48.0% of that increase. Density is about 44 people per 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
According to ABS population updates and new address data validated by AreaSearch since the Census, the suburb of Mount Compass has a population estimated at approximately 1,879 in May 2026. This represents a growth of 299 people (18.9%) compared to the 2021 Census, when the count was 1,580 people. This shift is calculated from the resident population of 1,866, calculated by AreaSearch using the latest ERP data release from the ABS (June 2025) plus 26 validated new addresses registered since the Census. Such population numbers translate to a density ratio of 43 persons per square kilometer, which represents a spacious distribution.
The 18.9% expansion rate of the suburb of Mount Compass since the 2021 census was greater than that of the Rest of SA (5.9%) and the SA4 region, establishing it as a local growth leader. Growth in the area was mostly fueled by interstate migration, which accounted for roughly 48.0% of the population gains recently, though natural growth and overseas migration also contributed positively. AreaSearch implements ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, published in 2024 using 2022 as the baseline. For SA2 areas without this data, and for any years after 2032, regional and LGA projections by age bracket published by the SA State Government in 2023 (using 2021 data) are used, adjusted by weighting and aggregating population growth from the LGA to the SA2 level. In terms of future demographics, the suburb of Mount Compass is projected to experience population growth above the national median for regional areas, with an expected increase of 242 persons by 2041 based on compiled SA2 projections, representing an overall increase of 12.2% over the 16 years.
Frequently Asked Questions - Population
63 new dwellings have been approved in Mount Compass over the past five years, an average of 12 a year. That places the area in the 74th percentile for residential development activity nationally, about 6 approvals per 1,000 residents a year. Approvals are currently running at an annualised 14, broadly in line with 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
Analysis of ABS building approvals assigned from statistical areas shows that Mount Compass averages approximately 12 new home approvals annually, with a total of 63 dwellings approved over the last 5 financial years. In the current FY-26 period, 13 approvals have been logged. With an average of 4.4 new residents per completed dwelling between FY-21 and FY-25, demand is outstripping supply, which generally drives up prices and intensifies buyer competition. The average value of these new builds is $367,000, showing a focus on higher-end homes in the premium segment. Furthermore, commercial development approvals valued at $3.8 million were recorded this financial year, highlighting that the local market remains overwhelmingly residential.
Mount Compass generates roughly 58% of the per capita building activity seen in the Rest of SA, though it ranks in the 80th percentile of areas evaluated nationwide. Recent construction has consisted solely of detached houses, maintaining the established low density feel and emphasizing spacious family properties. There are roughly 141 people for each dwelling approval, pointing to a growing market. Demographic forecasts suggest Mount Compass will add 229 residents by 2041 compared to the latest quarterly estimate from AreaSearch. Current building volumes should provide sufficient housing supply to meet this demand, offering positive conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth that outpaces these projections.
Frequently Asked Questions - Development
Development applications around Mount Compass
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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 11 current infrastructure and development projects close to Mount Compass, worth an estimated $2.41 billion. 2 are already under construction and 3 are due for completion within three years. The pipeline spans communities, precincts & urban renewal, retail and transport & logistics. 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
Local infrastructure updates, planning decisions, and major projects heavily influence regional performance. AreaSearch identified that no projects are expected to directly impact the local area. Key regional projects include Fleurieu Connections - Main South Road and Victor Harbor Road Duplication, Adelaide Public Transport Capacity and Access, Adelaide's Inner And Outer Ring Route Capacity Improvements, and SA Water Capital Work Delivery Contracts 2024-28, with the main relevant details listed below.
Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.
INFRASTRUCTURE SEARCH
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Frequently Asked Questions - Infrastructure
Willunga Basin Water Infrastructure Expansion
Expansion of the Willunga Basin Water recycled water network to increase annual supply capacity from 7,250 ML to approximately 8,100 ML. The project improves long-term water security for the McLaren Vale wine region by reducing reliance on stressed groundwater aquifers and supporting sustainable irrigation through additional recycled water infrastructure.
Sellicks Beach Growth Area Joint Amendment
A major master planned residential development rezoning approximately 134 hectares to facilitate roughly 1,700 new homes. The project includes a new neighborhood activity centre with a main street focal point, open space networks, and transport infrastructure. Development is currently deferred under a Coordinated Development Overlay pending final air quality monitoring results (expected April 2026) and infrastructure delivery agreements.
Aldinga Master Planned Community
A strategic partnership between Renewal SA and Villawood Properties to create a 46-hectare master planned net zero carbon community delivering over 800 homes, including 200 in an over-55s lifestyle village, with a minimum of 25% affordable housing. The development features a diverse housing mix including detached, semi-detached, and townhouses, complemented by extensive open spaces, parks, and chain-of-ponds corridors. Residents will have access to a club with a pool, gym, cafe, and play spaces. The all-electric development includes an embedded energy network with solar, heat pumps, batteries, and a microgrid, aiming for 25% tree canopy coverage.It preserves a 60-metre wide rail corridor for future Seaford line extensions. Master planning is underway in 2025, with a sales launch anticipated for Summer 2025 and civil construction to commence in early 2026.
Aldinga Payinthi College
Birth to Year 12 'super school' accommodating up to 1,675 students and 250 staff, including 100 inclusive places for students with disability and 75-place children's centre. $125 million build featuring contemporary learning environments with STEM focus, performing arts theatre, libraries, VET kitchen, gym facilities, sports courts, community usage facilities, and extensive cultural and heritage elements recognizing Aboriginal significance. Construction complete, school open and accommodating up to 1500 students by 2026.
Aldinga Central Shopping Centre Expansion
Expansion of the existing Aldinga Central Shopping Centre, including a major renovation of the Coles supermarket. The expansion will add 4,250sqm of retail space and a new Foodland supermarket.
McLaren Vale Central Shopping Centre
Dual supermarket anchored neighbourhood shopping centre with Coles and Romeo's Foodland, supported by 19 specialty retailers. Serves the McLaren Vale wine region and surrounding residential areas.
Sellicks Hill Quarry Operations
261-hectare quarry producing limestone, shale, marble and dolomite. Ongoing air quality monitoring and dust management due to community concerns affecting nearby residential areas and future developments.
Ocean View Estate
An exclusive boutique residential estate in Maslin Beach, offering land for new homes and house and land packages, including the 'Ashford' design with 'Vantage' facade. The estate provides a luxury living experience near the beach and the McLaren Vale wine region, with flat land ready for new homes or holiday escapes. Lot sizes include 702sqm, with pricing starting from $1,090,298 for select packages.
965 residents of Mount Compass are employed, from a labour force of 999. Unemployment sits at 3.5%, with participation at 67.3%. Weighted for its industry mix, the area's sectors are forecast to grow about 6.1% nationally over five years. That reflects industry composition only and makes no allowance for local population growth, so in an area growing as fast as this one it understates the likely rise in local jobs. The working-day population is estimated at 1,439, about 77% 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
Mount Compass features a balanced job market representing both white-collar and blue-collar fields, with strong industrial and manufacturing representation, an unemployment rate of only 3.5%, and an estimated job growth rate of 5.2% over the prior year based on aggregated statistical area statistics. In March 2026965 residents were employed. The local unemployment rate is 2.0% lower than the Regional SA figure of 5.5%, while workforce participation is exceptionally high at 67.3% compared to 58.4% in Regional SA. Census records show a low 10.6% of residents worked from home, though this figure was likely influenced by pandemic lockdown conditions.
The primary sectors employing local residents are healthcare & social assistance, construction, and retail trade. Construction shows a high concentration, employing workers at 1.4 times the regional average. Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing is less prominent, employing 8.7% of the local workforce compared to 14.5% across Regional SA. Comparing the number of working residents to local job counts indicates that local employment opportunities within the area are limited. Based on SALM and ABS statistics aggregated from broader statistical regions, the 12 months leading up to March 2026 saw employment grow by 5.2% and the labor force expand by 5.9%, which pushed the unemployment rate up by 0.7 percentage points. By comparison, Regional SA experienced a 1.2% increase in employment, a 2.6% expansion in the labor force, and a 1.4 percentage point rise in unemployment. Long-term national employment projections from Jobs and Skills Australia (released May-25) provide context for future local demand. By mapping these five and ten-year projections against local industries, we can estimate growth. While national employment is projected to grow by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, trends vary by sector. Weighting these projections to the local industry mix suggests local employment could grow by 6.1% over five years and 13.0% over ten years, though this simple extrapolation does not account for local population dynamics.
Frequently Asked Questions - Employment
Median household income in Mount Compass is $1,655 a week (about $86,000 a year), with median personal income at $725 a week. ATO records put median taxable income at $46,492 a year against an average of $57,989. 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
Based on the latest ATO postcode statistics released for financial year 2023, taxpayers in the suburb of Mount Compass have a median income of $46,492 and an average income of $57,989. These figures sit below the national average and compare to a median of $48,920 and an average of $58,933 across Regional SA. Factoring in Wage Price Index growth of 10.17% since financial year 2023, estimates for March 2026 would be roughly $51,220 for the median and $63,886 for the average. The 2021 Census indicates that household, family, and personal incomes in the area are modest, placing between the 33rd and 44th percentiles.
Income distribution is dominated by the $1,500 - 2,999 range, which accounts for 39.2% of residents (736 people), compared to 27.5% in the broader region. Discretionary income remaining after housing costs stands at 85.0%.
Frequently Asked Questions - Income
Mount Compass had 539 occupied dwellings at the 2021 Census, 100% detached houses and 0% apartments. 60% are owned with a mortgage, 11% rented and 29% owned outright. At that Census the median rent was $340 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,517 a month. Rent absorbs 20.5% of household income here and mortgage repayments 21.2%. Dwelling stock, tenure and housing costs are 2021 Census measures — the only source that counts dwellings at this boundary size.
Detail
According to the latest Census, the housing mix in Mount Compass consisted of 100.0% houses, with none of the dwellings classified as semi-detached, apartments, or other formats, compared to Regional SA where houses made up 88.5% and other options accounted for 11.5%. Home ownership in Mount Compass stood at 28.7%, below the Regional SA average, with the remaining properties occupied by residents with a mortgage (60.0%) or renting (11.3%). The median monthly mortgage payment of $1,517 was considerably higher than the Regional SA average of $1,153, and the median weekly rent was $340 compared to $220 regionally.
Compared to national averages, mortgage repayments are lower than the Australian figure of $1,863, and rents are below the national median of $375.
Frequently Asked Questions - Housing
Mount Compass counted 539 households at the 2021 Census, an estimated 641 today, averaging 2.8 people each. 39% are couples with children, more than in 77% of areas nationally, against 35% couples without children. 15% of households are people living alone, and families average 1.7 children. Household and family composition is measured only by the Census, so these are 2021 figures.
Detail
Families make up the vast majority of households at 82.0%, consisting of couples with children (39.0%), couples without children (35.1%), and single parents (7.3%). Non-family households account for the remaining 18.0%, with single person households representing 14.8% and group households making up 2.3%. The median household size of 2.8 people exceeds the Regional SA average of 2.3.
Frequently Asked Questions - Households
14.0% of adults in Mount Compass hold a university qualification, including 10.5% with a bachelor degree and 1.7% with postgraduate qualifications. A further 34.7% hold a vocational qualification. 1 school serves the area, with 460 enrolment places and an average ICSEA of 990 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
Educational attainment profiles show university qualification rates (14.0%) are well below the Australian average of 30.4%, highlighting a potential focus area for educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most common higher education qualification at 10.5%, followed by graduate diplomas at 1.8% and postgraduate qualifications at 1.7%. Technical and trade qualifications are highly represented, with 46.1% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials, including 11.4% with advanced diplomas and 34.7% with certificates. Participation in study is high, with 28.7% of residents enrolled in an educational program. This group includes 10.8% in primary school, 10.3% in secondary school, and 2.8% in tertiary studies.
Frequently Asked Questions - Education
Schools Detail
Getting around Mount Compass means driving: households keep an average of 2.0 vehicles, and no scheduled public transport appears in the current timetable feeds. Service data is built from operators' published GTFS timetables; vehicle ownership is from the 2021 Census.
Frequently Asked Questions - Transport
Transport Stops Detail
67.4% of residents in Mount Compass report no long-term health condition. 5.2% need daily assistance with core activities, and 50.0% hold private health cover. The standardised death rate runs at 4.9 per 1,000 residents. Health conditions, assistance needs and insurance are 2021 Census measures; the death rate comes from current ABS releases.
Detail
Health metrics match national standards closely based on mortality rates and chronic illness prevalence, showing typical rates of common medical conditions across both younger and older residents. The proportion of residents with private health insurance is relatively low at roughly 50% of the population (~938 people), compared to the national average of 55.7%. The most prevalent diagnosed conditions are mental health concerns and asthma, affecting 8.9% and 8.5% of residents respectively, while 67.4% of the population reported no chronic conditions compared to 62.5% across Regional SA. Chronic condition rates are elevated among the working-age population.
Residents aged 65 and older represent 18.5% of the community (347 people), which is lower than the Regional SA proportion of 27.1%. Senior health outcomes are strong, ranking higher nationally than the general population.
Frequently Asked Questions - Health
Mount Compass is largely Australian-born, at 82.6% of residents, with 4.9% speaking a language other than English at home. The largest reported ancestries are English (35.6%) and Australian (31.7%). Ancestry, language and country of birth are counted only by the Census, so these are 2021 figures.
Detail
Cultural diversity is below average, with 82.6% of residents born in Australia, 90.2% holding citizenship, and 95.1% speaking only English at home. Christianity is the primary religion, followed by 34.5% of the population. Judaism is represented by none of the population, matching the regional average where none were recorded. The most common ancestries are English at 35.6%, Australian at 31.7%, and Scottish at 6.9%. Other parental origins show some distinct patterns, with French ancestry overrepresented at 0.9% compared to 0.3% regionally, German ancestry lower at 5.6% compared to 8.2%, and South Australian ancestry higher at 0.9% compared to 0.2%.
Frequently Asked Questions - Diversity
The median resident of Mount Compass is 39. That is 1 year younger than at the 2021 Census. 23.1% 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
With a median age of 39, the local population is younger than the Regional SA median of 47 and close to the national average of 38. Children aged 5 - 14 are highly represented at 14.5%, while seniors aged 75 - 84 make up a smaller proportion (6.2%) than in Regional SA. Since the 2021 Census, the 75 to 84 cohort expanded from 3.4% to 6.2% of the population, and the 15 to 24 cohort grew from 11.8% to 13.2%, whereas the 45 to 54 cohort decreased from 14.6% to 12.0%.
By 2041, demographic projections indicate shifts in the age profile, with the 45 to 54 group expanding by 21% (47 people) to reach 273 from 225, while the 15 to 24 cohort is expected to grow by only 2% (3 people).
Frequently Asked Questions - Age
Data & MethodBoundaries, Sources & Method for Mount Compass
9 of 14 data sections on this page were updated within the last 12 months — the newest current to Aug 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) | May 2026 3 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 May 2026, with the 2021 Census supplying the small-area baseline. | ||
| Age profile | ABS, Geoscience Australia, State governments Annual | May 2026 3 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Age cohorts are re-based to the latest ABS population estimates and state projections, current to May 2026. Each cohort is held as a Census baseline and a current estimate. | ||
| Development & approvals | ABS, GNAF Monthly (ABS approvals) | Jun 2026 2 months ago headline measures · May 2026 baseline |
| Property sales & rents | Valuer General, Rental Board, ABS Weekly sales, quarterly rents | Aug 2026 this month all 21 measures |
| 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 Aug 2026. | ||
| Infrastructure projects | Infrastructure Australia, Local governments Daily | May 2026 3 months ago all 2 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 May 2026. | ||
| Employment | ABS, DEWR, JSA Quarterly (ABS SALM) | Mar 2026 5 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) | Aug 2026 this month headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Transport | ABS, State Transport Departments Each timetable release | Jul 2026 last month headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Services & amenities | Provider directories, ACECQA Continuous | Jul 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 — 26 validated new addresses here. The headline figure is therefore a current estimate for May 2026, not a 2021 count (1,580 at the 2021 Census → 1,879 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 May 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 (SAL40941). QuickStats reports 2021 only — the figures on this page are more current wherever the ledger shows a later date.