Barmera
At 49, Barmera's median age is 9 years above the national figure, and 2,884 residents are spread across 77.52 sq km. That older profile sits alongside a 13.6% vacancy rate, 84.3% separate houses and a household income percentile of 14.3, creating a quieter market than larger regional centres. Population change across the wider area was -1.9% over 10 years, while the annual trend is -0.2%, because the resident base is ageing rather than expanding quickly. For people comparing Barmera with nearby Berri or Loxton, tenure, services and exact property condition deserve more weight than a generic growth narrative.
Local council: Berri Barmera
Population
2,884
Median Age
49.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,037/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
25
Barmera suits buyers who value detached housing and manageable ongoing costs, but the lack of a current median house price means each comparable sale matters. Separate houses account for 84.3% of dwellings, while 51.6% have 3 bedrooms and 20.9% have 4 or more, so family-sized stock is more common than small units. Weekly rent is $200 and the typical mortgage payment is $1,028 per month; mortgage costs equal 22.9% of household income, compared with 19.3% for rent. With 37.9% owned outright and 28.9% mortgaged, buyers should compare repairs, insurance and access to services because detached homes still carry ongoing ownership costs.
For Buyers
Barmera suits buyers who value detached housing and manageable ongoing costs, but the lack of a current median house price means each comparable sale matters. Separate houses account for 84.3% of dwellings, while 51.6% have 3 bedrooms and 20.9% have 4 or more, so family-sized stock is more common than small units. Weekly rent is $200 and the typical mortgage payment is $1,028 per month; mortgage costs equal 22.9% of household income, compared with 19.3% for rent. With 37.9% owned outright and 28.9% mortgaged, buyers should compare repairs, insurance and access to services because detached homes still carry ongoing ownership costs.
For Investors
Investment analysis is mixed. Weekly rent is $200 and 29.1% of households rent, which provides a tenant base, but the 13.6% vacancy rate is a larger risk than the headline rent because empty periods can reduce annual income. The current median house price is unavailable, so a reliable gross yield cannot be calculated from these figures alone. Twenty-five development applications occurred over 12 months, with recent examples including verandahs and storage or garage outbuildings rather than confirmed new dwelling supply. Rent growth was 43.9%, while migration is described as Balanced, so investors should compare Barmera with nearby Berri and test local demand, maintenance and vacancy assumptions.
Development Activity
Total DAs
234
Last 12 Months
25
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
0.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Barmera
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Barmera Primary School
Demographics
Barmera's demographic profile is older and less university-oriented than the national average: median age is 49, or 9 years above national, while university attainment is 19.2%, 10.9 percentage points below national. Overseas-born residents account for 14.0%, 7.6 points below national, and average household size is 2.1, or 0.4 below national, which helps explain demand for smaller households and established housing. English ancestry is reported by 1,189 people, followed by German 310, Scottish 192, Greek 178 and Irish 161. No religion is the largest recorded affiliation at 1,403, ahead of Christianity at 1,205. Compared with nearby Berri and Loxton, household composition deserves close attention because 48.6% of families are couples without children and 19.9% are one-parent families.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
84.3%
Houses
13.1%
Townhouse
1.4%
Apartment
Tenure
Detached housing defines Barmera: separate houses make up 84.3% of dwellings, compared with 1.4% apartments and 13.1% semi-detached homes. Three-bedroom properties account for 51.6%, while 24.3% have 2 bedrooms and 20.9% have 4 or more. Tenure is split between 37.9% owned outright, 28.9% with a mortgage and 29.1% rented, so outright ownership is higher than mortgaged ownership and can support a stable resident base. Weekly rent is $200, rent is 19.3% of household income and mortgage costs are 22.9%; both stress indicators are marked false. A 13.6% vacancy rate remains material because excess empty stock can weaken bargaining power. Compared with nearby Berri or Loxton, inspect each dwelling's condition, block size and service access rather than assuming identical housing economics.
Mortgage / mo
$1,028
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$200
Census 2021
HH Size
2.1
Personal Income / wk
$578
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
13.6%
Unoccupied
196
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.3%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.9%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
30.0%
Couples with children
48.6%
Couples, no children
19.9%
Single parent
780
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is Barmera's largest industry at 22.2% of jobs, followed by manufacturing 13.0%, education 10.9%, hospitality 8.5% and agriculture 8.2%. That mix gives the local economy several service and production anchors, while occupations include 192 labourers, 163 managers, 161 community and personal service workers, 156 trades workers and 138 professionals. Unemployment is 5.8% among a labour-force participation rate of 48.2%, with 630 full-time and 412 part-time workers. Socio-economic scores sit below the national midpoint: IEO decile 1, IER decile 3, IRSD decile 2 and IRSAD decile 2. The low education and occupation rankings are notable despite healthcare leading employment, because the workforce still spans labouring and trade-based roles.
Unemployment
5.8%
Labour Force
1,175
Unemployed
68
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
56.9%
Part-time
37.2%
Participation
48.2%
Employed
1,107
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
19.2%
Postgraduate
3.4%
Born Overseas
14.0%
Dwellings
1,236
Transport to Work
Daily life is strongly car dependent: 82.3% drive to work, compared with 4.8% who walk or cycle, and 8.0% work from home. Barmera Primary School provides local government primary education; families seeking broader choices should check enrolment zones and travel times because there is 1 local school. Crime is recorded at 46.5 incidents per 1,000 residents, with 134 incidents, so street-level conditions and household security matter more than relying on a single rate. IRSAD is in decile 2, below the national midpoint, while the suburb's density is 37.2 people per sq km across 77.52 sq km. Compared with denser regional centres, open space may be a practical strength, but private-vehicle access is more important than walking connections.
Drive
82.3%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
4.8%
Work from Home
8.0%
Growth Outlook
Barmera's growth outlook is subdued rather than expansionary. The annual trend is -0.2%, and population change across the wider area is -1.9% over 10 years, so demand is more likely to be shaped by replacement buyers and local services than rapid population gains. The forecast identifies migration as Balanced and the trajectory as Aging, with the senior share up 7.2% and the young share down 3.4%. Gentrification is rated Not gentrifying with a score of 0, while the shift assessment records a score of 25 and Early signs. The -0.2% trajectory is lower than zero because ageing and a shrinking working-age share, down 3.5%, limit broad-based expansion.
Population trend: Berri Barmera council area
Barmera sits in the Berri Barmera council area. These are the council area's residents, not Barmera's.
Residents 2025
10,758
Growth, 5 yr average
-0.1%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
-0.1%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
134
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
46.5
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Barmera compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Barmera a good suburb to live in?
Barmera can suit residents seeking detached homes, lower density and a settled pace. Median age is 49, 9 years above national, and 82.3% drive to work, so car access matters. The 13.6% vacancy rate and 46.5 incidents per 1,000 residents are worth checking against the exact street and property.
What is the median house price in Barmera?
A current median house price is not available for Barmera. As a guide to the housing stock, 84.3% of dwellings are separate houses, 51.6% have 3 bedrooms and weekly rent is $200. Buyers should use recent comparable sales because one headline median would not capture condition or location differences.
What schools are in Barmera?
Barmera has 1 local government primary school, Barmera Primary School. Families seeking secondary or alternative-sector choices should check nearby catchments, transport and enrolment rules. School access should be assessed against the exact address because zones can cross suburb boundaries and affect daily travel.
Is Barmera safe?
Barmera records 134 incidents, equivalent to 46.5 per 1,000 residents. That rate is not a substitute for checking the exact street, lighting and security needs. IRSAD is decile 2, below the national midpoint, which points to broader socio-economic disadvantage rather than providing a direct safety verdict.
Is Barmera good for property investment?
It may suit investors who can manage vacancy and maintenance risk, but the 13.6% vacancy rate is material enough to test conservative assumptions. Weekly rent is $200, 29.1% of households rent and 25 development applications occurred over 12 months. With no current median house price, calculate yield from verified purchase and rent figures before comparing Barmera with Berri or Loxton.
How is Barmera's population changing?
Barmera's trajectory is ageing and slow. The annual forecast trend is -0.2%, while population change across the wider area is -1.9% over 10 years. The senior share rose 7.2% and the young share fell 3.4%, with migration rated Balanced. That combination points to gradual change driven more by age structure and service needs than rapid expansion.
What development is occurring in Barmera?
Development activity reached 25 applications over 12 months. Recent examples include a verandah and a domestic storage or garage outbuilding, indicating ongoing property upgrades rather than confirmed estate-scale housing supply. Buyers should distinguish renovation activity from new dwellings and check approval conditions, costs and completion status before relying on it in an investment decision.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), state education open registers (school locations), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications).
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