Smithfield Plains

Smithfield Plains lies within the top 10% of areas nationally in terms of population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of short and medium-term trends

Based on AreaSearch's analysis of ABS population updates for the broader area, as of February 2026, the estimated population of Smithfield Plains is around 3,603. This reflects an increase of 298 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 3,305. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's resident population estimate of 3,579 in June 2024, following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS and an additional 85 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 2,402 persons per square kilometer, placing Smithfield Plains in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Over the past decade, from 2011 to 2021, Smithfield Plains has demonstrated resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 1.3%, outpacing Greater Adelaide's growth during this period. Population growth for the suburb was primarily driven by natural growth, contributing approximately 42.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

However, all drivers including interstate migration and overseas migration were positive factors. AreaSearch is adopting 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, 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. Examining future population trends, a significant increase is forecast for Smithfield Plains, with the area expected to grow by 1,506 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting an increase of 42.8% in total over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch assessment of residential approval activity sees Smithfield Plains among the top 30% of areas assessed nationwide

AreaSearch analysis reveals that Smithfield Plains has received approximately 44 dwelling approvals per year on average over the past five financial years, totalling an estimated 224 homes. As of FY-26, 8 approvals have been recorded. This results in around 1.4 people moving to the area annually for each dwelling built between FY-21 and FY-25, indicating a balanced supply and demand market with stable conditions. New properties are constructed at an average expected cost of $284,000.

In FY-26, there have been $3.6 million in commercial approvals, suggesting limited commercial development focus compared to residential. Relative to Greater Adelaide, Smithfield Plains has about three-quarters the rate of new dwelling approvals per person but ranks among the 92nd percentile nationally, reflecting strong developer confidence. New development comprises 93.0% detached houses and 7.0% medium and high-density housing, preserving the area's suburban character focused on family homes. There are approximately 68 people per dwelling approval in Smithfield Plains, suggesting an expanding market.

According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, the population is projected to grow by 1,543 residents through to 2041. Construction pace is maintaining reasonable growth, though buyers may face increasing competition as population increases.

Smithfield Plains has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 24thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified six projects that are likely to impact this region. Notable projects include Tudor Vale Shopping Centre, Munno Para West, Playford North Urban Renewal Project, Playford Alive East, and Eyeington Estate. The following list details those most relevant:.

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

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

Smithfield Plains' workforce is balanced across white and blue-collar jobs with varied sector representation. Its unemployment rate was 14.0% in the past year, showing an estimated employment growth of 2.1%. As of September 2025, 1,340 residents are employed while the unemployment rate stands at 10.1%, which is 6.2 percentage points higher than Greater Adelaide's rate of 3.9%.

Workforce participation in Smithfield Plains is lower at 58.1% compared to Greater Adelaide's 66.4%. Census data indicates that only 4.2% of residents work from home, although Covid-19 lockdown impacts may have influenced this figure. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, retail trade, and manufacturing sectors. Retail trade has a particularly notable concentration with employment levels at 1.4 times the regional average.

Conversely, education & training has limited presence with only 4.1% of employment compared to the regional average of 9.3%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment levels increased by 2.1% while labour force grew by 1.9%, causing a slight decrease in unemployment rate by 0.1 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Adelaide saw employment rise by 3.0%, labour force grow by 2.9%, and unemployment fall by 0.1 percentage points during the same period. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that while overall employment is projected to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these projections to Smithfield Plains' employment mix indicates a potential local employment increase of 5.9% over five years and 12.7% over ten years. However, it is important to note that these projections are based on simple weighting extrapolations for illustrative purposes and do not account for localised population projections.

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

Smithfield Plains' suburb has an income level below the national average, as per AreaSearch's aggregation of latest ATO data for financial year 2023. The median income among taxpayers in Smithfield Plains is $40,173, with an average income of $43,788. This compares to Greater Adelaide's figures of $54,808 and $66,852 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.8% since financial year 2023, estimated incomes as of September 2025 would be approximately $43,708 (median) and $47,641 (average). Census data shows household, family and personal incomes in Smithfield Plains fall between the 3rd and 4th percentiles nationally. Income distribution reveals that 31.7% of the population (1,142 individuals) earn within the $800 - $1,499 range, differing from surrounding regions where $1,500 - $2,999 dominates at 31.8%. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 78.3% of income remaining, ranking at the 4th percentile.

Smithfield Plains is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Smithfield Plains' dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, were 84.8% houses and 15.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other'). In comparison, Adelaide metro had 75.2% houses and 24.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Smithfield Plains was at 12.8%, with mortgaged dwellings at 36.1% and rented ones at 51.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,092, below Adelaide metro's average of $1,562. Median weekly rent in Smithfield Plains was $251, lower than Adelaide metro's $320 and Australia's national figure of $375. Nationally, mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $1,863.

Smithfield Plains features high concentrations of group households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 66.5% of all households, including 23.7% couples with children, 14.8% couples without children, and 26.0% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 33.5%, with lone person households at 29.3% and group households comprising 4.5%. The median household size is 2.6 people, larger than the Greater Adelaide average of 2.5.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 7.1%, significantly lower than Australia's average of 30.4%. This disparity presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 5.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (0.9%) and graduate diplomas (0.8%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 41.0% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications - advanced diplomas account for 6.4% and certificates for 34.6%.

Educational participation is high, with 36.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 16.3% in primary education, 9.3% in secondary education, and 3.7% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Public transport analysis conducted in Smithfield Plains indicates there are 13 active transport stops currently operating. These stops primarily service buses, with a total of 12 individual routes providing weekly passenger trips amounting to 587. Transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents on average located approximately 224 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a predominantly residential area, most residents commute outward. The dominant mode of transportation remains car at 88%, while bus usage stands at 7%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.0 per dwelling, which is below the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, a relatively low 4.2% of residents work from home, possibly due to COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency across all routes averages 83 trips per day, equating to approximately 45 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Smithfield Plains is a key challenge with a range of health conditions having marked impacts on both younger and older age cohorts

Smithfield Plains faces significant health challenges, as indicated by AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are high across various health conditions, affecting both younger and older age groups. Private health cover is extremely low at approximately 44% of the total population (~1,599 people), compared to 52.7% in Greater Adelaide and a national average of 55.7%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are mental health issues (13.4%) and asthma (10.9%), while 62.8% of residents report having no medical ailments, compared to 67.9% in Greater Adelaide. Working-age residents face notable health challenges due to elevated chronic condition rates. The area has a lower proportion of seniors, with 10.2% of residents aged 65 and over (367 people), compared to 19.3% in Greater Adelaide. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, broadly aligning with national rankings for the general population.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Smithfield Plains was found to be slightly above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Smithfield Plains had a higher-than-average cultural diversity, with 21.5% of its population born overseas and 16.9% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Smithfield Plains, making up 34.1% of people, while Islam comprised 5.0%, which is higher than the Greater Adelaide average of 3.0%. The top three ancestry groups were English (30.4%), Australian (28.7%), and Other (13.9%).

Notably, Australian Aboriginal was overrepresented at 4.8% compared to the regional average of 1.2%, as were German (4.3%) and Russian (0.3%) groups.

Smithfield Plains hosts a very young demographic, ranking in the bottom 10% of areas nationwide

Smithfield Plains has a median age of 29 years, which is lower than the Greater Adelaide average of 39 and the Australian median of 38. Compared to Greater Adelaide, Smithfield Plains has a higher proportion of residents aged 5-14 (16.1%) but fewer residents aged 55-64 (7.6%). Between 2021 and the present day, the population aged 35-44 increased from 13.6% to 15.1%, while those aged 15-24 rose from 14.0% to 15.4%. Conversely, the proportion of residents aged 5-14 decreased from 18.2% to 16.1%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests Smithfield Plains' age profile will change significantly. The population aged 25-34 is projected to grow steadily, increasing by 251 people (42%) from 590 to 842.