South Australia · Suburb Profile

Encounter Bay SA — Suburb Profile

Population, median income, rent prices, housing costs and demographics for Encounter Bay, South Australia. ABS Census 2021.

The population of Encounter Bay SA is 5,305 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Encounter Bay is $514 per week ($26,728 per year). Median rent in Encounter Bay is $305 per week ($1,322 per month). Encounter Bay has a median age of 66 years, older than the national median of 38. Encounter Bay has a population density of 1234.8 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Encounter Bay is England. The most common religion is No Religion (47% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Other. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Encounter Bay is $1,170.

There were 37 recorded offences in Encounter Bay in 2025-26, a rate of 7 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was break & enter (12 offences).

Encounter Bay Map

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Encounter Bay Population

residents (Census 2021)

Encounter Bay Median Income & Rent

💰

Median Income

$514/wk

$26,728 per year

#8070 of 14,663

🏠

Median Rent

$305/wk

$1,322 per month

#4469 of 14,663

👤

Median Age

66years

28 years older than national median

🏡

Mortgage

$1,170/mo

Avg household size: 2 · 0.6 per bedroom

Encounter Bay Demographics

Gender Split

Male 45.6% (2,416) Female 54.4% (2,887)

Population Density

1234.8

people per km²

5,305 people · 4.3 km²

Households

Avg household size

0.6

Persons per bedroom

$1,150

Family income/wk

Encounter Bay Age Distribution

0-4

5-9

10-14

15-19

20-24

25-29

30-34

35-39

40-44

45-49

50-54

55-59

60-64

65-69

70-74

75-79

80-84

85+

♂ Male ♀ Female

Source: ABS Census 2021 — Suburb & Locality (SAL)

Encounter Bay Housing Tenure

🏠

Owned outright

77.2% 1,521 dwellings

🏦

Owned with mortgage

22.8% 448 dwellings

Source: ABS Census 2021 — Suburb & Locality (SAL)

Encounter Bay Country of Birth

Australia

82.3%

England

14.3%

Germany

1.2%

India

0.8%

Canada

0.6%

Indonesia

0.3%

Croatia

0.2%

France

0.2%

Egypt

0.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G09 — Country of Birth by SAL

Encounter Bay Religion

No Religion

46.9%

Anglican

15.5%

Uniting Church

10.4%

Catholic

10.1%

Not stated

7.4%

Christian (other)

5.1%

Pentecostal

2.4%

Baptist

2.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G14 — Religion by SAL

Encounter Bay Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent

44.6%

Year 10 or equivalent

25.3%

Year 11 or equivalent

23.2%

Year 9 or equivalent

6.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G16 — Highest Year of School by SAL

Encounter Bay Languages Spoken at Home

Other

32.5%

German

23.4%

IAL Punjabi

14.3%

Afrikaans

6.5%

French

6.5%

Italian

6.5%

SAL Tot

5.2%

Vietnamese

5.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G13 — Language Spoken at Home by SAL

Encounter Bay Employment

💼

Employed full-time

13.3% 605 people

⏰

Employed part-time

15.9% 725 people

🔍

Unemployed

2.2% 102 people

🏠

Not in labour force

68.5% 3,115 people

Source: ABS Census 2021 G46 — Labour Force Status by SAL

Encounter Bay Qualifications

Certificate III/IV

39.7%

Bachelor Degree

23.4%

Advanced Diploma/Diploma

21.7%

Postgraduate Degree

6.6%

Graduate Diploma/Certificate

5.2%

Certificate I/II

3.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G49 — Non-School Qualification by SAL

Encounter Bay Occupation

Professionals

25.0%

Community & Personal Service

21.7%

Technicians & Trade Workers

14.2%

Managers

12.0%

Clerical & Administrative

11.3%

Labourers

6.5%

Sales Workers

6.1%

Machinery Operators & Drivers

3.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G51 — Industry of Employment by Occupation

Encounter Bay Field of Study

Management & Commerce

19.8%

Society & Culture

17.8%

Health

16.6%

Engineering

12.5%

Education

11.6%

Food, Hospitality & Personal Services

6.2%

Architecture & Building

5.3%

Agriculture & Environment

4.0%

Creative Arts

3.3%

Natural & Physical Sciences

2.0%

Information Technology

0.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G51 — Field of Study by SAL

Encounter Bay Dwelling Types

Separate house

97.5%

Semi-detached (1 storey)

1.3%

Semi-detached (2+ storey)

1.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G36 — Dwelling Structure by SAL

Encounter Bay Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk

1.9%

$1-$149/wk

0.9%

$150-$299/wk

1.3%

$300-$399/wk

3.0%

$400-$499/wk

9.8%

$500-$649/wk

10.5%

$650-$799/wk

14.8%

$800-$999/wk

11.9%

$1,000-$1,249/wk

12.3%

$1,250-$1,499/wk

9.8%

$1,500-$1,749/wk

4.2%

$1,750-$1,999/wk

4.3%

$2,000-$2,499/wk

6.1%

$2,500-$2,999/wk

3.1%

$3,000-$3,499/wk

2.0%

$3,500-$3,999/wk

1.2%

$4,000+/wk

2.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G33 — Household Income by SAL

Encounter Bay Marital Status

💍

Married

56.7% 2,730

↔️

Separated

2.8% 137

📋

Divorced

11.4% 550

🕊️

Widowed

11.1% 532

👤

Never married

17.9% 863

Source: ABS Census 2021 G05 — Marital Status by SAL

Encounter Bay Ancestry

English

42.1%

Australian

25.1%

Scottish

9.4%

Irish

7.6%

German

6.9%

Other

3.5%

Italian

1.5%

Dutch

1.5%

Welsh

0.7%

Aboriginal Australianralian

0.6%

Greek

0.4%

Chinese

0.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G08 — Ancestry by SAL

Encounter Bay School & University Attendance

Primary — Government

30.1%

Secondary — Government

18.8%

Primary — Other Non-Govt

17.1%

Secondary — Other Non-Govt

13.7%

Vocational Education

10.7%

Pre-school

7.9%

Primary — Catholic

0.9%

Secondary — Catholic

0.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G15 — Type of Educational Institution by SAL

Encounter Bay Need for Assistance

♿

Needs assistance

11.2% 1,141

✅

No need for assistance

88.8% 9,026

Source: ABS Census 2021 G18 — Core Activity Need for Assistance by SAL

Encounter Bay Volunteering

🤝

Volunteer

22.3% 1,027

—

Not a volunteer

77.7% 3,574

Source: ABS Census 2021 G23 — Voluntary Work by SAL

Encounter Bay Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo

10.4%

$300-$449/mo

7.7%

$450-$599/mo

4.2%

$600-$799/mo

8.9%

$800-$999/mo

9.9%

$1,000-$1,399/mo

23.7%

$1,400-$1,799/mo

18.0%

$1,800-$2,399/mo

12.6%

$2,400-$2,999/mo

3.2%

$3,000-$3,999/mo

1.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G38 — Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Encounter Bay How People Get to Work

Car (driver)

74.2%

Did not go to work

15.8%

Car (passenger)

6.2%

Walked only

1.6%

Bicycle

0.7%

Truck

0.4%

Other

0.4%

Motorbike/Scooter

0.3%

Taxi/Rideshare

0.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G62 — Method of Travel to Work by SAL

Encounter Bay Car Ownership

0 vehicles

4.1%

1 vehicle

51.2%

2 vehicles

34.2%

3 vehicles

7.6%

4+ vehicles

2.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G34 — Motor Vehicles per Dwelling by SAL

Encounter Bay Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom

0.4%

2 bedrooms

20.6%

3 bedrooms

54.1%

4 bedrooms

22.5%

5 bedrooms

2.0%

6+ bedrooms

0.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G41 — Number of Bedrooms by SAL

Encounter Bay Population Mobility

13.1%

moved in the last year

43.8%

moved in the last 5 years

6.3%

unemployment rate (Census)

31.5%

labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021 G43 — Summary by SAL

Encounter Bay Indigenous Population

0.9%

Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

Indigenous residents

10,142

Non-Indigenous residents

Source: ABS Census 2021 G07 — Indigenous Status by SAL

Encounter Bay Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health

605

Arthritis

410

Heart disease

301

Diabetes

285

Lung condition

229

Asthma

192

Cancer

180

Stroke

122

Kidney disease

Dementia

Source: ABS Census 2021 G19 — Long-term Health Conditions by SAL

Encounter Bay Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk

8.6%

$1-$149/wk

4.5%

$150-$299/wk

10.1%

$300-$399/wk

11.0%

$400-$499/wk

7.9%

$500-$649/wk

7.0%

$650-$799/wk

12.4%

$800-$999/wk

11.3%

$1,000-$1,249/wk

9.9%

$1,250-$1,499/wk

5.0%

$1,500-$1,749/wk

3.8%

$1,750-$1,999/wk

2.5%

$2,000-$2,999/wk

4.2%

$3,000-$3,499/wk

0.8%

$3,500+/wk

1.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G17 — Personal Income by SAL

Encounter Bay Family Structure

Couple — no children

57.6%

Couple — children under 15

20.1%

Couple — no children under 15

9.8%

One parent — children under 15

6.4%

One parent — no children under 15

6.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G29 — Family Composition by SAL

Encounter Bay Military Service

🛡️

Current ADF — Reserves

0.1% 5

🏅

Previously served

6.7% 311

👤

Never served

93.2% 4,298

Source: ABS Census 2021 G22 — ADF Service by SAL

Encounter Bay Unpaid Carers

🤲

Provided unpaid assistance

16.2% 744

—

Did not provide

83.8% 3,852

Source: ABS Census 2021 G25 — Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Encounter Bay Children Ever Born

No children

23.1%

1 child

11.5%

2 children

36.6%

3 children

20.2%

4 children

7.0%

5+ children

1.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G28 — Children Ever Born by SAL

Encounter Bay When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951

1951–1960

212

1961–1970

378

1971–1980

209

1981–1990

114

1991–2000

2001–2010

2011–2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2021

Source: ABS Census 2021 G10 — Year of Arrival by SAL

Encounter Bay Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours

16.1%

5–14 hours

28.0%

15–29 hours

17.8%

30+ hours

11.9%

Did not do domestic work

26.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G24 — Unpaid Domestic Work by SAL

Encounter Bay Household Size

1 person

33.2%

2 persons

49.6%

3 persons

8.8%

4 persons

5.4%

5 persons

1.9%

6+ persons

1.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G35 — Household Size by SAL

Encounter Bay Where Residents Moved From

Same address

4,368

Moved from SA

298

Moved — same area (SA2)

225

Moved from VIC

Moved from NSW

Moved from overseas

Moved from NT

Moved from TAS

Moved from QLD

Moved from WA

Source: ABS Census 2021 G44 — Address 1 Year Ago by SAL

Encounter Bay Family Blending

Intact family — no other children

83.2%

Step family — no other children

9.4%

Blended family — no other children

4.5%

Other couple — children only

2.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G31 — Family Blending by SAL

Encounter Bay Crime Statistics

Reported offences in 2025-26 — 37 total

Break & Enter

Theft

Property Damage

Assault

Fraud

Other Against Person

Offence trend by year:

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

Source: SA Government Open Data — data.sa.gov.au

Encounter Bay Schools

schools nearby

government

1001

avg ICSEA score

1,755

total students

Investigator College Independent

Combined · R-12 · 668 students

1065

ICSEA

Victor Harbor High School Government

Secondary · U, 7-12 · 633 students

974

ICSEA

Victor Harbor Primary School Government

Primary · U, R-6 · 454 students

963

ICSEA

Source: ACARA — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, 2025. ICSEA = Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (national average 1000).

View all schools in Encounter Bay with map →

Encounter Bay Rent Prices & Affordability

33%

of income

Moderate

Household Income $929/wk

Median Rent $305/wk

Rent-to-Income 32.8%

Rent is between 25–35% of household income — moderate housing costs.

If you earn X in Encounter Bay

Your weekly income

≈ $4,026/month

Median rent $305/wk

Left after rent $624/wk

Rent share 32.8%

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Goolwa North

Income: $520/wk Rent: $270/wk Save: $35/wk

Goolwa

Income: $493/wk Rent: $250/wk Save: $55/wk

McCracken

Income: $538/wk Rent: $300/wk Save: $5/wk

Port Broughton

Income: $507/wk Rent: $235/wk Save: $70/wk

Goolwa South

Income: $556/wk Rent: $280/wk Save: $25/wk

Ardrossan

Income: $495/wk Rent: $228/wk Save: $77/wk

Port Elliot

Income: $592/wk Rent: $280/wk Save: $25/wk

Normanville (SA)

Income: $546/wk Rent: $300/wk Save: $5/wk

Encounter Bay vs State & National Average

Nearby Suburbs in SA

Clarence Park

Pop: 2,658 Income: $921/wk Rent: $310/wk

North Brighton

Pop: 2,665 Income: $793/wk Rent: $395/wk

Waikerie

Pop: 2,681 Income: $581/wk Rent: $200/wk

Torrens Park

Pop: 2,687 Income: $1,001/wk Rent: $330/wk

Freeling

Pop: 2,688 Income: $790/wk Rent: $330/wk

Woodside (SA)

Pop: 2,701 Income: $757/wk Rent: $320/wk

Compare Encounter Bay

Encounter Bay vs Clarence Park →Encounter Bay vs North Brighton →Encounter Bay vs Waikerie →Encounter Bay vs Torrens Park →

Frequently Asked Questions About Encounter Bay

What is the population of Encounter Bay SA?

The population of Encounter Bay SA is 5,305 according to the ABS Census 2021.The suburb has a population density of 1234.8 people per km².Encounter Bay is ranked #1,485 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Encounter Bay?

The median personal income in Encounter Bay SA is $514 per week, or $26,728 per year.The median household income is $929 per week.Family income is $1,150 per week.Encounter Bay is ranked #8,070 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Encounter Bay?

Median rent in Encounter Bay SA is $305 per week ($1,322 per month).Rent represents 32.8% of household income, which is considered moderate.Encounter Bay ranks #4,469 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Encounter Bay?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Encounter Bay SA is $1,170. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Encounter Bay?

The median age in Encounter Bay SA is 66 years.This is older than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Encounter Bay a good suburb to live in?

Encounter Bay is a suburb in South Australia with a population of 5,305.The median income is $514/wk, which is below the SA average of $763/wk.Rent affordability is rated as moderate (32.8% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

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Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 40410. All dollar figures in AUD.