Salisbury (SA)

Population growth drivers in Salisbury are slightly above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium term trends

Based on ABS population updates for the broader area and new addresses validated by AreaSearch, Salisbury's population is estimated at around 9,119 as of Nov 2025. This reflects an increase of 278 people (3.1%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 8,841 people. The change is inferred from the resident population of 9,073 estimated by AreaSearch following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in Jun 2024 and an additional 110 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 1,991 persons per square kilometer, which is above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Over the past decade, Salisbury has demonstrated resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 1.0%, outpacing the SA3 area. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration that contributed approximately 90.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For any SA2 areas not covered by this data and for years post-2032, the 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. Looking at population projections moving forward, lower quartile growth of Australian statistical areas is anticipated, with the area expected to grow by 423 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting an increase of 3.6% in total over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is slightly higher than average within Salisbury when compared nationally

Based on AreaSearch analysis, Salisbury averaged approximately 41 new dwelling approvals per year. Between FY-21 and FY-25, around 206 homes were approved, with an additional 68 approved in FY-26 so far. On average, each new home brought in about 1 new resident annually over the past five financial years, indicating balanced supply and demand, stable market conditions, and an average construction value of $265,000 per property.

This year has seen $8.3 million in commercial approvals, reflecting the area's residential character. Compared to Greater Adelaide, Salisbury exhibited moderately higher development activity, about 27.0% above the regional average per person over the five-year period, offering reasonable buyer options while sustaining existing property demand. Recent construction comprised 75.0% detached houses and 25.0% attached dwellings, preserving the area's suburban nature and attracting space-seeking buyers.

With around 163 people per approval, Salisbury reflects a low-density area. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Salisbury is expected to grow by approximately 332 residents by 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Salisbury has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 36thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified eight projects likely impacting the area. Key projects include Salisbury City Centre Redevelopment - Salisbury Square Precinct, Salisbury Park Estate, Lot C Paralowie Land Development, and Salisbury Park Estate. The following details projects likely most relevant.

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.

Employment conditions in Salisbury face significant challenges, ranking among the bottom 10% of areas assessed nationally

Salisbury has a balanced workforce with representation across white and blue collar jobs. Manufacturing and industrial sectors are prominent, with an unemployment rate of 10.4% as of September 2025.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 1.8%. The unemployment rate is 6.5% higher than Greater Adelaide's rate of 3.9%, indicating room for improvement. Workforce participation lags behind Greater Adelaide, with 48.6% compared to 61.7%. Major employment sectors include health care & social assistance, manufacturing, and retail trade.

Manufacturing has a particularly strong presence, with an employment share 1.8 times the regional level. Professional & technical services have limited presence at 2.9%, compared to 7.3% regionally. The area offers limited local employment opportunities, as shown by Census data comparing working population to resident population. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment levels increased by 1.8% while labour force grew by 1.1%, leading to a 0.6 percentage point decrease in unemployment. In comparison, Greater Adelaide saw employment grow by 3.0%, labour force expand by 2.9%, and unemployment fall by 0.1 percentage points. State-level data from 25-Nov-25 shows SA employment grew by 1.19% year-on-year, with an unemployment rate of 4.0%. Nationally, the unemployment rate is 4.3%, but SA's employment growth outpaces the national average of 0.14%. Jobs and Skills Australia forecasts national employment to expand by 6.6% over five years and 12.8% over ten years. Applying these projections to Salisbury's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 5.9% over five years and 12.8% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 indicates that income in Salisbury is below the national average. The median assessed income is $47,793, while the average income stands at $50,853. This contrasts with Greater Adelaide's figures of a median income of $54,808 and an average income of $66,852. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.8% since financial year 2023, current estimates would be approximately $51,999 (median) and $55,328 (average) as of September 2025. Census 2021 income data shows that household, family and personal incomes in Salisbury all fall between the 4th and 5th percentiles nationally. Income brackets indicate that the predominant cohort spans 31.2% of locals (2,845 people) in the $800 - 1,499 category, unlike trends in the metropolitan region where 31.8% fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 range. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 81.0% of income remaining, ranking at the 4th percentile.

Salisbury displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Salisbury's dwellings, as per the latest Census, consisted of 61.5% houses and 38.5% other types (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In contrast, Adelaide metro had 83.9% houses and 16.0% other dwellings. Home ownership in Salisbury was 27.0%, similar to Adelaide metro's level, with mortgaged dwellings at 29.1% and rented ones at 43.9%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Salisbury was $1,213, lower than Adelaide metro's average of $1,300. Median weekly rent in Salisbury was $260, compared to Adelaide metro's $300. Nationally, Salisbury's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Salisbury features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 60.9% of all households, including 26.2% couples with children, 18.9% couples without children, and 14.5% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 39.1%, with lone person households at 34.8% and group households comprising 4.2%. The median household size is 2.5 people, which is smaller than the Greater Adelaide average of 2.7.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 13.3%, significantly lower than the Australian average of 30.4%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 9.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.5%) and graduate diplomas (1.0%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 32.1% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (7.2%) and certificates (24.9%). Educational participation is high, with 30.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 10.7% in primary, 7.6% in secondary, and 4.7% in tertiary education.

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

The transport analysis shows 61 active stops operating within Salisbury. These include a mix of train and bus services. There are 43 individual routes serving these stops, collectively providing 3,443 weekly passenger trips.

Transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located 188 meters from the nearest stop. Service frequency averages 491 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 56 weekly trips per stop.

Health performance in Salisbury is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across the board, though to a considerably higher degree among older age cohorts

Salisbury faces significant health challenges with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across the board, but to a considerably higher degree among older age cohorts. The rate of private health cover is very low at approximately 47% of the total population (~4,299 people), compared to the national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions in the area were found to be mental health issues and arthritis, impacting 8.9 and 8.6% of residents respectively, while 67.1% declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments compared to 68.1% across Greater Adelaide. As of the Australian Bureau of Statistics Census data from 2016, 18.6% of Salisbury's residents are aged 65 and over (1,696 people), which is higher than the 16.1% in Greater Adelaide. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges requiring more attention than the broader population.

Salisbury is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Salisbury has a high level of cultural diversity, with 44.5% of its population born overseas and 44.1% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Salisbury, accounting for 43.2% of the population. However, Islam is overrepresented compared to Greater Adelaide, comprising 10.8% versus 8.0%.

Regarding ancestry, the top three groups are Other (28.3%), English (21.6%), and Australian (17.9%). Notably, Vietnamese (2.0%), Italian (6.2%), and Serbian (0.4%) ethnicities have higher representations in Salisbury compared to regional averages.

Salisbury's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

The median age in Salisbury is 37 years, which is lower than Greater Adelaide's average of 39 years and close to Australia's national average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Adelaide, the 0-4 age cohort is over-represented at 6.5% in Salisbury, while the 55-64 age group is under-represented at 10.7%. According to post-2021 Census data, the 35-44 age group has increased from 12.5% to 13.3%, while the 45-54 age group has decreased from 12.0% to 11.3%. By 2041, Salisbury's population is forecasted to experience significant demographic changes. Notably, the 75-84 age group is expected to grow by 27%, reaching 731 people from 574. This growth will be led by residents aged 65 and older, who represent 81% of anticipated population growth. Conversely, the 55-64 and 35-44 age cohorts are projected to experience population declines.