SA · Loxton Waikerie Council

Golden Heights, 5322

Est. population · Jun 2025

279

Growth (1 yr)

0.0%

Growth (5 yr)

0.0%

Median age

47

Median income

$1,208/wk

Employment rate

57.3%

University qualified

8.5%

Work from home

14.9%

Languages at home

1.9%non-English

Mostly English at home

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

39.6/100
Below average

394th in SA

Verified 78% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Agricultural
  • Hills
  • Rural living
What Golden Heights is known for: Agricultural, Hills, Rural living

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Golden Heights, SA suburb snapshot — Suburb Guide

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Suburb Guide, “Golden Heights, SA Suburb Guide”, updated 2 October 2026, https://suburb.guide/sa/golden-heights

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Suburb profile

Golden Heights is a semi-rural locality near Adelaide, in Loxton Waikerie Council. It is close to the Murray River.

Recorded road-crash rates are lower than in comparable places, with recorded road crashes 77% below the peer median. Space is a strength, but car dependence is high. The clearer weaknesses are weaker population growth and thinner local amenities, with population growth 100% below the peer median.

Population growth 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

Semi-rural locality · compared with semi-rural and lifestyle localities in South Australia (227)

Strengths

  • Recorded road-crash rates are lower than in comparable places

Weaknesses

  • Population growth is a relative weakness
  • Local amenity access is relatively limited

What stands out

  • Murray River
  • Space is a strength, but car dependence is high

Who it suits

  • Families
  • Professionals
  • Retirees
  • StudentsInsufficient data
  • Budget buyersInsufficient data

Housing, growth and risk

How Golden Heights compares

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

Median house price

—

No data available

Median rent (Census)

$175/wk

2021 Census median weekly rent

Population (ERP)

279

0.0% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

13.1%

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

#70

among Country & regional · Mature

Crime rate

4th

percentile in state (higher = more crime)

Pop. growth

19th

percentile in SA

Rented dwellings

12%

2021 Census tenure

Advantage (IRSAD)

3/10

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

Desirability

Ranks & confidence
Desirability score
39.6/100 — Below average
National rank
4513th in Australia
State rank
394th in SA
Peer rank
#70 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
Cohort rank
#113 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
78%

Data sources & freshness

  • Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated

Population

Estimated resident population

279(June 2025)

0.0% annual · 0.0% over 5 years · 19th percentile in SA

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
0.0%
5-year growth
0.0%
Change in 1 year
0
Change in 5 years
0
Growth rank in SA
19th 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 (~300), extrapolated at +0.4% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
271
Median age
47
Median household income / week
$1,208
Dwelling vacancy
13.1%
Unoccupied private dwellings
16 of 122
Median monthly mortgage
$975
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$175
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
47.6% / 40% / 12.4%
Employment rate
57.3%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
14.9% / 0% / 79.3%
Walked or cycled to work
0%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
107 / 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

8.5% of adults have a university degree, compared with 22.6% across South Australia. 21.6% have a trade or vocational qualification.

  • University qualified8.5% · 22.6% SA
  • Diploma qualified9.4% · 8.6% SA
  • Trade / vocational21.6% · 17.5% SA
  • Year 12 or below60.6% · 51.2% SA

Highest qualification field

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

  • Management and commerce22.1%
  • Engineering and related technologies19.8%
  • Society and culture16.3%
  • Education9.3%
  • Food, hospitality and personal services9.3%
  • Agriculture and environment5.8%
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)
$49,140

27th percentile in SA · -16% vs Australia

Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$53,354

33rd percentile in SA · -18% vs Australia

Residents with rental investments
11.0%

31st percentile in SA · -20% vs Australia

Median super balance (2023–24)
$68,667

36th percentile in SA · +8% vs Australia

Residents with business income
7.0%

8th percentile in SA · -33% vs Australia

Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 5322 — 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
523
Taxpayers reporting net rent
55
Median net rent
$2,050
Taxpayers reporting business income
38
Taxable income vs state median
-10%
Salary / wages vs state median
-7%
Rental investment vs state median
-8%
Super vs state median
-12%
Business income vs state median
-36%

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

26.4% of employed residents work in agriculture, forestry and fishing, 11.5× the Australian share (2.3%) — compared with 3.8% across South Australia.

Agriculture, forestry & fishing
26.4%

71st percentile in SA · +1048% vs Australia

Resident workers (2021)
32
WHM specified work
Subclass 417 / 462

Postcode 5322

Occupation mix in this industry

2021 Census G56, residents employed in agriculture, forestry and fishing. Counts below 10 are not shown.

  • Labourers12
  • Managers11

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 5322 (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 South Australia - South East (SA4 407), 2026-08. These figures describe the broader region, not this suburb, and occupations are not added together.

  • Livestock Farmers ANZSCO 12134,568
  • Mixed Crop and Livestock Farmers ANZSCO 12143,627
  • Livestock Farm Workers ANZSCO 84151,363
  • Crop Farmers ANZSCO 12121,073
  • Crop Farm Workers ANZSCO 8412992
  • Agricultural, Forestry and Horticultural Plant Operators ANZSCO 7211833
  • Forestry and Logging Workers ANZSCO 8413346
  • Mixed Crop and Livestock Farm Workers ANZSCO 8416308
  • Other Farm, Forestry and Garden Workers ANZSCO 8419301
  • Aquaculture Workers ANZSCO 841110

South Australia - South East 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: 121 · AFF share +595% 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

1.9% speak a language other than English at home; 5% born overseas

Language at home
252 English only · 5 other
Non-English at home
1.9%
Born overseas
13 (5%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
10 (3.7%)
Australian citizens
255

Religion

46.1%No religion

No religion is the most common response at 46.1%, while Christianity accounts for 42.4%.

MeasureSuburbState
No religion46.1%45.2%
Christianity42.4%40%
Other / not stated11.4%14.7%
Christian denominations
DenominationSuburbState
Lutheran14%2.4%
Uniting Church11.1%4.8%
Anglican9.6%7.2%
Catholic5.5%15.5%
Christian (not further defined)4.1%2.6%

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 decreased compared with the previous period.

Offence counts & rates
Total offences (2025–26)
2
Against the person
0
Against property
2
Rate per 1,000 residents
7.2
State crime-rate percentile
4.3th (higher = more crime)
Family & domestic abuse offences
10
Decrease (daily rate)
-71.4%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
3
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
10.75

Most common offence types

  • Damage Or Destroy Property1
  • Theft From A Person1

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

No OpenStreetMap amenities mapped for this suburb yet.

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%
Woodland / forest cover
0%
Parks & woodland features (OSM)
0
Parks (OSM)
0
Typical summer maximum
32°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
Waikerie Health Service (4.8 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)
8
Participants per 1,000 residents
28.7

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
32° / 15°
Rainfall
57 mm · ~7 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
25° / 10°
Rainfall
57 mm · ~7 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
17° / 5°
Rainfall
74 mm · ~9 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
25° / 9°
Rainfall
85 mm · ~11 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· 1 proposal
  • August 2026

  • Construction of an Agricultural Building (Implement shed)
    LOT 105 BORROUGHS RD GOLDEN HEIGHTS SA 5322Decision Made
2025· 2 proposals
  • July 2025

  • Construction of freestanding carport
    LOT 8 VIRGO RD GOLDEN HEIGHTS SA 5322Decision Made
  • January 2025

  • Land Division (1 into 4 Allotments - Community Title Division) with common property allotment for driveway access
    57 PERRY RD GOLDEN HEIGHTS SA 5322Decision Made
2024· 3 proposals
  • October 2024

  • Construction of an attached Verandah
    131 KRIEG RD GOLDEN HEIGHTS SA 5322Decision Made
  • May 2024

  • Construction of Outbuilding (Shed)
    157 BALLANTINE RD GOLDEN HEIGHTS SA 5322Decision Made
  • February 2024

  • Attached Patio 8.550x5.400x3.000 Coloured Roof & Gutters Galv Frame
    188 VIRGO RD GOLDEN HEIGHTS SA 5322Decision Made
2023· 7 proposals
  • December 2023

  • Construction of an Agricultural Building (to cover a future cool room) associated with an existing Packing Facility
    22 DEARMAN RD GOLDEN HEIGHTS SA 5322Decision Made
  • October 2023

  • Installation of a Telecommunication Facility (transmission pole)
    131 CROCKER RD GOLDEN HEIGHTS SA 5322Decision Made
  • July 2023

  • Extension to an Agricultural Building (implement shed)
    LOT 9 REX ANDREW RD GOLDEN HEIGHTS SA 5322Decision Made
  • April 2023

  • Addition and minor internal alteration to existing dwelling
    131 CROCKER RD GOLDEN HEIGHTS SA 5322Decision Made
  • March 2023

  • Protective Tree Netting Structure
    LOT 51 PERRY RD GOLDEN HEIGHTS SA 5322;LOT 52 PERRY RD GOLDEN HEIGHTS SA 5322Decision Made
  • Construction of an outbuilding forward of a dwelling
    121 CROCKER RD GOLDEN HEIGHTS SA 5322Decision Made
  • Agricultural Building (Implement shed)
    155 BALLANTINE RD GOLDEN HEIGHTS SA 5322Under Assessment
2022· 6 proposals
  • December 2022

  • Construction of a carport forward of an existing dwelling
    6 STARR ST GOLDEN HEIGHTS SA 5322Decision Made
  • Verandah
    162 BALLANTINE RD GOLDEN HEIGHTS SA 5322Decision Made
  • June 2022

  • Minor Variation to Development Application 551/74/2020 - Four (4) plastic greenhouses - variation to dimensions of greenhouses and setback to boundary
    131 BALLANTINE RD GOLDEN HEIGHTS SA 5322Decision Made
  • May 2022

  • Construction of domestic storage shed
    127 BALLANTINE RD GOLDEN HEIGHTS SA 5322Decision Made
  • Agricultural building (machinery shed)
    131 BALLANTINE RD GOLDEN HEIGHTS SA 5322Decision Made
  • February 2022

  • Swimming pool and safety fence
    162 BALLANTINE RD GOLDEN HEIGHTS SA 5322Decision Made
2021· 4 proposals
  • December 2021

  • Construction of a workers accommodation facility
    131 BALLANTINE RD GOLDEN HEIGHTS SA 5322Under Assessment
  • August 2021

  • Construction of a flat roof verandah attached to an existing dwelling
    256 VIRGO RD GOLDEN HEIGHTS SA 5322Decision Made
  • June 2021

  • Construction of a domestic outbuilding with an attached verandah
    18 DEARMAN RD GOLDEN HEIGHTS SA 5322Decision Made
  • May 2021

  • Construction of an agricultural building
    LOT 8 DEARMAN RD GOLDEN HEIGHTS SA 5322Decision Made
2020· 5 proposals
  • November 2020

  • Construction of six plastic covered greenhouses, a dam, and the installation of a 100KL rainwater tank for fire fighting purposes.
    LOT 3 BALLANTINE RD GOLDEN HEIGHTS SA 5322Decision Made
  • Installation of two 106kl rainwater tanks
    LOT 3 BALLANTINE RD GOLDEN HEIGHTS SA 5322Decision Made
  • October 2020

  • Protective tree netting structure in the form of a wind break
    LOT 148 CROCKER RD GOLDEN HEIGHTS SA 5322Decision Made
  • September 2020

  • Protective Netting Over Orchards
    LOT 43 PERRY RD GOLDEN HEIGHTS SA 5322;LOT 44 PERRY RD GOLDEN HEIGHTS SA 5322Decision Made
  • to build new patio/verandah
    18 REX ANDREW RD GOLDEN HEIGHTS SA 5322Decision Made

Data sources & freshness

Hazards

Bushfire planning zone
Overlay applies
Flood / inundation overlay
100% 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 50.2 km away).

Coalition 71.8%Labor 28.2%

8.8 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +2.0 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • RamcoLabor 26.2% · Coalition 73.8% TPP (2025)3.2 km away
  • WaikerieLabor 31.6% · Coalition 68.4% TPP (2025)4.6 km away
  • CadellLabor 28.7% · Coalition 71.3% TPP (2025)23.7 km away
  • MorganLabor 43.7% · Coalition 56.3% TPP (2025)31.0 km away
  • BlanchetownLabor 36.6% · Coalition 63.4% TPP (2025)34.0 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)
3/10
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 Loxton Waikerie Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

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