Para Hills West

Para Hills West is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

Based on ABS population updates and AreaSearch's validation of new addresses, the Para Hills West statistical area (Lv2) had an estimated population of around 3,577 as of November 2025. This reflects an increase of 282 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 3,295. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of 3,490 residents following examination of ABS's latest ERP data release in June 2024 and an additional 83 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 1,310 persons per square kilometer, higher than the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Para Hills West's growth rate of 8.6% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area's 4.0%, making it a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 62.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, driving primary population growth for the area.

AreaSearch adopts 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 by age category are adopted, based on 2021 data and released in 2023, with adjustments made using weighted aggregation methods from LGA to SA2 levels. Future population dynamics anticipate an increase just below the median of statistical areas across the nation, with Para Hills West expected to expand by 187 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a decline of 0.5% in total over the 17 years.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Para Hills West when compared nationally

Para Hills West experienced around 43 dwelling approvals annually based on AreaSearch analysis. Between FY-21 and FY-25, approximately 215 homes were approved, with another 27 in FY-26. On average, 0.5 people moved to the area per dwelling built over these years.

The average construction value of new properties was $329,000. This financial year, there have been $2.7 million in commercial approvals. Para Hills West records 258% more development activity per person compared to Greater Adelaide. Recent construction comprises 91% detached houses and 9% townhouses or apartments. With around 93 people per dwelling approval, Para Hills West is considered a growth area.

Its population is expected to remain stable or decline, potentially reducing housing pressure.

Para Hills West has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 36thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified six projects likely influencing the region. Notable projects include Springbank Waters Residential Estate, The Heights Estate Para Hills, Keswick Gardens Retirement Village Expansion, and Para Hills West Urban Renewal Precinct. Relevant projects are detailed below.

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

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The labour market performance in Para Hills West lags significantly behind most other regions nationally

Para Hills West has a balanced workforce with white and blue collar jobs. The unemployment rate is 5.8% and there was estimated employment growth of 1.1% in the past year.

As of September 2025, 1,508 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 1.9% higher than Greater Adelaide's rate of 3.9%. Workforce participation lags at 55.8%, compared to Greater Adelaide's 61.7%. Dominant employment sectors include health care & social assistance, retail trade, and manufacturing. Manufacturing has a particularly high representation with an employment share 1.4 times the regional level.

Conversely, professional & technical services have lower representation at 3.8% versus the regional average of 7.3%. The worker-to-resident ratio is 0.7, indicating local employment opportunities are above average. In the past year, employment increased by 1.1%, labour force grew by 0.5%, and unemployment rate fell by 0.5 percentage points. State-level data to 25-Nov shows SA employment grew by 1.19% year-on-year with an unemployment rate of 4.0%. National forecasts suggest Para Hills West's employment should increase by 6.3% over five years and 13.4% over ten years, based on industry-specific projections applied to the local employment mix.

Income metrics place the area in the bottom 10% of locations nationally according to AreaSearch analysis

The suburb of Para Hills West had a median taxpayer income of $42,365 and an average income of $48,039 in the financial year 2023, according to postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. This is lower than national averages, with Greater Adelaide's median being $54,808 and average being $66,852. By September 2025, estimated incomes would be approximately $46,093 (median) and $52,266 (average), based on an 8.8% growth since financial year 2023. The 2021 Census shows that household, family, and personal incomes in Para Hills West fall between the 8th and 11th percentiles nationally. Income distribution reveals that 30.0% of residents earn $800 - $1,499 weekly, compared to 31.8% in the wider region who earn $1,500 - $2,999 weekly. Housing affordability is severe, with only 81.1% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 8th percentile.

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

Para Hills West had 70.2% houses and 29.7% other dwellings in its latest Census evaluation, compared to Adelaide metro's 83.9% houses and 16.0% other dwellings. Home ownership in Para Hills West was at 25.9%, with mortgaged dwellings at 35.7% and rented ones at 38.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,300, aligning with Adelaide metro's average, while the median weekly rent was $275, compared to Adelaide metro's $300. Nationally, Para Hills West's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Para Hills West features high concentrations of lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 63.2% of all households, including 24.6% couples with children, 21.5% couples without children, and 15.3% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 36.8%, consisting of 34.2% lone person households and 2.9% group households. The median household size is 2.3 people, which is smaller than the Greater Adelaide average of 2.7.

Para Hills West faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area's university qualification rate is 15.9%, significantly lower than the Australian average of 30.4%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 10.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.9%) and graduate diplomas (1.6%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 35.2% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas at 7.9% and certificates at 27.3%. Educational participation is high, with 26.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education: 9.9% in primary, 5.7% in secondary, and 5.1% in tertiary education.

Educational participation is notably high, with 26.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.9% in primary education, 5.7% in secondary education, and 5.1% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Para Hills West has 21 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 19 different routes that together facilitate 1,116 weekly passenger trips. The transport accessibility in the area is rated as good, with residents on average located 278 meters from their nearest transport stop.

On average, there are 159 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately 53 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Para Hills West is well below average with prevalence of common health conditions notable across both younger and older age cohorts

Para Hills West faces significant health challenges, as indicated by health data. Both younger and older age groups show high prevalence of common health conditions.

Private health cover is notably low, at approximately 46% (~1,647 people), compared to the national average of 55.7%. Mental health issues and arthritis are the most prevalent medical conditions, affecting 10.8% and 8.1% of residents respectively. Only 63.2% of residents report being completely free from medical ailments, lower than Greater Adelaide's 68.1%. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over (19.5%, or 697 people), compared to Greater Adelaide's 16.1%. Health outcomes among seniors present challenges broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

Para Hills West was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Para Hills West has a high level of cultural diversity, with 31.3% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 37.4% born overseas. Christianity is the predominant religion in Para Hills West, accounting for 35.9% of the population. Notably, the 'Other' religious category comprises 4.4% of Para Hills West's population, higher than the regional average of 2.8%.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups are English (25.7%), Australian (22.2%), and Other (17.0%). Some ethnic groups show notable differences: Polish is slightly overrepresented at 1.2% compared to the regional average of 1.1%, Serbian remains steady at 0.5%, and Indian is more prevalent at 4.4% versus the regional average of 3.2%.

Para Hills West's population aligns closely with national norms in age terms

Para Hills West has a median age of 38, nearly matching Greater Adelaide's figure of 39 and Australia's median age of 38. Compared to the Greater Adelaide average, the 35-44 cohort is over-represented in Para Hills West at 14.7%, while the 45-54 cohort is under-represented at 10.5%. Between 2021 and present, the 35-44 age group has increased from 13.3% to 14.7% of the population, whereas the 5-14 cohort has decreased from 11.7% to 10.7%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in Para Hills West's age profile. The 85+ cohort is expected to grow by 71 people (69%), from 103 to 175. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 78% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic trend. Meanwhile, the 0-4 and 55-64 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.