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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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Parafield Gardens has an estimated 18,675 residents, up from 18,467 at the 2021 Census — a change of 208 people, or 1.1%. 104 new addresses have been validated here since Census night. That puts 2,657 residents on each 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
In the suburb of Parafield Gardens, the population stands at approximately 18,675 as of Aug 2026, according to AreaSearch evaluations combining broader ABS updates and post-Census validated addresses. Compared to the 18,467 people recorded at the 2021 Census, this represents a gain of 208 people (1.1%). These calculations draw on an estimated resident population of 18,589 established after reviewing the ABS June 2025 ERP release, alongside 104 validated new addresses added after the Census date. With 2,656 persons per square kilometer, the locality falls within the top quartile for population density among nationally evaluated areas.
Over the preceding ten years, the suburb of Parafield Gardens expanded at a solid compound annual rate of 1.0%, running ahead of the wider SA3 area. Net overseas arrivals served as the primary demographic driver, accounting for roughly 65.0% of recent population additions. For each SA2 boundary, AreaSearch utilizes ABS/Geoscience Australia demographic projections published in 2024 using 2022 as a base year. Where SA2 figures are unavailable, and across periods following 2032, figures incorporate the SA State Government's 2023 Regional/LGA age-cohort projections based on 2021 numbers, adjusted by weighting LGA population trends to the SA2 tier. Anticipated demographic gains for the suburb of Parafield Gardens sit marginally beneath the national median for statistical areas. Across the 16 years running to 2041, SA2 aggregate modeling projects an addition of 752 persons, which translates to a total expansion of 3.6%.
Frequently Asked Questions - Population
325 new dwellings have been approved in Parafield Gardens over the past five years, an average of 65 a year. That is 3.2 approvals per 1,000 residents. Of the 59 dwellings approved in the latest reporting year, 83% were detached houses and the rest townhouses or apartments. Approvals are currently running at an annualised 102, running ahead of 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
Residential building approvals allocated from ABS statistical area data show Parafield Gardens averaging around 65 approved dwellings annually. Across the past 5 financial years (from FY-21 to FY-25), an estimated 325 residential properties were approved, including 102 approvals recorded to date in FY-25. Because local population numbers have eased, this incoming stock has likely met buyer demand and maintained healthy purchasing options, with newly constructed dwellings averaging an expected construction cost of $316,000 in line with wider regional building levels. Non-residential activity remains steady as well, with $13.6 million in commercial approvals logged during this financial year.
Per capita construction activity in Parafield Gardens reaches approximately 75% of the Greater Adelaide benchmark, placing the locality in the 62nd percentile nationally despite a recent uptick in building work. This comparatively lower rate highlights market maturity alongside potential physical planning limitations. The profile of incoming development is heavily concentrated in detached dwellings at 83.0%, with medium and high-density housing comprising 17.0%, preserving the low-density suburban landscape oriented toward family homes. Overall density metrics show approximately 216 people per dwelling approval. Based on the most recent quarterly figures from AreaSearch, Parafield Gardens is projected to gain 666 residents by 2041. Ongoing construction activity indicates that future residential supply will easily satisfy demand, sustaining favorable purchasing conditions and potentially enabling growth beyond current demographic forecasts.
Frequently Asked Questions - Development
Development applications around Parafield Gardens
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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.
AreaSearch tracks 12 current infrastructure and development projects inside Parafield Gardens, worth an estimated $254 million. A further 21 sit in the immediately surrounding suburbs, taking the tracked pipeline within reach of the area to $8.07 billion. 13 are already under construction and 13 are due for completion within three years. The pipeline spans residential development, education & training and communities, precincts & urban renewal. 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 capital works, planning schemes, and major developments exert a significant bearing on community outcomes. AreaSearch has pinpointed 15 infrastructure and development initiatives relevant to the area, highlighted by The Glades, Parafield Gardens (Stage 8+), the Mawson Lakes Road Management Plan, Public Housing Builds in Parafield Gardens, and the Gardenia Drive Aged Care Expansion.
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Frequently Asked Questions - Infrastructure
The Glades, Parafield Gardens (Stage 8+)
Masterplanned residential subdivision known as The Glades at Parafield Gardens, delivering more than 250 new house-and-land allotments off Shepherdson Road. Most stages have now been released and sold, with home construction well advanced and remaining homes still being delivered, providing family housing close to schools, shops and public transport in Adelaides northern suburbs.
Public Housing Builds in Parafield Gardens
Development of 4 public housing homes as part of the South Australian government's public housing improvement program, with additional 5 upgrades and 45 maintenance activities to address housing needs.
Edenfield Family Care Parafield Gardens Aged Care Expansion
Proposed expansion of Edenfield Family Care at Parafield Gardens to add residential aged care capacity, including memory support accommodation. The existing Edenfield home at the site provides residential aged care, respite care, dementia and palliative care services in a five-home campus with private rooms, ensuites, communal lounges, dining areas and landscaped courtyards.
Parafield Gardens High School Major Upgrades
A $10 million facility upgrade including a new building with gymnasium, food technology teaching facilities, amenities, refurbished music and drama suites, contemporary learning areas, removal of transportable buildings and asbestos, and a special options upgrade for students with disabilities featuring a new modular building with general learning areas, flexible learning spaces, shared kitchenette, storage, teacher preparation areas, and fully assisted access toilet.
Parafield Gardens Primary School Major Upgrades
A $6.3 million upgrade delivering a new single storey modular building with three classrooms and a two room visual arts suite, plus extensive refurbishment of existing teaching spaces into flexible learning areas. Works are complete and in use.
Technology Park Adelaide Precinct Expansion
Ongoing expansion of the 65-hectare Technology Park Adelaide precinct at Mawson Lakes, managed by Renewal SA on behalf of the South Australian Government. The precinct is home to more than 100 companies across defence, aerospace, electronics, health and ICT sectors, anchored by Lockheed Martin, Saab Australia, Codan, and Raytheon. Key recent milestones include the completed $25 million Kongsberg Defence Australia headquarters (opened September 2024) and the Leyton Property 'Base' development - a $25 million precinct of 22 purpose-built high-performance warehouses targeting defence and high-tech supply chain tenants, with construction commencing August 2026.Innovation House has been upgraded to a NABERS 4.5-star rating following solar installations, while Endeavour House holds a 5-star rating. Strong occupancy and demand driven by South Australia's expanding defence sector under AUKUS.
Eden Academy Parafield Gardens
A state-of-the-art childcare centre providing nurturing and educational environments for children from 0 to 5 years, with capacity for up to 126 places, featuring in-house meals, educational programs, and school readiness initiatives.
Salisbury Park Estate
A $31 million residential development by M2 Custom Homes on 1.12ha, delivering 45 new three-bedroom, energy-efficient homes, with 38 designated as affordable housing for first home buyers, featuring modern amenities and the HomeStart Shared Equity option.
8,424 residents of Parafield Gardens are employed, from a labour force of 8,971. Unemployment sits at 6.1%, with participation at 59.7%. Weighted for its industry mix, the area's sectors are forecast to grow about 6.0% nationally over five years. That reflects industry composition only and makes no allowance for local population growth. The working-day population is estimated at 15,196, about 81% 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
The local labour market in Parafield Gardens is anchored by manufacturing and industrial trades, maintaining an unemployment rate of 6.1% and steady conditions over the previous year according to statistical area aggregations. As of March 2026, employed residents count 8,424, while joblessness exceeds Greater Adelaide's 3.8% level by 2.3% and the participation rate of 59.7% falls well behind the regional benchmark of 66.4%. Census figures indicated that only 5.4% of workers operated from home, though pandemic restrictions at the time should be noted. Local employment is concentrated predominantly within health care & social assistance, manufacturing, and retail trade.
Manufacturing represents a key area of industrial concentration, engaging 1.6 times the metropolitan share of workers. In contrast, professional & technical roles account for only 3.6% of local workers, lagging the 7.3% seen across Greater Adelaide. Comparisons between resident workers and local operational roles demonstrate that the suburb is largely residential with limited internal employment generation. Over the past 12-month period, combined ABS and SALM statistical data indicate that local employment expanded by 0.5% while the workforce grew by 1.0%, lifting unemployment by 0.5 percentage points. By comparison, Greater Adelaide recorded a 4.2% rise in employment, a 4.0% increase in the labour force, and a 0.2 percentage points reduction in unemployment. Looking ahead, Jobs and Skills Australia's national projections from Mar-26 indicate overall job growth of 6.6% across five years and 13.7% over ten years. When these industry-specific national trajectories are mapped across the suburb's existing industrial base, local employment is estimated to expand by 6.0% over five years and 12.9% across ten years, representing an illustrative weighted projection independent of local population adjustments.
Frequently Asked Questions - Employment
Median household income in Parafield Gardens is $1,384 a week (about $72,000 a year), with median personal income at $585 a week. ATO records put median taxable income at $46,236 a year against an average of $50,323. 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
ATO figures released for financial year 2023 place the median taxpayer income in the suburb of Parafield Gardens at $46,236, alongside an average of $50,323. These numbers trail the national standard as well as Greater Adelaide's median of $54,808 and average of $66,852. Factoring in Wage Price Index expansion of 10.17% since financial year 2023, updated estimates as of March 2026 stand at approximately $50,938 (median) and $55,441 (average). Census assessments position local personal earnings in the 10th percentile and household earnings in the 27th percentile ($1,384 weekly). Furthermore, 34.4% of residents (6,424 individuals) sit within the $1,500 - 2,999 income bracket, mirroring the broader metropolitan proportion of 31.8%.
Severe mortgage and rental pressures leave residents with only 84.0% of disposable earnings, ranking at the 27th percentile.
Frequently Asked Questions - Income
Parafield Gardens had 6,141 occupied dwellings at the 2021 Census, 90% detached houses and 2% apartments. 42% are owned with a mortgage, 29% rented and 29% owned outright. At that Census the median rent was $300 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,382 a month. Rent absorbs 21.7% of household income here and mortgage repayments 23.0%. Dwelling stock, tenure and housing costs are 2021 Census measures — the only source that counts dwellings at this boundary size.
Detail
At the most recent Census, the local housing stock in Parafield Gardens comprised 89.5% separate houses and 10.5% other dwellings such as units, townhouses, and apartments, compared to Adelaide metro where houses represented 75.2% and other dwellings made up 24.9%. Outright home ownership stood at 28.8%, trailing metropolitan averages, while mortgaged properties accounted for 41.9% and private rentals accommodated 29.3%. Median monthly mortgage costs stood at $1,382 and weekly rents were $300, both coming in below Adelaide metro medians of $1,562 and $320. These figures also remain noticeably more affordable than Australian benchmarks of $1,863 for mortgages and $375 for weekly rents.
Frequently Asked Questions - Housing
Parafield Gardens counted 6,141 households at the 2021 Census, averaging 2.9 people each. 38% are couples with children, against 22% couples without children. 20% of households are people living alone, and families average 1.8 children. Household and family composition is measured only by the Census, so these are 2021 figures.
Detail
Families make up 76.8% of local households, consisting of couples with children (38.1%), childless couples (21.9%), and single parent arrangements (15.2%). Non-family living arrangements account for the remaining 23.2%, which is divided between single-person dwellings at 20.4% and shared group accommodation at 2.7%. The typical household size stands at 2.9 people, exceeding the Greater Adelaide benchmark of 2.5.
Frequently Asked Questions - Households
18.9% of adults in Parafield Gardens hold a university qualification, including 13.2% with a bachelor degree and 4.4% with postgraduate qualifications. A further 22.1% hold a vocational qualification. 6 schools serve the area, with 3,594 enrolment places and an average ICSEA of 976 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
Higher education qualifications present a local development opportunity, with 18.9% of residents holding university degrees compared to the 30.4% national benchmark. Tertiary attainment is led by bachelor degrees at 13.2%, followed by postgraduate degrees at 4.4% and graduate diplomas at 1.3%. Vocational qualifications are prominent, with 29.6% of community members aged 15+ holding technical credentials, broken down into certificates (22.1%) and advanced diplomas (7.5%). Formal study engagement is substantial throughout the community, with 31.1% of the population attending an educational institution. This proportion includes 11.8% enrolled in primary schools, 7.4% attending secondary institutions, and 5.3% undertaking tertiary studies.
Frequently Asked Questions - Education
Schools Detail
Public transport in Parafield Gardens reaches 71 stops on 18 routes, timetabled for about 1,100 services a week. The typical home sits about 210 m from its nearest stop. Buses carry the largest share of public transport commuters. Households keep an average of 1.5 vehicles. Stop and service counts are built from operators' published GTFS timetables and refresh with each timetable release; vehicle ownership is from the 2021 Census.
Detail
Public transit across Parafield Gardens comprises 71 active transport stops spanning bus and train services. A network of 18 individual routes delivers 1,095 weekly passenger trips, providing convenient local access with dwellings typically situated 206 meters from their closest boarding point. Commuters predominantly travel out of the suburb for employment, with private motor vehicles accounting for 91% of journeys, public buses handling 5%, and household vehicle ownership averaging 1.5 per dwelling. At the 2021 Census, a modest 5.4% of residents worked from home, which may have been influenced by COVID-19 settings.
Across all transit lines, operations deliver a mean frequency of 156 trips per day, translating to roughly 15 weekly trips per individual stop.
Frequently Asked Questions - Transport
Transport Stops Detail
70.2% of residents in Parafield Gardens report no long-term health condition, a less healthy profile than 76% of areas nationally. 7.5% need daily assistance with core activities, and 46.9% hold private health cover. The standardised death rate runs at 6.1 per 1,000 residents. Health conditions, assistance needs and insurance are 2021 Census measures; the death rate comes from current ABS releases.
Detail
Local health profiles indicate noticeable community challenges across both youth and older demographics regarding chronic ailment rates, while private health insurance uptake is restricted to approximately 47% of residents (~8,766 people). This coverage level trails Greater Adelaide's 52.7% and the Australian figure of 55.7%. Asthma and arthritis constitute the most prevalent long-term conditions locally, affecting 8.0 and 7.8% of the community respectively. Meanwhile, 70.2% of residents reported having no diagnosed health conditions, tracking above the Greater Adelaide proportion of 67.9%. Working-age individuals record above-average rates of chronic conditions. Older residents aged 65 and over total 3,081 people or 16.5% of the population, lower than the 19.1% regional level, with senior health indicators broadly tracking wider Australian benchmarks.
Frequently Asked Questions - Health
42.5% of Parafield Gardens residents were born overseas and 46.3% speak a language other than English at home, more culturally diverse than 86% of areas nationally. The largest reported ancestries are English (20.2%) and Australian (19.3%). Ancestry, language and country of birth are counted only by the Census, so these are 2021 figures.
Detail
Cultural diversity is pronounced across Parafield Gardens, where 42.5% of residents were born outside Australia and 46.3% speak a non-English language at home. Christianity forms the largest religious affiliation at 36.4% of the population. Notably, Buddhism is strongly represented at 7.6%, significantly exceeding the Greater Adelaide share of 2.4%. Regarding parental ancestry, the primary reported backgrounds in Parafield Gardens are Other at 22.4% (well above the regional 9.7%), English at 20.2% (trailing the metropolitan 27.8%), and Australian at 19.3%. Specific community concentrations also show higher local representation compared to metropolitan Adelaide, including Vietnamese ancestry at 5.9% (vs 1.2% regionally), Indian at 6.1% (vs 2.3%), and Polish at 1.3% (vs 1.0%).
Frequently Asked Questions - Diversity
The median resident of Parafield Gardens is 36. 26.6% 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
The age distribution in Parafield Gardens skews younger than the surrounding metropolitan area, with children and young adults (0 - 24) representing 32.0% of the population as at August 2026, compared to 29.0% regionally. Residents in the retiree and elderly cohorts (65+) account for 16.5%, below the regional benchmark of 19.1%. The estimated median age is 36 as at August 2026, matching the 2021 Census figure and sitting 3 years younger than Greater Adelaide's Census median of 39. Since the Census, the senior proportion has expanded from 14.7% to an estimated 16.5%.
By 2041, older demographics are forecast to drive the strongest gains, rising by 750 (24%) to 3,831 individuals, while child, young adult, and middle-aged cohorts are projected to contract.
Frequently Asked Questions - Age
Data & MethodBoundaries, Sources & Method for Parafield Gardens
9 of 14 data sections on this page were updated within the last 12 months — the newest current to Oct 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) | Aug 2026 2 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 Aug 2026, with the 2021 Census supplying the small-area baseline. | ||
| Age profile | ABS, Geoscience Australia, State governments Annual | Aug 2026 2 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Age cohorts are re-based to the latest ABS population estimates and state projections, current to Aug 2026. Each cohort is held as a Census baseline and a current estimate. | ||
| Development & approvals | ABS, GNAF Monthly (ABS approvals) | Aug 2026 2 months ago headline measures · Jul 2026 baseline |
| Property sales & rents | Valuer General, Rental Board, ABS Weekly sales, quarterly rents | Oct 2026 this month headline measures · Sep 2026 baseline |
| 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 Oct 2026. | ||
| Infrastructure projects | Infrastructure Australia, State agencies, Local governments Daily | Aug 2026 2 months ago all 12 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 Aug 2026. | ||
| Employment | ABS, DEWR, JSA Quarterly (ABS SALM) | Mar 2026 7 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) | Sep 2026 last month headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Transport | ABS, State Transport Departments Each timetable release | Jul 2026 3 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Services & amenities | Provider directories, ACECQA Continuous | Sep 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 — 104 validated new addresses here. The headline figure is therefore a current estimate for Aug 2026, not a 2021 count (18,467 at the 2021 Census → 18,675 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 Aug 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 (SAL41103). QuickStats reports 2021 only — the figures on this page are more current wherever the ledger shows a later date.