suburb.guide

SA · Clare and Gilbert Valleys Council

Hill River, 5453

Est. population · Jun 2025

102

Growth (1 yr)

+1.0%

Growth (5 yr)

+2.0%

Median age

42

Median income

$1,625/wk

Employment rate

70%

University qualified

15.4%

Work from home

36.4%

Languages at home

Mostly English at home

2021 Census · usual residence

  • Green suburb
  • River access
  • Agricultural
  • Rural living
What Hill River is known for: Green suburb, River access, Agricultural, Rural living

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Suburb Guide, “Hill River, SA Suburb Guide”, updated 1 October 2026, https://suburb.guide/sa/hill-river-sa

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Suburb profile

Hill River is a rural locality in South Australia, in Clare and Gilbert Valleys Council. Notable landmarks include Hill River Station Complex, Hill River Station Tree Plantation and Hill River Station (Homestead and Coach House/Stables).

Socio-economic advantage sits well above the peer median, well above typical levels for rural localities, and working from home is more common than in comparable places, and university qualifications are more common than in comparable places, with university qualifications 83% above the peer median, and green cover is another area where the suburb performs particularly well, and heritage listings are a relative strength, with heritage listings 100% above the peer median. Recorded crashes relative to resident population are elevated.

Hill River is a better fit for people who value socio-economic advantage and university qualifications.

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

Rural locality · compared with rural localities in South Australia (602)

Strengths

  • Socio-economic advantage sits well above the peer median
  • Working from home is more common than in comparable places
  • University qualifications are more common than in comparable places
  • Green cover is a relative strength
  • Heritage listings are a relative strength

Weaknesses

  • Recorded crashes relative to resident population are elevated

What stands out

  • Hill River Station Complex
  • Hill River Station Tree Plantation
  • Hill River Station (Homestead and Coach House/Stables)

Who it suits

  • StudentsInsufficient data

Housing, growth and risk

How Hill River compares

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

Median house price

—

No data available

Median rent (Census)

$220/wk

2021 Census median weekly rent

Population (ERP)

102

+1.0% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

0.0%

Census unoccupied dwellings

How it compares

Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles

Crime rate

8th

percentile in state (higher = more crime)

Pop. growth

73rd

percentile in SA

Rented dwellings

26%

2021 Census tenure

Advantage (IRSAD)

8/10

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

Population

Estimated resident population

102(June 2025)

+1.0% annual · +2.0% over 5 years · 73th percentile in SA

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+1.0%
5-year growth
+2.0%
Change in 1 year
+1
Change in 5 years
+2
Growth rank in SA
73th 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 +0.6% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
98
Median age
42
Median household income / week
$1,625
Dwelling vacancy
0%
Unoccupied private dwellings
0 of 39
Median monthly mortgage
$1,647
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$220
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
64.5% / 9.7% / 25.8%
Employment rate
70%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
36.4% / 0% / 58.2%
Walked or cycled to work
5.5%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
28 / 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

15.4% of adults have a university degree, compared with 22.6% across South Australia. 19.2% have a trade or vocational qualification.

  • University qualified15.4% · 22.6% SA
  • Trade / vocational19.2% · 17.5% SA
  • Year 12 or below65.4% · 51.2% SA

Highest qualification field

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

  • Management and commerce33.3%
  • Society and culture30%
  • Agriculture and environment13.3%
  • Education13.3%
  • Engineering and related technologies10%
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)
$54,499

51st percentile in SA · -7% vs Australia

Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$56,960

48th percentile in SA · -12% vs Australia

Residents with rental investments
14.0%

73rd percentile in SA · +1% vs Australia

Median super balance (2023–24)
$99,427

73rd percentile in SA · +57% vs Australia

Residents with business income
11.0%

61st percentile in SA · +6% vs Australia

Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 5453 — 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
3,185
Taxpayers reporting net rent
436
Median net rent
$1,178
Taxpayers reporting business income
352
Taxable income vs state median
0%
Salary / wages vs state median
-1%
Rental investment vs state median
+17%
Super vs state median
+28%
Business income vs state median
0%

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

45.5% of employed residents work in agriculture, forestry and fishing, 19.8× the Australian share (2.3%) — compared with 3.8% across South Australia.

Agriculture, forestry & fishing
45.5%

85th percentile in SA · +1878% vs Australia

Resident workers (2021)
25
WHM specified work
Subclass 417 / 462

Postcode 5453

Occupation mix in this industry

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

  • Managers17

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 5453 (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: 55 · AFF share +1097% 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

3.3% born overseas

Language at home
86 English only · 0 other
Non-English at home
0%
Born overseas
3 (3.3%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
4 (4.1%)
Australian citizens
89

Religion

59.2%Most common religion · Christianity

Christianity is the most common response at 59.2%, while 30.6% reported no religion.

MeasureSuburbState
No religion30.6%45.2%
Christianity59.2%40%
Other / not stated10.2%14.7%
Christian denominations
DenominationSuburbState
Catholic22.4%15.5%

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

Offence counts & rates
Total offences (2024–25)
1
Against the person
0
Against property
1
Rate per 1,000 residents
9.8
State crime-rate percentile
8.1th (higher = more crime)
Family & domestic abuse offences
27
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
8
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
78.43

Most common offence types

  • Theft/Illegal Use Of Mv1

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

1 mapped amenities

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • Limited walkable amenities nearby
Walkability proxy
0/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0
Parks per 1,000 residents
0
Sport & outdoors(1)
  • Clare Valley Wine & Wilderness Trail - Stage 1Walking trail

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
0.1%
Woodland / forest cover
0.1%
Parks & woodland features (OSM)
9
Parks (OSM)
0
Typical summer maximum
29°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
Clare Hospital (7.4 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)
3
Participants per 1,000 residents
29.4

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
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%)

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

  • March 2026

  • Verandah
    50 BLOCKERS RD HILL RIVER SA 5453Decision Made
2025· 5 proposals

  • December 2025

  • Outbuilding (shed)
    153 RICES CREEK RD HILL RIVER SA 5453Decision Made

  • August 2025

  • Dwelling additions (living area, study, laundry, bathroom and entry foyer and verandah additions to existing dwelling) and outbuilding (carport)
    312 LALLYS RD HILL RIVER SA 5453Decision Made

  • June 2025

  • Land Division (Boundary Realignment/Community Amendment)
    122 KIRRIBILLY RD HILL RIVER SA 5453;LOT 1 KIRRIBILLY RD HILL RIVER SA 5453Decision Made
  • Land Division (Torrens Title - 3 into 2)
    122 KIRRIBILLY RD HILL RIVER SA 5453;LOT 1 KIRRIBILLY RD HILL RIVER SA 5453Decision Made

  • February 2025

  • Shop (café) with accompanying cow cuddling/affection therapy, decking, verandah and free-standing toilet facility with associated carparking and landscaping
    42 OLD BURRA RD HILL RIVER SA 5453Decision Made
2024· 3 proposals

  • December 2024

  • Outbuilding (carport and attached verandah)
    22 BLOCKERS RD HILL RIVER SA 5453Decision Made

  • November 2024

  • Verandah
    272 LALLYS RD HILL RIVER SA 5453Decision Made

  • September 2024

  • Agricultural building (implement storage) with attached lean-to
    272 LALLYS RD HILL RIVER SA 5453Decision Made
2023· 2 proposals

  • August 2023

  • Agricultural Building
    1148 FARRELL FLAT RD HILL RIVER SA 5453Decision Made

  • July 2023

  • Construct an attached lean-to onto an existing agricultural building (implement storage)
    446 ANGAS CT HILL RIVER SA 5453Decision Made
2022· 5 proposals

  • December 2022

  • Shed and lean-to
    42 OLD BURRA RD HILL RIVER SA 5453Decision Made

  • November 2022

  • Carport
    82 BLOCKERS RD HILL RIVER SA 5453Decision Made

  • August 2022

  • Construction of a partially enclosed shelter over an existing swimming pool and construction of associated bathroom, sauna and storage facility
    153 RICES CREEK RD HILL RIVER SA 5453Decision Made

  • July 2022

  • BOUNDARY REALIGNMENT
    468 SHEEP DIP RD HILL RIVER SA 5453;LOT 14 SHEEP DIP RD HILL RIVER SA 5453Decision Made

  • January 2022

  • Agricultural outbuilding - 15m (L) x 18m (W) x 5.1m (H) Alpha shed in Colorbond
    272 LALLYS RD HILL RIVER SA 5453Decision Made
2021· 2 proposals

  • November 2021

  • Replacement for current non functioning swimming pool with a new unground fibreglass swimming pool
    300 LALLYS RD HILL RIVER SA 5453Decision Made

  • June 2021

  • Dwelling Addition and Verandah
    153 RICES CREEK RD HILL RIVER SA 5453Decision Made
2020· 2 proposals

  • November 2020

  • 15m x 15m x 4.2m farm shed
    259 RICES CREEK RD HILL RIVER SA 5453Decision Made

  • October 2020

  • ADDITIONS TO EXISTING DWELLING & ASSOCIATED SWIMMING POOL
    153 RICES CREEK RD HILL RIVER SA 5453Decision Made
Other· 1 proposal
  • KIRRIHILL WINES PTY LTD
    Food Production and Animal Plant ProcessingEPA licence

Data sources & freshness

Heritage

4 heritage places

  • Hill River Station (Homestead and Coach House/Stables)Fisher Road, near CLAREState heritage
  • Hill River Station ComplexFarrell Flat Road CLARELocal heritage
  • Former Hill River Station Outbuildings and yardsFarrell Flat Road HILL RIVERLocal heritage
  • Hill River Station Tree PlantationFarrell Flat Road HILL RIVERLocal heritage

Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)

Heritage listings as established streetscape

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
Grey
Member of Parliament
Tom VENNING (Liberal)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
128,707
Turnout (2025)
89.4%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
+5.4 pp toward Labor

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 54.6%Labor 45.4%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 27.9 km away).

Coalition 64.4%Labor 35.6%

9.8 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +1.8 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • ClareLabor 37.2% · Coalition 62.8% TPP (2025)7.9 km away
  • Farrell FlatLabor 30.4% · Coalition 69.6% TPP (2025)10.6 km away
  • WatervaleLabor 44.0% · Coalition 56.0% TPP (2025)17.9 km away
  • BlythLabor 32.7% · Coalition 67.3% TPP (2025)18.7 km away
  • AuburnLabor 47.4% · Coalition 52.6% TPP (2025)24.7 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.

Data sources & freshness

Socio-economic

IRSAD decile (2021)
8/10
IRSD decile (2021)
8/10

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 Clare and Gilbert Valleys Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

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