Naracoorte
Detached houses make up 94.4% of the dwelling stock here, one of the most house-dominated profiles in regional South Australia, yet the vacancy rate sits at 11.4%, unusually high for a town of 6,211 people. Household income lands in the 35.5th percentile nationally, well below the median, and the suburb scores in the bottom tiers on SEIFA, decile 2 for both IEO and IRSAD. University qualifications reach just 20.0%, which is 10.1 points below the national figure, reflecting a workforce built on labouring, agriculture and manufacturing rather than knowledge sectors. The median age of 40 matches the national figure exactly, but the trajectory is aging, with the senior share up 3.2 points over the decade.
Population
6,211
Median Age
40.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,373/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
75
Naracoorte is a buyer's market built almost entirely around the detached house, which accounts for 94.4% of dwellings against just 5.4% semi-detached. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 55.7% and four-plus-bedroom houses add another 25.5%, so families have far more choice here than in apartment-heavy metros. Affordability is the real draw: monthly mortgage repayments average $1,083, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of just 18.2%, far below the 30% stress threshold, because local prices have stayed low relative to income. Ownership is the norm, with 36.9% owning outright and 35.2% holding a mortgage, leaving renters at 27.8%. The combination of low repayments and a deep stock of family-sized houses makes entry accessible for first buyers priced out of larger SA centres.
For Buyers
Naracoorte is a buyer's market built almost entirely around the detached house, which accounts for 94.4% of dwellings against just 5.4% semi-detached. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 55.7% and four-plus-bedroom houses add another 25.5%, so families have far more choice here than in apartment-heavy metros. Affordability is the real draw: monthly mortgage repayments average $1,083, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of just 18.2%, far below the 30% stress threshold, because local prices have stayed low relative to income. Ownership is the norm, with 36.9% owning outright and 35.2% holding a mortgage, leaving renters at 27.8%. The combination of low repayments and a deep stock of family-sized houses makes entry accessible for first buyers priced out of larger SA centres.
For Investors
The investment case is mixed. Renters make up 27.8% of households and weekly rent averages $230, low in absolute terms but supported by rent growth of 35.3% over the period, the strongest single trend in the data. The headline caution is the 11.4% vacancy rate, well above what a tight rental market would show, which points to softer tenant demand than the rent growth alone suggests. Population support is thin: net overseas migration adds 82 residents a year while internal migration removes 83, leaving growth almost entirely dependent on arrivals from abroad. Development activity is steady at 70 applications in 12 months, mostly detached and semi-detached dwellings rather than rental-yielding density. With annual population growth of 0.64%, returns lean on rent escalation more than capital appreciation or volume.
Development Activity
Total DAs
502
Last 12 Months
75
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-11.8%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Naracoorte iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Sunrise Christian School Naracoorte
R-9 · 109 students
Naracoorte Primary School
U, R-6 · 313 students
Naracoorte High School
7-12 · 457 students
Naracoorte South Primary School
U, R-6 · 265 students
Demographics
The median age of 40 is exactly level with the national figure, but the composition is shifting older, with the senior share up 3.2 points and the working-age share down 1.5 points over the decade. Overseas-born residents reach 20.1%, which is 1.5 points below national, and ancestry leans Anglo, led by English (2,375), Scottish (617) and German (424). University qualifications at 20.0% run 10.1 points below the national figure, the clearest marker of the town's trade and agricultural base. Average household size is 2.4, just 0.1 below national, consistent with a family-oriented mix where couples with children (1,956) outnumber couples without (1,504, or 33.8% of families). Mandarin (51 speakers) and Samoan (25) are the most common non-English languages, a small footprint reflecting the below-national overseas-born share.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
94.4%
Houses
5.4%
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure tilts toward ownership: 36.9% own outright and 35.2% carry a mortgage, leaving 27.8% renting, a higher owner share than most metropolitan markets. The stock is overwhelmingly detached at 94.4%, with semi-detached at only 5.4%, so buyers are almost always purchasing a standalone house on land. Three-bedroom dwellings lead at 55.7% and four-plus-bedroom homes add 25.5%, while small one-bedroom stock is negligible at 3.3%. Affordability is the standout: mortgage-to-income sits at 18.2% and rent-to-income at 16.8%, both comfortably below the 30% stress line, because incomes in the 35.5th percentile are matched by correspondingly low housing costs. The 11.4% vacancy rate signals that supply runs ahead of rental demand rather than a shortage.
Mortgage / mo
$1,083
Rent / wk
$230
HH Size
2.4
Personal Income / wk
$758
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
11.4%
Unoccupied
306
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
16.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.2%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
33.8%
Couples, no children
4,449
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce is concentrated in goods and care sectors rather than office work. Healthcare leads at 14.8% (233 workers), Manufacturing follows at 14.4% (227), and Education and Agriculture tie at 11.4% (180 and 179), with Retail at 8.6%. By occupation, Labourers (738) far outnumber any other group, ahead of Managers (418) and Professionals (375), which explains why university attainment sits 10.1 points below national. Unemployment is low at 3.1% and the full-time employment rate is 61.5%, though participation reads 57.4%, held down by 1,618 residents not in the labour force as the population ages. The bottom-tier SEIFA scores, decile 2 on IEO and IRSAD, follow directly from this labour mix, where median household income lands in the 35.5th percentile.
Unemployment
3.1%
Labour Force
3,576
Unemployed
111
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
61.5%
Part-time
35.4%
Participation
57.4%
Employed
2,816
Occupations
Top Industries
University
20.0%
Postgraduate
2.2%
Born Overseas
20.1%
Dwellings
2,369
Transport to Work
Naracoorte is a car-dependent regional town, with 85.6% of commuters driving and only 5.0% walking or cycling, well above the national reliance on cars. Community engagement is a strength: the volunteering rate of 25.9% sits above what most metropolitan suburbs record, and only 5.5% (320 residents) need daily assistance despite the aging profile. The crime rate of 34.0 per 1,000 residents, from 211 recorded offences, is moderate for a town of 6,211 and lower than many larger SA centres. The trade-off is socioeconomic position: the suburb scores decile 3 on IRSD for relative disadvantage and decile 2 on IRSAD, the lower tiers, so services and amenity are more limited than in higher-decile areas. No schools are recorded inside the 114.19 km2 boundary in this dataset.
Drive
85.6%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
5.0%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.64%/yr
(+41 people/yr)
EstablishedNaracoorte is an established, slow-growth town. Annual population growth registers 0.64%, around 41 people a year, while the longer arc shows a healthier 10.6% rise over the decade. Recent history has been flat to negative, with population easing from 6,513 in 2023 to 6,455 in 2025, before medium forecasts project a gradual climb to 6,808 by 2031. The growth engine is overseas migration, which adds 82 residents annually and offsets a net internal outflow of 83. The gentrification stage reads not gentrifying, with a score of just 4, despite real incomes growing 8.7% and rents climbing 35.3% over the period. Affordability has barely moved, from 30.0% in 2011 to 30.3% in 2021, classifying the trend as stable rather than improving or deteriorating.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+82
Net Internal / yr
-83
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Population +11% since 2011
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
211
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
34.0
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Naracoorte compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Naracoorte a good suburb to live in?
Naracoorte suits buyers who value affordability and space: 94.4% of dwellings are detached houses and the mortgage-to-income ratio is just 18.2%, well below the 30% stress line. The trade-off is a lower socioeconomic position, with SEIFA scores in decile 2 on IEO and IRSAD and household income in the 35.5th percentile nationally.
What is the median house price in Naracoorte?
A median house price is not available for Naracoorte in this dataset, but housing costs are low: monthly mortgage repayments average $1,083 and weekly rent is $230. The mortgage-to-income ratio of 18.2% sits far below the 30% stress threshold, making it one of the more affordable markets in regional SA.
What schools are in Naracoorte?
No schools are recorded inside the 114.19 km2 Naracoorte boundary in this dataset, so figures here cannot list specific institutions. Education is a notable local employer, accounting for 11.4% of the workforce, or 180 jobs, which points to schooling capacity serving the town and surrounding district.
Is Naracoorte safe?
Naracoorte recorded 211 offences, a crime rate of 34.0 per 1,000 residents, moderate for a town of 6,211 and lower than many larger SA centres. The suburb scores decile 3 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, with only 5.5% of residents needing daily assistance, both consistent with a stable regional community.
Is Naracoorte good for property investment?
Rent of $230 a week is low but has grown 35.3% over the period, the strongest trend in the data. The main caution is an 11.4% vacancy rate, well above a tight market, and net internal migration of -83 a year. With annual population growth of 0.64%, returns depend on rent escalation more than capital growth.
How is Naracoorte's population changing?
Population growth is 0.64% annually, around 41 people a year, with a 10.6% rise over the decade. Numbers eased from 6,513 in 2023 to 6,455 in 2025 before forecasts project 6,808 by 2031. The profile is aging, with the senior share up 3.2 points and the working-age share down 1.5 points.
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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