Black Forest
University qualifications reach 54.4% of residents, which is 24.3 percentage points above the national figure, and the household income sits in the 57.6th percentile nationally. Professionals are the dominant occupation group, and Healthcare, Professional/Tech and Education together account for 44.6% of the local workforce, pointing to a well-educated, service-sector suburb.
Local council: Unley
Population
1,982
Median Age
39.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,664/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
12
Median House
$1.5M
First quarter 2026
Separate houses account for 59.3% of the stock, with apartments at 32.3%, so detached homes are the majority but not overwhelmingly dominant compared to neighbouring high-density areas. Three-bedroom dwellings lead at 40.4%, followed by two-bedroom at 34.8%, and four-plus at 16.0%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,733, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.1%, below the 30% stress threshold. With 34.4% of households owning outright and only 25.5% carrying a mortgage, much of the existing stock is held by debt-free long-term owners, which keeps turnover low.
For Buyers
Separate houses account for 59.3% of the stock, with apartments at 32.3%, so detached homes are the majority but not overwhelmingly dominant compared to neighbouring high-density areas. Three-bedroom dwellings lead at 40.4%, followed by two-bedroom at 34.8%, and four-plus at 16.0%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,733, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.1%, below the 30% stress threshold. With 34.4% of households owning outright and only 25.5% carrying a mortgage, much of the existing stock is held by debt-free long-term owners, which keeps turnover low.
For Investors
The 7.2% vacancy rate is elevated and warrants attention, as it signals softer rental demand relative to supply. Development activity is modest at 11 applications in the past 12 months, with recent lodgements including ancillary accommodation and dwelling alterations rather than new apartment supply. The 36.3% price growth recorded over the year to 1Q 2026 outpaces most Adelaide suburbs, but the short price history of two data points means that trend should be interpreted cautiously rather than extrapolated.
Development Activity
Total DAs
95
Last 12 Months
12
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 Black Forest
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Black Forest Primary School
Demographics
The median age of 39 is 1.0 year below the national figure, slightly younger than the national average, while 25.9% of residents were born overseas, which is 4.3 percentage points above the national rate. University qualifications at 54.4% run 24.3 points higher than national, among the highest concentrations in South Australia. Average household size of 2.3 is 0.2 below national, consistent with a mix of couples without children and smaller households: 31.3% of families are couples with no children. English ancestry leads at 730 residents, followed by Irish and Scottish, with German at 164 reflecting older South Australian settlement patterns. Mobility is relatively low at 23.0% turnover, meaning 77.0% of residents stayed put over the census reference period, pointing to a settled and stable community.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
59.3%
Houses
8.4%
Townhouse
32.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure splits sharply, with 40.1% renting, 25.5% holding a mortgage and 34.4% owning outright. The stock leans toward separate houses at 59.3%, followed by apartments at 32.3% and semi-detached at 8.4%. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 40.4% and two-bedroom at 34.8%, with only 8.8% of dwellings in the 0-1 bedroom category. Rent-to-income sits at 17.4%, below the 30% stress threshold, suggesting tenants are not under severe pressure despite the elevated vacancy rate of 7.2%. Mortgage-to-income at 24.1% is similarly below stress levels for current holders.
Mortgage / mo
$1,733
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$290
Census 2021
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$894
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
7.2%
Unoccupied
66
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
17.4%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.1%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
40.7%
Couples with children
44.1%
Couples, no children
13.5%
Single parent
540
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the largest employer at 19.6% (161 workers), followed jointly by Professional/Tech and Education at 12.5% each (103 workers apiece), then Public Admin at 8.9% and Construction at 6.0%. By occupation, Professionals lead at 359 workers, well ahead of Clerical/Admin at 138 and Community/Personal at 136, with Managers at 114. The unemployment rate is 5.4%, slightly above the national average, while the full-time employment rate is 60.0% and participation sits at 63.8%. Household income is in the 57.6th percentile nationally, above the median but not in the top income tier, consistent with a workforce concentrated in public-sector health, education and professional services rather than high-finance or technology.
Unemployment
5.1%
Labour Force
1,130
Unemployed
58
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
56.8%
Part-time
37.9%
Participation
67.2%
Employed
1,072
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
54.4%
Postgraduate
16.3%
Born Overseas
25.9%
Dwellings
842
Transport to Work
Car reliance is dominant at 79.1% of commuters, though 7.6% use public transport and 7.3% walk or cycle, reasonable shares for an inner suburban location. No schools are recorded inside the suburb boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring areas. The crime rate is 42.4 incidents per 1,000 residents (84 total incidents), though without a comparison figure from the brief, this should be read alongside local SA Police data. Rent-to-income at 17.4% keeps tenants comfortable, and only 4.5% of residents (88 people) require daily assistance, lower than might be expected. Volunteering at 20.8% is a positive signal of community engagement, above the national average, and the high university qualification rate of 54.4% correlates with broader social infrastructure quality.
Drive
63.4%
Public Transport
11.5%
Walk / Cycle
5.8%
Work from Home
14.4%
Growth Outlook
This outpaces typical Adelaide growth rates and may partly reflect a small number of premium transactions in a compact 0.69 km2 suburb. The population of 1,982 is high density for the suburb area, and with no population forecast data available, growth expectations should be anchored to the stable 77.0% resident retention rate rather than assumed expansion. Development activity is low at 11 applications in 12 months, and the samples suggest renovation and secondary dwelling works rather than large-scale new supply, which historically supports price floors in established inner suburbs by constraining total stock.
Population trend: Unley council area
Black Forest sits in the Unley council area. These are the council area's residents, not Black Forest's.
Residents 2025
40,731
Growth, 5 yr average
+0.6%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+0.7%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
84
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
42.4
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Black Forest compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
What schools are in Black Forest?
No schools are recorded inside the Black Forest suburb boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The local population is highly educated, with 54.4% holding university qualifications, which is 24.3 percentage points above the national average.
Is Black Forest safe?
Black Forest recorded 84 total crime incidents with a rate of 42.4 incidents per 1,000 residents. Only 4.5% of residents (88 people) require daily assistance, and the suburb has a high 54.4% university qualification rate. Residents should cross-reference with SA Police suburb-level data for the most current figures.
How is Black Forest's population changing?
Black Forest has a population of 1,982 in a compact 0.69 km2 area, giving a density of 2,860 residents per km2. Resident retention is high at 77.0%, meaning only 23.0% changed address over the census period, indicating a stable and settled suburb rather than one with high churn.
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), SA Department for Housing and Urban Development (house prices), state education open registers (school locations), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications).
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