Roxby Downs
Mining shapes Roxby Downs more than any other factor: 49.4% of workers are in mining, while the 3,671-resident town has a median age of 30 and household income at the 97.9th percentile nationally. Housing is unusually rental-heavy, with 68.4% renting and vacancy at 22.1%, so access can be easier for tenants than in tighter markets but less predictable for owners. Compared with nearby Andamooka, buyers should weigh Roxby Downs's stronger employment base against its small, mobile market: turnover is 34.3%, and the annual growth trend is below zero at -0.32%.
Population
3,671
Median Age
30.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$3,142/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
24
Homebuyers face a detached-house market, with 96.7% of dwellings separate houses and 43.7% containing 3 bedrooms; another 37.7% have 4 or more. That mix suits households needing space, while only 2.8% are apartments. There is no current suburb median house price to use as a benchmark, so check recent comparable sales and property condition before making an offer. The indicative mortgage payment is $1,517 per month, equal to 11.2% of household income, compared with rent at $260 per week and 8.3% of income. Because 68.4% rent and vacancy is 22.1%, buyers may find more negotiating room than in a tight market, but resale depth can be thinner.
For Buyers
Homebuyers face a detached-house market, with 96.7% of dwellings separate houses and 43.7% containing 3 bedrooms; another 37.7% have 4 or more. That mix suits households needing space, while only 2.8% are apartments. There is no current suburb median house price to use as a benchmark, so check recent comparable sales and property condition before making an offer. The indicative mortgage payment is $1,517 per month, equal to 11.2% of household income, compared with rent at $260 per week and 8.3% of income. Because 68.4% rent and vacancy is 22.1%, buyers may find more negotiating room than in a tight market, but resale depth can be thinner.
For Investors
Roxby Downs has a renter-majority base: 68.4% of households rent versus 6.6% owning outright and 22.1% paying a mortgage. Weekly rent is $260, while vacancy is 22.1%, a combination that can support tenant choice and make occupancy more sensitive to mining workforce cycles. Rent growth reached 26.8%, but the annual population trend is -0.32%, so investors should not treat recent rent movement as a guarantee of ongoing demand. Overseas migration is the primary forecast driver. Twenty-two development applications in 12 months indicate local activity, although examples include sheds and a scoreboard rather than confirmed new dwellings. Compared with a lower-vacancy market, income, tenant retention and exit liquidity need close checking.
Development Activity
Total DAs
121
Last 12 Months
24
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+118.2%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Roxby Downs
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Roxby Downs Area School
Demographics
Roxby Downs skews young and workforce-oriented. Median age is 30, which is 10 years below the national figure, and university attainment is 19.2%, or 10.9 percentage points below the national rate. The 52.1% male share and 34.3% annual turnover fit a town shaped by mobile mining and trades employment. English ancestry is reported by 1,347 people, followed by Scottish at 307 and Irish at 274; 1,983 report no religion and 1,126 Christianity. Overseas-born residents account for 14.4%, 7.2 points below nationally. Average household size is 2.7, slightly above the national comparison by 0.2. Compared with nearby Andamooka, prospective residents should compare access to work, services and housing on the exact address.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
96.7%
Houses
0.0%
Townhouse
2.8%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing is overwhelmingly detached and rented. Separate houses account for 96.7% of dwellings, compared with 2.8% apartments, while 68.4% of households rent, 22.1% have a mortgage and only 6.6% own outright. The bedroom profile is family-sized, with 43.7% three-bedroom and 37.7% four-bedroom-plus homes. Weekly rent is $260 and the mortgage figure is $1,517 monthly; those costs equal 8.3% and 11.2% of household income respectively, and both rent and mortgage stress flags are false. Vacancy at 22.1% can give renters more choice because the market has substantial empty stock, but it also signals a less tightly held ownership market. With no median sale price, compare recent comparable sales rather than relying on a single headline figure.
Mortgage / mo
$1,517
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$260
Census 2021
HH Size
2.7
Personal Income / wk
$1,747
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
22.1%
Unoccupied
340
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
8.3%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
11.2%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
56.3%
Couples with children
32.1%
Couples, no children
10.5%
Single parent
858
Total families
Economy & Employment
Mining accounts for 49.4% of employment, far above the next industries of construction at 11.1% and education at 8.9%. This concentration supports high incomes, with personal income of $1,747 a week, family income of $3,467 and household income of $3,142, placing households at the 97.9th percentile. Trades are the largest occupation group at 540 people, followed by machinery and drivers at 448, reinforcing the hands-on industrial base. Labour-force participation is 79.4%, full-time employment 74.4% and unemployment 2.1%, all consistent with strong attachment to work. SEIFA is mixed: education and occupation sit at decile 3, below the economic resources decile 6 and IRSAD decile 6, while IRSD reaches decile 7. The gap exists because high mining wages lift resources even though vocational roles dominate.
Unemployment
2.1%
Labour Force
2,101
Unemployed
45
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
74.4%
Part-time
17.0%
Participation
79.4%
Employed
2,056
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
19.2%
Postgraduate
4.1%
Born Overseas
14.4%
Dwellings
1,196
Transport to Work
Daily life is strongly car-dependent. About 85.4% drive to work, compared with 0.8% using public transport, 5.2% walking or cycling and 3.6% working from home, so access to a vehicle matters for commuting and errands. Roxby Downs Area School is the local government school and combines primary and secondary years; families should check the exact enrolment zone and current offerings. The town records 32.1 crimes per 1,000 residents, while 1.4% need assistance with core activities. IRSAD is at decile 6, above the midpoint, indicating moderate relative advantage, although the IEO decile is 3. With 1 local school, practical amenity depends on distance, opening hours and transport planning more than on school choice. Compared with a transit-oriented suburb, car ownership and trip planning are more important here.
Drive
85.4%
Public Transport
0.8%
Walk / Cycle
5.2%
Work from Home
3.6%
Population Forecast
-0.32%/yr
(-13 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth indicators are mixed rather than uniformly positive. The annual trend is -0.32%, below zero, and population change across the wider area is -15.7% over 10 years. At the same time, the trajectory is labelled "Growing (all ages)" and overseas migration is the primary driver, suggesting incoming workers or households may offset some local decline without creating a strong upward trend. Rent growth of 26.8% and a stable affordability trend, moving from 14.0 in 2011 to 14.5 in 2021, point to pressure in a small rental market. Gentrification is not occurring: the score is 0 and the stage is "Not gentrifying". The young share rose 2.9 points, while the senior share rose 1.3, so age demand is broadening even as the working share fell 0.6.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+39
Net Internal / yr
-108
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Net internal outflow -108/yr
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
118
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
32.1
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Roxby Downs compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Roxby Downs a good suburb to live in?
Roxby Downs can suit people prioritising mining-linked employment, family-sized detached housing and a young population. Median age is 30, 85.4% drive to work and 68.4% rent, so the lifestyle is mobile and car-dependent. Check the exact job, school and housing arrangements before committing.
What is the median house price in Roxby Downs?
There is no current median house price figure for Roxby Downs to use as a benchmark. Use recent comparable sales and confirm property condition, tenure and local demand. Weekly rent is $260, vacancy is 22.1% and 96.7% of homes are separate houses, so rental and detached-stock indicators may be more useful than a single median.
What schools are in Roxby Downs?
Roxby Downs Area School is the local government school, combining primary and secondary years. Families should check enrolment zones and current year-level availability for the address, because 1 combined school means less choice than in larger centres. Confirm transport arrangements and any specialist programs directly before enrolling.
Is Roxby Downs safe?
Crime is recorded at 32.1 incidents per 1,000 residents, with 118 total incidents. That figure is a comparison point rather than a guarantee for every street or property. For a decision, inspect recent local trends and ask residents or police about the areas and times that matter to you.
Is Roxby Downs good for property investment?
Investment can work for buyers who understand mining-linked demand, but it is not a low-risk rental market. Rent is $260 a week, vacancy is 22.1%, renters are 68.4% and the annual trend is -0.32%. Overseas migration is the main forecast driver, while 22 development applications add activity. Compare yield with vacancy, tenant turnover of 34.3% and resale liquidity before buying.
How is Roxby Downs's population changing?
Roxby Downs has 3,671 residents today and a median age of 30. The annual trend is -0.32%, while population change across the wider area is -15.7% over 10 years. The forecast trajectory is nevertheless "Growing (all ages)", with overseas migration the primary driver. That combination suggests a mobile population with replacement demand rather than steady expansion.
What development is occurring in Roxby Downs?
Twenty-two development applications were recorded over 12 months, including sheds, an outbuilding and a digital scoreboard at Roxby Oval. These examples indicate ongoing property and community works, but they do not confirm 22 new dwellings. Buyers should compare development activity with vacancy of 22.1% and ask council about approvals affecting a specific address.
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 education open registers (school locations), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
Explore Roxby Downs on the Map
View parcels, zoning overlays, DA applications, schools and more.
Open Interactive Map