City of Adelaide residents are younger, healthier, wealthier and more likely to be single in comparison to the rest of South Australia, latest Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Census data shows. The Adelaide Economic Development Agency has delved into the latest Census data to bring you a snapshot of the city.
Latest Census data, released in June, showed half of all city residents were aged between 20-39 (49.8%) compared to only a quarter of South Australians (26%).
The median age of a person living in the city during 2021 was almost 10 years younger than that of a South Australian resident.
There were less people and vehicles per household, which showed a contrast between families in the suburbs and the young professionals and students living in the CBD.
The suburban nuclear family presumption was confirmed, with the city having more single households, a greater proportion of non-married people and more residents in tertiary education compared to the rest of the state.
AEDA previously released data that showed Adelaide led other major capital cities in the return of international students, with higher education commencements at 95 per cent of pre-COVID-19 levels.
In 2021, one fifth of Adelaide residents were of Chinese ancestry (20 per cent) compared to 3.3 per cent of SA.
The city remained renown for multi-culturalism, represented by the lowest proportion of residents born in Australia when compared to SA.
Data showed a key difference in dwelling type choices, with high-rise living more apparent in the city.
In terms of population growth, the City of Adelaide was the second highest performing major capital city over the past five years at a Local Government Area (LGA) level, despite SA being the lowest performing of the five major states in terms of population growth rates.
The City of Adelaide experienced an increase of almost 3,000 residents (2,963) between 2016 and 2021 and grew its population by over 50% since 2001 (16,456 to 25,026).
Residential occupancy confirms how well Adelaide is performing as a destination for living, with Adelaide (post code 5000) outperforming the other major cities with the lowest residential vacancy rates during 2022.
The other major capital cities on the Eastern seaboard experienced an increase in residential vacancies, as during COVID-19, Australians sought a sea change over city living.
Adelaide and Perth were exceptions to this trend and experienced a reduction in residential vacancies, with Adelaide currently at a record 10-year low.
With the residential developments such as the GPO Exchange, 88 O’Connell Street and the Central Market Arcade Redevelopment all in the pipeline, it is time to consider city living and the perks it brings.
Learn more about city neighbourhoods here.
Sources:
ABS Census Data 2021, Adelaide City, Statistical Areas Level 3, Area code 40101 and South Australia, Area code 4
ABS Census Data 2016, Adelaide City, Statistical Areas Level 3, Area code 40101 and South Australia, Area code 4
ABS Census Data 2011, Adelaide City, Statistical Areas Level 3, Area code 40101 and South Australia, Area code 4
SQM Research Residential Vacancy Rates