SA · Port Pirie Council

Koolunga, 5464

Population

183

Growth (1 yr)

0.0%

Growth (5 yr)

0.0%

Median age

46

Median income

$1,275/wk

Employment rate

64%

University qualified

10.6%

Work from home

18.7%

Languages at home

2.3%non-English

Mostly English at home

2021 Census · usual residence

  • Agricultural
  • Holiday parks
  • Port & industry
What Koolunga is known for: Agricultural, Holiday parks, Port & industry

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Koolunga, SA suburb snapshot — Suburb Guide

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Suburb Guide, “Koolunga, SA Suburb Guide”, updated 1 October 2026, https://suburb.guide/sa/koolunga

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Suburb profile

Koolunga is an industrial and port town in South Australia, in Port Pirie Council. It has an industrial and port economy.

Employment rates are stronger than in comparable places, with employment 28% above the peer median. Working from home is more common than in comparable places, well above typical levels for industrial and port towns, and university qualifications are a relative strength, with university qualifications 23% above the peer median. Space is a strength, but car dependence is high. Trade-offs centre on limited school access and thinner park access, with school access 67% below the peer median.

Koolunga is a better fit for people who value employment and university qualifications more than school access.

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

Industrial or port town · compared with industrial and port towns in South Australia (45)

Strengths

  • Employment rates are stronger than in comparable places
  • Working from home is more common than in comparable places
  • University qualifications are a relative strength

Weaknesses

  • School access is sparse
  • Park access is a relative weakness

What stands out

  • Industrial and port economy
  • Space is a strength, but car dependence is high

Who it suits

  • StudentsInsufficient data

Housing, growth and risk

How Koolunga compares

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

Median house price

—

No data available

Median rent

$350/wk

Population (Census)

183

0.0% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

26.1%

Census unoccupied dwellings

How it compares

Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles

Crime rate

75th

percentile in state (higher = more crime)

Pop. growth

23rd

percentile in SA

Rented dwellings

22%

2021 Census tenure

Advantage (IRSAD)

4/10

national SEIFA decile

School ICSEA

53rd

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

Housing

Houses (01/01/26 to 31/03/26)
$350

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

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

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

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

Data sources & freshness

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

Population

Population growth

0.0% annual · 0.0% over 5 years · 23th percentile in SA

Growth rates are from ABS Estimated Resident Population at SA2 level. Headcount uses 2021 Census when allocated ERP is too low relative to Census to display reliably.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
183
Median age
46
Median household income / week
$1,275
Dwelling vacancy
26.1%
Unoccupied private dwellings
23 of 88
Median monthly mortgage
$635
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$175
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
45% / 33.3% / 21.7%
Employment rate
64%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
18.7% / 4.4% / 68.1%
Walked or cycled to work
9.9%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
65 / 3 / 0

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

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

Data sources & freshness

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

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

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

Qualifications

10.6% of adults have a university degree, compared with 22.6% across South Australia. 24.6% have a trade or vocational qualification.

  • University qualified10.6% · 22.6% SA
  • Diploma qualified8.5% · 8.6% SA
  • Trade / vocational24.6% · 17.5% SA
  • Year 12 or below56.3% · 51.2% SA

Highest qualification field

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

  • Agriculture and environment21.1%
  • Engineering and related technologies21.1%
  • Health19.7%
  • Society and culture14.1%
  • Management and commerce12.7%
  • Education11.3%
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)
$57,871

67th percentile in SA · -1% vs Australia

Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$51,500

26th percentile in SA · -21% vs Australia

Residents with rental investments
12.0%

51st percentile in SA · -13% vs Australia

Median super balance (2023–24)
$87,535

62nd percentile in SA · +38% vs Australia

Residents with business income
8.0%

21st percentile in SA · -23% vs Australia

Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 5464 — 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
351
Taxpayers reporting net rent
42
Median net rent
$470
Taxpayers reporting business income
28
Taxable income vs state median
+7%
Salary / wages vs state median
-10%
Rental investment vs state median
0%
Super vs state median
+12%
Business income vs state median
-27%

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

39.6% of employed residents work in agriculture, forestry and fishing, 17.2× the Australian share (2.3%) — compared with 3.8% across South Australia.

Agriculture, forestry & fishing
39.6%

79th percentile in SA · +1622% vs Australia

Resident workers (2021)
36
WHM specified work
Subclass 417 / 462

Postcode 5464

Occupation mix in this industry

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

  • Managers31

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 5464 (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: 91 · AFF share +942% 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

2.3% speak a language other than English at home; 9.4% born overseas

Language at home
167 English only · 4 other
Non-English at home
2.3%
Born overseas
16 (9.4%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
10 (5.5%)
Australian citizens
170

Religion

53%Most common religion · Christianity

Christianity is the most common response at 53%, while 37.2% reported no religion.

MeasureSuburbState
No religion37.2%45.2%
Christianity53%40%
Other / not stated9.8%14.7%
Christian denominations
DenominationSuburbState
Catholic15.3%15.5%
Uniting Church13.7%4.8%
Lutheran12%2.4%
Anglican9.8%7.2%

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

Data sources & freshness

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

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

Crime & safety

Reported offences increased compared with the previous period.

Offence counts & rates
Total offences (2025–26)
6
Against the person
2
Against property
4
Rate per 1,000 residents
69.8
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 92 residents
State crime-rate percentile
75.2th (higher = more crime)
Family & domestic abuse offences
2
Increase (daily rate)
+100%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
4
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
46.51

Most common offence types

  • Damage Or Destroy Property4
  • Serious Assault2

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

Schools & preschools

Schools within 2 km
1
Median school ICSEA
1,013
Median ICSEA percentile
53th
School list
  • Koolunga Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1013 · 53th percentile · LBOTE 0% · 20 students · Top SEA quarter 6%View on My School →

Contributes to desirability score · Education (14%)

Median school ICSEA first, then school and catchment counts

Data sources & freshness

Amenities

2 mapped amenities

2 campgrounds

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
Camping & holiday parks(2)
  • Bunyip ParkCampground
  • White Cliffs ReserveCampground

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

Sporting clubs

1 named sporting club in this suburb

  • Koolunga Tennis Club

    Tennis

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.

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Green cover of suburb area
0%
Woodland / forest cover
0%
Parks & woodland features (OSM)
0
Parks (OSM)
0
Typical summer maximum
30°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
Crystal Brook and District Hospital (24.5 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
34.9

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

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

Data sources & freshness

Weather

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

Summer (Dec–Feb)

Usual max / min
30° / 15°
Rainfall
50 mm · ~6 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
24° / 11°
Rainfall
82 mm · ~10 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
17° / 6°
Rainfall
139 mm · ~17 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
23° / 9°
Rainfall
106 mm · ~13 rainy days

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)

Temperature and humidity comfort

Data sources & freshness

  • Seasonal climate normals — WorldClim 2.1 · Updated

Future & Planning

Planning & development

Development applications from PlanSA register and EPA licensed activities.

2026· 3 proposals
  • July 2026

  • Outbuilding (Garage and domestic storage)
    1097 VALLEY RD KOOLUNGA SA 5464Decision Made
  • May 2026

  • Agricultural building (hay shed)
    39 VALLEY RD KOOLUNGA SA 5464Decision Made
  • March 2026

  • Hay Shed (Agricultural Building)
    968 MAIN RD KOOLUNGA SA 5464Decision Made
2025· 1 proposal
  • October 2025

  • One (1) into Two (2) Lot Land Division
    873 KOOLUNGA RD KOOLUNGA SA 5464;LOT 256W POWER STATION RD BRINKWORTH SA 5464Under Assessment
2024· 3 proposals
  • September 2024

  • Renovation of failing lean-to framing and roof. Includes renovation of residences main bathroom and laundry.
    13 -15 SEVENTH ST KOOLUNGA SA 5464Under Assessment
  • verandah
    16 FIFTH ST KOOLUNGA SA 5464Decision Made
  • June 2024

  • Outbuilding (Shed)
    4 FIFTH ST KOOLUNGA SA 5464Decision Made
2023· 2 proposals
  • May 2023

  • Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) with a capacity of up to 200MW and discharge capacity up to 800MWh, underground transmission cable connecting to the existing Brinkworth Substation.
    873 KOOLUNGA RD KOOLUNGA SA 5464Under Assessment
  • January 2023

  • Implement storage shed
    2004 WINDVIEW RD KOOLUNGA SA 5464Decision Made
2022· 2 proposals
  • November 2022

  • Swimming pool and safety fence
    107 HARRYS RD KOOLUNGA SA 5464Decision Made
  • July 2022

  • Agricultural Building
    501 VALLEY RD KOOLUNGA SA 5464Decision Made
2021· 1 proposal
  • July 2021

  • Garage
    1 SIXTH ST KOOLUNGA SA 5464Decision 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
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 36.4 km away).

Coalition 67.9%Labor 32.1%

13.3 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +3.0 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • RedhillLabor 24.9% · Coalition 75.1% TPP (2025)10.3 km away
  • BrinkworthLabor 35.6% · Coalition 64.4% TPP (2025)17.2 km away
  • GeorgetownLabor 39.1% · Coalition 60.9% TPP (2025)21.6 km away
  • Crystal BrookLabor 36.4% · Coalition 63.6% TPP (2025)24.6 km away
  • SpaldingLabor 36.2% · Coalition 63.8% TPP (2025)25.9 km away

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

Data sources & freshness

Socio-economic

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

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

What do IRSAD and IRSD measure?

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

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

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

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)

Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD and IRSD deciles)

Data sources & freshness

More in Port Pirie Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

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