Nairne

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

As of Nov 2025, the estimated population of Nairne is around 5,842, reflecting a 9.7% increase since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 5,327 people. This growth was inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 5,723 following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS (June 2024), along with an additional 78 validated new addresses since the Census date. The suburb's population density is approximately 220 persons per square kilometer. Nairne's growth exceeded both state and metropolitan averages, marking it as a regional growth leader. Natural growth contributed about 45% of overall population gains recently, though all drivers including interstate migration were positive factors. AreaSearch uses 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, SA State Government's Regional/LGA projections are adopted with adjustments made employing weighted aggregation methods. Projected demographic trends indicate an above median population growth nationally, with Nairne expected to increase by 1,024 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a gain of 15.6% over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Nairne among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers shows Nairne has averaged around 30 dwelling approvals per year. Between FY21-FY25, approximately 154 homes were approved, with a further 14 approved in FY26 to date. This translates to an average of 3.1 people moving to the area annually for each dwelling built over these years.

Supply has lagged demand, leading to heightened buyer competition and pricing pressures. New properties are constructed at an average expected cost of $382,000. In FY26, commercial approvals worth $4.5 million have been registered, suggesting Nairne's residential character.

Compared to Greater Adelaide, Nairne has half the rate of new dwelling approvals per person but ranks in the 79th percentile nationally. Recent years have seen building activity accelerate. All new construction has been standalone homes, maintaining Nairne's low-density character and appealing to those seeking space. There are approximately 140 people per dwelling approval in the area, indicating an expanding market. By 2041, Nairne is expected to grow by 909 residents. Current construction rates appear balanced with future demand, fostering steady market conditions without excessive price pressure.

Nairne has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 36thth percentile nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified five projects expected to influence the region. Notable projects include Larkview Mount Barker, Springlake Communities, Amblemead Estate, and Onkaparinga Valley Road Intersection Upgrade. The following details those likely to be most relevant.

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

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

The labour market in Nairne demonstrates typical performance when compared to similar areas across Australia

Nairne has a skilled workforce with an unemployment rate of 3.9% as of June 2025. This is slightly lower than Greater Adelaide's rate of 4.0%.

The area experienced employment growth of 1.4% over the past year based on AreaSearch data aggregation. There are currently 3,293 residents employed in Nairne, with workforce participation at 71.2%, higher than Greater Adelaide's 61.7%. The dominant employment sectors among residents include health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction.

However, the percentage of local workers employed in health care & social assistance is lower at 15.2% compared to Greater Adelaide's 17.7%. Employment opportunities locally may be limited as indicated by the difference between Census working population and resident population. In the year to June 2025, employment increased by 1.4%, while labour force grew by 1.8%, causing unemployment to rise by 0.3 percentage points in Nairne. This contrasts with Greater Adelaide where employment rose by 2.1% and unemployment rose marginally. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 suggest that national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Nairne's employment mix, local employment is estimated to increase by 6.3% over five years and 13.2% over ten years.

Income levels align closely with national averages, indicating typical economic conditions for Australian communities according to AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows Nairne's median income among taxpayers is $52,408 and the average is $60,530. This is lower than national averages. Greater Adelaide has a median of $52,592 and an average of $64,886. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.83% since financial year 2022, estimated incomes for September 2025 would be approximately $59,132 (median) and $68,296 (average). The 2021 Census indicates household, family and personal incomes in Nairne are around the 55th percentile nationally. Income analysis shows that 40.6% of residents (2,371 people) fall into the $1,500 - 2,999 income bracket. After housing costs, 85.3% of income remains for other expenses. Nairne's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 5th decile.

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

As of the latest Census evaluation in Nairne, 98.5% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 1.5% consisting of semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types of dwellings. This is compared to Adelaide metro's composition of 95.2% houses and 4.8% other dwellings. Home ownership in Nairne stood at 25.0%, with mortgaged properties making up 54.1% and rented dwellings accounting for 20.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,500, which is lower than Adelaide metro's average of $1,733. The median weekly rent figure in Nairne was recorded at $350, matching Adelaide metro's figure of $350. Nationally, Nairne's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were less than the national figure of $375.

Nairne features high concentrations of family households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households account for 77.4 percent of all households, including 36.3 percent couples with children, 27.4 percent couples without children, and 12.9 percent single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 22.6 percent, with lone person households at 20.7 percent and group households comprising 2.0 percent of the total. The median household size is 2.6 people, which aligns with the Greater Adelaide average.

Nairne performs slightly above the national average for education, showing competitive qualification levels and steady academic outcomes

The area's university qualification rate is 23.6%, significantly lower than the SA4 region average of 42.2%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 17.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.9%) and graduate diplomas (2.5%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 40.8% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (11.8%) and certificates (29.0%). Educational participation is high at 29.8%, comprising 12.4% in primary, 6.9% in secondary, and 4.3% in tertiary education.

Nairne School - Preschool and Primary serves the area with an enrollment of 407 students, operating under typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 1018). It focuses exclusively on primary education, with secondary options available nearby. Local school capacity is limited at 7.0 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 14.0, leading many families to travel for schooling.

Transport servicing is low compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

Nairne has 18 active public transport stops, all serving buses. These stops are covered by six different routes that together facilitate 230 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these services is rated as good, with residents on average situated 303 meters from the nearest stop.

Across all routes, service frequency averages 32 trips per day, equating to roughly 12 weekly trips per individual stop.

Nairne's residents are relatively healthy in comparison to broader Australia with a fairly standard level of common health conditions seen across both young and old age cohorts

Nairne's health metrics closely match national benchmarks. Common health conditions are seen across both young and old age cohorts at a standard level.

Approximately 51% of Nairne's total population (~2,975 people) have private health cover, compared to 55.2% in Greater Adelaide. Mental health issues impact 10.2% of residents, while asthma affects 9.2%. About 68.8% of residents declare no medical ailments, compared to 68.5% in Greater Adelaide. As of 2021, 14.0% of Nairne's residents are aged 65 and over (817 people), lower than the 19.9% in Greater Adelaide. Health outcomes among seniors in Nairne are above average, outperforming the general population in health metrics.

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

Nairne's population, as of the 2016 Census, was predominantly born in Australia, with 87.0%. The majority were citizens, at 92.5%, and spoke English only at home, at 96.3%. Christianity was the primary religion, practiced by 34.7% of Nairne's population.

While Judaism was similarly represented nationally, it was overrepresented in Nairne, comprising 0.1% compared to 0.1% regionally. Regarding ancestry, English (32.6%) and Australian (31.7%) were the top groups, followed by German at 7.7%. Notable differences existed for Dutch (2.6% vs regional 1.8%), Hungarian (0.4% vs 0.3%), and Welsh (0.6% vs 0.7%).

Nairne's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

The median age in Nairne is 36, which is slightly below Greater Adelaide's average of 39 and the Australian median of 38. Compared to Greater Adelaide, Nairne has a higher proportion of residents aged 5-14 (14.3%) but fewer residents aged 75-84 (4.3%). Between the 2021 Census and now, the population aged 55-64 has increased from 11.7% to 13.1%, while the 75-84 age group has grown from 3.2% to 4.3%. Conversely, the 45-54 age group has decreased from 14.0% to 11.9%. By 2041, Nairne's age composition is expected to change significantly. Notably, the 65-74 age group is projected to grow by 40%, adding 208 people and reaching a total of 728 from 519 previously. The 0-4 age group is expected to grow at a more modest rate of 4%, with an increase of just 17 residents.