Whyalla Stuart
Three numbers define this part of Whyalla: a 50.7% renter share, a 15.6% vacancy rate, and decile 1 scores on all four SEIFA indexes. The decile 1 ranking places it in the most disadvantaged tier nationally, and household income sits in the 7.1st percentile, far below the national average. The housing stock is unusual for a regional town, with 57.3% semi-detached dwellings against just 36.1% separate houses, a legacy of the area's industrial worker housing. The population of 6,476 has fallen 3.8% over the decade, and at 19.3% born overseas the suburb runs 2.3 points below the national figure, leaning Anglo with English the largest ancestry at 2,695 residents.
Population
6,476
Median Age
41.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$880/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
25
Buyers face a market built around modest, uniform stock rather than detached family homes. Separate houses make up only 36.1% of dwellings while semi-detached homes dominate at 57.3%, and 72.2% of all dwellings have exactly three bedrooms, leaving little variety for growing families wanting four-plus bedrooms (just 13.5%). The financial picture is genuinely affordable: average monthly mortgage repayments of $967 produce a mortgage-to-income ratio of 25.4%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold despite household income in the 7.1st percentile nationally. Outright owners (23.8%) and mortgage holders (25.5%) together make up under half the market, because renting accounts for 50.7%, the highest tenure category. For owner-occupiers, the appeal is low entry cost and low carrying cost rather than capital growth, given the population has declined 3.8% over ten years.
For Buyers
Buyers face a market built around modest, uniform stock rather than detached family homes. Separate houses make up only 36.1% of dwellings while semi-detached homes dominate at 57.3%, and 72.2% of all dwellings have exactly three bedrooms, leaving little variety for growing families wanting four-plus bedrooms (just 13.5%). The financial picture is genuinely affordable: average monthly mortgage repayments of $967 produce a mortgage-to-income ratio of 25.4%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold despite household income in the 7.1st percentile nationally. Outright owners (23.8%) and mortgage holders (25.5%) together make up under half the market, because renting accounts for 50.7%, the highest tenure category. For owner-occupiers, the appeal is low entry cost and low carrying cost rather than capital growth, given the population has declined 3.8% over ten years.
For Investors
The renter base is deep, with 50.7% of dwellings rented, but the supply side undercuts the case. A 15.6% vacancy rate is well above what a healthy rental market sustains, signalling more available stock than tenant demand, which caps rent growth and lengthens void periods. Weekly rent averages just $160, among the lowest you will find in any Australian market, so even strong yields translate to thin dollar returns. Demand drivers are weak: net internal migration runs at minus 152 residents a year, only partly offset by 78 from overseas, and the population is forecast to keep sliding at minus 0.18% annually. Development activity is light at 22 applications in 12 months, mostly sheds, carports and verandahs rather than new dwellings, so supply stays flat. The investment logic here rests on high yield against a low price base, not on capital growth or tightening vacancy.
Development Activity
Total DAs
145
Last 12 Months
25
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-3.8%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Whyalla Stuart iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Whyalla Stuart Primary School R-6
R-6 · 79 students
Demographics
The median age of 41 sits 1.0 year above the national figure, and the trajectory is aging: the senior share rose 4.0 points over the decade while the young share fell 2.2 points. The community is strongly Anglo, with English the dominant ancestry at 2,695 residents, followed by Scottish (656) and Irish (411), and only 19.3% were born overseas, 2.3 points below national. Non-English languages are negligible, with Greek and Italian the most common at just 11 speakers each. University qualifications reach only 10.4%, which is 19.7 points below the national figure, reflecting a workforce built on trades and operational roles rather than knowledge work. Average household size is 2.1 people, 0.4 below national, and couples with children (1,316 families) narrowly outnumber couples without children (1,232).
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
36.1%
Houses
57.3%
Townhouse
6.4%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure tilts heavily toward renting at 50.7%, with outright owners at 23.8% and mortgage holders at 25.5%, so over half the dwellings are not owner-occupied. The stock is dominated by semi-detached homes at 57.3% against 36.1% separate houses and only 6.4% apartments, an unusual mix for a regional town that traces back to its industrial housing history. Uniformity runs deep on size too, with 72.2% of dwellings holding exactly three bedrooms and just 13.5% offering four or more. Affordability is the standout: rent-to-income sits at 18.2% and mortgage-to-income at 25.4%, both below the 30% stress threshold, and neither stress flag is triggered. That comfort exists despite household income in the 7.1st percentile, because purchase and rental costs are correspondingly low, with weekly rent averaging $160.
Mortgage / mo
$967
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$160
Census 2021
HH Size
2.1
Personal Income / wk
$502
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
15.6%
Unoccupied
521
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.2%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.4%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
28.7%
Couples, no children
4,295
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local workforce is concentrated in operational and care sectors: Healthcare leads at 20.1% (223 workers), Manufacturing follows at 16.6% (184) and Education at 12.4% (137), with Construction at 8.6% and Mining at 8.4%, reflecting Whyalla's steelmaking and resources base. By occupation, Machinery Operators and Drivers (391) and Labourers (364) top the list, consistent with the decile 1 IEO score for education and occupation. The labour market is strained: unemployment runs at 12.2%, well above national, and participation is just 42.3% because 2,414 residents are not in the labour force, a function of the aging profile. All four SEIFA indexes read decile 1, the most disadvantaged tier, with IRSAD at 868 and IER at 879, yet real incomes still grew 10.2% over the decade, easing pressure on existing households.
Unemployment
13.7%
Labour Force
10,646
Unemployed
1,460
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
60.8%
Part-time
27.0%
Participation
42.3%
Employed
1,975
Occupations
Top Industries
University
10.4%
Postgraduate
1.5%
Born Overseas
19.3%
Dwellings
2,818
Transport to Work
Daily life is heavily car-dependent, with 84.3% driving to work against only 1.9% on public transport and 5.2% walking or cycling, well above the national reliance on cars and typical of a dispersed regional layout at 936.6 residents per km2. Safety is the clearest challenge: the crime rate runs at 147.8 incidents per 1,000 residents from 957 total recorded, high by any measure, and the suburb sits in decile 1 on IRSD, the most disadvantaged tier for relative disadvantage. Community support needs are notable, with 11.1% of residents (652 people) requiring daily assistance, above what the median age of 41 alone would suggest, while volunteering runs at 11.7%. No schools are recorded inside the 6.91 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring Whyalla suburbs.
Drive
84.3%
Public Transport
1.9%
Walk / Cycle
5.2%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
-0.18%/yr
(-39 people/yr)
EstablishedThe suburb is contracting rather than expanding: population fell 3.8% over the past decade and the trend forecast points to a further minus 0.18% a year, about 39 fewer residents annually. The demographic engine is running in reverse, with net internal migration at minus 152 residents a year overwhelming the 78 added through overseas migration, the only positive driver. The gentrification score reads 0 out of a low band, classifying the area as not gentrifying, and the trajectory is aging as the senior share climbed 4.0 points. There is one bright spot for residents: affordability improved from 31.7% in 2011 to 28.1% in 2021, and rent grew 20.0% over the period off a very low base. With an established, slow-growth profile, this is a market defined by stability and decline rather than expansion.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+78
Net Internal / yr
-152
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Net internal outflow -152/yr
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
957
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
147.8
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Whyalla Stuart compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Whyalla Stuart a good suburb to live in?
It suits affordability-focused residents, with rent-to-income at 18.2% and mortgage-to-income at 25.4%, both below the 30% stress threshold. The trade-offs are real, though: all four SEIFA indexes sit at decile 1, the most disadvantaged tier nationally, and the crime rate is high at 147.8 per 1,000 residents.
What is the median house price in Whyalla Stuart?
A reliable median house price is not available for Whyalla Stuart in this dataset. The clearest cost signals are an average monthly mortgage repayment of $967 and weekly rent of just $160, both very low, which keeps the mortgage-to-income ratio at a manageable 25.4%.
What schools are in Whyalla Stuart?
No schools are recorded inside the 6.91 km2 Whyalla Stuart boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring Whyalla suburbs. Education is the third-largest local industry, employing 137 people or 12.4% of the workforce, so teaching jobs are present even where campuses are not listed.
Is Whyalla Stuart safe?
Safety is a genuine concern. The recorded crime rate is high at 147.8 incidents per 1,000 residents, from 957 total incidents. The suburb also sits in decile 1 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, the most disadvantaged tier nationally, which often correlates with higher crime exposure.
Is Whyalla Stuart good for property investment?
The renter pool is deep at 50.7% of dwellings, but a 15.6% vacancy rate signals oversupply and weak demand. Weekly rent of $160 limits dollar returns, and with net internal migration at minus 152 a year and population falling 0.18% annually, the case rests on high yield off a low base, not capital growth.
How is Whyalla Stuart's population changing?
The population of 6,476 has fallen 3.8% over the past decade and is forecast to keep declining at about 0.18% a year, roughly 39 fewer residents annually. Net internal migration of minus 152 a year drives the loss, only partly offset by 78 new residents from overseas migration.
How much development is happening in Whyalla Stuart?
There were 22 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, a modest level for a 6.91 km2 suburb. The samples are mostly sheds, carports and verandahs rather than new dwellings, consistent with a contracting market where population has fallen 3.8% over the decade.
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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