Goolwa North
With a median age of 66, Goolwa North sits 26 years above the national figure, making it one of the most aged communities in South Australia. Only 1,307 people live across 7.9 square kilometres, and 77.4% have not moved in five years, a stability rate that reflects a retirement destination rather than a transient population. Household income sits at the 10.3rd percentile nationally, yet 66.4% of residents own their home outright, suggesting older owner-occupiers on fixed incomes who paid off mortgages decades ago. A 19.0% vacancy rate points to a significant holiday or seasonal component, which shapes the local rental and services economy more than raw population numbers suggest.
Population
1,307
Median Age
66.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$948/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
37
No current median house price is recorded for Goolwa North, but the housing profile is distinctly owner-occupier. A striking 66.4% of dwellings are owned outright, compared with a national figure around 30%, and only 19.2% carry a mortgage. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,246, which is well below major capital city levels. The stock is almost entirely separate houses at 97.7%, with semi-detached dwellings making up the remaining 2.3% and no apartments recorded. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 53.4%, with 4-plus bedroom dwellings at 24.3% and 2-bedroom at 21.1%. The mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 30.4%, just above the 30% stress threshold, though the low loan balance suggests buyers face more of an income squeeze than a large debt burden.
For Buyers
No current median house price is recorded for Goolwa North, but the housing profile is distinctly owner-occupier. A striking 66.4% of dwellings are owned outright, compared with a national figure around 30%, and only 19.2% carry a mortgage. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,246, which is well below major capital city levels. The stock is almost entirely separate houses at 97.7%, with semi-detached dwellings making up the remaining 2.3% and no apartments recorded. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 53.4%, with 4-plus bedroom dwellings at 24.3% and 2-bedroom at 21.1%. The mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 30.4%, just above the 30% stress threshold, though the low loan balance suggests buyers face more of an income squeeze than a large debt burden.
For Investors
A 19.0% vacancy rate signals substantial idle stock, significantly above healthy rental market levels and consistent with a holiday or sea-change destination with seasonal demand. Weekly rent of $270 is modest, well below metropolitan SA medians, reflecting the local income base at the 10.3rd percentile nationally. Only 14.4% of dwellings are rented, so the tenant pool is small. Development activity is steady at 35 applications in 12 months, dominated by additions and outbuildings rather than new supply, which limits near-term competition for existing landlords. The income and vacancy combination means yield calculations depend heavily on short-term letting during peak holiday periods rather than stable long-term tenants.
Development Activity
Total DAs
327
Last 12 Months
37
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-43.1%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
The median age of 66 runs 26 years above the national average, placing Goolwa North firmly in Australia's top tier of aged suburbs. Average household size is 2.0, which is 0.5 below the national figure, consistent with the couples-without-children profile: 63.0% of families are couples without dependent children, and no single-parent families are recorded. Overseas-born residents account for 22.3%, slightly above national levels. Ancestry is predominantly Anglo-Celtic, led by English (679), Scottish (158), German (112) and Irish (104). University qualifications reach 21.8%, which is 8.3 percentage points below the national figure, typical of a regional retirement community where the workforce-age cohort is small and older residents completed education before tertiary expansion.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
97.7%
Houses
2.3%
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
Ownership without a mortgage is the dominant tenure at 66.4%, more than double the national rate, because most residents are retirees who bought decades ago. Mortgage holders represent only 19.2% and renters 14.4%, an unusually low renting share compared to national averages. The dwelling stock is almost homogeneous: 97.7% separate houses and 2.3% semi-detached, with no apartments. Bedrooms split across three-bedroom at 53.4%, four-plus at 24.3%, and two-bedroom at 21.1%, indicating family-sized homes occupied by downsizing couples rather than young families. The 19.0% vacancy rate is the standout number, pointing to a large pool of holiday homes or investment properties that sit empty most of the year, which keeps effective housing supply loose relative to the modest permanent population of 1,307.
Mortgage / mo
$1,246
Rent / wk
$270
HH Size
2.0
Personal Income / wk
$520
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
19.0%
Unoccupied
143
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
28.5%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
30.4% stressed
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
63.0%
Couples, no children
963
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the leading local industry at 22.0% of employed residents, reflecting the high demand for aged care and health services from a median-age-66 community. Construction follows at 14.5%, consistent with ongoing residential development activity around the Goolwa growth corridor. Retail (7.9%), Other Services (7.5%) and Education (7.0%) round out the top five. By occupation, Professionals (43) and Community/Personal service workers (40) lead. The labour force picture is constrained: the participation rate is only 26.3%, far below the national average, because 799 residents are not in the labour force at all, mostly retirees. Household weekly income of $948 places the suburb at the 10.3rd percentile nationally, lower than surrounding regional SA communities due to the retired income profile rather than economic disadvantage per se.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
50.3%
Part-time
42.4%
Participation
26.3%
Employed
290
Occupations
Top Industries
University
21.8%
Postgraduate
3.7%
Born Overseas
22.3%
Dwellings
597
Transport to Work
Car dependency is extreme at 86.8% of residents driving to work, compared to the national average well below 70%, because the suburb lacks meaningful public transport with only 2.1% using it. Walking and cycling account for 4.9%. The crime rate of 9.9 incidents per 1,000 residents is low in absolute terms, with only 13 recorded crimes across the suburb. No SEIFA disadvantage scores are available for Goolwa North, so national decile comparisons are not possible. Volunteering at 25.2% is above typical community rates, reflecting the high proportion of retired residents with time for civic engagement. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary, so families with children rely on institutions in Goolwa proper and nearby centres. With 63% couples without children and a median age of 66, school access ranks below lifestyle amenity as a residential priority.
Drive
86.8%
Public Transport
2.1%
Walk / Cycle
4.9%
Work from Home
N/A
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
13
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
9.9
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Goolwa North compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Goolwa North a good suburb to live in?
Goolwa North suits retirees and sea-change buyers well. The median age is 66, and 66.4% of residents own their homes outright. The crime rate is low at 9.9 incidents per 1,000 people. The main trade-offs are car dependency (86.8% drive), no recorded public transport to speak of, and no schools within the suburb boundary.
What is the median house price in Goolwa North?
No current median house price is recorded for Goolwa North in this dataset. As a reference point, monthly mortgage repayments average $1,246 and weekly rent is $270. The suburb has a postcode of 5214 and sits within the Goolwa coastal growth corridor in South Australia.
What schools are in Goolwa North?
No schools are recorded within Goolwa North's boundary in this dataset. With a median age of 66 and 63% of families being couples without dependent children, the suburb's resident base has low demand for local schooling. Families access schools in Goolwa proper and nearby centres.
Is Goolwa North safe?
The recorded crime rate is 9.9 incidents per 1,000 residents, with only 13 total crimes across the suburb. This is a low absolute count for a population of 1,307. The stable community profile, with 77.4% of residents not having moved in 5 years, is also associated with lower crime rates nationally.
Is Goolwa North good for property investment?
The 19.0% vacancy rate is the key risk, indicating a large share of dwellings are empty most of the time, likely holiday homes. Weekly rent is $270, modest compared to metropolitan SA markets. Only 14.4% of dwellings are rented, limiting the stable long-term tenant pool. Returns likely depend on short-stay or seasonal letting strategies.
How is Goolwa North's population changing?
No official population forecast is available in this dataset. The current population is 1,307, with a very high stability rate of 77.4% not moving in 5 years. The median age of 66 is 26 years above the national average, meaning natural attrition from the existing cohort will be a long-term factor in population dynamics.
How much development is happening in Goolwa North?
There were 35 development applications lodged in the past 12 months. Recent samples include a verandah, a carport and a shed, indicating owner-occupiers improving existing properties rather than major new supply. For a suburb of 1,307 residents, 35 applications represents a comparatively active rate of improvement activity.
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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