Pooraka is a middle-ring metropolitan suburb of Adelaide, in Salisbury Council. It is mainly residential, with little in the way of a distinct commercial centre or landmark identity.
Public transport is an exceptional strength, well above typical levels for middle-ring metropolitan suburbs. Local amenity access is stronger than in most comparable places, with local amenities 74% above the peer median. Housing is a little more affordable than typical for similar places. Median house prices have risen 18% year on year. Green cover is stronger than in comparable places, with green cover 94% above the peer median. The main trade-offs are higher crime and lower school ICSEA scores.
Pooraka's appeal is better explained by housing, access and location than by a strong standalone precinct or destination.
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
Middle-ring metropolitan suburb · compared with middle-ring metropolitan suburbs in South Australia (106)
Strengths
Public transport is a relative strength
Local amenity access is stronger than in most comparable places
Housing is a little more affordable than typical for similar places
Green cover is stronger than in comparable places
Weaknesses
Reported crime is elevated relative to comparable places
Local school ICSEA scores sit below those of comparable places
What stands out
Overseas-born and multilingual community
Who it suits
Stars are audience-fit ratings derived from Suburb.Guide data, not demographic counts or user reviews.
Families★★☆☆☆
Professionals★☆☆☆☆
Retirees★☆☆☆☆
Students★★☆☆☆
Budget buyers★★★☆☆
Housing, growth and risk
How Pooraka compares
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median house price
$900k
+18% change
Median rent
$598/wk
Houses $600 · Units $500
Population (ERP)
7,949
+0.8% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
5.1%
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
#54
among Metro Adelaide · Established
Crime rate
82nd
percentile in state (higher = more crime)
Pop. growth
67th
percentile in SA
Rented dwellings
31%
2021 Census tenure
Advantage (IRSAD)
2/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
33rd
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
Desirability
Ranks & confidence
Desirability score
31.7/100 — Below average
National rank
6194th in Australia
State rank
600th in SA
Peer rank
#54 among Metro Adelaide · Established suburbs
Cohort rank
#306 among Metro Adelaide suburbs
Data confidence
98%
Data sources & freshness
Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Housing
Flats / units (01/01/26 to 31/03/26)
$500
Houses (01/01/26 to 31/03/26)
$600
All types (01/01/26 to 31/03/26)
$597.5
Rental bonds lodged (01/01/26 to 31/03/26)
65
Median house price (Q1 2026)
$900,000
Median price change
+18.3%
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; 1Q 2026 · Updated · Quarterly; metro-fringe sales only
Population
Estimated resident population
7,949(June 2025)
+0.8% annual · +3.3% over 5 years · 67th percentile in SA
Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+0.8%
5-year growth
+3.3%
Change in 1 year
+66
Change in 5 years
+257
Growth rank in SA
67th 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 (~8,200), extrapolated at +0.6% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
Population
7,583
Median age
38
Median household income / week
$1,225
Dwelling vacancy
5.1%
Unoccupied private dwellings
155 of 3,021
Median monthly mortgage
$1,300
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$300
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
33.9% / 35.6% / 30.5%
Employment rate
52.6%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
5.8% / 4.6% / 76.4%
Walked or cycled to work
1.5%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
2,456 / 358 / 44
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.
16.8% of adults have a university degree, compared with 22.6% across South Australia. 17.2% have a trade or vocational qualification.
University qualified16.8% · 22.6% SA
Diploma qualified7.2% · 8.6% SA
Trade / vocational17.2% · 17.5% SA
Year 12 or below58.7% · 51.2% SA
Highest qualification field
Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).
Engineering and related technologies20.4%
Management and commerce19.8%
Society and culture16%
Health12.4%
Food, hospitality and personal services7%
Education6.3%
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)
$55,858
58th percentile in SA · -5% vs Australia
Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$60,758
62nd percentile in SA · -7% vs Australia
Residents with rental investments
12.0%
51st percentile in SA · -13% vs Australia
Median super balance (2023–24)
$40,951
7th percentile in SA · -35% vs Australia
Residents with business income
14.0%
89th percentile in SA · +35% vs Australia
Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 5095 — 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
14,064
Taxpayers reporting net rent
1,742
Median net rent
-$908
Taxpayers reporting business income
1,918
Taxable income vs state median
+3%
Salary / wages vs state median
+6%
Rental investment vs state median
0%
Super vs state median
-47%
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
Community & culture
41.4% speak a language other than English at home; 39.5% born overseas
Language at home
4,238 English only · 2,996 other
Non-English at home
41.4%
Born overseas
2,876 (39.5%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
153 (2%)
Australian citizens
6,420
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
29
Top languages other than English
Share of residents who speak a language other than English at home (2021 Census).
Vietnamese326 · 29.5%
Punjabi166 · 15%
Arabic78 · 7.1%
Hindi62 · 5.6%
Gujarati58 · 5.2%
Italian43 · 3.9%
Greek37 · 3.3%
Tagalog36 · 3.3%
Religion
41.5%Most common religion · Christianity
Christianity is the most common response at 41.5%, while 31.7% reported no religion. Islam is more prevalent locally than across the state.
Measure
Suburb
State
No religion
31.7%
45.2%
Christianity
41.5%
40%
Hinduism
4.1%
2.1%
Islam
10%
2.3%
Buddhism
3.7%
1.9%
Other / not stated
9%
8.5%
Christian denominations
Denomination
Suburb
State
Catholic
21.7%
15.5%
Anglican
5.2%
7.2%
Uniting Church
3.1%
4.8%
Eastern Orthodox
2.5%
2.4%
Christian (not further defined)
2%
2.6%
Baptist
2%
1.5%
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
Reported offences increased compared with the previous period.
Offence counts & rates
Total offences (2025–26)
721
Against the person
154
Against property
567
Rate per 1,000 residents
90.7
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 49 residents
State crime-rate percentile
81.5th (higher = more crime)
Family & domestic abuse offences
192
Increase (daily rate)
+11.3%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
377
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
47.43
Most common offence types
Damage Or Destroy Property138
Motor Vehicle Theft And Related Offences116
Serious Assault93
Theft From A Person69
Theft From Retail Premises92
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)
Crime rate, offences against the person, year-on-year trend and recorded road crash rates
Pooraka Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 954 · 26th percentile · LBOTE 62% · 182 students · Top SEA quarter 8% · 1.2 km awayView on My School →
Endeavour CollegeSecondary · Independent · ICSEA 1083 · 79th percentile · LBOTE 43% · 738 students · Top SEA quarter 32% · 1.4 km awayView on My School →
Sports College South AustraliaSecondary · Independent · ICSEA 1015 · 54th percentile · LBOTE 3% · 404 students · Top SEA quarter 13% · 1.7 km awayView on My School →
Ingle Farm Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 967 · 32th percentile · LBOTE 73% · 454 students · Top SEA quarter 11% · 1.9 km awayView on My School →
Youth Education CentreSpecial · Government · ICSEA 894 · 9th percentile · LBOTE 67% · 28 students · Top SEA quarter 7% · 1.9 km awayView on My School →
Roma Mitchell Secondary CollegeSecondary · Government · ICSEA 971 · 34th percentile · LBOTE 68% · 1,638 students · Top SEA quarter 11% · 2.0 km awayView on My School →
Pooraka Community Kindergarten14 McCarthy CourtPreschools
Contributes to desirability score · Education (14%)
Median school ICSEA first, then school and catchment counts
1 restaurants · 6 playgrounds · 1 dog parks · 1 sports centres · 3 petrol stations
Local character & venue list
Local character
A car helps for daily needs
Great for outdoor family life — 13 parks mapped in suburb, 6 playgrounds nearby
Well connected by public transport — 59 public transport stops
Strong local sport and recreation — 10 sport and outdoor facilities nearby
Walkability proxy
32/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0.13
Parks per 1,000 residents
1.71
Food & drink(1)
Viet-Thai SignaturesRestaurant
Unit 2 847 Main North Road
Shopping(1)
SipnSaveBottle shop
Everyday services(3)
LibertyPetrol station
226 Bridge Road
OTR PoorakaPetrol station
126 Bridge Road, Pooraka
UnitedPetrol station
Sport & outdoors(30)
BBQ
Dry Creek Cycle PathCycling route
Dry Creek TrailCycling route
Levels–City BikewayCycling route
Dog park
Nature reserve (2)
Bentley GreenPark
Tallering Avenue, Pooraka
Cross Keys BMX TrackPark
Park (10)
Pooraka Triangle ParkPark
Picnic area
Playground (6)
Pooraka Tennis ClubSports centre
Lindblom ParkSports field
Sports field
Places to stay(2)
Bridgeway HotelHotel
Budget MotelMotel
Transport(58)
58 bus stops
Other(8)
Bench
Happywash PoorakaCar wash
126 Bridge Road, Pooraka
AllStyle Garage DoorsDoors
Unit 19 Langford Street, Pooraka
Parking (90)
Parking Space (2)
Public Building
Shelter
TelstraTelephone
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
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.
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
James Nash House (3.0 km)
Nearest hospital type
Public Psychiatric Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
No emergency department listed
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
29° / 14°
Rainfall
67 mm · ~8 rainy days
Autumn (Mar–May)
Usual max / min
23° / 10°
Rainfall
97 mm · ~12 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
Usual max / min
16° / 6°
Rainfall
148 mm · ~18 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
Usual max / min
22° / 9°
Rainfall
119 mm · ~15 rainy days
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)
Development applications from PlanSA register and EPA licensed activities.
2026· 66 proposals
September 2026
Two (2) Single Storey Detached Dwelling with Associated Retaining Wall and Fencing Exceeding 2.1 Metres
16 MURIEL DR POORAKA SA 5095Under Assessment
Ancillary Accommodation
21 HUSSEY TCE POORAKA SA 5095Under Assessment
Land Division (Creation of Two (2) Allotments from One (1) Existing Allotment)
24 MURIEL DR POORAKA SA 5095Under Assessment
Two-storey detached dwelling
54B SOUTH TCE POORAKA SA 5095Under Assessment
(Allotment 1) Single Story Detached Dwelling
6 GARNAUT AV POORAKA SA 5095Under Assessment
(Allotment 2) Single Storey Detached Dwelling
6 GARNAUT AV POORAKA SA 5095Under Assessment
VERANDAH - REPLACEMENT BUILDING
14 HUGHES CR POORAKA SA 5095Decision Made
Outbuilding (bathroom) and Verandah
3 YUIN CT POORAKA SA 5095Under Assessment
August 2026
Verandah
56 BRIDGE RD POORAKA SA 5095Decision Made
Removal of One (1) Significant Tree in Reserve (Rear of 5 Hardy Court)
LOT 152 RAINS DR POORAKA SA 5095Decision Made
Temporary change of use to allow the storage of vehicles for a period not exceeding two years
UNIT 1-2 1 MAXWELL RD POORAKA SA 5095Under Assessment
Detached Dwelling Addition in the form of an external Rumpus Room, Bathroom and Storage Room
4 GEORGE ST POORAKA SA 5095Decision Made
Addition to front of dwelling in the form of an additional living and enclosed verandah / entry room
21 WANDINA AV POORAKA SA 5095Under Assessment
Residential Land Division - 1 into 2 and associated Removal of One (1) Significant and One (1) Regulated Tree
6 GARNAUT AV POORAKA SA 5095Decision Made
Verandah
6 LUBCKE CT POORAKA SA 5095Decision Made
Verandah (retrospective)
20 PRATT AV POORAKA SA 5095Under Assessment
July 2026
Three single-storey detached dwellings in terrace arrangement and associated retaining walls/fencing
23 HOUSTON TCE POORAKA SA 5095Under Assessment
Internal office alteration including office division and new airlock
17 BURMA RD POORAKA SA 5095Decision Made
Proposed two (2) single storey detached dwellings and associated combined retaining and fencing taller than 2.1m
8 GEORGE ST POORAKA SA 5095Under Assessment
Carport
31 MONTAGUE RD POORAKA SA 5095Decision Made
Storage Shed
122 PRATT AV POORAKA SA 5095Decision Made
Outbuilding in the form of a garaport
903 MAIN NORTH RD POORAKA SA 5095Under Assessment
Installation of internal Racking within an existing Warehouse
17 BURMA RD POORAKA SA 5095Decision Made
June 2026
Two (2) Verandah's
19 NALPA ST POORAKA SA 5095Decision Made
Convert the front office into a takeaway coffee outlet between the hours of 7am and 12pm only
UNIT 1-9 25 RESEARCH RD POORAKA SA 5095Decision Made
Verandah
LOT 62 HARDY CT POORAKA SA 5095Decision Made
One single storey detached dwelling & one double storey detached dwelling including fencing above 2.1m
11 HANCOCK AV POORAKA SA 5095Under Assessment
Supported Accommodation in the form of two (2) Detached Dwellings, associated combined Retaining and Fencing taller than 2.1m, and removal of Regulated Tree.
9 CHELLASTON AV POORAKA SA 5095Under Assessment
Verandah
24 -28 LANGFORD ST POORAKA SA 5095Under Assessment
Land division (creation of two (2) allotments from one (1) existing allotment)
166 BRIDGE RD POORAKA SA 5095Decision Made
Three (3) detached dwellings in a terrace arrangement with associated retaining walls and fencing
32 LOCK CR POORAKA SA 5095Under Assessment
Spa pool & associated safety barriers
24 SCOTT ST POORAKA SA 5095Decision Made
May 2026
Verandah
34 COWAN DR POORAKA SA 5095Decision Made
Verandah
8 LUBCKE CT POORAKA SA 5095Decision Made
Single Storey Dwelling and Fencing Over 2.1m
17B MURIEL DR POORAKA SA 5095Under Assessment
Single Storey Dwelling and associated combined Retaining and Fences taller than 2.1m
17A MURIEL DR POORAKA SA 5095Decision Made
Land Division (Creation of Two (2) Allotments from One (1) Existing Allotment)
4 ELDER AV POORAKA SA 5095Decision Made
Land Division 1 into 2 allotments.
1 ADALUMA AV POORAKA SA 5095Decision Made
April 2026
Residential Land Division - 1 into 2
11 ROWLAND RD POORAKA SA 5095Decision Made
Amendment to Development Approval (DA) 361/1549/2016/3B (as Varied by Planning Consent 23038141, DA 361/1547/2019 and DA 361/994/2020) for a Place of Worship and Cemetery, Comprising: • Change of Use of Existing Building at 94 Research Road from Warehouse to Place of Worship (Originally Proposed At 90 Research Road, Pooraka) • Alterations And Additions to the Existing Building at 94 Research Road, Pooraka including Front and Side Façade Upgrades, a Front Addition Accommodating Offices, Meeting R
256 -258 BRIDGE RD POORAKA SA 5095;94 RESEARCH RD POORAKA SA 5095Under Assessment
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.
Mawson LakesLabor 68.2% · Coalition 31.9% TPP (2025)1.7 km away
PoorakaLabor 72.5% · Coalition 27.5% TPP (2025)1.7 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.
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%)