Kingston Se
At a median age of 56, Kingston Se sits 16 years above the national figure, making it one of South Australia's most distinctly aged regional towns. Household income lands at the 21.4th percentile nationally, well below the state average, yet only 25 total crimes were recorded in the period, a rate of 18.6 per 1,000 residents that reflects a settled, low-turnover community where 83% of residents stayed put between census periods. Agriculture drives 20.7% of local employment, reinforcing the rural service-town character, and the 31.6% housing vacancy rate signals significant seasonal or holiday-use stock alongside permanent dwellings.
Population
1,342
Median Age
56.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,143/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
42
Median house price data is not available for Kingston Se in current records, but the housing cost picture still emerges clearly. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,083, which at 21.9% of household income stays below the 30% stress threshold, making ownership more affordable here than in most South Australian markets. Separate houses dominate at 92.2% of stock, far higher than the national average, and 53.1% of homes have three bedrooms with a further 26.6% having four or more. Outright owners account for 46.8% of households, nearly double the proportion carrying mortgages at 27.7%, a tenure split typical of long-established country towns where generational ownership is common.
For Buyers
Median house price data is not available for Kingston Se in current records, but the housing cost picture still emerges clearly. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,083, which at 21.9% of household income stays below the 30% stress threshold, making ownership more affordable here than in most South Australian markets. Separate houses dominate at 92.2% of stock, far higher than the national average, and 53.1% of homes have three bedrooms with a further 26.6% having four or more. Outright owners account for 46.8% of households, nearly double the proportion carrying mortgages at 27.7%, a tenure split typical of long-established country towns where generational ownership is common.
For Investors
Weekly rent of $200 is low compared to state and national medians, and the 31.6% vacancy rate is well above typical investment benchmarks, suggesting a significant portion of dwellings serve holiday or seasonal purposes rather than permanent rental demand. Renter households represent 25.5% of the market. Development activity recorded 38 applications in the past 12 months, above average for a town of 1,342 residents, with recent applications including new dwellings and performance-assessed builds. The low rent and high vacancy combination compresses gross yields, making Kingston Se a value-preservation rather than cash-flow play, with demand shaped more by lifestyle and retirement relocation than population-driven rental pressure.
Development Activity
Total DAs
251
Last 12 Months
42
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-17.6%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Kingston Se iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Kingston Community School
R-12 · 330 students
Demographics
The median age of 56 sits 16 years above the national figure, making Kingston Se one of the oldest-skewing suburbs in the SA dataset. Overseas-born residents total just 7.5% of the population, 14.1 percentage points below the national average, reflecting a predominantly Australian-born community. Ancestry is strongly Anglo-Celtic: English is the most common at 614 residents, followed by Scottish (125) and German (115). University qualifications reach only 15.4%, which is 14.7 points below the national benchmark, consistent with a regional workforce concentrated in trades and agriculture. Average household size is 2.0, 0.5 below national, and 46.6% of families are couples without children, a pattern that tracks directly with the older median age.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
92.2%
Houses
6.0%
Townhouse
1.2%
Apartment
Tenure
The housing stock is almost entirely detached: 92.2% separate houses compared to a much lower national share, with semi-detached at 6.0% and apartments barely registering at 1.2%. Bedroom distribution skews large, with 53.1% three-bedroom and 26.6% four-plus-bedroom homes. Outright ownership at 46.8% is well above typical suburban levels, while the 31.6% vacancy rate is the most unusual statistic in the dataset, roughly double the rate seen in most regional towns of similar size and far higher than the national average. This vacancy level suggests a meaningful proportion of the 102.55 square kilometre area is used for holiday or part-time accommodation. Rent-to-income sits at 17.5%, below the 30% stress threshold.
Mortgage / mo
$1,083
Rent / wk
$200
HH Size
2.0
Personal Income / wk
$634
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
31.6%
Unoccupied
269
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
17.5%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.9%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
46.6%
Couples, no children
916
Total families
Economy & Employment
Agriculture leads the local economy at 20.7% of employment, a share many times higher than the national average, anchoring Kingston Se as a rural service hub for the Limestone Coast region. Healthcare follows at 12.7%, then Construction at 12.0%, Education at 11.7% and Retail at 10.3%, a distribution typical of a self-contained regional town rather than a commuter suburb. The full-time employment rate is 53.9% and unemployment is low at 2.9%, but the participation rate of 46.4% is below national norms because the older resident base, with a median age of 56, contributes a large not-in-labour-force cohort of 503 people. Labourers (114) and Managers (99) are the top two occupation categories, reflecting the mix of primary industries and farm operation roles.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
53.9%
Part-time
43.2%
Participation
46.4%
Employed
527
Occupations
Top Industries
University
15.4%
Postgraduate
1.8%
Born Overseas
7.5%
Dwellings
579
Transport to Work
Car dependence is pronounced: 83.5% of residents drive to work, consistent with a regional town where public transport options are limited compared to metropolitan areas. Walking and cycling account for 9.4% of commutes, above the typical rural average, reflecting the compact town centre. Crime sits at 18.6 incidents per 1,000 residents, which is low relative to most SA regional centres. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary in the current dataset. Volunteering reaches 27.6% of residents, well above national averages, a figure that correlates with the older, community-invested population. Rent-to-income at 17.5% and mortgage-to-income at 21.9% both stay comfortably below the 30% stress threshold, supporting financial stability for residents.
Drive
83.5%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
9.4%
Work from Home
N/A
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
25
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
18.6
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Kingston Se compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kingston Se a good suburb to live in?
Kingston Se suits those seeking a quiet coastal-rural lifestyle with low housing costs. Mortgage repayments average $1,083 per month, well within the 21.9% income ratio, and the crime rate is just 18.6 per 1,000 residents. The trade-off is limited services and a median age of 56, which reflects an older, established resident base rather than a growing family community.
What is the median house price in Kingston Se?
A formal median house price is not available in the current dataset for Kingston Se. Indicative affordability data shows monthly mortgage repayments average $1,083 and weekly rent is $200, with rent-to-income at 17.5%, both well below the 30% housing stress threshold compared to most South Australian markets.
What schools are in Kingston Se?
No schools are recorded inside the Kingston Se suburb boundary in the current dataset. The local university qualification rate is 15.4%, which is 14.7 points below the national average, consistent with a regional workforce focused on agriculture, trades and healthcare rather than professional degrees.
Is Kingston Se safe?
Kingston Se recorded 25 total crimes in the reference period, a rate of 18.6 per 1,000 residents. This is low relative to most South Australian regional centres. An 83% residential stay-rate signals a stable, settled community, which generally correlates with lower crime and stronger social cohesion than higher-turnover suburbs.
Is Kingston Se good for property investment?
The 31.6% vacancy rate is a significant caution flag, roughly double typical regional benchmarks, suggesting substantial holiday or seasonal use of the housing stock. Weekly rent of $200 is below state averages. With 38 development applications in 12 months and new coastal builds underway, there is activity, but low yield and high vacancy make this more suitable for lifestyle or capital-hold strategies than rental income.
How is Kingston Se's population changing?
Kingston Se has a high 83% residential stay-rate and a low 17% turnover, indicating slow demographic change. The median age of 56 is 16 years above the national figure, and with an average household size of 2.0 and 46.6% couples-without-children households, the population profile is trending older. No forward population forecast is available in the current dataset.
How much development is happening in Kingston Se?
Kingston Se recorded 38 development applications in the past 12 months, which is proportionally active for a town of 1,342 residents. Recent approvals include new dwellings, a three-storey coastal house with undercroft garage, and domestic outbuilding works, reflecting ongoing lifestyle-driven coastal development rather than major subdivision or commercial projects.
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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