Port Elliot is a coastal town in South Australia, in Alexandrina Council, characterised by heritage streetscapes. It is close to the Horseshoe Bay and the Encounter Bay.
The suburb has an unusually high concentration of heritage listings, placing it among the highest-ranked coastal towns, and university qualifications are more common than in comparable places, with university qualifications 64% above the peer median, and green cover is an exceptional strength, and population has been growing faster than in comparable places, with population growth 32% above the peer median, and reported crime sits a little below the peer median. Reported offences have fallen 23% year on year. Dining and cafés are a relative weakness.
Port Elliot is a better fit for people who value heritage character 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
Coastal town · compared with coastal towns in South Australia (35)
Strengths
The suburb has an unusually high concentration of heritage listings
University qualifications are more common than in comparable places
Green cover is stronger than in comparable places
Population has been growing faster than in comparable places
Reported crime sits a little below the peer median
Weaknesses
Dining and cafés are a relative weakness
What stands out
Port Elliot Beach
Basham Beach
Heritage streetscapes
Horseshoe Bay
Encounter Bay
Pullen Island
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 Port Elliot compares
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median house price
—
No data available
Median rent
$530/wk
Houses $540 · Units $445
Population (ERP)
2,469
+1.6% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
38.4%
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
#36
among Coastal & beach · Mature
Crime rate
33rd
percentile in state (higher = more crime)
Pop. growth
88th
percentile in SA
Rented dwellings
25%
2021 Census tenure
Advantage (IRSAD)
3/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
42nd
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
38.8/100 — Below average
National rank
4735th in Australia
State rank
420th in SA
Peer rank
#36 among Coastal & beach · Mature suburbs
Cohort rank
#46 among Coastal & beach suburbs
Data confidence
97%
Data sources & freshness
Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Housing
Flats / units (01/01/26 to 31/03/26)
$445
Houses (01/01/26 to 31/03/26)
$540
All types (01/01/26 to 31/03/26)
$530
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
2,469(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
+40
Change in 5 years
+265
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 (~2,700), extrapolated at +1.8% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
Population
2,251
Median age
61
Median household income / week
$1,073
Dwelling vacancy
38.4%
Unoccupied private dwellings
596 of 1,551
Median monthly mortgage
$1,210
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$280
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
49.2% / 25.9% / 24.9%
Employment rate
38.4%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
12.1% / 0.4% / 65.7%
Walked or cycled to work
5.9%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
879 / 29 / 41 (+ 3 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.
21.3% of adults have a university degree, compared with 22.6% across South Australia. 17.5% have a trade or vocational qualification.
University qualified21.3% · 22.6% SA
Diploma qualified9.9% · 8.6% SA
Trade / vocational17.5% · 17.5% SA
Year 12 or below51.3% · 51.2% SA
Highest qualification field
Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).
Health16%
Society and culture15.7%
Education15.1%
Engineering and related technologies14.8%
Management and commerce14.2%
Architecture and building6.8%
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)
$44,508
12th percentile in SA · -24% vs Australia
Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$50,420
23rd percentile in SA · -22% vs Australia
Residents with rental investments
12.0%
54th percentile in SA · -13% vs Australia
Median super balance (2023–24)
$114,297
84th percentile in SA · +81% vs Australia
Residents with business income
15.0%
93rd percentile in SA · +44% vs Australia
Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 5212 — 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
1,234
Taxpayers reporting net rent
152
Median net rent
$1,942
Taxpayers reporting business income
180
Taxable income vs state median
-18%
Salary / wages vs state median
-12%
Rental investment vs state median
0%
Super vs state median
+47%
Business income vs state median
+36%
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
3.2% speak a language other than English at home; 20.8% born overseas
Language at home
2,106 English only · 69 other
Non-English at home
3.2%
Born overseas
451 (20.8%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
31 (1.4%)
Australian citizens
2,071
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
5
Top languages other than English
Share of residents who speak a language other than English at home (2021 Census).
French4 · 23.5%
Punjabi4 · 23.5%
Indonesian3 · 17.6%
Italian3 · 17.6%
Spanish3 · 17.6%
Religion
47.3%No religion
No religion is the most common response at 47.3%, while Christianity accounts for 42.2%.
Measure
Suburb
State
No religion
47.3%
45.2%
Christianity
42.2%
40%
Other / not stated
10.4%
14.7%
Christian denominations
Denomination
Suburb
State
Anglican
12.4%
7.2%
Uniting Church
8.4%
4.8%
Catholic
8.3%
15.5%
Christian (not further defined)
2.9%
2.6%
Lutheran
2.8%
2.4%
Baptist
2.2%
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 decreased compared with the previous period.
Offence counts & rates
Total offences (2025–26)
54
Against the person
16
Against property
38
Rate per 1,000 residents
21.9
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 141 residents
State crime-rate percentile
32.5th (higher = more crime)
Family & domestic abuse offences
6
Decrease (daily rate)
-22.9%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
58
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
23.49
Most common offence types
Common Assault6
Damage Or Destroy Property14
Receive Or Handle Proceeds Of Crime5
Serious Assault10
Theft From A Person9
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)
Crime rate, offences against the person, year-on-year trend and recorded road crash rates
Port Elliot Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 990 · 42th percentile · LBOTE 2% · 351 students · Top SEA quarter 10% · 1.8 km awayView on My School →
Port Elliot Kindergarten5 Wright StreetPreschools
Contributes to desirability score · Education (14%)
Median school ICSEA first, then school and catchment counts
Great for outdoor family life — 8 parks mapped in suburb
Walkability proxy
3/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0
Parks per 1,000 residents
3.55
Sport & outdoors(17)
Basham BeachBeach
Beach (3)
Boomer BeachBeach
Green BayBeach
Horseshoe BayBeach
Knights BeachBeach
Ladies BayBeach
Coastal BikewayCycling route
Pullen Island Conservation ParkNature reserve
Sports field
Swimming pool (5)
Wineries & breweries(1)
Yeo HausBrewery
Unit 5 10 Elliot Street
Camping & holiday parks(2)
Campground
Port Elliot 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
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
South Coast District Hospital (8.4 km)
Nearest hospital type
Public Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department
GP clinics in suburb
1
GPs tagged bulk billing (OSM)
0 of 1
Aged-care services
1
Residential aged-care places
94
GP clinic counts from OpenStreetMap. Bulk-billing figures only include clinics tagged in OSM (sparse and unofficial — not a Medicare list).
Port Elliot Medical ClinicGP
Aged-care services
Resthaven Port ElliotPORT ELLIOTResidential
Australian Government–subsidised services from the AIHW GEN list (30 June 2025), assigned to this suburb by location.
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· 66 proposals
September 2026
Construction of a two-storey detached dwelling and associated retaining walls
18 HANDBY ST PORT ELLIOT SA 5212Under Assessment
Single storey alterations and additions to the existing dwelling including attached garage and the construction of an in-ground swimming pool with associated safety features and infrastructure
50 BASHAM BEACH RD PORT ELLIOT SA 5212Under Assessment
Construction of a partially enclosed verandah
12 STOCK DR PORT ELLIOT SA 5212Under Assessment
Construction of extension to existing museum
LOT 51 CAMERON ST PORT ELLIOT SA 5212Under Assessment
Land Division (1 lot into 2 lots)
77 TOTTENHAM COURT RD PORT ELLIOT SA 5212Under Assessment
Building alterations and replacement of existing upper storey decks
UNIT 1 3 CHARTERIS ST PORT ELLIOT SA 5212;UNIT 2 3 CHARTERIS ST PORT ELLIOT SA 5212;UNIT 3 3 CHARTERIS ST PORT ELLIOT SA 5212Under Assessment
Construction of an outbuilding (shed)
7 SEAVIEW RD PORT ELLIOT SA 5212Under Assessment
Construction of a two-storey detached dwelling with associated earthworks and infrastructure
60 TOTTENHAM COURT RD PORT ELLIOT SA 5212Under Assessment
Construction of two verandahs and associated carport
3 PIONEER AV PORT ELLIOT SA 5212Decision Made
August 2026
Change in use to a consulting room with associated internal fit out and building alterations
24A NORTH TCE PORT ELLIOT SA 5212Under Assessment
Outbuilding (domestic storage shed) with verandah
72 TOTTENHAM COURT RD PORT ELLIOT SA 5212Decision Made
Alterations and two storey additions to the existing single storey detached dwelling and new 100kL rainwater tank with associated earthworks and infrastructure
165 HEYSEN RD PORT ELLIOT SA 5212Under Assessment
July 2026
Construction of an outbuilding (garage)
8 BOOMER DR PORT ELLIOT SA 5212Decision Made
Construction of an agricultural building
11 BAYVIEW RD PORT ELLIOT SA 5212;14 -30 WATERPORT RD PORT ELLIOT SA 5212Under Assessment
Construction of a dwelling addition (second-floor verandah over existing deck)
6 ROSETTA TCE PORT ELLIOT SA 5212Decision Made
Dwelling additions
17 FRENCHMAN DR PORT ELLIOT SA 5212Under Assessment
Torrens Title land division one into two (1 into 2)
59 WATERPORT RD PORT ELLIOT SA 5212Decision Made
Installation of a swimming pool and associated swimming pool safety features
9 ARTHUR ST PORT ELLIOT SA 5212Decision Made
June 2026
Construction of an outbuilding
15 CAMERON ST PORT ELLIOT SA 5212Decision Made
Dwelling addition and addition to an existing outbuilding
9 NORTH TCE PORT ELLIOT SA 5212Under Assessment
Construction of a verandah
34 -40 WATERPORT RD PORT ELLIOT SA 5212Decision Made
Construction of a carport
11 CAMERON ST PORT ELLIOT SA 5212Decision Made
Construction of Single storey dwelling (future Lot 101 Charteris Street)
32 CHARTERIS ST PORT ELLIOT SA 5212Under Assessment
Construction of a semi-permeable 2.9-metre privacy screen (wall)
18 ST LUKES ST PORT ELLIOT SA 5212Decision Made
Dwelling additions
7 MASON ST PORT ELLIOT SA 5212Decision Made
Construction of a two-storey, split level detached dwelling, in ground swimming pool, retaining walls, fencing and associated earthworks and landscaping
43 BARBARA ST PORT ELLIOT SA 5212Under Assessment
May 2026
Conservation and masonry works to existing stone wall
10 THE STRAND PORT ELLIOT SA 5212Decision Made
Installation of solar panels (roof mounted)
25 THE STRAND PORT ELLIOT SA 5212Decision Made
Restoration works to Local Heritage Place (underpinning and repointing mortar)
21 ARTHUR ST PORT ELLIOT SA 5212Under Assessment
Construction of a single storey detached dwelling including associated earthworks and infrastructure
54 TOTTENHAM COURT RD PORT ELLIOT SA 5212Under Assessment
Demolish existing shed and construct ancillary accommodation
7 CHARTERIS ST PORT ELLIOT SA 5212Under Assessment
Alterations to the existing dwelling including replacement of the tile roof with corrugated iron and external painting
30 THE STRAND PORT ELLIOT SA 5212Decision Made
Construction of a single storey detached dwelling and outbuilding with loft storage including associated earthworks and infrastructure
2 BAYVIEW RD PORT ELLIOT SA 5212Under Assessment
April 2026
Land Division (1 into 2 Lots)
54 TOTTENHAM COURT RD PORT ELLIOT SA 5212Decision Made
Construction of an outbuilding (garage)
7 CHIBNALL ST PORT ELLIOT SA 5212Decision Made
Construction of building alterations, two storey dwelling additions including extension to existing balcony and carport
8 OCEAN RD PORT ELLIOT SA 5212Decision Made
Variation to application 24032249 (Alterations and additions to an existing two storey detached dwelling), and the installation of a spa pool with associated safety features and infrastructure
44 OCEAN RD PORT ELLIOT SA 5212Decision Made
Installation of Stratco Patio
11 CLARK TCE PORT ELLIOT SA 5212Decision Made
Demolition of shed (excluded building)
16 THE STRAND PORT ELLIOT SA 5212Decision Made
alterations and additions to the existing dwelling including replacement of existing upper-level balconies
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 10.2 km away).
Coalition 43.9%Labor 56.1%
1.2 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +2.4 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
Port ElliotLabor 57.9% · Coalition 42.1% TPP (2025)2.2 km away
MiddletonLabor 56.1% · Coalition 43.9% TPP (2025)3.0 km away
Victor Harbor EastLabor 55.4% · Coalition 44.6% TPP (2025)4.1 km away
Victor HarborLabor 51.2% · Coalition 48.8% TPP (2025)7.4 km away
Victor Harbor SouthLabor 57.2% · Coalition 42.8% TPP (2025)8.5 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%)