Millicent
A median age of 49 sits 9.0 years above the national figure, and that single number explains most of what makes Millicent distinctive. The senior share has climbed 7.6 points over the decade while the working-age share fell 3.6, leaving 1,957 of roughly 5,110 residents outside the labour force. Household income sits in the 12.3rd percentile nationally, and the suburb scores decile 1 on both IEO and IRSAD, the lowest advantage tier in the country. Yet housing is far from stressed: rent runs $175 a week and mortgages average $902 a month, keeping rent-to-income at 17.9% and mortgage-to-income at 21.3%, both well below the 30% stress line.
Population
5,110
Median Age
49.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$980/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
90
Buyers in Millicent are shopping for detached family homes rather than units. Separate houses make up 85.9% of dwellings against just 5.3% apartments, and three-bedroom homes dominate at 61.9% with 4-plus bedroom houses adding 21.4%. The affordability is what stands out: monthly mortgage repayments average only $902, which against a household income of $980 a week gives a mortgage-to-income ratio of 21.3%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold. Outright owners at 42.7% outnumber mortgage holders at 31.6%, a sign that much of the stock is held by long-settled, debt-free owners rather than recent buyers. With 25.6% renting, the suburb leans heavily toward ownership compared with renting markets in the capital cities.
For Buyers
Buyers in Millicent are shopping for detached family homes rather than units. Separate houses make up 85.9% of dwellings against just 5.3% apartments, and three-bedroom homes dominate at 61.9% with 4-plus bedroom houses adding 21.4%. The affordability is what stands out: monthly mortgage repayments average only $902, which against a household income of $980 a week gives a mortgage-to-income ratio of 21.3%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold. Outright owners at 42.7% outnumber mortgage holders at 31.6%, a sign that much of the stock is held by long-settled, debt-free owners rather than recent buyers. With 25.6% renting, the suburb leans heavily toward ownership compared with renting markets in the capital cities.
For Investors
The investment case here is about cash flow caution, not capital churn. A 25.6% renter share gives a modest tenant pool, and weekly rent of $175 is low in absolute terms, though rent has grown 34.6% over the period covered. The headline risk is a 13.0% vacancy rate, well above what a tight rental market would show, which points to softer tenant demand than the rent growth alone suggests. Population is effectively flat, declining 0.6% over ten years, and migration is balanced with net internal inflow of 35 a year and net overseas inflow of 11. Development activity is steady at 85 applications in 12 months, mostly minor works like verandahs, retaining walls and small land divisions rather than new dwelling supply, so investors compete in a thin, slow-moving market.
Development Activity
Total DAs
531
Last 12 Months
90
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+20.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Millicent iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St Anthony's Catholic Primary School
R-6 · 166 students
Millicent North Primary School
R-6 · 203 students
Millicent High School
7-12 · 349 students
Newbery Park Primary School
R-6 · 64 students
Demographics
Millicent skews older and far more Anglo than the country as a whole. The median age of 49 runs 9.0 years above national, and only 11.1% of residents were born overseas, 10.5 points below the national figure. Ancestry is led by English at 2,208, then Scottish at 529, Irish at 421 and German at 342, with Italian the largest non-English language at just 16 speakers. University qualifications reach only 13.9%, which is 16.2 points below national, consistent with a workforce built on trades and frontline services rather than knowledge professions. Average household size is 2.2, which is 0.3 below national, reflecting the older couples-without-children profile that makes up 35.8% of families. Christianity dominates religious affiliation at 1,860 residents.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
85.9%
Houses
8.5%
Townhouse
5.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure tilts firmly toward ownership: 42.7% own outright, 31.6% carry a mortgage and 25.6% rent. Outright owners outnumbering mortgage holders points to long-held, debt-free housing rather than a churn of recent buyers. The stock is overwhelmingly detached at 85.9% separate houses, with apartments at only 5.3% and semi-detached at 8.5%, and three-bedroom homes account for 61.9% of dwellings. Despite this family-sized stock, holding costs stay low: mortgages average $902 a month and rent $175 a week, keeping mortgage-to-income at 21.3% and rent-to-income at 17.9%, both below the 30% stress line. The 13.0% vacancy rate is high compared with tight metro markets, which reflects soft rental demand in a slow-growth town rather than oversupply of new build.
Mortgage / mo
$902
Rent / wk
$175
HH Size
2.2
Personal Income / wk
$556
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
13.0%
Unoccupied
320
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
17.9%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.3%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
35.8%
Couples, no children
3,688
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads employment at 21.3% (237 workers), followed by Manufacturing at 13.3% (148), Construction at 11.3% (126), Education at 11.0% (122) and Retail at 7.5% (83), a goods-and-services mix typical of a regional service town. By occupation, Labourers (340) and Community and Personal Service workers (306) outnumber Managers (243), which aligns with the low university rate of 13.9% and the decile 1 IEO score for education and occupation. Unemployment is 6.0%, above the national average, and the full-time rate is 57.0%. Participation is just 45.4% because the aging profile leaves 1,957 residents not in the labour force. Real incomes grew only 6.2% over the decade, and all four SEIFA indexes sit in the bottom two deciles, with IRSAD at decile 1.
Unemployment
5.1%
Labour Force
2,473
Unemployed
125
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
57.0%
Part-time
37.0%
Participation
45.4%
Employed
1,857
Occupations
Top Industries
University
13.9%
Postgraduate
2.2%
Born Overseas
11.1%
Dwellings
2,137
Transport to Work
Daily life in Millicent is car-dependent, with 90.3% driving to work and only 4.4% walking or cycling, reflecting a spread-out 155.62 km2 footprint at just 32.8 residents per square kilometre. Crime totals 170 incidents at a rate of 33.3 per 1,000 residents, a figure to weigh against the suburb's broader disadvantage, since it scores decile 2 on IRSD for relative disadvantage and decile 1 on IRSAD. Volunteering is a community strength at 22.1%, above what the income profile might predict, though 10.5% of residents (504 people) need daily assistance, consistent with the older median age of 49. No schools are recorded inside the suburb boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions accessible within the wider district.
Drive
90.3%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
4.4%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
-0.02%/yr
(-1 people/yr)
EstablishedMillicent is an established, slow-growth town with no expansion expected. Annual population growth registers minus 0.02%, the 10-year change is minus 0.6%, and medium forecasts hold the population near 5,396 through 2031, barely moved from the 5,410 recorded in 2025. The trajectory is aging: the senior share rose 7.6 points while the working-age share fell 3.6 and the young share dropped 4.9 over the decade. Migration is balanced rather than a growth engine, adding 35 residents a year internally and 11 from overseas. The gentrification stage reads not gentrifying with a score of 0, and affordability barely shifted from 30.4% in 2011 to 31.4% in 2021, a stable trend that fits a market with little price pressure and a shrinking working-age base.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+11
Net Internal / yr
+35
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
170
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
33.3
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Millicent compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Millicent a good suburb to live in?
Millicent suits buyers wanting affordable detached housing: mortgages average $902 a month and rent $175 a week, keeping costs below the 30% stress line. The trade-offs are decile 1 IRSAD disadvantage, an aging median age of 49 (9.0 years above national) and unemployment at 6.0%.
What is the median house price in Millicent?
A reliable median house price is not available for Millicent in this dataset. As a guide to holding costs, monthly mortgage repayments average $902 and weekly rent is $175, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 21.3% and rent-to-income of 17.9%, both below the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Millicent?
No schools are recorded inside the Millicent boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions across the wider district. The resident base is education-light, with university qualifications at 13.9%, which is 16.2 points below the national figure.
Is Millicent safe?
Millicent recorded 170 crime incidents, a rate of 33.3 per 1,000 residents. Read this alongside the suburb's broader profile, which scores decile 2 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage and decile 1 on IRSAD, both in the lower tiers nationally.
Is Millicent good for property investment?
Rent is $175 a week and has grown 34.6% over the period, but the 13.0% vacancy rate is high and signals soft demand. With population down 0.6% over 10 years and 85 development applications in 12 months, returns depend on long holds rather than yield or rapid capital growth.
How is Millicent's population changing?
Population growth is minus 0.02% annually and minus 0.6% over 10 years, holding near 5,396 through 2031 from 5,410 in 2025. The profile is aging: the senior share rose 7.6 points while the working-age share fell 3.6 over the decade.
How much development is happening in Millicent?
There were 85 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, modest for a town of about 5,110. Most are minor works such as verandahs, retaining walls and small land divisions rather than new dwelling supply, consistent with minus 0.6% population change over 10 years.
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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