suburb.guide

SA · Kangaroo Island Council

Muston, 5221

Est. population · Jun 2025

36

Growth (1 yr)

0.0%

Growth (5 yr)

+5.9%

Median age

56

Median income

$1,024/wk

Employment rate

53.6%

University qualified

22.2%

Work from home

0%

Languages at home

Mostly English at home

2021 Census · usual residence

  • Green suburb
  • Remote
What Muston is known for: Green suburb, Remote

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Muston, SA suburb snapshot — Suburb Guide

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Muston, SA suburb snapshot — Suburb Guide

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

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Suburb profile

Muston is a remote locality in South Australia, in Kangaroo Island Council. It is close to the Kangaroo Island and the Pelican Lagoon.

The suburb is highly walkable compared with similar places, placing it among the highest-ranked remote localities. Local amenities are a relative strength, with local amenities 50% above the peer median. Green cover is a relative strength, and university qualifications are more common than in comparable places, and population has been growing faster than in comparable places. Household incomes are a relative weakness, with household incomes 22% below the peer median.

Overall, Muston suits people prioritising walkability 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

Remote locality · compared with remote localities in South Australia (321)

Strengths

  • The suburb is highly walkable compared with similar places
  • Green cover is a relative strength
  • University qualifications are more common than in comparable places
  • Population has been growing faster than in comparable places
  • Local amenities are a relative strength

Weaknesses

  • Household incomes are a relative weakness

What stands out

  • Kangaroo Island
  • Pelican Lagoon
  • Salt Lake
  • American River
  • River Road

Who it suits

  • StudentsInsufficient data

Housing, growth and risk

How Muston compares

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

Median house price

—

No data available

Median rent (Census)

$275/wk

2021 Census median weekly rent

Population (ERP)

36

0.0% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

16.7%

Census unoccupied dwellings

How it compares

Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles

Crime rate

69th

percentile in state (higher = more crime)

Pop. growth

30th

percentile in SA

Rented dwellings

20%

2021 Census tenure

Advantage (IRSAD)

6/10

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

36(June 2025)

0.0% annual · +5.9% over 5 years · 30th percentile in SA

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
0.0%
5-year growth
+5.9%
Change in 1 year
0
Change in 5 years
+2
Growth rank in SA
30th 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 (~50), extrapolated at +1.1% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
34
Median age
56
Median household income / week
$1,024
Dwelling vacancy
16.7%
Unoccupied private dwellings
3 of 18
Median monthly mortgage
$1,138
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$275
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
60% / 20% / 20%
Employment rate
53.6%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
0% / 0% / 62.5%
Walked or cycled to work
0%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
13 / 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

22.2% of adults have a university degree, compared with 22.6% across South Australia. 0% have a trade or vocational qualification.

  • University qualified22.2% · 22.6% SA
  • Year 12 or below77.8% · 51.2% SA

Highest qualification field

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

  • Architecture and building57.1%
  • Agriculture and environment42.9%
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)
$40,285

5th percentile in SA · -31% vs Australia

Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$49,113

20th percentile in SA · -24% vs Australia

Residents with rental investments
15.0%

80th percentile in SA · +9% vs Australia

Median super balance (2023–24)
$73,900

43rd percentile in SA · +17% 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 5221 — 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
231
Taxpayers reporting net rent
34
Median net rent
$2,404
Taxpayers reporting business income
24
Taxable income vs state median
-26%
Salary / wages vs state median
-15%
Rental investment vs state median
+25%
Super vs state median
-5%
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

Community & culture

13.6% born overseas

Language at home
29 English only · 0 other
Non-English at home
0%
Born overseas
3 (13.6%)
Australian citizens
27

Religion

52.9%No religion

No religion is the most common response at 52.9%, while Christianity accounts for 29.4%.

MeasureSuburbState
No religion52.9%45.2%
Christianity29.4%40%
Other / not stated17.6%14.7%
Christian denominations
DenominationSuburbState
Anglican29.4%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

Offence counts & rates
Total offences (2023–24)
2
Against the person
0
Against property
2
Rate per 1,000 residents
55.6
State crime-rate percentile
68.5th (higher = more crime)
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
4
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
111.11

Most common offence types

  • Other Property Damage And Environmental1
  • Other Theft1

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

Public transport

2 public transport stops in this suburb

  • American River Rd - North side (Muston Heights Bed and Breakfast)
  • Hog Bay Rd / American River Rd - South West side (Dean Johnson's Corner)

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Public transport stops per 1,000 residents and walkability

Data sources & freshness

Amenities

3 mapped amenities

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • Limited walkable amenities nearby
Walkability proxy
3/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0
Parks per 1,000 residents
0
Sport & outdoors(1)
  • Picnic area
Entertainment(1)
  • Muston LookoutViewpoint
Other(1)
  • Parking

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
30.9%
Woodland / forest cover
30.9%
Parks & woodland features (OSM)
17
Parks (OSM)
0
Typical summer maximum
23°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
Kangaroo Island Health Service (19.9 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)
1
Participants per 1,000 residents
27.8

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
23° / 15°
Rainfall
55 mm · ~7 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
19° / 13°
Rainfall
129 mm · ~16 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
14° / 9°
Rainfall
260 mm · ~32 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
18° / 11°
Rainfall
135 mm · ~17 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 (lodged 2020–2026) and EPA licensed activities.

5 planning-related records

2024· 2 proposals

  • October 2024

  • Single storey detached dwelling on poles, deck, verandah and 50,000KL water tank
    LOT 34 MUSTON RD MUSTON SA 5221Decision Made

  • March 2024

  • Construction of a verandah and carport
    252 AMERICAN RIVER RD MUSTON SA 5221Decision Made
2023· 1 proposal

  • January 2023

  • Relocation of approved micro brewery (DA 21004278) to existing storage shed
    511 AMERICAN RIVER RD MUSTON SA 5221Under Assessment
2022· 1 proposal

  • March 2022

  • Telecommunications Facility - comprising a slim-line lattice tower supported by 3 anchored guy wires, 2.3 metre high security fenced compound and 2x equipment cabinets, ground-mounted solar array and protective barriers
    LOT 35 MUSTON RD MUSTON SA 5221Decision Made
2021· 1 proposal

  • April 2021

  • Change of use of a portion of an existing residential dwelling into a micro-brewery
    511 AMERICAN RIVER RD MUSTON SA 5221Decision 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
Mayo
Member of Parliament
Rebekha SHARKIE (Centre Alliance)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
137,818
Turnout (2025)
94.2%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
+3.4 pp toward Labor

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 45.0%Labor 55.0%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 66.9 km away).

Coalition 58.0%Labor 42.0%

13.0 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: -7.3 pp toward Coalition

Nearest polling places

  • American RiverLabor 42.5% · Coalition 57.5% TPP (2025)5.7 km away
  • Special Hospital Team 5Labor 25.0% · Coalition 75.0% TPP (2025)19.7 km away
  • KingscoteLabor 44.9% · Coalition 55.1% TPP (2025)20.1 km away
  • PenneshawLabor 50.6% · Coalition 49.4% TPP (2025)20.2 km away
  • ParndanaLabor 21.6% · Coalition 78.4% TPP (2025)43.0 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)
6/10
IRSD decile (2021)
7/10

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 Kangaroo Island Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.