Lota

Development Activity

Schools in Lota iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged

Demographics

Lota's median age of 42 is 2 years above the national figure, and the trend is aging: the senior share rose 4.3 points while the working-age share fell 2.2 points over the decade. Overseas-born residents at 23.0% sit 1.4 points above the national average. Ancestry leans strongly Anglo-Celtic, with English (1,564), Irish (540) and Scottish (480) the top three groups. University qualifications reach 35.9%, which is 5.8 points above the national figure, reflecting the professional concentration of the resident workforce. Average household size of 2.7 is 0.2 above national. Couples with children (1,325 families) is the dominant household type, and the 16.6% volunteering rate indicates a socially engaged community.

Tenure in Lota splits clearly: 31.2% own outright, 45.8% carry a mortgage and 23.0% rent, a distribution weighted toward established ownership. The outright ownership rate is notable, as it points to longer-term residents who have paid down debt rather than recent buyers. Separate houses account for 95.4% of dwellings, higher than state and national norms, with semi-detached at 3.7% and apartments at just 0.7%. The bedroom profile skews large, with 40.2% of dwellings at 4 or more bedrooms and 42.6% at 3 bedrooms. Rent-to-income sits at 18.6%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold, and mortgage-to-income at 22.4% also avoids the stress zone. The vacancy rate of 4.7% is slightly above typical tight-market levels.

Community Profile

Economy & Employment

Healthcare is the largest employing industry at 14.8% (182 workers), followed by Education at 12.2% (150) and Construction at 11.9% (146), with Professional/Tech at 9.4% and Public Admin at 9.0%. By occupation, Professionals (437) and Managers (291) together form the dominant groups, consistent with the suburb's decile 8 IEO score for education and occupation. The full-time employment rate is 67.6% and unemployment sits at 5.5%, above the typical rate for a decile 8 suburb, partly because the participation rate of 59.1% is moderate given the aging demographic. Real income grew 12.6% over the decade, and personal weekly income averages $930, higher than the state median.

Transport to Work

Car dependence is high in Lota, with 85.4% of residents driving to work, higher than the national average, and only 7.7% using public transport. Walking and cycling accounts for 1.4%. The suburb scores decile 8 on IRSAD, placing it in the upper advantage tier nationally, and the rent-to-income ratio of 18.6% keeps housing costs manageable for renters. No schools are recorded inside the suburb boundary, so families rely on institutions in surrounding Bayside suburbs. Around 7.9% of residents (267 people) need daily assistance, which is moderate for a suburb with a median age of 42. The turnover rate of 18.9% is low, with 81.1% of residents staying at the same address, reinforcing the settled residential character.

Population Forecast

Lota's population grew 10.5% over the past 10 years, with the current 3,518 residents expanding at 0.81% annually, adding roughly 67 people per year. Medium forecasts for the broader SA2 project population reaching 8,679 by 2031 from 8,319 in 2025. Overseas migration is the primary growth driver at 99 net arrivals per year, compared to near-neutral internal migration of 1 per year. The trajectory is aging, with the senior share up 4.3 points and affordability improving from 52.2% in 2011 to 44.2% in 2021. The gentrification score of 30 places Lota at early signs stage, meaning income and education gains are present but have not yet translated into significant price acceleration.

National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs

How Lota compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs

Frequently Asked Questions