Freeling is a major regional centre in South Australia, in Light Council, characterised by heritage streetscapes. Notable landmarks include Railway Hotel, Lutheran Hall and Freeling Hotel.
Employment rates are stronger than in comparable places, with employment 14% above the peer median. The suburb has an unusually high concentration of heritage listings, placing it among the highest-ranked major regional centres, and reported crime sits a little below the peer median. Reported offences have risen 87% year on year, and mapped flood cover is another area where the suburb performs particularly well. The main trade-offs are thinner local amenities and limited school access, with local amenities 49% below the peer median.
Overall, Freeling suits people prioritising heritage character and lower crime over local amenities.
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
Major regional centre · compared with major regional centres in South Australia (71)
Strengths
The suburb has an unusually high concentration of heritage listings
Reported crime sits a little below the peer median
Employment rates are stronger than in comparable places
Mapped flood cover is a relative strength
Weaknesses
Local amenity access is relatively limited
School access is a relative weakness
What stands out
Heritage streetscapes
Railway Hotel
Lutheran Hall
Freeling Hotel
Who it suits
Stars are audience-fit ratings derived from Suburb.Guide data, not demographic counts or user reviews.
Families★★★☆☆
Professionals★☆☆☆☆
Retirees★☆☆☆☆
Students★☆☆☆☆
Budget buyers★☆☆☆☆
Housing, growth and risk
How Freeling compares
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median house price
—
No data available
Median rent
$443/wk
Houses $490 · Units $395
Population (ERP)
2,376
+0.8% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
3.3%
Census unoccupied dwellings
Livability profile
Desirability pillars vs the peer median (50th percentile)
How it compares
Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles
Desirability
#1
among Country & regional · Growth area
Crime rate
26th
percentile in state (higher = more crime)
Pop. growth
64th
percentile in SA
Rented dwellings
13%
2021 Census tenure
Advantage (IRSAD)
3/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
42nd
percentile among schools with ICSEA
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
Desirability
Ranks & confidence
Desirability score
39.1/100 — Below average
National rank
4656th in Australia
State rank
411th in SA
Peer rank
#1 among Country & regional · Growth area suburbs
Cohort rank
#122 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
97%
Data sources & freshness
Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Housing
Flats / units (01/01/26 to 31/03/26)
$395
Houses (01/01/26 to 31/03/26)
$490
All types (01/01/26 to 31/03/26)
$442.5
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.
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
2,376(June 2025)
+0.8% annual · +8.2% over 5 years · 64th percentile in SA
Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+0.8%
5-year growth
+8.2%
Change in 1 year
+18
Change in 5 years
+179
Growth rank in SA
64th 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 (~2,600), extrapolated at +1.9% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
Population
2,688
Median age
33
Median household income / week
$1,755
Dwelling vacancy
3.3%
Unoccupied private dwellings
30 of 919
Median monthly mortgage
$1,400
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$330
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
24.3% / 62.4% / 13.4%
Employment rate
63.1%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
6% / 0.2% / 77.5%
Walked or cycled to work
2.4%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
877 / 8 / 8
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.
10.9% of adults have a university degree, compared with 22.6% across South Australia. 27% have a trade or vocational qualification.
University qualified10.9% · 22.6% SA
Diploma qualified7.2% · 8.6% SA
Trade / vocational27% · 17.5% SA
Year 12 or below54.9% · 51.2% SA
Highest qualification field
Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).
Engineering and related technologies19.7%
Management and commerce18%
Society and culture14.8%
Health14.1%
Education10.3%
Food, hospitality and personal services8.4%
How these groups are defined
Measure
Definition
University qualified
Bachelor degree or higher
Diploma qualified
Advanced Diploma / Diploma
Trade / vocational
Certificate III + IV
Year 12
Year 12 as highest attainment
Below Year 12
Year 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)
$59,873
76th percentile in SA · +2% vs Australia
Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$62,341
68th percentile in SA · -4% vs Australia
Residents with rental investments
7.0%
5th percentile in SA · -49% vs Australia
Median super balance (2023–24)
$76,994
49th percentile in SA · +22% vs Australia
Residents with business income
10.0%
43rd percentile in SA · -4% vs Australia
Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 5372 — 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
1,646
Taxpayers reporting net rent
120
Median net rent
-$448
Taxpayers reporting business income
157
Taxable income vs state median
+10%
Salary / wages vs state median
+8%
Rental investment vs state median
-42%
Super vs state median
-1%
Business income vs state median
-9%
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
Seasonal & agricultural work
6.1% of employed residents work in agriculture, forestry and fishing, 2.7× the Australian share (2.3%) — compared with 3.8% across South Australia.
Agriculture, forestry & fishing
6.1%
44th percentile in SA · +165% vs Australia
Resident workers (2021)
78
WHM specified work
Subclass 417 / 462
Postcode 5372
Occupation mix in this industry
2021 Census G56, residents employed in agriculture, forestry and fishing. Counts below 10 are not shown.
Managers36
Labourers20
Clerical and administrative workers10
Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 Census General Community Profile tables G54 (industry of employment) and G56 (industry by occupation), Statistical Area Level (suburb), place of usual residence. Figures are residents’ main job in the week before Census night — not jobs located in the suburb. Agriculture, forestry and fishing is the 1-digit ANZSIC division; grape growing and other 3- and 4-digit industries are not in this datapack. The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Plant and animal cultivation in postcode 5372 (Regional Australia) may count as specified work for Working Holiday Maker visas (subclasses 417 and 462). This is a postcode rule from the Home Affairs instruments — not evidence that seasonal jobs exist here, and not a count of WHM residents. Home Affairs specified work · LIN 22/012 · LIN 22/013. Compilation used: 5 April 2025.
Region employment estimates (SA4, not this suburb)
Jobs and Skills Australia NERO modelled estimates for Barossa - Yorke - Mid North (SA4 405), 2026-08. These figures describe the broader region, not this suburb, and occupations are not added together.
Mixed Crop and Livestock Farmers ANZSCO 12142,701
Livestock Farmers ANZSCO 12131,420
Crop Farmers ANZSCO 12121,021
Livestock Farm Workers ANZSCO 8415393
Mixed Crop and Livestock Farm Workers ANZSCO 8416368
Agricultural, Forestry and Horticultural Plant Operators ANZSCO 7211305
Crop Farm Workers ANZSCO 8412140
Other Farm, Forestry and Garden Workers ANZSCO 841957
Aquaculture Workers ANZSCO 841110
Forestry and Logging Workers ANZSCO 841310
Barossa - Yorke - Mid North is a Statistical Area Level 4. Fruit, nut and vegetable workers are not published separately in NERO (they sit under ANZSCO 8412). Jobs and Skills Australia warns not to sum occupations or geographies. NERO data. Nowcast of Employment by Region and Occupation, Jobs and Skills Australia, Commonwealth of Australia. CC BY 4.0.
Census employed residents counted in G54: 1,281 · AFF share +61% vs the state.
Data sources & freshness
2021 Census — industry of employment (G54/G56), place of usual residence — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated · Resident main job in the week before Census night, not jobs located in the suburb
The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
WHM specified work areas (LIN 22/012 and LIN 22/013) — Department of Home Affairs · 2025-04-05 · Updated · Postcode eligibility for plant and animal cultivation; not a count of WHM residents
Nowcast of Employment by Region and Occupation (NERO), SA4 × ANZSCO 4-digit — Jobs and Skills Australia · 2026-08 · Updated · Monthly modelled SA4 estimates; not suburb-level. CC BY 4.0
Community & culture
2.1% speak a language other than English at home; 10% born overseas
Language at home
2,512 English only · 53 other
Non-English at home
2.1%
Born overseas
258 (10%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
72 (2.7%)
Australian citizens
2,527
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
2
Top languages other than English
Share of residents who speak a language other than English at home (2021 Census).
Malayalam4 · 57.1%
German3 · 42.9%
Religion
55.7%No religion
No religion is the most common response at 55.7%, while Christianity accounts for 37.1%.
Measure
Suburb
State
No religion
55.7%
45.2%
Christianity
37.1%
40%
Other / not stated
7.2%
14.7%
Christian denominations
Denomination
Suburb
State
Catholic
12.4%
15.5%
Lutheran
9%
2.4%
Anglican
7.9%
7.2%
Uniting Church
3.4%
4.8%
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)
43
Against the person
12
Against property
31
Rate per 1,000 residents
18.1
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 224 residents
State crime-rate percentile
25.7th (higher = more crime)
Family & domestic abuse offences
5
Increase (daily rate)
+87%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
52
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
21.89
Most common offence types
Acts That Threaten, Harass, Or Control4
Damage Or Destroy Property4
Motor Vehicle Theft And Related Offences11
Serious Assault7
Theft From A Person7
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)
Crime rate, offences against the person, year-on-year trend and recorded road crash rates
Freeling Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 990 · 42th percentile · LBOTE 2% · 241 students · Top SEA quarter 7% · 1.4 km awayView on My School →
Freeling PreschoolCoulls StreetPreschools
Contributes to desirability score · Education (14%)
Median school ICSEA first, then school and catchment counts
Great for outdoor family life — 16 parks mapped in suburb, 2 playgrounds nearby
Walkability proxy
11/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0.37
Parks per 1,000 residents
5.95
Food & drink(1)
Gungellan HotelPub
Everyday services(1)
Australia PostPost office
Sport & outdoors(19)
Anzac ParkPark
Freeling Recreation PrecinctPark
Park (13)
Playground (2)
Freeling Public ToiletPublic toilets
Sports field
Other(3)
Freeling CFSFire station
9 Stephenson Street, Freeling
Parking (3)
Shelter
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
Named sporting clubs from OpenStreetMap and the SA Sports Vouchers venue list, assigned to this suburb's boundary. Sporting facilities such as ovals, courts and recreation centres are listed under Amenities.
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
Kapunda Hospital (16.2 km)
Nearest hospital type
Public Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department
GP clinics in suburb
0
Aged-care services
1
Residential aged-care places
53
GP clinic counts from OpenStreetMap. Bulk-billing figures only include clinics tagged in OSM (sparse and unofficial — not a Medicare list).
Aged-care services
Wheatfields IncorporatedFREELINGResidential
Australian Government–subsidised services from the AIHW GEN list (30 June 2025), assigned to this suburb by location.
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)
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.
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
29° / 13°
Rainfall
69 mm · ~9 rainy days
Autumn (Mar–May)
Usual max / min
22° / 9°
Rainfall
80 mm · ~10 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
Usual max / min
14° / 5°
Rainfall
142 mm · ~18 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
Usual max / min
21° / 8°
Rainfall
125 mm · ~16 rainy days
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)
Development applications from PlanSA register and EPA licensed activities.
2026· 44 proposals
September 2026
Construction of an outbuilding ancillary to an existing dwelling
22 HANSON ST FREELING SA 5372Under Assessment
Construction of a free standing roller door ancillary to the existing dwelling
62 FIDDLEWOOD DR FREELING SA 5372Under Assessment
Construction of agricultural building (hay shed) in association with existing farming activities
12 WARREN RD FREELING SA 5372Under Assessment
Construction of an outbuilding ancillary to the existing dwelling
5A TEMPLERS RD FREELING SA 5372Under Assessment
Construction of Outbuilding in association with existing dwelling
19 PEDLER BVD FREELING SA 5372Under Assessment
Construction of Verandah in association with existing dwelling
7 JAENSCH CCT FREELING SA 5372Decision Made
August 2026
Verandah
9 ROBERTS PL FREELING SA 5372Decision Made
Construction of a verndah ancillary to the existing supported accommodation facility
21 HANSON ST FREELING SA 5372Under Assessment
Construction of a carport ancillary to the existing dwelling
30 HANSON ST FREELING SA 5372Decision Made
Proposed integrated commercial development comprising a multi-tenancy building including shops and an office, conservations work to the State Heritage Listed Freeling Hotel, advertising, landscaping and Land Management Agreement for carparking.
1 HANSON ST FREELING SA 5372;UNIT 1-5 3 HANSON ST FREELING SA 5372Under Assessment
Construction of Domestic Outbuilding in association with existing dwelling
5 KOCH ST FREELING SA 5372Under Assessment
Construction of a swimming pool and associated swimming pool safety features ancillary to the existing dwelling
27 PEDLER BVD FREELING SA 5372Decision Made
July 2026
Verandah
3 MCCALLUM RD FREELING SA 5372Decision Made
Alterations and additions to the existing dwelling, consutruction of an outbuilding, garage, verandah and deck.
7 HAMILTON ST FREELING SA 5372Under Assessment
Construction of a swimming pool and associated swimming pool safety features ancillary to the existing dwelling
45 LANGE RD FREELING SA 5372Decision Made
Replacement Building (Repair fire damaged dwelling and alfresco)
42 STOLLBERG RD FREELING SA 5372Decision Made
June 2026
Land division (boundary realignment)
85 LESKE RD FREELING SA 5372;LOT 201 THIELE HWY FREELING SA 5372Decision Made
Construction of two verandahs ancillary to the existing dwelling
16 PEDLER BVD FREELING SA 5372Decision Made
May 2026
Construction of outbuilding (domestic storage) ancillary to existing dwelling
8 ROHDE ST FREELING SA 5372Decision Made
Construction of a carport ancillary to the existing dwelling
8 PEDLER BVD FREELING SA 5372Decision Made
Construction of replacement carport ancillary to the existing dwelling
4 SHANAHAN ST FREELING SA 5372Decision Made
April 2026
Construction of a Single Storey Detached Dwelling
10 FRIEDRICH ST FREELING SA 5372Decision Made
Construction of a single storey detached dwelling
12 ROWE ST FREELING SA 5372Decision Made
Construction of a single storey detached dwelling
LOT 74 HIGGS RD FREELING SA 5372Under Assessment
Construction of two verandahs ancillary to the existing dwelling
14 MEANEY DR FREELING SA 5372Decision Made
Construction of a carport ancillary to the existing dwelling
102 FIDDLEWOOD DR FREELING SA 5372Decision Made
Swimming pool & safety fences
12 KNIGHTLEY CCT FREELING SA 5372Decision Made
Construction of Domestic Outbuilding (Rumpus Room) in association with existing dwelling
21 ROGERS ST FREELING SA 5372Decision Made
Construction of Carport in association with existing Dwelling
2 BECKER ST FREELING SA 5372Decision Made
Swimming pool & safety fences
38 FIDDLEWOOD DR FREELING SA 5372Decision Made
March 2026
Construction of an outbuilding ancillary to the existing dwelling
13 SKEHAN PL FREELING SA 5372Decision Made
Construction of an outbuilding ancillary to an existing detached dwelling
27 PEDLER BVD FREELING SA 5372Decision Made
verandah to existing detached dwelling
15 COULLS ST FREELING SA 5372Decision Made
Alterations and additions to existing single storey dwelling
16 BORROW ST FREELING SA 5372Decision Made
February 2026
verandah ancillary to existing dwelling
11 JAENSCH CCT FREELING SA 5372Decision Made
Construction of a Veranda ancillary to the existing dwelling
3 SUGARGUM PL FREELING SA 5372Decision Made
Construction of an outbuilding ancillary to the existing dwelling
13 SCHUSTER ST FREELING SA 5372Decision Made
Construction of an outbuilding (garage) in association with existing dwelling
14 ROGERS ST FREELING SA 5372Under Assessment
Excavation & installation of fiberglass swimming pool.
3 SUGARGUM PL FREELING SA 5372Decision Made
Construction of an Outbuilding ancillary to the existing dwelling
60 HANSON ST FREELING SA 5372Decision Made
2025· 10 proposals
December 2025
Construction of freestanding verandah ancillary to existing dwelling
312 KUHLMANN RD FREELING SA 5372Decision Made
Installation of inground fibreglass swimming pool, associated pool safety fencing and temporary fencing.
4 ROCHE ST FREELING SA 5372Decision Made
Verandah
101 HANSON ST FREELING SA 5372Decision Made
Construction of two (2) verandahs ancillary to existing dwelling
6 KNIGHTLEY CCT FREELING SA 5372Decision Made
Construction of a Verandah ancillary to the existing dwelling
18 ROHDE ST FREELING SA 5372Decision Made
Construction of a Domestic Outbuilding ancillary to an existing dwelling
7 PEDLER BVD FREELING SA 5372Decision Made
November 2025
Free standing accessible unisex toilet ancillary to existing bowling club rooms
41 HANSON ST FREELING SA 5372Decision Made
Construction of a verandah ancillary to the existing dwelling
4 ROWE ST FREELING SA 5372Decision Made
Construction of a detached single storey dwelling with ancillary carport and associated above ground water storage tank
1641 THIELE HWY FREELING SA 5372Decision Made
Placement of shipping container ancillary to existing dwelling
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.
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 21.6 km away).
Coalition 53.6%Labor 46.4%
9.3 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +4.1 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
FreelingLabor 46.3% · Coalition 53.7% TPP (2025)1.1 km away
GreenockLabor 43.4% · Coalition 56.6% TPP (2025)10.0 km away
KapundaLabor 45.8% · Coalition 54.2% TPP (2025)15.3 km away
TanundaLabor 48.2% · Coalition 51.8% TPP (2025)15.5 km away
NuriootpaLabor 52.7% · Coalition 47.3% TPP (2025)16.7 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.
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%)