SA · Adelaide Plains Council

Wild Horse Plains, 5501

Est. population · Jun 2025

103

Growth (1 yr)

+1.0%

Growth (5 yr)

+4.0%

Median age

41

Median income

$1,187/wk

Employment rate

55.7%

University qualified

3.8%

Work from home

0%

Languages at home

15.2%non-English

Most common: Tagalog

2021 Census · usual residence

  • Agricultural
  • Rural living
What Wild Horse Plains is known for: Agricultural, Rural living

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Wild Horse Plains, SA suburb snapshot — Suburb Guide

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Suburb Guide, “Wild Horse Plains, SA Suburb Guide”, updated 1 October 2026, https://suburb.guide/sa/wild-horse-plains

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Suburb profile

Wild Horse Plains is a semi-rural locality near Adelaide, in Adelaide Plains Council.

Mapped flood cover is slightly stronger than in comparable places. Space is a strength, but car dependence is high. The main trade-offs are lower socio-economic advantage and fewer university qualifications, with university qualifications 74% below the peer median.

Socio-economic advantage is the most material weakness.

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

Semi-rural locality · compared with semi-rural and lifestyle localities in South Australia (227)

Strengths

  • Mapped flood cover is a relative strength

Weaknesses

  • Socio-economic advantage sits below the peer median
  • University qualifications are less common than in comparable places

What stands out

  • Space is a strength, but car dependence is high

Who it suits

  • StudentsInsufficient data

Housing, growth and risk

How Wild Horse Plains compares

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

Median house price

—

No data available

Median rent (Census)

$100/wk

2021 Census median weekly rent

Population (ERP)

103

+1.0% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

29.5%

Census unoccupied dwellings

How it compares

Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles

Crime rate

28th

percentile in state (higher = more crime)

Pop. growth

73rd

percentile in SA

Rented dwellings

10%

2021 Census tenure

Advantage (IRSAD)

2/10

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

103(June 2025)

+1.0% annual · +4.0% over 5 years · 73th percentile in SA

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+1.0%
5-year growth
+4.0%
Change in 1 year
+1
Change in 5 years
+4
Growth rank in SA
73th 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 (~100), extrapolated at +0.7% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
96
Median age
41
Median household income / week
$1,187
Dwelling vacancy
29.5%
Unoccupied private dwellings
13 of 44
Median monthly mortgage
$823
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$100
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
26.7% / 63.3% / 10%
Employment rate
55.7%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
0% / 0% / 95%
Walked or cycled to work
0%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
35 / 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

3.8% of adults have a university degree, compared with 22.6% across South Australia. 18.8% have a trade or vocational qualification.

  • University qualified3.8% · 22.6% SA
  • Diploma qualified6.2% · 8.6% SA
  • Trade / vocational18.8% · 17.5% SA
  • Year 12 or below71.2% · 51.2% SA

Highest qualification field

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

  • Agriculture and environment34.8%
  • Engineering and related technologies30.4%
  • Society and culture21.7%
  • Health13%
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)
$59,989

77th percentile in SA · +2% vs Australia

Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$63,194

73rd percentile in SA · -3% vs Australia

Residents with rental investments
10.0%

19th percentile in SA · -27% vs Australia

Median super balance (2023–24)
$71,826

40th percentile in SA · +13% vs Australia

Residents with business income
8.0%

13th percentile in SA · -23% vs Australia

Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 5501 — 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
5,836
Taxpayers reporting net rent
569
Median net rent
-$730
Taxpayers reporting business income
476
Taxable income vs state median
+10%
Salary / wages vs state median
+10%
Rental investment vs state median
-17%
Super vs state median
-8%
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

42.5% of employed residents work in agriculture, forestry and fishing, 18.5× the Australian share (2.3%) — compared with 3.8% across South Australia.

Agriculture, forestry & fishing
42.5%

82nd percentile in SA · +1748% vs Australia

Resident workers (2021)
17
WHM specified work
Subclass 417 / 462

Postcode 5501

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 5501 (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: 40 · AFF share +1018% 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

15.2% speak a language other than English at home; 19.5% born overseas

Language at home
78 English only · 14 other
Non-English at home
15.2%
Born overseas
16 (19.5%)
Australian citizens
81
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
1

Top languages other than English

Share of residents who speak a language other than English at home (2021 Census).

  • Tagalog3 · 100%

Religion

50%No religion

No religion is the most common response at 50%, while Christianity accounts for 36.5%.

MeasureSuburbState
No religion50%45.2%
Christianity36.5%40%
Other / not stated13.5%14.7%
Christian denominations
DenominationSuburbState
Catholic16.7%15.5%

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)
2
Against the person
1
Against property
1
Rate per 1,000 residents
19.4
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 96 residents
State crime-rate percentile
28.1th (higher = more crime)
Family & domestic abuse offences
88
Increase (daily rate)
+100%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
16
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
155.34

Most common offence types

  • Arson1
  • Serious Assault1

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

1 mapped amenities

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
Sport & outdoors(1)
  • Upper Gulf St Vincent 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

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
Balaklava Soldiers' Memorial District Hospital (26.7 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
29.1

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· 2 proposals
  • April 2026

  • Construction of agricultural building
    39 BAKERS RD WILD HORSE PLAINS SA 5501;LOT 507 BAKERS RD LONG PLAINS SA 5501Decision Made
  • March 2026

  • Agricultural Building (hay shed 40.0 x 18.0m)
    2217 PORT LORNE RD WILD HORSE PLAINS SA 5501Decision Made
2025· 3 proposals
  • September 2025

  • Outbuilding (domestic storage shed)
    6547 PORT WAKEFIELD HWY WILD HORSE PLAINS SA 5501Decision Made
  • shed for storage
    LOT 6 WILD HORSE ST WILD HORSE PLAINS SA 5501Decision Made
  • May 2025

  • Farrowing shed in association with existing piggery
    2217 PORT LORNE RD WILD HORSE PLAINS SA 5501Decision Made
2024· 2 proposals
  • December 2024

  • Construction of domestic outbuilding
    LOT 10 FOURTH ST WILD HORSE PLAINS SA 5501Decision Made
  • October 2024

  • Construction of a single storey detached dwelling
    LOT 6 WILD HORSE ST WILD HORSE PLAINS SA 5501Decision Made
2023· 1 proposal
  • December 2023

  • Construction of an outbuilding
    LOT 10 SECOND ST WILD HORSE PLAINS SA 5501Decision Made
Other· 1 proposal
  • LINDSAY THOMAS WALKER
    Animal Husbandry and Other ActivitiesEPA licence

Data sources & freshness

Roadworks & transport

6 active roadworks / incidents

  • Spray Sealing/ Asphalt WorksPort Wakefield Highway, Wild Horse Plains Rd22 Jun 2026 – 31 Oct 2026
  • Spray Sealing/ Asphalt WorksPort Wakefield Highway, Bluebush Daisy Rd24 Jun 2026 – 31 Oct 2026
  • Spray Sealing/ Asphalt WorksPort Wakefield Highway, Second St10 Jun 2026 – 31 Oct 2026
  • Spray Sealing/ Asphalt WorksPort Wakefield Highway, Wild Horse Plains Rd10 Jun 2026 – 31 Oct 2026
  • Spray Sealing/ Asphalt WorksPort Wakefield Highway, Dead Mans Hill Rd24 Jun 2026 – 31 Oct 2026
  • Spray Sealing/ Asphalt WorksPort Wakefield Highway, Bluebush Daisy Rd24 Jun 2026 – 30 Sep 2026

Data sources & freshness

Hazards

Bushfire planning zone
Overlay applies
Flood / inundation overlay
99.8% 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 35.0 km away).

Coalition 54.2%Labor 45.8%

0.4 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +5.6 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • DublinLabor 50.9% · Coalition 49.1% TPP (2025)13.7 km away
  • Port WakefieldLabor 49.3% · Coalition 50.7% TPP (2025)21.6 km away
  • MallalaLabor 42.3% · Coalition 57.7% TPP (2025)23.6 km away
  • BalaklavaLabor 34.2% · Coalition 65.8% TPP (2025)25.5 km away
  • OwenLabor 42.0% · Coalition 58.0% TPP (2025)26.0 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)
2/10
IRSD decile (2021)
2/10

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 Adelaide Plains Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

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