Hindmarsh Island is a rural locality in South Australia, in Alexandrina Council. It is close to the Murray River and the river island.
Local amenities are a relative strength, placing it among the highest-ranked rural localities. Population growth is an exceptional strength, and university qualifications are more common than in comparable places, with university qualifications 90% above the peer median, and recorded road crashes are a relative strength, with recorded road crashes 72% below the peer median. Trade-offs centre on higher rents and weaker employment, with median rents 36% above the peer median.
Overall, Hindmarsh Island suits people prioritising local amenities and university qualifications over lower rents.
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
Local amenities are a relative strength
Population growth is a relative strength
University qualifications are more common than in comparable places
Recorded road crashes are a relative strength
Weaknesses
Rents run above those in comparable places
Employment rates sit below those of comparable places
What stands out
Sugars Beach
Murray River
River island
Who it suits
Stars are audience-fit ratings derived from Suburb.Guide data, not demographic counts or user reviews.
Families★☆☆☆☆
Professionals★☆☆☆☆
Retirees★☆☆☆☆
StudentsInsufficient data
Budget buyersInsufficient data
Housing, growth and risk
How Hindmarsh Island compares
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median house price
—
No data available
Median rent
$570/wk
Population (ERP)
2,028
+1.6% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
41.3%
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
#156
among Country & regional · Mature
Crime rate
27th
percentile in state (higher = more crime)
Pop. growth
88th
percentile in SA
Rented dwellings
21%
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
29.1/100 — Below average
National rank
6489th in Australia
State rank
637th in SA
Peer rank
#156 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
Cohort rank
#242 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
79%
Data sources & freshness
Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Housing
Houses (01/01/26 to 31/03/26)
$570
Rental bonds lodged (01/01/26 to 31/03/26)
10
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
2,028(June 2025)
+1.6% annual · +12.0% over 5 years · 88th percentile in SA
Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+1.6%
5-year growth
+12.0%
Change in 1 year
+33
Change in 5 years
+217
Growth rank in SA
88th 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 (~2,200), extrapolated at +1.8% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
Population
1,846
Median age
60
Median household income / week
$1,123
Dwelling vacancy
41.3%
Unoccupied private dwellings
550 of 1,331
Median monthly mortgage
$1,365
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$330
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
54.1% / 25.2% / 20.8%
Employment rate
39.3%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
11.6% / 0.5% / 65.7%
Walked or cycled to work
2.9%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
685 / 57 / 0 (+ 38 other)
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.
16% of adults have a university degree, compared with 22.6% across South Australia. 20% have a trade or vocational qualification.
University qualified16% · 22.6% SA
Diploma qualified11.8% · 8.6% SA
Trade / vocational20% · 17.5% SA
Year 12 or below52.2% · 51.2% SA
Highest qualification field
Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).
Management and commerce21.6%
Engineering and related technologies18.8%
Health15.1%
Society and culture14%
Education11%
Architecture and building5.8%
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)
$41,838
7th percentile in SA · -29% vs Australia
Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$48,016
15th percentile in SA · -26% vs Australia
Residents with rental investments
12.0%
45th percentile in SA · -13% vs Australia
Median super balance (2023–24)
$103,373
76th percentile in SA · +63% vs Australia
Residents with business income
11.0%
52nd percentile in SA · +6% vs Australia
Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 5214 — 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
5,175
Taxpayers reporting net rent
598
Median net rent
$2,552
Taxpayers reporting business income
565
Taxable income vs state median
-23%
Salary / wages vs state median
-17%
Rental investment vs state median
0%
Super vs state median
+33%
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
4.3% of employed residents work in agriculture, forestry and fishing, 1.9× the Australian share (2.3%) — compared with 3.8% across South Australia.
Agriculture, forestry & fishing
4.3%
40th percentile in SA · +87% vs Australia
Resident workers (2021)
28
WHM specified work
Subclass 417 / 462
Postcode 5214
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 5214 (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: 645 · AFF share +13% 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
2.9% speak a language other than English at home; 22.8% born overseas
Language at home
1,713 English only · 52 other
Non-English at home
2.9%
Born overseas
400 (22.8%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
11 (0.6%)
Australian citizens
1,686
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).
Japanese3 · 50%
Russian3 · 50%
Religion
50.4%No religion
No religion is the most common response at 50.4%, while Christianity accounts for 41.4%.
Measure
Suburb
State
No religion
50.4%
45.2%
Christianity
41.4%
40%
Other / not stated
8.2%
14.7%
Christian denominations
Denomination
Suburb
State
Anglican
13.2%
7.2%
Catholic
9.8%
15.5%
Uniting Church
7%
4.8%
Christian (not further defined)
3.1%
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)
38
Against the person
19
Against property
19
Rate per 1,000 residents
18.7
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 97 residents
State crime-rate percentile
26.8th (higher = more crime)
Family & domestic abuse offences
36
Decrease (daily rate)
-9.5%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
18
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
8.88
Most common offence types
Common Assault6
Damage Or Destroy Property6
Sct - Residence4
Serious Assault9
Theft From A Person4
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)
Crime rate, offences against the person, year-on-year trend and recorded road crash rates
Coorong Additions (Gazettal in Progress)Nature reserve
Lawari Conservation ParkNature reserve
Camping & holiday parks(1)
Hindmarsh Island Caravan ParkCaravan park
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
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
South Coast District Hospital (24.8 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%)
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
25° / 15°
Rainfall
53 mm · ~7 rainy days
Autumn (Mar–May)
Usual max / min
21° / 12°
Rainfall
103 mm · ~13 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
Usual max / min
15° / 8°
Rainfall
183 mm · ~23 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
Usual max / min
20° / 10°
Rainfall
104 mm · ~13 rainy days
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)
Development applications from PlanSA register and EPA licensed activities.
2026· 127 proposals
September 2026
Construction of single storey detached dwelling with associated earthworks and retaining wall
5 GREGORY CCT HINDMARSH ISLAND SA 5214Under Assessment
Construction of an Outbuilding
12 GREGORY CCT HINDMARSH ISLAND SA 5214Under Assessment
Construction of an amenities block (public toilet)
LOT 501 SUGARS AV HINDMARSH ISLAND SA 5214Under Assessment
Construction of a two-storey detached dwelling including associated earthworks and infrastructure
14 RICHARD CT HINDMARSH ISLAND SA 5214Under Assessment
Construction of a Verandah
71 VESTA DR HINDMARSH ISLAND SA 5214Decision Made
Construction of a single storey detached dwelling, an outbuilding (garage) and a verandah (partially enclosed)
94 WENTWORTH PDE HINDMARSH ISLAND SA 5214Under Assessment
Construction of a carport
14 VICTORIA PDE HINDMARSH ISLAND SA 5214Decision Made
Construction of an agricultural building (implement and hay storage shed)
764 RANDELL RD HINDMARSH ISLAND SA 5214Under Assessment
Construction of an outbuilding
56 MARANOA PL HINDMARSH ISLAND SA 5214Under Assessment
Construction of a single storey detached dwelling and associated earthworks and retaining
4 WHEELER CT HINDMARSH ISLAND SA 5214Under Assessment
Construction of single storey detached dwelling with associated earthworks and retaining wall
9 WHEELER CT HINDMARSH ISLAND SA 5214Under Assessment
Construction of a verandah
9 KENNEDY AV HINDMARSH ISLAND SA 5214Decision Made
Shed and verandah
3 KENNEDY AV HINDMARSH ISLAND SA 5214Decision Made
Construction of a single storey detached dwelling including associated earthworks, fencing and retaining walls
6 WHEELER CT HINDMARSH ISLAND SA 5214Under Assessment
Erection of Billboard 4.8m x 2.4m on corner of Randell Road and Captain Sturt Road advertising the land sale of associated site for maximum period of three (3) years.
179 RANDELL RD HINDMARSH ISLAND SA 5214Under Assessment
Placement of two (2) shipping containers (domestic storage)
28 RANDELL RD HINDMARSH ISLAND SA 5214Under Assessment
Construction of a two-storey detached dwelling and a spa (incl. associated safety features)
72 ARCADIA AV HINDMARSH ISLAND SA 5214Under Assessment
Fence and associated gate
71 VESTA DR HINDMARSH ISLAND SA 5214Under Assessment
August 2026
Construction of a verandah
28 -30 MUNDOO CHANNEL DR HINDMARSH ISLAND SA 5214Decision Made
Outbuilding (garage)
19 GOW DR HINDMARSH ISLAND SA 5214Decision Made
Construction of an outbuilding (shed)
LOT 61 NARNU BAY DR HINDMARSH ISLAND SA 5214Decision Made
Construction of a carport and ancillary accommodation
5 HOPKINSON CT HINDMARSH ISLAND SA 5214Under Assessment
2x verandahs
5 SIDNEY PDE HINDMARSH ISLAND SA 5214Decision Made
Construction of an outbuilding
16 RICHARD CT HINDMARSH ISLAND SA 5214Decision Made
Verandah
70 BLANCHE PDE HINDMARSH ISLAND SA 5214Decision Made
Construction of agricultural building (equipment store)
LOT 2 RANDELL RD HINDMARSH ISLAND SA 5214Under Assessment
July 2026
Construction of an outbuilding (boat shed)
37 BATSON PDE HINDMARSH ISLAND SA 5214Under Assessment
Building alterations and additions (portico) to existing ancillary accommodation
17 CAPTAIN STURT PDE HINDMARSH ISLAND SA 5214Under Assessment
Construction of Two Storey Detached Dwelling
12 GREGORY CCT HINDMARSH ISLAND SA 5214Under Assessment
Construction of two-storey detached dwelling
LOT 97 GREGORY CCT HINDMARSH ISLAND SA 5214Decision Made
Construction of a jetty
37 VICTORIA PDE HINDMARSH ISLAND SA 5214Decision Made
Construction of a jetty (other residential)
36 TYRO PDE HINDMARSH ISLAND SA 5214Decision Made
Construction of single storey detached dwelling
LOT 34 SANDPIPER CT HINDMARSH ISLAND SA 5214Decision Made
Construction of single storey detached dwelliing
14 KENNEDY AV HINDMARSH ISLAND SA 5214Under Assessment
6.2m x 7.0m x 2.7m steel carport
102 VICTORIA PDE HINDMARSH ISLAND SA 5214Decision Made
Variation to Development Application 455/171/20 for the conversion of an outbuilding (shed) to store (general site storage & maintenance) & removal of detached single-storey dwelling
90 BATSON PDE HINDMARSH ISLAND SA 5214Under Assessment
Construction of a Jetty (Other Residential)
83 VICTORIA PDE HINDMARSH ISLAND SA 5214Decision Made
Construction of single storey detached dwelling with associated earthworks
3 GREGORY CCT HINDMARSH ISLAND SA 5214Under Assessment
Verandah
51 ARCADIA AV HINDMARSH ISLAND SA 5214Decision Made
Construction of a verandah
11 SIDNEY PDE HINDMARSH ISLAND SA 5214Decision Made
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 24.1 km away).
Coalition 49.0%Labor 51.0%
4.0 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: -0.3 pp toward Coalition
Nearest polling places
Goolwa CentralLabor 52.0% · Coalition 48.0% TPP (2025)9.7 km away
GoolwaLabor 52.9% · Coalition 47.1% TPP (2025)10.1 km away
Currency CreekLabor 39.7% · Coalition 60.3% TPP (2025)13.4 km away
MilangLabor 48.0% · Coalition 52.0% TPP (2025)14.9 km away
MiddletonLabor 56.1% · Coalition 43.9% TPP (2025)16.2 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%)