Port Willunga

Port Willunga has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

Based on ABS population updates and AreaSearch validation, as of Nov 2025, Port Willunga's estimated population is around 1,939. This reflects an increase of 154 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 1,785. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of 1,835 residents following their examination of ABS' latest ERP data release (June 2024), along with an additional 17 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population results in a density ratio of 910 persons per square kilometer, comparable to averages seen across areas assessed by AreaSearch. Port Willunga's growth rate of 8.6% since the 2021 census exceeded both its SA3 area (6.2%) and SA4 region, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 50.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, with all drivers including natural growth and interstate migration being positive factors.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data and years post-2032, SA State Government's Regional/LGA projections by age category are adopted, released in 2023 based on 2021 data, with adjustments made employing a method of weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Demographic trends indicate that the Port Willunga statistical area (Lv2) is expected to increase by 169 persons to 2041, reflecting an increase of 5.9% in total over the 17 years.

AreaSearch analysis of residential development drivers sees Port Willunga recording a relatively average level of approval activity when compared to local markets analysed countrywide

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers indicates Port Willunga has experienced around 10 dwelling approvals per year. Between FY21 and FY25, approximately 50 homes were approved, with an additional 5 in FY26 so far. Each new dwelling brings about 2 new residents on average over the past five financial years.

Developers focus on premium market segments, with average construction values of $445,000. In FY26, commercial approvals totaled $4.4 million. Compared to Greater Adelaide, Port Willunga shows moderately higher building activity (12.0% above regional average per person over the 5 year period).

Recent construction comprises 91.0% standalone homes and 9.0% townhouses or apartments, preserving low density nature with an emphasis on detached housing. The area has approximately 156 people per dwelling approval. By 2041, Port Willunga is projected to grow by 115 residents based on current development patterns.

Port Willunga has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 24thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified two projects likely affecting the region: Aldinga Master Planned Community by Villawood Properties, Main South Road Duplication Project (Stage 2) from Aldinga to Sellicks Beach, and Aldinga - A New Community including Aldinga Payinthi College. The following list details these projects in order of relevance.

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.

Port Willunga has seen below average employment performance when compared to national benchmarks

Port Willunga has a skilled workforce with essential services sectors well represented. The unemployment rate was 4.9% in the past year, with an estimated employment growth of 4.9%.

As of September 2025959 residents were in work while the unemployment rate was 0.9% higher than Greater Adelaide's rate of 3.9%. Workforce participation was somewhat below standard at 57.2%, compared to Greater Adelaide's 61.7%. The dominant employment sectors among residents included health care & social assistance, construction, and education & training. Construction showed notable concentration with employment levels at 1.4 times the regional average.

Conversely, retail trade had lower representation at 7.1% versus the regional average of 10.0%. Limited local employment opportunities were indicated by the count of Census working population vs resident population. In the past year, employment increased by 4.9% alongside labour force increasing by 4.0%, resulting in a 0.8 percentage point drop in unemployment. Greater Adelaide experienced employment growth of 3.0% and labour force growth of 2.9%, with a 0.1 percentage point drop in unemployment. State-level data to 25-Nov showed SA employment grew by 1.19% year-on-year, adding 10,710 jobs, with the state unemployment rate at 4.0%. This compared favourably to the national unemployment rate of 4.3%, with the state's employment growth outpacing the national average of 0.14%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 offered further insight into potential future demand within Port Willunga. These projections estimated national employment should expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with growth rates differing significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Port Willunga's employment mix suggested local employment should increase by 6.3% over five years and 13.4% over ten years.

The area's income levels rank in the lower 15% nationally based on AreaSearch comparative data

The suburb of Port Willunga had a median taxpayer income of $47,843 and an average income of $55,582 in the financial year 2023, according to postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. This is lower than the national average, with Greater Adelaide having a median income of $54,808 and an average income of $66,852 during the same period. By September 2025, based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.8%, estimated incomes would be approximately $52,053 (median) and $60,473 (average). The 2021 Census showed household, family, and personal incomes in Port Willunga falling between the 21st and 26th percentiles nationally. Income analysis revealed that 32.0% of locals (620 people) had incomes ranging from $1,500 to $2,999, which is consistent with the broader trend across the surrounding region, where 31.8% fell into the same category. After accounting for housing costs, 85.3% of income remained, placing Port Willunga at the 23rd percentile nationally for disposable income.

Port Willunga is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Port Willunga's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 95.2% houses and 4.8% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Adelaide metro had 89.2% houses and 10.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Port Willunga was at 38.1%, with the rest being mortgaged (38.0%) or rented (23.9%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,300, lower than Adelaide metro's average of $1,452 and national average of $1,863. The median weekly rent in Port Willunga was $328, lower than Adelaide metro's $314 and national figure of $375.

Port Willunga features high concentrations of lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households make up 66.4% of all households, including 25.0% couples with children, 23.3% couples without children, and 16.6% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 33.6%, with lone person households at 30.1% and group households comprising 3.5%. The median household size is 2.3 people, which is smaller than the Greater Adelaide average of 2.5.

Educational outcomes in Port Willunga fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

Educational qualifications in Port Willunga trail regional benchmarks, with 22.9% of residents aged 15+ holding university degrees compared to the national average of 30.4%. This gap highlights potential for educational development and skills enhancement. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 16.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.7%) and graduate diplomas (2.8%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 41.1% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (11.1%) and certificates (30.0%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 28.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 11.4% in primary education, 6.7% in secondary education, and 4.7% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Port Willunga has 14 active public transport stops operating within its boundaries. These stops are served by a mix of buses running along six individual routes. Together, these routes facilitate 311 weekly passenger trips.

The accessibility of transport in Port Willunga is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 184 meters from the nearest transport stop. On average, service frequency across all routes amounts to 44 trips per day, equating to approximately 22 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Port Willunga is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts

Port Willunga faces significant health challenges with common health conditions prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts. Approximately 49% (~950 people) have private health cover, lower than the national average of 55.7%.

Mental health issues affect 10.6% of residents, while arthritis impacts 9.4%. Around 65.3% report no medical ailments, compared to 62.9% in Greater Adelaide. The area has 21.5% (416 people) aged 65 and over, with health outcomes among seniors above average, better than the general population's health metrics.

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

Port Willunga's cultural diversity was found to be below average. 83.9% of its population were born in Australia, with 90.8% being citizens and 97.4% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the main religion, comprising 28.0% of people.

However, Buddhism was overrepresented at 1.1%, compared to 0.8% across Greater Adelaide. The top three ancestry groups were English (35.6%), Australian (27.5%), and Scottish (8.6%). Notably, Welsh (1.0%) and German (6.2%) were also overrepresented in Port Willunga compared to regional averages of 0.8% and 5.4%, respectively. Serbian ancestry was present at 0.4%, slightly higher than the regional average of 0.2%.

Port Willunga hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

The median age in Port Willunga is 44 years, which is notably higher than Greater Adelaide's average of 39 years and also exceeds the Australian median of 38 years. Compared to Greater Adelaide, Port Willunga has a notable over-representation of the 65-74 age cohort at 13.1%, while the 25-34 age group is under-represented at 9.0%. Between the 2021 Census and present, the 75 to 84 age group has increased from 5.4% to 6.5% of the population. Conversely, the 5 to 14 age cohort has decreased from 13.5% to 12.4%. Population forecasts for Port Willunga in 2041 indicate significant demographic changes. The 85+ age cohort is projected to increase dramatically by 50 people (136%) from 36 to 87. The aging population trend is evident, with those aged 65 and above comprising 79% of the projected growth. Conversely, the 0 to 4 and 55 to 64 age cohorts are expected to experience population declines.