Port Augusta
Three numbers define this regional centre at the top of Spencer Gulf: a 2.52% annual growth rate driven by net internal migration of 256 people a year, a household income in just the 17.1st percentile nationally, and SEIFA scores that land in decile 1 on all four indexes. The combination is unusual, because most suburbs growing this fast are not also among the most disadvantaged 10% of the country. The population has climbed from 7,372 in 2023 to 8,090 in 2025, yet university qualifications reach only 16.3%, which is 13.8 points below the national figure, and the crime rate of 419.6 per 1,000 residents sits well above what you find in comparable metro suburbs.
Population
6,437
Median Age
39.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,092/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
74
A specific median house price is not recorded for Port Augusta in this dataset, but the affordability signals are clear. Monthly mortgage repayments average $979, which produces a mortgage-to-income ratio of 20.7%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold even though household incomes sit in the 17.1st percentile nationally. The stock suits families: 74.7% of dwellings are separate houses, well above the apartment share of 10.3%, and three-bedroom homes dominate at 60.4% with four-plus bedrooms at 15.3%. Owner-occupiers split between 31.2% owning outright and 24.2% carrying a mortgage, so outright owners outnumber mortgage holders because much of the established detached stock is held debt-free rather than recently financed.
For Buyers
A specific median house price is not recorded for Port Augusta in this dataset, but the affordability signals are clear. Monthly mortgage repayments average $979, which produces a mortgage-to-income ratio of 20.7%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold even though household incomes sit in the 17.1st percentile nationally. The stock suits families: 74.7% of dwellings are separate houses, well above the apartment share of 10.3%, and three-bedroom homes dominate at 60.4% with four-plus bedrooms at 15.3%. Owner-occupiers split between 31.2% owning outright and 24.2% carrying a mortgage, so outright owners outnumber mortgage holders because much of the established detached stock is held debt-free rather than recently financed.
For Investors
Renters make up 44.7% of households, a deep tenant pool that is well above the owner-occupier share, and weekly rent averages $194. The standout figure is the 17.0% vacancy rate, far higher than a balanced market near 3%, which signals more available stock than tenants can absorb and caps rent growth despite the 42.9% rise recorded over the period. Demand support comes from migration: net internal migration adds 256 residents a year against just 52 from overseas, so the growth story is people relocating from elsewhere in Australia rather than international arrivals. Development is steady at 69 applications over 12 months, mostly minor works like pools and carports rather than new dwellings, so supply is not expanding fast enough to explain the high vacancy on its own.
Development Activity
Total DAs
337
Last 12 Months
74
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-8.6%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Port Augusta iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Seaview Christian College
R-12 · 168 students
Port Augusta Secondary School
U, 7-12 · 662 students
Augusta Park Primary School
U, R-6 · 190 students
Willsden Primary School
R-6 · 86 students
Carlton School
R-9 · 99 students
Demographics
The median age of 39 is 1.0 year below the national figure, a younger profile than most regional centres, though the trajectory is aging with the senior share up 3.8 points and the working-age share down 4.2 points over the decade. Overseas-born residents reach only 11.3%, which is 10.3 points below national, so this is a predominantly Australian-born population. Ancestry leans Anglo-Celtic, led by English (2,061), Irish (527) and German (432). University qualifications at 16.3% run 13.8 points below national, reflecting a workforce weighted toward trades and services rather than knowledge professions. Average household size is 2.2, which is 0.3 below national, and couples without children (29.0%) slightly trail couples with children, consistent with the mixed-age regional profile.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
74.7%
Houses
14.7%
Townhouse
10.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure tilts toward renting: 44.7% rent, 31.2% own outright and 24.2% carry a mortgage. Outright owners outnumbering mortgage holders points to long-held, debt-free dwellings rather than a churn of recent buyers. The stock is overwhelmingly detached at 74.7% separate houses, with apartments only 10.3% and semi-detached 14.7%, and three-bedroom homes make up 60.4% of dwellings against 15.3% with four or more bedrooms. Affordability is the real strength: rent-to-income sits at 17.8% and mortgage-to-income at 20.7%, both well below the 30% stress threshold, which is rare given household incomes in the 17.1st percentile. The 17.0% vacancy rate confirms there is ample supply, so buyers face little of the scarcity-driven competition seen in tighter metro markets.
Mortgage / mo
$979
Rent / wk
$194
HH Size
2.2
Personal Income / wk
$635
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
17.0%
Unoccupied
534
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
17.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.7%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
29.0%
Couples, no children
4,262
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce is anchored in public-facing sectors: Healthcare leads at 23.4% (333 workers), Public Administration follows at 13.5% (192) and Education at 12.4% (176), with Construction at 7.0% and Hospitality at 5.8%. By occupation, Community and Personal Service workers (458) and Labourers (412) outnumber Professionals (375), which aligns with the decile 1 IEO score for education and occupation. Unemployment is elevated at 8.8%, well above the national rate, and participation reads just 48.7% because 2,048 residents are not in the labour force. All four SEIFA indexes sit in decile 1, the most disadvantaged tier, with IRSAD at 874 and IER at 889, so the economy leans heavily on government-funded health, education and administration jobs rather than private enterprise.
Unemployment
13.6%
Labour Force
6,685
Unemployed
910
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
63.9%
Part-time
27.3%
Participation
48.7%
Employed
2,339
Occupations
Top Industries
University
16.3%
Postgraduate
3.7%
Born Overseas
11.3%
Dwellings
2,599
Transport to Work
The suburb is heavily car-dependent: 81.4% drive to work while only 3.3% use public transport and 6.0% walk or cycle, above the metro reliance on cars and typical of a regional setting. No schools are recorded inside the 20.27 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions accessed by car. The clearest livability challenge is safety, with 2,701 recorded offences producing a crime rate of 419.6 per 1,000 residents, well above comparable metro suburbs. All four SEIFA indexes sit in decile 1, the most disadvantaged tier, and 8.2% of residents need daily assistance. The offsetting strength is affordability, with rent-to-income at 17.8%, well below the 30% stress line, which helps explain the strong inbound migration.
Drive
81.4%
Public Transport
3.3%
Walk / Cycle
6.0%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+2.52%/yr
(+204 people/yr)
EstablishedPort Augusta is expanding fast for a regional centre: annual population growth runs at 2.52%, adding about 204 people a year, and the 10-year change reached 48.6%. The medium forecast lifts the population from 7,927 in 2026 to 8,946 by 2031, a steady upward path rather than a plateau. The primary driver is net internal migration of 256 residents a year, far above the 52 from overseas, so growth depends on Australians relocating here, likely drawn by affordability with rent at $194 a week. The gentrification stage reads as active with a score of 40, supported by accelerating internal migration, though incomes remain in the 17.1st percentile nationally, so the suburb is growing in population faster than it is climbing in relative advantage.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Internal Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+52
Net Internal / yr
+256
Gentrification Signal
Active
Net internal migration +256/yr, Accelerating: 21% → 46%
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
2,701
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
419.6
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Port Augusta compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Port Augusta a good suburb to live in?
It depends on priorities. Affordability is strong, with rent at $194 a week and rent-to-income at 17.8%, well below the 30% stress line. The trade-offs are a crime rate of 419.6 per 1,000 residents and all four SEIFA indexes sitting in decile 1, the most disadvantaged tier nationally.
What is the median house price in Port Augusta?
A specific median house price is not recorded for Port Augusta in this dataset. As affordability proxies, monthly mortgage repayments average $979 and weekly rent is $194, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 20.7%, below the 30% stress threshold despite household incomes in the 17.1st percentile nationally.
What schools are in Port Augusta?
No schools are recorded inside the 20.27 km2 Port Augusta boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions reached by car, consistent with 81.4% of residents driving to work. University qualifications among adults sit at 16.3%, which is 13.8 points below the national figure.
Is Port Augusta safe?
Crime is a concern. There were 2,701 recorded offences, a rate of 419.6 per 1,000 residents, well above comparable metro suburbs. The suburb also scores decile 1 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, the most disadvantaged tier, and 8.2% of residents need daily assistance.
Is Port Augusta good for property investment?
The case is mixed. Renters make up 44.7% of households at $194 a week, a deep tenant pool, but the 17.0% vacancy rate signals oversupply that caps rent growth. Net internal migration of 256 people a year supports demand, so returns lean on population growth more than tight occupancy.
How is Port Augusta's population changing?
The population is growing fast for a regional centre, at 2.52% annually, rising from 7,372 in 2023 to 8,090 in 2025. The medium forecast reaches 8,946 by 2031. Growth is driven by net internal migration of 256 residents a year, far above the 52 added from overseas migration.
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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