Worrolong
Household income at the 83.8th percentile nationally tells the first story about Worrolong, but the real standout is housing tenure: 60.9% of residents carry a mortgage, one of the highest rates you will find in rural South Australia, while only 7.8% rent. Every dwelling in the suburb is a separate house, with 59.5% having four or more bedrooms, pointing to a family-formation area rather than a downsizer market. The population of 1,293 skews younger than national, with a median age of 36 that is 4 years below the Australian figure, and a low crime rate of 8.5 incidents per 1,000 residents adds to its appeal for young families.
Population
1,293
Median Age
36.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,205/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
22
No established sale price data is available for Worrolong, which reflects the suburb's small transaction volume rather than a lack of housing stock. What is clear is that buyers who do purchase are managing their debt well: mortgage repayments average $1,625 per month and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 17.0%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold and lower than most comparable suburbs in South Australia. All 100% of dwellings are separate houses, and 59.5% have four or more bedrooms, meaning buyers get significant floor space relative to cost. Couples with children make up 547 of the 1,093 families, compared to 286 couples without children, so the demographic signals a long-term owner-occupier market rather than a speculative one.
For Buyers
No established sale price data is available for Worrolong, which reflects the suburb's small transaction volume rather than a lack of housing stock. What is clear is that buyers who do purchase are managing their debt well: mortgage repayments average $1,625 per month and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 17.0%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold and lower than most comparable suburbs in South Australia. All 100% of dwellings are separate houses, and 59.5% have four or more bedrooms, meaning buyers get significant floor space relative to cost. Couples with children make up 547 of the 1,093 families, compared to 286 couples without children, so the demographic signals a long-term owner-occupier market rather than a speculative one.
For Investors
At 7.8%, the renter share in Worrolong is well below the national average, which means the landlord market here is thin. Weekly rent of $361 is the operative figure for yield calculations, though without an established median sale price the gross yield cannot be precisely stated. The vacancy rate of 5.4% is elevated, which suggests rental demand is not outpacing supply. Development activity recorded 21 applications in the past 12 months, mostly new detached dwellings, indicating ongoing land take-up rather than infill or subdivision. The low unemployment rate of 2.0%, below the national rate, and high participation at 71.4% point to a workforce that is mostly employed and owner-focused, limiting the tenant pool but supporting capital stability.
Development Activity
Total DAs
178
Last 12 Months
22
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-18.5%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
Worrolong sits younger than the national average with a median age of 36, which is 4 years below the national figure, driven by a high proportion of couples with children (547 families out of 1,093 total). The overseas-born share of 10.4% is 11.2 percentage points below the national figure, making this one of the more Anglo-Celtic communities in regional SA. Ancestry is dominated by English (483 residents), Scottish (156) and German (87), consistent with the historic settlement patterns of the Mount Gambier region. Volunteering reaches 20.3% of the population, above typical metropolitan rates, which reflects the community orientation common in rural South Australia. Average household size of 2.9 is 0.4 above national, consistent with the family-dominated tenure profile.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
100.0%
Houses
N/A
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
The entire housing stock in Worrolong is detached separate houses, a 100% rate that stands in contrast to mixed urban stock in comparable towns. Four-or-more bedroom homes account for 59.5% of dwellings and three-bedroom homes for 36.8%, leaving only 3.8% at two bedrooms. This bedroom distribution points to purpose-built family homes rather than infill or retirement product. Tenure splits sharply: 60.9% are on mortgages, 31.3% own outright and just 7.8% rent, a ratio that is well above the national mortgage-belt average. Monthly mortgage repayments of $1,625 and a mortgage-to-income ratio of 17.0% are both below stress thresholds, and the rent-to-income ratio of 16.4% is similarly low, meaning housing costs are not a financial burden for most residents here compared to metropolitan norms.
Mortgage / mo
$1,625
Rent / wk
$361
HH Size
2.9
Personal Income / wk
$934
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.4%
Unoccupied
24
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
16.4%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
17.0%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
26.2%
Couples, no children
1,093
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the dominant industry at 19.7% of workers (89 people), followed by Education at 12.8% (58) and Construction at 12.2% (55), with Agriculture at 8.4% (38) and Manufacturing at 7.1% (32) rounding out the top five. This distribution reflects Worrolong's position within the Mount Gambier economic zone, where the regional hospital and schools anchor public-sector employment. The occupation mix leans professional: Professionals (124) lead, followed by Clerical/Admin (106) and Managers (91). Unemployment of 2.0% is below the national rate, and the full-time employment rate of 65.0% with participation at 71.4% suggests the workforce is both active and substantially full-time. Household income of $2,205 per week sits at the 83.8th percentile nationally, well above what the regional setting might suggest.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
65.0%
Part-time
33.0%
Participation
71.4%
Employed
694
Occupations
Top Industries
University
21.8%
Postgraduate
3.6%
Born Overseas
10.4%
Dwellings
409
Transport to Work
Car dependency is near-total in Worrolong: 95.1% of residents drive to work, consistent with a rural suburb without public transport infrastructure. Walking and cycling account for only 0.5% of commutes. The crime rate of 8.5 incidents per 1,000 residents is low in absolute terms, with just 11 total incidents recorded, placing it well below typical suburban crime rates nationally. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary, so families depend on facilities in nearby Mount Gambier, the regional centre roughly 10 kilometres away. The need-for-assistance rate of 3.6% (43 people) is relatively low, and housing stress is absent on both the mortgage (17.0% ratio) and rental (16.4% ratio) measures, making day-to-day living costs manageable compared to metropolitan suburbs.
Drive
95.1%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
0.5%
Work from Home
N/A
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
11
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
8.5
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Worrolong compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Worrolong a good suburb to live in?
Worrolong suits families seeking affordable detached housing with a low crime rate of 8.5 incidents per 1,000 residents and housing costs well below the 30% stress threshold, with mortgage repayments averaging $1,625 per month. Household income sits at the 83.8th percentile nationally. The main trade-off is car dependency: 95.1% of residents drive, and there are no schools within the suburb boundary.
What is the median house price in Worrolong?
No established median sale price is available for Worrolong due to the suburb's low transaction volume. Weekly rent averages $361 and monthly mortgage repayments run $1,625, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 17.0%, well below the stress threshold. All 100% of dwellings are separate houses.
What schools are in Worrolong?
No schools are recorded within the Worrolong suburb boundary. With a population of 1,293 and a family-oriented profile (547 couples with children), residents access schools in neighbouring Mount Gambier. University qualification rates at 21.8% are 8.3 percentage points below the national figure.
Is Worrolong safe?
Worrolong recorded just 11 total crime incidents in the reference period, translating to a rate of 8.5 per 1,000 residents, which is low by national standards. The suburb is tagged as a low-crime-rate area in the dataset, consistent with its rural character and strong owner-occupier base of 92.2% (owned outright plus mortgage).
Is Worrolong good for property investment?
Investment appeal is limited by a thin rental market: only 7.8% of residents rent, against a 5.4% vacancy rate, which reduces the tenant pool and yield potential. Weekly rent of $361 is available but without a median sale price the gross yield cannot be confirmed. Development activity of 21 applications in 12 months shows ongoing building, and the 2.0% unemployment rate below national supports economic stability.
How is Worrolong's population changing?
Formal forecasts are not available for Worrolong, but current population is 1,293 with a residential stability rate of 80.8%, meaning most residents stayed at the same address over the reference period. The median age of 36 is 4 years below the national figure, and 547 of 1,093 families are couples with children, suggesting the suburb is in a growth and family-retention phase rather than decline.
How much development is happening in Worrolong?
There were 21 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, including new detached dwellings and outbuildings. This is above the threshold for an active-development suburb and reflects incremental land take-up consistent with the suburb's 19.91 km2 area and rural fringe location near Mount Gambier.
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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