suburb.guide

SA · Grant Council

Donovans, 5291

Est. population · Jun 2025

106

Growth (1 yr)

+0.9%

Growth (5 yr)

+5.0%

Median age

64

Median income

$758/wk

Employment rate

30.8%

University qualified

10.5%

Work from home

11.8%

Languages at home

Mostly English at home

2021 Census · usual residence

  • National parks
  • Country town
What Donovans is known for: National parks, Country town

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Donovans, SA suburb snapshot — Suburb Guide

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Suburb Guide, “Donovans, SA Suburb Guide”, updated 28 September 2026, https://suburb.guide/sa/donovans

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Suburb profile

Donovans is a regional town in South Australia, in Grant Council. It is close to the Glenelg River and the Lower Glenelg River.

Recorded road-crash rates are lower than in comparable places, with recorded road crashes 65% below the peer median, and mapped flood cover is another area where the suburb performs particularly well, and green cover is another area where the suburb performs particularly well, and population has been growing faster than in comparable places, well above typical levels for regional towns. Space is a strength, but car dependence is high. Employment rates sit below those of comparable places, with employment 40% below the peer median.

Employment is the most material weakness.

Generated from the official metrics on this page. It can omit nuance or contain errors — check the tables and source notes before relying on it.

Strengths and weaknesses

Regional town · compared with regional towns in South Australia (31)

Strengths

  • Recorded road-crash rates are lower than in comparable places
  • Mapped flood cover is a relative strength
  • Green cover is a relative strength
  • Population has been growing faster than in comparable places

Weaknesses

  • Employment rates sit below those of comparable places

What stands out

  • Glenelg River
  • Lower Glenelg River
  • Mount Gambier
  • River Conservation Park
  • Space is a strength, but car dependence is high

Who it suits

  • StudentsInsufficient data

Housing, growth and risk

How Donovans compares

A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk

Median house price

—

No data available

Median rent

$390/wk

Population (ERP)

106

+0.9% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

32.9%

Census unoccupied dwellings

How it compares

Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles

Crime rate

69th

percentile in state (higher = more crime)

Pop. growth

71st

percentile in SA

Rented dwellings

11%

2021 Census tenure

Advantage (IRSAD)

4/10

national SEIFA decile

Population growth

Recent ERP change over 1 and 5 years

Housing mix

Dwelling types from the 2021 Census

Risks & flags

Quick scan — open a section below for full context

Living here

Housing

Houses (01/01/26 to 31/03/26)
$390

Median weekly rent from SA Housing Authority rental bond data. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.

Median house sale prices cover metropolitan Adelaide and selected fringe councils (19 LGAs, including Adelaide Hills and Gawler), not all of regional South Australia.

Contributes to desirability score · Housing (10%) · Future Growth (6%)

Household crowding and healthy vacancy — not cheapness Modest price change as a healthy-growth band

Data sources & freshness

  • SA rent report & metro median house sales — Government of South Australia · 1 January - 31 March 2026 · Updated · Quarterly; metro-fringe sales only

Population

Estimated resident population

106(June 2025)

+0.9% annual · +5.0% over 5 years · 71th percentile in SA

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+0.9%
5-year growth
+5.0%
Change in 1 year
+1
Change in 5 years
+5
Growth rank in SA
71th percentile

ABS Estimated Resident Population allocated to this suburb from SA2-level data. Not an official ABS suburb count.

Methodology

Figures are allocated from ABS Estimated Resident Population at Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2), using 2021 Census share within overlapping SA2 regions. Where Census data is unavailable, area overlap is used instead.

The dashed chart line is a simple growth-trend estimate to June 2030 (~100), extrapolated at +1.3% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
111
Median age
64
Median household income / week
$758
Dwelling vacancy
32.9%
Unoccupied private dwellings
28 of 85
Median monthly mortgage
$774
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$150
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
59.3% / 29.6% / 11.1%
Employment rate
30.8%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
11.8% / 0% / 73.5%
Walked or cycled to work
0%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
55 / 0 / 0

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%) · Accessibility (12%) · Future Growth (6%)

Employment, household income and owned-outright tenure (2021 Census) Work-from-home and public-transport commute shares (2021 Census) Five-year population change as a healthy-growth band, not a boom bonus

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

  • Estimated Resident Population — Australian Bureau of Statistics · 2025 · Updated · SA2 ERP allocated to suburb boundaries

Qualifications

10.5% of adults have a university degree, compared with 22.6% across South Australia. 11.4% have a trade or vocational qualification.

  • University qualified10.5% · 22.6% SA
  • Diploma qualified7.6% · 8.6% SA
  • Trade / vocational11.4% · 17.5% SA
  • Year 12 or below70.5% · 51.2% SA

Highest qualification field

Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).

  • Engineering and related technologies35.7%
  • Education21.4%
  • Health21.4%
  • Creative arts10.7%
  • Food, hospitality and personal services10.7%
How these groups are defined
MeasureDefinition
University qualifiedBachelor degree or higher
Diploma qualifiedAdvanced Diploma / Diploma
Trade / vocationalCertificate III + IV
Year 12Year 12 as highest attainment
Below Year 12Year 11 / 10 / 9 or below

People aged 15 years and over, 2021 Census. University, diploma and trade shares match ABS highest educational attainment (HEAP). Year 12 and below Year 12 are combined in the chart because the General Community Profile reports school-only attainment as a residual.

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)

University qualifications from the 2021 Census

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Tax & income

Median taxable income (2023–24)
$56,313

59th percentile in SA · -4% vs Australia

Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$60,163

59th percentile in SA · -7% vs Australia

Residents with rental investments
12.0%

41st percentile in SA · -13% vs Australia

Median super balance (2023–24)
$92,040

66th percentile in SA · +45% vs Australia

Residents with business income
9.0%

23rd percentile in SA · -13% vs Australia

Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 5291 — not a suburb-level official statistic. Rental investment is the share of local taxpayers reporting rental income or loss, not the share of local properties owned by investors.

Counts, net rent & state comparison
Taxpayers in this postcode
6,101
Taxpayers reporting net rent
734
Median net rent
$3
Taxpayers reporting business income
576
Taxable income vs state median
+4%
Salary / wages vs state median
+5%
Rental investment vs state median
0%
Super vs state median
+18%
Business income vs state median
-18%

Percentiles rank this postcode among unique postcodes in SA, so suburbs that share a postcode are not counted twice. Dollar figures are compared with Australia-wide ATO medians from the same release. Median net rent is among taxpayers who reported the rent label and can be negative.

Data sources & freshness

  • Taxation Statistics 2023–24 — individuals by postcode (Table 25) — Australian Taxation Office · Updated · Annual release; taxpayer residential postcode, not suburb boundary

Community & culture

17.8% born overseas

Language at home
91 English only · 0 other
Non-English at home
0%
Born overseas
16 (17.8%)
Australian citizens
92

Religion

39.6%No religion

No religion is the most common response at 39.6%, while Christianity accounts for 39.6%.

MeasureSuburbState
No religion39.6%45.2%
Christianity39.6%40%
Other / not stated20.7%14.7%
Christian denominations
DenominationSuburbState
Catholic14.4%15.5%
Anglican11.7%7.2%

2021 Census — languages spoken at home, birthplace, Indigenous status, and religious affiliation (usual residence). Religion is optional on the Census form.

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Crime & safety

Reported offences increased compared with the previous period.

Offence counts & rates
Total offences (2025–26)
6
Against the person
3
Against property
3
Rate per 1,000 residents
56.6
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 37 residents
State crime-rate percentile
69.4th (higher = more crime)
Family & domestic abuse offences
42
Increase (daily rate)
+20%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
1
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
9.43

Most common offence types

  • Damage Or Destroy Property1
  • Driving Causing Serious Injury1
  • Other Acts That Harm Or Endanger Persons1
  • Serious Assault1
  • Theft From A Person2

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)

Crime rate, offences against the person, year-on-year trend and recorded road crash rates

Data sources & freshness

Family & Lifestyle

Amenities

13 mapped amenities

1 playgrounds · 1 campgrounds

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • Limited walkable amenities nearby
  • Decent local green space — 0 parks in suburb, 1 playgrounds nearby
Walkability proxy
0/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0
Parks per 1,000 residents
0
Community(1)
  • Community centre
Sport & outdoors(7)
  • BBQ
  • Glenelg River Heritage RiverNature reserve
  • Lower Glenelg National ParkNature reserve
  • Lower Glenelg River Conservation ParkNature reserve
  • Donovans LandingPicnic area
  • Playground
  • Public toilets
Camping & holiday parks(1)
  • Dry CreekCampground
Entertainment(2)
  • Donovans viewing platformViewpoint
  • Viewpoint
Other(2)
  • Donovans CFSFire station
  • Parking

Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually. Campgrounds, beaches, wineries and local trails are included when they sit inside the suburb boundary.

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)

Food, shopping, recreation and sport per 1,000 residents (OpenStreetMap)

Data sources & freshness

  • Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
  • OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated

Green cover

Green cover of suburb area
0.8%
Woodland / forest cover
0.8%
Parks & woodland features (OSM)
0
Parks (OSM)
0
Typical summer maximum
22°C

Green cover is the share of this suburb's boundary overlapping OpenStreetMap parks, woodland and forest polygons — not a satellite tree-canopy product. Summer maximum is the WorldClim / Open-Meteo seasonal normal already collected for Weather.

Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)

Tree canopy first, then green-cover area and parks per 1,000

Data sources & freshness

  • OpenStreetMap green cover and tree canopy — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated · Park/woodland polygons intersected with suburb boundaries

Health access

Nearest hospital
Mount Gambier and Districts Health Service (26.7 km)
Nearest hospital type
Public Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department
GP clinics in suburb
0

GP clinic counts from OpenStreetMap. Bulk-billing figures only include clinics tagged in OSM (sparse and unofficial — not a Medicare list).

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Hospitals, GPs and aged care

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
2
Participants per 1,000 residents
18.9

Active NDIS participants allocated from NDIA Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2, ASGS 2016) counts to this suburb boundary. Not an official suburb-level NDIS figure · as at 31 March 2026.

For NDIS spend and service-demand exploration by SA2 or postcode, see the Care Sector Demand Map.

Data sources & freshness

Weather

Typical conditions by season for suburbs in the same ~44 km climate area. Rainfall totals are summed from monthly WorldClim layers; rainy-day counts are approximate.

Summer (Dec–Feb)

Usual max / min
22° / 12°
Rainfall
103 mm · ~13 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
19° / 10°
Rainfall
186 mm · ~23 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
14° / 7°
Rainfall
325 mm · ~41 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
17° / 9°
Rainfall
210 mm · ~26 rainy days

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)

Temperature and humidity comfort

Data sources & freshness

  • Seasonal climate normals — WorldClim 2.1 · Updated

Future & Planning

Planning & development

Development applications from PlanSA register and EPA licensed activities.

2026· 3 proposals

  • August 2026

  • Walkway with handrail and stairs
    17 DRY CREEK RD DONOVANS SA 5291Decision Made

  • June 2026

  • Land Division (1 into 2)
    9 HOLLOWAY ST DONOVANS SA 5291Decision Made

  • May 2026

  • Outbuilding extension with lean-to abutting existing dwelling
    6 DONOVANS RD DONOVANS SA 5291Under Assessment
2024· 3 proposals

  • October 2024

  • Outbuilding to replace existing smaller outbuilding
    3 DRY CREEK RD DONOVANS SA 5291Decision Made

  • April 2024

  • External walls and 2 internal walls to be restumped using 100x100mm concrete stumps
    10-12 DONOVANS RD DONOVANS SA 5291Under Assessment
  • Dwelling Additions
    9 MILLARD ST DONOVANS SA 5291Under Assessment
2023· 3 proposals

  • May 2023

  • Outbuilding
    19 DRY CREEK RD DONOVANS SA 5291Decision Made

  • March 2023

  • Outbuilding with attached personal workshop
    13 MILLARD ST DONOVANS SA 5291Decision Made

  • February 2023

  • Outbuilding
    8 BORDER RD S DONOVANS SA 5291Decision Made
2022· 9 proposals

  • November 2022

  • Detached Dwelling & Outbuilding
    19 DONOVANS RD DONOVANS SA 5291Under Assessment

  • September 2022

  • Outbuilding extension
    5-7 ATKIN ST DONOVANS SA 5291Decision Made
  • Detached Dwelling & Outbuilding
    7 HOLLOWAY ST DONOVANS SA 5291Decision Made

  • August 2022

  • Detached Dwelling and Outbuilding
    2 BORDER RD S DONOVANS SA 5291Under Assessment

  • July 2022

  • New 6m x 4m free standing carport
    2 HILL ST DONOVANS SA 5291Decision Made

  • May 2022

  • Carport
    11 DONOVANS RD DONOVANS SA 5291Decision Made
  • Verandah
    11 DONOVANS RD DONOVANS SA 5291Decision Made

  • April 2022

  • 7M X 16M Shed Colour: Surfmist Proposed use: Storage of a boat, trailer, lawn mower and other gardening materials.
    17 DONOVANS RD DONOVANS SA 5291Decision Made

  • February 2022

  • Detached Dwelling and Outbuilding
    17 DONOVANS RD DONOVANS SA 5291Decision Made
2021· 3 proposals

  • September 2021

  • Amenities Block (Public Toilets)
    LOT 828 DRY CREEK RD DONOVANS SA 5291Decision Made

  • June 2021

  • Jetty & Lean-to Shelter
    LOT 2 DRY CREEK RD DONOVANS SA 5291Decision Made

  • May 2021

  • Community Hall
    10 ADAMS ST DONOVANS SA 5291Decision Made
Other· 3 proposals
  • DISTRICT COUNCIL OF GRANT
    Resource Recovery Waste Disposal and RelatedEPA licence
  • SOUTH AUSTRALIAN WATER CORPORATION
    Resource Recovery Waste Disposal and RelatedEPA licence
  • WATTLE RANGE COUNCIL
    Resource Recovery Waste Disposal and RelatedEPA licence

Data sources & freshness

Hazards

Bushfire planning zone
Overlay applies
Flood / inundation overlay
99.6% of suburb boundary

Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid against all current SA Planning risk layers (high, medium, general, urban interface, regional, outback). Flood cover is the share of the suburb boundary overlapping current SA Planning flood overlays (flooding and evidence required). Safer places from CFS designated locations.

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)

Bushfire and flood hazard overlays

Data sources & freshness

Politics & representation

Federal electorate
Barker
Member of Parliament
Tony PASIN (Liberal)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
127,045
Turnout (2025)
92.6%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
+3.6 pp toward Labor

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 63.0%Labor 37.0%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 26.1 km away).

Coalition 65.0%Labor 35.0%

2.0 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +1.4 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • YahlLabor 28.6% · Coalition 71.4% TPP (2025)18.2 km away
  • GlenburnieLabor 28.7% · Coalition 71.3% TPP (2025)20.5 km away
  • Port MacDonnellLabor 28.2% · Coalition 71.8% TPP (2025)23.0 km away
  • Mount Gambier EastLabor 48.1% · Coalition 51.9% TPP (2025)23.4 km away
  • MoorakLabor 23.9% · Coalition 76.1% TPP (2025)24.9 km away

Federal electorate from AEC federal division boundaries (2025 redistribution). Division-level results are official AEC figures from the latest general election, with by-election updates where applicable. The estimated suburb profile blends up to eight nearest ordinary polling booths in the same electorate using inverse-distance weighting from the suburb centroid — an approximation, not official AEC data. Nearest polling places are shown for reference.

Data sources & freshness

Socio-economic

IRSAD decile (2021)
4/10
IRSD decile (2021)
4/10

ABS Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), 2021 release — the latest available, derived from the 2021 Census. Deciles rank suburbs nationally from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).

What do IRSAD and IRSD measure?

IRSAD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage. Combines indicators of advantage (e.g. high income, skilled occupations) and disadvantage. Higher decile = more advantaged relative to other Australian areas.

IRSD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage. Focuses on disadvantage only (e.g. low income, unemployment, limited education). Higher decile = less disadvantage nationally.

A new SEIFA edition typically follows each census; the ABS has not announced a release date beyond 2021.

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)

Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD and IRSD deciles)

Data sources & freshness

More in Grant Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of South Australia.