Goolwa Beach
A median age of 58, fully 18 years above the national figure, tells you more about Goolwa Beach than any single housing statistic. With 2,222 residents spread across 4 square kilometres on the Fleurieu Peninsula coast, the suburb is built around retirees, owner-occupiers and holiday properties. The 37.1% vacancy rate, one of the highest recorded for an SA coastal suburb, reflects a large stock of unoccupied beach houses held as holiday assets rather than permanent homes. Household income sits at the 9.2nd percentile nationally, not because wages are low but because 1,033 residents are outside the labour force entirely, most of them retired.
Population
2,222
Median Age
58.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$916/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
43
Separate houses dominate at 89.6% of dwellings, with semi-detached homes at 10% and apartments at just 0.4%, making this a genuine detached-house market with almost no unit stock. Three-bedroom homes account for 59.6% of the housing mix, with 4-plus bedroom homes at 20.1%. No tracked median sale price is available for the period, but the monthly mortgage cost averages $1,083, which is below most coastal SA benchmarks. The mortgage-to-income ratio comes in at 27.3%, below the 30% stress threshold, and 46.3% of households own their home outright with no mortgage at all, well above national average, reflecting the deeply owner-occupier character of the suburb.
For Buyers
Separate houses dominate at 89.6% of dwellings, with semi-detached homes at 10% and apartments at just 0.4%, making this a genuine detached-house market with almost no unit stock. Three-bedroom homes account for 59.6% of the housing mix, with 4-plus bedroom homes at 20.1%. No tracked median sale price is available for the period, but the monthly mortgage cost averages $1,083, which is below most coastal SA benchmarks. The mortgage-to-income ratio comes in at 27.3%, below the 30% stress threshold, and 46.3% of households own their home outright with no mortgage at all, well above national average, reflecting the deeply owner-occupier character of the suburb.
For Investors
The 37.1% vacancy rate is the defining challenge for investors. In most markets that figure signals oversupply, but here it reflects holiday homes sitting empty rather than untenanted rentals. Only 21.8% of households rent, a relatively low share compared to most SA coastal towns, and the weekly rent averages $275. With 39 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, including new dwellings and outbuildings, construction activity is moderate and suggests steady demand. The low participation rate of 38.6% confirms the resident base is largely retired, which limits rental yield from permanent tenants but supports short-stay holiday demand during peak seasons.
Development Activity
Total DAs
219
Last 12 Months
43
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+104.8%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
The median age of 58 is 18 years above the national figure, the most distinctive demographic fact here. Only 38.6% of residents participate in the labour force, compared to a national rate closer to 65%, because retirees make up the bulk of the population. Overseas-born residents account for 18.5%, which is 3.1 points below the national share, consistent with the predominantly Anglo-Celtic ancestry profile: English (1,123), Scottish (242), German (212) and Irish (177) are the leading ancestries. University qualifications reach 18.7%, which is 11.4 points below national, reflecting an older cohort that pre-dates the university-attendance expansion of the 1990s. Couples without children make up 46.8% of families, and average household size of 2.1 is 0.4 below national.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
89.6%
Houses
10.0%
Townhouse
0.4%
Apartment
Tenure
With 46.3% of households owning outright and just 21.8% renting, the tenure structure leans heavily toward debt-free long-term ownership, well above the national owned-outright rate. Mortgage holders at 31.8% face a monthly repayment of $1,083, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 27.3%, which stays below the 30% stress threshold. The stock is overwhelmingly detached: 89.6% separate houses, 10% semi-detached and only 0.4% apartments. Three-bedroom homes at 59.6% are the clear majority, followed by 4-plus bedroom homes at 20.1%. The 37.1% vacancy rate is high relative to metropolitan SA norms, reflecting holiday properties held by absentee owners rather than an undersupply of tenants.
Mortgage / mo
$1,083
Rent / wk
$275
HH Size
2.1
Personal Income / wk
$525
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
37.1%
Unoccupied
597
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
30.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
27.3%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
46.8%
Couples, no children
1,619
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the dominant industry at 26% of employed residents, or 119 workers, a share substantially higher than most regional SA suburbs and reflecting the medical and aged care services that support an older population. Construction follows at 10.7% (49 workers) and Education at 9.4% (43 workers). By occupation, Community and Personal services lead with 137 workers, followed by Professionals (109) and Labourers (102). The unemployment rate is 7.5%, above the SA state average, but the participation rate of 38.6% is the more significant figure: 1,033 residents are not in the labour force at all, the direct result of a retirement-age population. Full-time employment accounts for 46.9% of those who do work.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
46.9%
Part-time
45.6%
Participation
38.6%
Employed
695
Occupations
Top Industries
University
18.7%
Postgraduate
3.2%
Born Overseas
18.5%
Dwellings
1,000
Transport to Work
Car dependence is near-total at 89.4% of residents driving to work, compared to a national car-driver rate that is meaningfully lower in urban areas, because no meaningful public transport serves the peninsula. Just 0.5% use public transport and 4.8% walk or cycle. The crime rate of 20.3 incidents per 1,000 residents is low, consistent with the suburb's identity signal as low-crime. No schools are recorded within the Goolwa Beach boundary, so families with children rely on nearby Goolwa Primary or services in adjacent suburbs. The volunteering rate of 21% is above typical metropolitan benchmarks, pointing to a community where retired residents contribute time actively. Rent-to-income at 30% sits at the stress threshold, though this figure reflects a small rental cohort.
Drive
89.4%
Public Transport
0.5%
Walk / Cycle
4.8%
Work from Home
N/A
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
45
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
20.3
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Goolwa Beach compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Goolwa Beach a good suburb to live in?
Goolwa Beach suits retirees and coastal lifestyle seekers particularly well. The median age of 58 is 18 years above national, 46.3% of households own outright with no mortgage, and the crime rate is 20.3 per 1,000 residents, which is low. The main trade-offs are near-total car dependence and no schools within the suburb boundary.
What is the median house price in Goolwa Beach?
No tracked median sale price is available for Goolwa Beach in the current dataset. The average monthly mortgage repayment is $1,083, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 27.3%, which is below the 30% stress threshold. Weekly rent averages $275 for the 21.8% of households who rent.
What schools are in Goolwa Beach?
No schools are recorded within the Goolwa Beach boundary in this dataset. Families with children typically use schools in Goolwa and surrounding areas of the Alexandrina Council. The suburb's population skews strongly toward retirees, with a median age of 58 and couples-without-children making up 46.8% of families.
Is Goolwa Beach safe?
Goolwa Beach recorded 45 total incidents over the period, translating to a crime rate of 20.3 per 1,000 residents. This is a low rate by SA coastal standards and aligns with the suburb's identity signal as low-crime. The low-turnover resident base, where 80.8% of residents stayed put, also contributes to a stable community environment.
Is Goolwa Beach good for property investment?
The picture is mixed. Weekly rent of $275 is modest and only 21.8% of households rent, limiting the permanent tenant pool. The 37.1% vacancy rate reflects holiday homes rather than structural oversupply, which creates short-stay opportunity but complicates yield calculations. There were 39 development applications in the past 12 months, suggesting the market remains active.
How is Goolwa Beach's population changing?
The suburb's 2,222 residents show a high stay-rate of 80.8%, with only 19.2% turnover, indicating a stable and settled population rather than rapid growth. The aging demographic, with a median age of 58 that is 18 years above national, means natural growth is minimal. Inflow is driven mainly by sea-change and retirement migration to the Fleurieu coast.
How much development is happening in Goolwa Beach?
There were 39 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, a moderate level for a suburb of 2,222 residents across 4 square kilometres. Recent applications include new detached dwellings, outbuildings and spa installations, consistent with a coastal lifestyle market where owners improve existing properties and build holiday retreats.
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 Valuer-General (house prices), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), ACARA (school ICSEA), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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