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

Based on ABS population updates and AreaSearch validation, the suburb of Unley's estimated population as of May 2026 is around 4,630. This reflects an increase of 633 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 3,997. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of 4,629 residents following examination of ABS ERP data released in June 2025 and an additional 132 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 3,086 persons per square kilometer, placing Unley in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Unley's population growth of 15.8% since the 2021 census exceeded both the SA3 area (5.4%) and the state average, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration was the primary driver of population gains during recent periods.

For projections, AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia data released in 2024 with a base year of 2022 for each SA2 area. For areas not covered and years post-2032, SA State Government's Regional/LGA projections by age category, released in 2023 based on 2021 data, are adopted with adjustments made using weighted aggregation methods from LGA to SA2 levels. Based on aggregated SA2-level projections, the suburb of Unley is expected to grow by 385 persons to reach a total population of approximately 5,015 by 2041, reflecting an increase of 8.3% over the 16-year period.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Unley according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers allocated from statistical area data, Unley recorded around 10 residential properties granted approval per year over the past five financial years ending FY25. This totals an estimated 51 homes. In the current financial year FY26, so far 31 approvals have been recorded. Over these five years, on average 1.6 people moved to Unley for each dwelling built. However, this figure has intensified to 5.8 people per dwelling over the past two financial years ending FY25, indicating growing popularity and potential undersupply.

New properties are constructed at an average value of $879,000, targeting the premium market segment with higher-end properties. In FY26, $5.2 million in commercial approvals have been registered, reflecting Unley's primarily residential nature. Compared to Greater Adelaide, Unley records about three-quarters the building activity per person and places among the 55th percentile of areas assessed nationally as of recent periods. This lower development activity may indicate market maturity or possible development constraints.

New development in Unley consists of 54.0% detached houses and 46.0% medium to high-density housing, offering choices across price ranges from spacious family homes to more accessible compact options. With around 288 people per dwelling approval, Unley shows a developing market. According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, Unley is expected to grow by 384 residents through to 2041. Building activity appears to be keeping pace with growth projections, though buyers may face heightened competition as the population grows.

Unley has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 27thth percentile nationally

Eleven projects have been identified by AreaSearch as potentially impacting the area. 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 expected to be most relevant.

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

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AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees Unley performing better than 90% of local markets assessed across Australia

Unley has a highly educated workforce with professional services having strong representation. The unemployment rate was 1.6% in the past year, showing an estimated employment growth of 8.5%. As of December 2025, 2,953 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 2.2%, below Greater Adelaide's rate of 3.8%.

Workforce participation was 73.8%, higher than Greater Adelaide's 66.0%. According to Census responses, 16.0% of residents worked from home, potentially impacted by Covid-19 lockdowns. Key industries for employment were health care & social assistance, professional & technical services, and education & training. The area had a notable concentration in professional & technical jobs, with levels at 2.0 times the regional average.

Conversely, manufacturing showed lower representation at 3.7% compared to the regional average of 7.0%. There were 1.1 workers for every resident as of the Census, indicating Unley functions as an employment hub hosting more jobs than residents and attracting workers from surrounding areas. Between December 2024 and December 2025, employment levels increased by 8.5% and labour force grew by 8.5%, keeping unemployment broadly flat. In comparison, Greater Adelaide recorded employment growth of 4.2%, labour force growth of 3.9%, with a decrease in unemployment of 0.3 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project national employment to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with varying growth rates between industry sectors. 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 this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localised 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 an exceptionally high income level nationally according to latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. The median income among taxpayers in Unley is $67,378 and the average income stands at $106,299. These figures compare to those for Greater Adelaide of $54,808 and $66,852 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.17% since financial year 2023, current estimates would be approximately $74,230 (median) and $117,110 (average) as of March 2026. According to 2021 Census figures, individual earnings in Unley stand out at the 84th percentile nationally with a weekly income of $1,066. Distribution data shows that 27.3% of residents (1,263 people) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 weekly income bracket, mirroring regional levels where 31.8% occupy this bracket. Unley demonstrates considerable affluence with 34.0% earning over $3,000 per week, supporting premium retail and service offerings in the suburb. Housing accounts for 13.5% of income while strong earnings rank residents within the 72nd percentile for disposable income. The area'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

Unley's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 52.4% houses and 47.6% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), contrasting with Adelaide metro's 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 as $372, compared to Adelaide metro's $320. Nationally, Unley's mortgage repayments were higher than the Australian average of $1,863, while 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 comprising 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 years and over holding university qualifications. This figure exceeds the state average of 25.7% and the Greater Adelaide average of 28.9%. The area's educational advantage is reflected in its knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 32.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (15.7%) and graduate diplomas (5.1%).

Vocational pathways account for 19.2% of qualifications among those aged 15 years and over, 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

Unley has 19 active public transport stops offering a mix of lightrail and bus services. These stops are served by 19 different routes, together facilitating 2,076 weekly passenger trips. Transport access is rated excellent with residents typically located 194 meters from the nearest stop. Predominantly residential, most commutes are outward-bound. Cars remain the primary mode at 71%, followed by walking at 10% and cycling at 7%. Average vehicle ownership per dwelling is 1.0, below the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, 16.0% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 296 trips daily across all routes, equating to roughly 109 weekly trips per 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, with AreaSearch finding low mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence, especially among younger cohorts. Approximately 69% of Unley's total population (3,189 people) have private health cover, compared to 52.7% in Greater Adelaide and the national average of 55.7%. The most prevalent conditions are mental health issues (7.8%) and arthritis (6.9%), with 71.4% reporting no medical ailments, compared to 67.9% in Greater Adelaide.

Working-age residents have low chronic condition prevalence. Unley has 18.1% of residents aged 65 and over (838 people), lower than Greater Adelaide's 19.2%. Health outcomes among seniors are strong but rank lower nationally compared to 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's cultural diversity was notable, with 28.2% of its population born overseas and 22.1% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Unley, with 41.3%. Judaism, however, was overrepresented compared to Greater Adelaide, comprising 0.3% versus 0.1%.

The top three ancestry groups were English (26.1%), Australian (19.8%), and Other (7.7%). Welsh (1.0%) and Greek (5.2%) populations were notably higher in Unley than the regional averages of 0.6% and 2.0%, respectively, while Polish was marginally higher at 1.1%.

Unley's median age exceeds the national pattern

Unley's median age is 42, slightly higher than Greater Adelaide's figure of 39 and significantly above the national norm of 38. The 45-54 age group constitutes 21.1% of Unley's population, compared to Greater Adelaide, while the 5-14 cohort makes up 9.1%. This 45-54 concentration is notably higher than the national figure of 12.0%. According to the 2021 Census, demographic aging is apparent in Unley, with the median age rising from 41 to 42 years. Specifically, the 45 to 54 age group increased from 14.0% to 21.1%, and the 15 to 24 cohort rose from 10.8% to 12.0%. Conversely, the 5 to 14 cohort decreased from 10.8% to 9.1%, and the 35 to 44 group fell from 13.4% to 11.7%. By 2041, Unley's age composition is projected to shift significantly. The 75 to 84 cohort is expected to grow by 34%, adding 114 residents to reach 452. Meanwhile, the 65 to 74 and 5 to 14 cohorts are anticipated to experience population declines.