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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
Sales Activity
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Population
O'Sullivan Beach is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends
As of February 2026, the population of the suburb of O'Sullivan Beach is estimated to be around 2,045 people. This reflects an increase of 201 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 1,844 people. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's resident population estimate of 2,005 based on the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024 and an additional 16 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population results in a density ratio of 1,099 persons per square kilometer, which is relatively in line with averages seen across locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's 10.9% growth since the 2021 census exceeded both the SA3 area (6.4%) and the SA4 region, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by interstate migration that contributed approximately 71.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.
AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered and years post-2032, the SA State Government's Regional/LGA projections by age category are adopted, released in 2023 based on 2021 data. Future population trends indicate a slight increase below the median of statistical areas across the nation, with the suburb expected to increase by 277 persons to 2041, reflecting an increase of 8.7% over the 17 years.
Frequently Asked Questions - Population
Development
Recent residential development output has been above average within O'Sullivan Beach when compared nationally
AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers shows O'Sullivan Beach averaged approximately 19 new dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years. This totals an estimated 97 homes. In FY-26, 17 approvals have been recorded so far. Over these five years, there has been an average of 1.5 new residents per year per dwelling constructed. However, this figure decreased to 1 person per dwelling in the past two financial years.
The average value of new homes being built is $350,000. In FY-26, $3.2 million in commercial approvals have been registered. Compared to Greater Adelaide, O'Sullivan Beach has 110.0% more development activity per person. Recent construction comprises 68.0% detached houses and 32.0% medium and high-density housing. This marks a shift from the current pattern of 94.0% houses.
The location has approximately 94 people per dwelling approval, indicating an expanding market. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, O'Sullivan Beach is expected to grow by 178 residents by 2041. With current construction levels, housing supply should meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.
Frequently Asked Questions - Development
Infrastructure
O'Sullivan Beach has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 19thth percentile nationally
No changes can significantly affect a region's performance like modifications to nearby infrastructure, large-scale projects, or planning schemes. AreaSearch has identified zero projects that could potentially impact this area. Notable projects include Port Stanvac Precinct, Noarlunga Residential Development, Noarlunga Master Planning Housing Project, and Sunset Residential Development, with the following list specifying those most likely to be relevant.
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INFRASTRUCTURE SEARCH
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Frequently Asked Questions - Infrastructure
Port Stanvac Precinct
Redevelopment of the 230-hectare former Port Stanvac oil refinery into a coastal masterplanned community. The project includes approximately 3,600 new homes with a 15% affordable housing mandate, a 40-hectare protected coastal reserve, and public beach access. The masterplan features a mixed-use precinct with a shopping centre, sporting fields, and 64 hectares dedicated to employment uses including retail, commercial, and industrial hubs. First residents are estimated to move in by 2028.
Noarlunga Master Planning Housing Project
A 22-hectare master-planned residential development delivering 626 new homes with a diverse mix of dwelling types including detached homes, townhouses and apartments. The project features a minimum of 28% affordable and social housing (including 80 social housing dwellings), and 12.5% new public open space. Designed by Holmes Dyer, the development targets a 5-Star Green Star Communities rating and emphasizes sustainability, extensive tree canopy coverage, and enhanced connectivity to nearby amenities including Colonnades Shopping Centre, Noarlunga TAFE, Noarlunga Hospital and Noarlunga Railway Station. Civil works by Winslow Constructors are underway with the first sales releases now on market. The community will become home to approximately 1,200 residents over a 7-10 year delivery period.
Majors Road Interchange
$120 million jointly funded project by Australian and South Australian governments creating new grade-separated interchange providing access to Southern Expressway from Majors Road. Features new on/off ramps, widening of Majors Road bridge from two lanes to six lanes with dedicated right turn lanes, signalised intersection improvements, new bike lanes and shared user paths, new underpasses for Patrick Jonker Veloway, upgraded traffic signals, widening of Majors Road from Southern Expressway to Lonsdale Highway/Ocean Boulevard to provide two through lanes in both directions, underground power lines, tree planting for 50% shade coverage, and realignment of the Patrick Jonker Veloway. Expected to support 245 full-time jobs during construction and provide improved access to Glenthorne National Park, Sam Willoughby International BMX Facility and Southern Soccer Facility. Construction by Acciona Construction Australia, completion expected end of 2025.
Adelaide Public Transport Capacity and Access
State-led program work to increase public transport capacity and access to, through and within central Adelaide. Current work is focused on the City Access Strategy (20-year movement plan for the CBD and North Adelaide) and the State Transport Strategy program, which together will shape options such as bus priority, interchange upgrades, tram and rail enhancements, and better first/last mile access.
Bulk Water Supply Security
Nationwide program led by the National Water Grid Authority to improve bulk water security and reliability for non-potable and productive uses. Activities include strategic planning, science and business cases, and funding of state and territory projects such as storages, pipelines, dam upgrades, recycled water and efficiency upgrades to build drought resilience and support regional communities, industry and the environment.
Sunset Residential Development
A 42-hectare master-planned residential community featuring 644 allotments with land sizes up to 540m2. The development includes 15% affordable and social housing outcomes, extensive green spaces including a major north-south walking trail connecting to Onkaparinga River Recreation Park. Located in a prime coastal position with proximity to South Australian beaches and McLaren Vale wine region.
Noarlunga Residential Development
Noarlunga is a 22 hectare master planned residential community on land east and west of Lovelock Drive in Noarlunga Downs. The project will deliver more than 626 new homes including detached houses, townhomes, apartments and at least 28 percent affordable and social housing, including new SA Housing Authority homes. The plan provides new streets, public open space, green links and improved connections to Colonnades Shopping Centre, Noarlunga TAFE, Noarlunga Hospital and the rail station, and is targeting a 5 Star Green Star Communities rating. Civil works are underway, with house construction planned to commence from 2026 and full build out expected by around 2031.
Onkaparinga Heights
A 235-hectare masterplanned community in Adelaide's southern suburbs delivering approximately 2,000 to 2,300 new homes. The project includes a 67.6-hectare site managed by Renewal SA, partnered with YAS Property & Development to deliver 1,000 homes, alongside adjacent private developments. The community features a minimum of 20% affordable housing, sustainable urban design, and high connectivity via the Southern Expressway. Civil works commenced in late 2025, with first home constructions slated for late 2026.
Employment
Employment drivers in O'Sullivan Beach are experiencing difficulties, placing it among the bottom 20% of areas assessed across Australia
O'Sullivan Beach has a balanced workforce comprising white and blue collar jobs, with essential services well represented. The unemployment rate in September 2025 was 8.2%, showing room for improvement compared to Greater Adelaide's rate of 3.9%. Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 4.2%.
Workforce participation lagged significantly at 55.0% compared to Greater Adelaide's 66.4%. Only 9.0% of residents worked from home, potentially influenced by Covid-19 lockdowns. Key employment sectors include health care & social assistance, construction, and retail trade. Construction stands out with employment levels at 1.8 times the regional average.
Conversely, professional & technical services have lower representation at 3.6%. The worker-to-resident ratio is 0.6, indicating a level of local employment opportunities above the norm. Over the past year, employment increased by 4.2% while labour force grew by 3.3%, reducing unemployment by 0.7 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Adelaide saw employment grow by 3.0%, labour force expand by 2.9%, and unemployment fall by 0.1 percentage points. National employment forecasts from May-25 suggest total growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to O'Sullivan Beach's employment mix indicates local employment should increase by 6.3% over five years and 13.2% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes only.
Frequently Asked Questions - Employment
Income
Income metrics place the area in the bottom 10% of locations nationally according to AreaSearch analysis
AreaSearch's aggregation of ATO data released for financial year ending June 2023 shows O'Sullivan Beach had a median taxpayer income of $43,761 and an average income of $50,224. These figures are lower than the national averages of $54,808 and $66,852 for Greater Adelaide respectively. Adjusting for Wage Price Index growth of 8.8% by September 2025, estimated median and average incomes would be approximately $47,612 and $54,644 respectively. The 2021 Census data reveals household, family, and personal incomes in O'Sullivan Beach fall between the 5th and 11th percentiles nationally. Income analysis shows 30.7% of the population (627 individuals) earn within the $800 - $1,499 range, contrasting with the regional leading bracket of $1,500 - $2,999 at 31.8%. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 82.4% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 6th percentile nationally.
Frequently Asked Questions - Income
Housing
O'Sullivan Beach is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership
As of the latest Census, 93.5% of dwellings in O'Sullivan Beach were houses, with the remaining 6.5% comprising semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types. In comparison, Adelaide metro had 75.2% houses and 24.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in O'Sullivan Beach stood at 34.5%, with mortgaged properties at 35.7% and rented ones at 29.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,200, below Adelaide metro's average of $1,562. Weekly rent median was $300, compared to Adelaide metro's $320. Nationally, O'Sullivan Beach's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.
Frequently Asked Questions - Housing
Household Composition
O'Sullivan Beach features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size
Family households constitute 62.3 percent of all households, including 19.5 percent couples with children, 25.6 percent couples without children, and 16.1 percent single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 37.7 percent, with lone person households at 32.9 percent and group households comprising 4.6 percent of the total. The median household size is 2.2 people, which is smaller than the Greater Adelaide average of 2.5.
Frequently Asked Questions - Households
Local Schools & Education
Educational outcomes in O'Sullivan Beach fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment
The area's university qualification rate is 11.8%, significantly lower than Australia's average of 30.4%. This disparity presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 8.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (1.9%) and graduate diplomas (1.2%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 41.9% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials - advanced diplomas (9.0%) and certificates (32.9%).
A substantial 22.5% of the population is actively pursuing formal education, including 9.1% in primary education, 6.1% in secondary education, and 3.0% in tertiary education.
Frequently Asked Questions - Education
Schools Detail
Nearby Services & Amenities
Transport
Transport servicing is moderate compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility
Public transport analysis shows 16 active stops operating within O'Sullivan Beach, serviced by buses. There are 2 routes providing a total of 264 weekly passenger trips. Residents have good accessibility to transport, with an average distance of 205 meters to the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward from this residential area. Car is the dominant mode of transport at 88%, while train accounts for 6%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.2 per dwelling, below the regional average.
According to the 2021 Census, 9% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 37 trips per day across all routes, resulting in approximately 16 weekly trips per individual stop.
Frequently Asked Questions - Transport
Transport Stops Detail
Health
Health performance in O'Sullivan Beach is well below average with prevalence of common health conditions notable across both younger and older age cohorts
Health data indicates significant health challenges in O'Sullivan Beach. AreaSearch's assessment found notable prevalence of common health conditions across both younger and older age groups. Private health cover was found to be very low at approximately 47% of the total population (~959 people), compared to 52.7% across Greater Adelaide and a national average of 55.7%.
The most prevalent medical conditions were arthritis (12.0%) and mental health issues (11.0%), while 54.7% reported no medical ailments, compared to 67.9% in Greater Adelaide. Working-age residents face significant health challenges with high chronic condition rates. The area has a higher proportion of seniors at 24.0%, or 490 people, compared to 19.3% in Greater Adelaide. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, generally aligning with national rankings.
Frequently Asked Questions - Health
Cultural Diversity
O'Sullivan Beach ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics
O'Sullivan Beach had a cultural diversity score below average, with 79.9% of residents born in Australia, 89.8% being citizens, and 95.1% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, comprising 33.0% of the population. The category 'Other' had a lower representation than Greater Adelaide, with 0.8% compared to 1.8%.
For ancestry, English (35.5%), Australian (28.7%), and Scottish (6.8%) were the top groups. German (6.1%), Welsh (0.7%), and South African (0.5%) groups had notable overrepresentation compared to regional averages of 5.1%, 0.6%, and 0.3% respectively.
Frequently Asked Questions - Diversity
Age
O'Sullivan Beach hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average
The median age in O'Sullivan Beach is 44 years, which is higher than Greater Adelaide's average of 39 and the Australian median of 38. Compared to Greater Adelaide, the 65-74 cohort is notably over-represented in O'Sullivan Beach at 13.5%, while the 15-24 age group is under-represented at 9.6%. Between the 2021 Census and now, the 35 to 44 age group has increased from 13.1% to 14.7% of the population. Conversely, the 45 to 54 cohort has decreased from 12.4% to 11.1%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate significant demographic changes for O'Sullivan Beach. The 45 to 54 age cohort is projected to grow by 35 people (15%), from 226 to 262. The 55 to 64 group is expected to grow more modestly at 2%, adding only 4 residents.