suburb.guide

SA · Kangaroo Island Council

Seal Bay, 5223

Est. population · Jun 2025

8

Growth (1 yr)

+14.3%

Growth (5 yr)

+14.3%

Median age

45

Median income

$1,125/wk

Employment rate

71.4%

University qualified

0%

Work from home

0%

Languages at home

Mostly English at home

2021 Census · usual residence

  • Beach
  • National parks
  • Green suburb
  • Remote
What Seal Bay is known for: Beach, National parks, Green suburb, Remote

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Seal Bay, SA suburb snapshot — Suburb Guide

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Suburb Guide, “Seal Bay, SA Suburb Guide”, updated 22 September 2026, https://suburb.guide/sa/seal-bay

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Suburb profile

Seal Bay is a remote locality in South Australia, in Kangaroo Island Council. It is close to the Kangaroo Island and Cape Gantheaume Wilderness Protection Area.

Local amenities is an exceptional strength, well above typical levels for remote localities. Open-space access is exceptionally strong. Mapped flood cover is slightly stronger than in comparable places, and green cover is another area where the suburb performs particularly well, and population growth is an exceptional strength. University qualifications are less common than in comparable places, with university qualifications 100% below the peer median.

Overall, Seal Bay suits people prioritising open space and local amenities over 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

  • Open-space access is exceptionally strong
  • Mapped flood cover is a relative strength
  • Green cover is a relative strength
  • Population growth is a relative strength
  • Local amenity access is stronger than in most comparable places

Weaknesses

  • University qualifications are less common than in comparable places

What stands out

  • Seal Bay Beach
  • Kangaroo Island
  • Cape Gantheaume Wilderness Protection Area

Housing, growth and risk

How Seal Bay compares

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

Median house price

—

No data available

Median rent

—

No data available

Population (ERP)

8

+14% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

75.0%

Census unoccupied dwellings

How it compares

Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles

Pop. growth

100th

percentile in SA

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

8(June 2025)

+14.3% annual · +14.3% over 5 years · 100th percentile in SA

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+14.3%
5-year growth
+14.3%
Change in 1 year
+1
Change in 5 years
+1
Growth rank in SA
100th 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 (~0), extrapolated at +1.0% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
7
Median age
45
Median household income / week
$1,125
Dwelling vacancy
75%
Unoccupied private dwellings
3 of 4
Median monthly mortgage
$735
Employment rate
71.4%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
0% / 0% / 60%
Walked or cycled to work
0%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
6 / 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

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

  • Year 12 or below100% · 51.2% SA
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)
$45,076

14th percentile in SA · -23% vs Australia

Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$48,477

17th percentile in SA · -25% vs Australia

Residents with rental investments
16.0%

88th percentile in SA · +16% vs Australia

Median super balance (2023–24)
$65,968

32nd percentile in SA · +4% vs Australia

Residents with business income
18.0%

99th percentile in SA · +73% vs Australia

Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 5223 — 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
2,370
Taxpayers reporting net rent
376
Median net rent
$2,981
Taxpayers reporting business income
427
Taxable income vs state median
-17%
Salary / wages vs state median
-16%
Rental investment vs state median
+33%
Super vs state median
-15%
Business income vs state median
+64%

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

Language at home
7 English only · 0 other
Non-English at home
0%
Born overseas
0 (0%)
Australian citizens
7

Religion

MeasureSuburbState
Other / not stated100%100%

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
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
3
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
375

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

Amenities

7 mapped amenities

5 beaches

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • Limited walkable amenities nearby
  • Great for outdoor family life — 1 parks mapped in suburb
Walkability proxy
0/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0
Parks per 1,000 residents
142.86
Sport & outdoors(7)
  • Beach (5)
  • Seal Bay Conservation ParkNature reserve
  • Southern Kangaroo Island Marine ParkNature reserve

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

Parks & reserves

1 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Seal Bay Conservation Park

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Green cover of suburb area
94.5%
Woodland / forest cover
94.5%
Parks & woodland features (OSM)
7
Parks (OSM)
1
Typical summer maximum
24°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 (44.8 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%)

Hospitals, GPs and aged care

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
24° / 14°
Rainfall
55 mm · ~7 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
20° / 12°
Rainfall
144 mm · ~18 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
15° / 9°
Rainfall
278 mm · ~35 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
19° / 10°
Rainfall
131 mm · ~16 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.

3 planning-related records

2025· 2 proposals

  • October 2025

  • Boundary Realignment - 2 allotments into 2
    3115 SOUTH COAST RD SEAL BAY SA 5223;3283 SOUTH COAST RD SEAL BAY SA 5223Decision Made

  • June 2025

  • Construction of a storage building (store) and two (2) above-ground rainwater tanks
    3115 SOUTH COAST RD SEAL BAY SA 5223Decision Made
2023· 1 proposal

  • January 2023

  • Tourist accommodation development comprising 25 accommodation units/cabins and associated landscaping, rainwater tanks (5 x 150KL tanks) and upgrade to road junction - staged development (5 stages)
    58 SEAL BAY RD SEAL BAY SA 5223Under Assessment

Data sources & freshness

Hazards

Bushfire planning zone
Overlay applies
Flood / inundation overlay
98.5% 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 108.2 km away).

Coalition 69.2%Labor 30.8%

24.1 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: -10.4 pp toward Coalition

Nearest polling places

  • ParndanaLabor 21.6% · Coalition 78.4% TPP (2025)21.0 km away
  • KingscoteLabor 44.9% · Coalition 55.1% TPP (2025)45.7 km away
  • Special Hospital Team 5Labor 25.0% · Coalition 75.0% TPP (2025)45.9 km away
  • American RiverLabor 42.5% · Coalition 57.5% TPP (2025)47.2 km away
  • PenneshawLabor 50.6% · Coalition 49.4% TPP (2025)61.9 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)
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

This suburb ranks highly for

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