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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.
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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 May 2026, the population of the suburb of O'Sullivan Beach is estimated to be around 2,047. This reflects an increase of 203 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 1,844. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of the resident population at 2,037 following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2025, along with an additional 13 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 1,100 persons per square kilometer, which is relatively in line with averages seen across locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's 11.0% growth since the 2021 census exceeded both the SA3 area (5.8%) and the SA4 region, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by interstate migration, contributing 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 and based on 2021 data, with adjustments made employing a method of weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Future population trends suggest an increase just below the median of statistical areas across the nation, with the suburb expected to increase by 220 persons to reach 2,267 by 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a total increase of 10.3% over the 16 years.
Frequently Asked Questions - Population
Development
Residential development activity is slightly higher than average within O'Sullivan Beach when compared nationally
AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers, allocated from statistical area data, shows O'Sullivan Beach averaged around 19 new dwelling approvals each year over the past five financial years, totalling an estimated 97 homes. So far in FY-26, 34 approvals have been recorded. This averages out to approximately 1.5 new residents per year per dwelling constructed between FY-21 and FY-25, indicating a balanced supply and demand dynamic. New properties are constructed at an average value of $350,000, which is somewhat higher than regional norms, reflecting quality-focused development.
In this financial year, $3.2 million in commercial approvals have been registered, demonstrating the area's primarily residential nature. Relative to Greater Adelaide, O'Sullivan Beach has 106.0% more development activity per person. Recent construction comprises 68.0% detached houses and 32.0% medium and high-density housing, marking a significant departure from existing housing patterns (currently 94.0% houses). This suggests diminishing developable land availability and responding to evolving lifestyle preferences and housing affordability needs. The location has approximately 97 people per dwelling approval, indicating an expanding market.
Looking ahead, O'Sullivan Beach is expected to grow by 210 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). With current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.
Frequently Asked Questions - Development
Development applications around O'Sullivan Beach
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| Lodged | Address | Description | Type | Distance | Status |
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SOURCE: Planning portals and council registers, compiled by AreaSearch. Distance & bearing measured from the suburb midpoint.
Infrastructure
O'Sullivan Beach has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 25thth percentile nationally
No changes can significantly affect a region's performance like alterations to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified zero projects that are expected to impact this area notably. Major projects include Port Stanvac Precinct, Noarlunga Residential Development, Noarlunga Master Planning Housing Project, and Sunset Residential Development, with the following list highlighting those most likely to be relevant.
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Frequently Asked Questions - Infrastructure
SA Water Capital Work Delivery Contracts 2024-28
SA Water's record $3.3 billion capital delivery program for the 2024-28 regulatory period, covering water and wastewater infrastructure across South Australia. The program targets water main replacements, sewerage network upgrades, dam upgrades, water tank refurbishments, and treatment process upgrades across metropolitan and regional areas. A central $1.5 billion component supports the South Australian Premier's Housing Roadmap, expanding network capacity to unlock up to 40,000 new allotments, with major focus on Adelaide's northern growth corridors including Angle Vale, Riverlea, and Roseworthy. Six major framework partners (Fulton Hogan Utilities, John Holland and Guidera O'Connor JV, McConnell Dowell and Diona JV, BMD, Diona, and Leed Engineering and Construction) are delivering works across approximately 120 projects. In Year 1 (to June 2025), $681.6 million in capital was invested. The program runs to June 2028.
Port Stanvac Precinct
Redevelopment of the 230-hectare former ExxonMobil oil refinery into a coastal masterplanned community. The project will deliver approximately 3,600 new homes (15% affordable), a 40-hectare coastal reserve, and public beach access for the first time in decades. The site features a mixed-use town centre near Lonsdale Railway Station, including retail, commercial, and industrial hubs across 64 hectares. Remediation of the site is a critical phase, with the project expected to generate 1,700 jobs and house 8,000 residents.
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.
SA Housing Trust Maintenance Contracts Review and Service Program
Statewide maintenance and service contracts for SA Housing Trust public housing properties, covering reactive maintenance, vacancy restoration and minor works across metropolitan and regional South Australia. The program is delivered by Spotless Facility Services, RTC Facilities Maintenance and Torrens Facility Management. A 2024 SA Government review examined payment, timeliness, dispute resolution and contract performance issues, and the government provided additional funding to accelerate maintenance and upgrades on vacant public housing homes.
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.
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 encompassing white and blue collar jobs, with essential services well represented. The unemployment rate was 7.8% in the past year, showing an employment growth of 4.8%. As of December 2025823 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 4.0%, higher than Greater Adelaide's rate of 3.8%.
Workforce participation lags at 51.6% compared to Greater Adelaide's 66.0%. Census data indicates that only 9.0% of residents work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. Resident employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, construction, and retail trade. Construction shows notable concentration with levels at 1.8 times the regional average.
Conversely, professional & technical services have lower representation at 3.6% versus the regional average of 7.3%. The worker-to-resident ratio is 0.6, indicating local employment opportunities above the norm. In the 12-month period ending in December 2025, employment increased by 4.8% while labour force grew by 3.1%, reducing the unemployment rate by 1.5 percentage points. In comparison, Greater Adelaide saw employment grow by 4.2%, labour force expand by 3.9%, and unemployment fall by 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that O'Sullivan Beach's employment should increase by 6.3% over five years and 13.2% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation of industry-specific projections against the local employment profile.
Frequently Asked Questions - Employment
Income
Income metrics place the area in the bottom 10% of locations nationally according to AreaSearch analysis
According to AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released on 1st July 2023 for financial year 2023, the suburb of O'Sullivan Beach had a median income among taxpayers of $43,761 with the average level standing at $50,224. This is lower than average on a national basis and compares to levels of $54,808 and $66,852 across Greater Adelaide respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.17% since financial year 2023, current estimates would be approximately $48,211 (median) and $55,332 (average) as of March 2026. From the 2021 Census conducted on 10th August 2021, household, family and personal incomes in O'Sullivan Beach all fall between the 5th and 11th percentiles nationally. Income analysis reveals 30.7% of the population (628 individuals) fall within the $800 - 1,499 income range, contrasting with the region where the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket leads 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
In O'Sullivan Beach, as per the latest Census, 93.5% of dwellings were houses while 6.5% consisted of other types such as semi-detached units and apartments. This compares to Adelaide metro's figures of 75.2% houses and 24.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in O'Sullivan Beach stood at 34.5%, with mortgaged dwellings at 35.7% and rented ones at 29.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,200, lower than Adelaide metro's average of $1,562. Median weekly rent in the area was $300, compared to Adelaide metro's $320. Nationally, O'Sullivan Beach's mortgage repayments were significantly lower at $1,200 versus Australia's average of $1,863, while 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% of all households, including 19.5% couples with children, 25.6% couples without children, and 16.1% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 37.7%, with lone person households at 32.9% and group households at 4.6%. 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 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 8.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (1.9%) and graduate diplomas (1.2%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 41.9% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas at 9.0% and certificates at 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, consisting of bus services. These stops are served by two routes, collectively offering 264 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated good, with residents typically located 205 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward daily due to the area's residential nature. Car remains the dominant mode at 88%, while train usage is 6%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.2 per dwelling, below the regional average.
According to the 2021 Census, a relatively low 9.0% of residents work from home, possibly due to COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 37 trips per day across all routes, equating to 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 shows significant health challenges for O'Sullivan Beach residents. AreaSearch's assessment found high prevalence of common health conditions across both younger and older age groups. Only approximately 47% of the total population (~960 people) had private health cover, compared to 52.7% in 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, lower than the 67.9% in Greater Adelaide. Working-age residents face notable health challenges due to high chronic condition rates. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 24.0%, compared to 19.2% in Greater Adelaide. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, but generally align with national rankings for the general population.
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 index below average, with 79.9% of its population 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 most notable overrepresentation was in the 'Other' category, which constituted 0.8% compared to Greater Adelaide's 1.8%.
In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were English (35.5%), Australian (28.7%), and Scottish (6.8%), all higher than their respective regional averages of 27.8%, 22.8%, and not specified. Notably, German (6.1%) and Welsh (0.7%) were overrepresented compared to the region's 5.1% and 0.6% respectively, while South Australian was also slightly higher at 0.5%.
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 also exceeds the Australian median of 38. Comparing with Greater Adelaide, the cohort aged 65-74 is notably over-represented in O'Sullivan Beach at 13.5%, while those aged 15-24 are under-represented at 9.7%. Between the 2021 Census and now, the age group of 35 to 44 has grown from 13.1% to 14.8% of the population. Conversely, the age group of 45 to 54 has declined from 12.4% to 11.2%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate significant demographic changes for O'Sullivan Beach. The 45-54 age cohort is projected to increase notably by 41 people (18%) from 229 to 271. The 0-4 age group is expected to grow more modestly at 7%, adding only 7 residents.