Unley

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

As of Feb 2026, the estimated population of the suburb of Unley is around 4,354, reflecting an increase of 357 people since the 2021 Census. The population was recorded as 3,997 in the 2021 Census. This increase is inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of 4,208 residents following examination of ABS's latest ERP data release (June 2024) and an additional 130 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 2,902 persons per square kilometer, placing Unley in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Unley's growth rate of 8.9% since the 2021 census exceeded that of its SA3 area (6.6%), marking it as a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration was primarily responsible for this population growth.

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 are used, adjusted employing a method of weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Based on aggregated SA2-level projections, the suburb of Unley is expected to grow by 415 persons to reach an estimated total population of 4,769 by 2041, reflecting an increase of 6.0% over the 17-year period.

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

Unley has averaged approximately 10 new dwelling approvals annually. Between FY21 and FY25, around 50 homes were approved, with another 6 in FY26 so far. Each year, about 2.8 new residents are gained per dwelling built over the past five financial years.

The average construction value of these dwellings is $879,000, indicating a focus on premium market properties. This financial year has seen $5.2 million in commercial approvals. Unley records around three-quarters the building activity per person compared to Greater Adelaide and ranks at the 53rd percentile nationally for building activity. New development consists of 54% detached dwellings and 46% townhouses or apartments, offering choices across price ranges.

There are approximately 298 people per dwelling approval in Unley. By 2041, Unley is expected to grow by 263 residents. Current construction rates appear balanced with future demand, suggesting steady market conditions without excessive price pressure.

Unley has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 19thth percentile nationally

Eleven projects have been identified by AreaSearch as potentially impacting the area's performance. Key projects include Unley Central, 12-16 Glen Osmond Road Mixed-Use Development, Unley 108 Apartments, and Unley Road Public Realm Streetscape Upgrade. The following list details those likely to be most relevant.

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

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The exceptional employment performance in Unley places it among Australia's strongest labour markets

Unley has a highly educated workforce with strong representation in professional services. The unemployment rate was 1.9% as of September 2025, lower than Greater Adelaide's 3.9%. Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 2.8%.

Workforce participation was 70.5%, slightly higher than Greater Adelaide's 66.4%. A moderate 16.0% of residents worked from home according to Census responses. Major employment sectors include health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training. The area specializes in professional & technical services with an employment share twice the regional level, while manufacturing has limited presence at 3.7%.

There are 1.1 workers per resident, indicating Unley functions as an employment hub attracting workers from surrounding areas. Between September 2024 and 2025, employment levels increased by 2.8% and labour force increased by the same percentage, keeping unemployment broadly flat at 2.0%. In comparison, Greater Adelaide recorded employment growth of 3.0%, labour force growth of 2.9%, and a slight decrease in unemployment to 3.8%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project overall employment growth by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Unley's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 7.4% over five years and 15.0% over ten years, though these are simple weighted extrapolations for illustrative purposes only and do not account for localized population projections.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

The suburb of Unley has one of the highest income levels nationally, according to AreaSearch data aggregated from the latest Australian Taxation Office figures for the financial year 2023. The median income among taxpayers in Unley is $67,378, with an average income of $106,299. These figures compare to those for Greater Adelaide, which are $54,808 and $66,852 respectively. Based on the Wage Price Index growth rate of 8.8% since financial year 2023, estimated median income is approximately $73,307 and average income is around $115,653 as of September 2025. Census data shows individual earnings in Unley stand at the 84th percentile nationally, with a weekly earning of $1,066. The majority of locals (27.3%, or 1,188 people) fall into the $1,500 - 2,999 income bracket, mirroring regional levels where 31.8% occupy this category. A significant portion of residents (34.0%) earn more than $3,000 weekly, indicating strong purchasing power within the community. Housing costs account for 13.5% of income. Unley residents rank in the 72nd percentile nationally for disposable income. The suburb's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 9th decile.

Unley displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In Unley, as per the latest Census evaluation, 52.4% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 47.6% comprising semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types of dwellings. This is in contrast to Adelaide metropolitan area's dwelling structure, which was 75.2% houses and 24.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Unley stood at 35.8%, with mortgaged dwellings at 27.9% and rented ones at 36.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $2,167, exceeding Adelaide metro's average of $1,562. The median weekly rent figure in Unley was recorded at $372, compared to Adelaide metro's $320. Nationally, Unley's median monthly mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while median weekly rents were lower than the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 60.9% of all households, including 25.0% couples with children, 26.6% couples without children, and 7.4% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 39.1%, with lone person households at 32.8% and group households making up 6.1%. The median household size is 2.2 people, which is smaller than the Greater Adelaide average of 2.5.

Unley shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Educational attainment in Unley is notably high, with 53.0% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications. This compares to 25.7% in South Australia (SA) and 28.9% in Greater Adelaide. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 32.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 15.7% and graduate diplomas at 5.1%. Vocational pathways account for 19.2% of qualifications among those aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 9.2% and certificates at 10.0%.

Educational participation is high, with 27.3% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.6% in primary education, 8.1% in tertiary education, and 6.0% pursuing secondary education.

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

Public transport analysis shows 19 active transport stops operating within Unley. These include a mix of light rail and bus services. They are serviced by 19 individual routes that collectively provide 2076 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as excellent with residents typically located 194 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outward due to its primarily residential nature. The dominant mode of transport remains car at 71%, followed by walking at 10% and cycling at 7%.

Vehicle ownership averages 1.0 per dwelling, below the regional average. According to the 2021 Census, some 16.0% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 296 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 109 weekly trips per individual stop.

Unley's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with younger cohorts in particular seeing very low prevalence of common health conditions

Unley's health outcomes show notable results based on AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence were very low among younger cohorts in particular. Approximately 69% of Unley's total population (2,999 people) had private health cover, compared to 52.7% across Greater Adelaide and the national average of 55.7%.

The most prevalent medical conditions were mental health issues affecting 7.8% of residents and arthritis impacting 6.9%. A significant 71.4% of residents reported no medical ailments, compared to 67.9% in Greater Adelaide. Working-age residents had low chronic condition prevalence. Unley has 19.8% of residents aged 65 and over (862 people). While health outcomes among seniors were strong, they ranked lower nationally than those of the broader population.

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

Unley has a higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 28.2% of its population born overseas and 22.1% speaking languages other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Unley, accounting for 41.3% of people. Judaism is notably overrepresented compared to Greater Adelaide, comprising 0.3% versus 0.1%.

The top three parental ancestry groups are English (26.1%), Australian (19.8%), and Other (7.7%). Welsh (1.0%) and Greek (5.2%) are overrepresented in Unley compared to regional averages of 0.6% and 2.0%, respectively, while Polish representation is slightly higher at 1.1%.

Unley's median age exceeds the national pattern

The median age in Unley is 41 years, which is higher than Greater Adelaide's average of 39 years and the national average of 38 years. The age profile shows that individuals aged 45-54 are prominent at 13.6%, while those aged 85+ are smaller at 0.9%. Between 2021 and present, the population aged 15-24 grew from 10.8% to 12.9%, while the 75-84 cohort increased from 6.5% to 8.1%. Conversely, the 85+ cohort declined from 1.9% to 0.9%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate that the 75-84 age group will increase by 96 people (27%), from 352 to 449. Conversely, both the 0-4 and 35-44 age groups are projected to decrease in number.