South Australia · Suburb Profile

Goolwa SA — Suburb Profile

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

The population of Goolwa SA is 2,558 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Goolwa is $493 per week ($25,636 per year). Median rent in Goolwa is $250 per week ($1,083 per month). Goolwa has a median age of 67 years, older than the national median of 38. Goolwa has a population density of 147.5 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Goolwa is England. The most common religion is No Religion (48% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Other. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Goolwa is $1,000.

There were 61 recorded offences in Goolwa in 2025-26, a rate of 24 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was assault (24 offences).

Goolwa Map

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Goolwa Population

residents (Census 2021)

Goolwa Median Income & Rent

💰

Median Income

$493/wk

$25,636 per year

#8265 of 14,663

🏠

Median Rent

$250/wk

$1,083 per month

#6115 of 14,663

👤

Median Age

67years

29 years older than national median

🏡

Mortgage

$1,000/mo

Avg household size: 1.8 · 0.7 per bedroom

Goolwa Demographics

Gender Split

Male 45.3% (1,158) Female 54.7% (1,399)

Population Density

147.5

people per km²

2,558 people · 17.3 km²

Households

1.8

Avg household size

0.7

Persons per bedroom

$1,064

Family income/wk

Goolwa 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)

Goolwa Housing Tenure

🏠

Owned outright

75.1% 618 dwellings

🏦

Owned with mortgage

24.9% 205 dwellings

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

Goolwa Country of Birth

Australia

83.7%

England

14.3%

Germany

1.7%

India

0.3%

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

Goolwa Religion

No Religion

47.8%

Anglican

15.0%

Uniting Church

10.6%

Catholic

9.8%

Not stated

9.8%

Lutheran

3.0%

Christian (other)

2.1%

Christinty Prsbytrin Refrmd

1.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G14 — Religion by SAL

Goolwa Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent

39.7%

Year 10 or equivalent

27.1%

Year 11 or equivalent

24.4%

Year 9 or equivalent

8.8%

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

Goolwa Languages Spoken at Home

Other

37.5%

German

18.8%

Italian

18.8%

Spanish

15.6%

Australian Indigenous

9.4%

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

Goolwa Employment

💼

Employed full-time

12.1% 264 people

⏰

Employed part-time

14.5% 317 people

🔍

Unemployed

1.9% 42 people

🏠

Not in labour force

71.4% 1,558 people

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

Goolwa Qualifications

Certificate III/IV

45.5%

Bachelor Degree

21.7%

Advanced Diploma/Diploma

19.8%

Postgraduate Degree

5.3%

Graduate Diploma/Certificate

4.2%

Certificate I/II

3.6%

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

Goolwa Occupation

Professionals

20.7%

Community & Personal Service

20.2%

Technicians & Trade Workers

17.4%

Managers

12.8%

Clerical & Administrative

10.1%

Labourers

9.3%

Sales Workers

5.4%

Machinery Operators & Drivers

4.1%

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

Goolwa Field of Study

Society & Culture

17.6%

Health

15.9%

Engineering

14.8%

Management & Commerce

13.9%

Education

9.9%

Architecture & Building

8.8%

Food, Hospitality & Personal Services

8.2%

Agriculture & Environment

4.5%

Natural & Physical Sciences

2.8%

Information Technology

2.0%

Creative Arts

1.4%

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

Goolwa Dwelling Types

Separate house

90.2%

Semi-detached (1 storey)

9.2%

Semi-detached (2+ storey)

0.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G36 — Dwelling Structure by SAL

Goolwa Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk

1.3%

$1-$149/wk

1.0%

$150-$299/wk

1.6%

$300-$399/wk

4.8%

$400-$499/wk

13.2%

$500-$649/wk

14.3%

$650-$799/wk

14.3%

$800-$999/wk

12.6%

$1,000-$1,249/wk

10.8%

$1,250-$1,499/wk

7.6%

$1,500-$1,749/wk

3.9%

$1,750-$1,999/wk

3.1%

$2,000-$2,499/wk

4.6%

$2,500-$2,999/wk

2.3%

$3,000-$3,499/wk

1.6%

$3,500-$3,999/wk

0.9%

$4,000+/wk

2.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G33 — Household Income by SAL

Goolwa Marital Status

💍

Married

45.8% 1,080

↔️

Separated

3.5% 83

📋

Divorced

16.5% 390

🕊️

Widowed

13.8% 325

👤

Never married

20.4% 480

Source: ABS Census 2021 G05 — Marital Status by SAL

Goolwa Ancestry

English

41.3%

Australian

25.1%

Scottish

9.0%

Irish

7.7%

German

7.1%

Other

2.9%

Aboriginal Australianralian

1.7%

Dutch

1.6%

Italian

1.4%

Polish

0.8%

Welsh

0.7%

Greek

0.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G08 — Ancestry by SAL

Goolwa School & University Attendance

Primary — Government

30.8%

Secondary — Government

19.9%

Secondary — Other Non-Govt

15.6%

Pre-school

12.3%

Primary — Other Non-Govt

10.0%

Vocational Education

9.0%

Secondary — Catholic

2.4%

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

Goolwa Need for Assistance

♿

Needs assistance

15.5% 752

✅

No need for assistance

84.5% 4,095

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

Goolwa Volunteering

🤝

Volunteer

22.0% 487

—

Not a volunteer

78.0% 1,731

Source: ABS Census 2021 G23 — Voluntary Work by SAL

Goolwa Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo

12.8%

$300-$449/mo

5.3%

$450-$599/mo

5.3%

$600-$799/mo

14.4%

$800-$999/mo

12.3%

$1,000-$1,399/mo

27.8%

$1,400-$1,799/mo

9.6%

$1,800-$2,399/mo

10.2%

$2,400-$2,999/mo

2.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G38 — Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Goolwa How People Get to Work

Car (driver)

71.9%

Did not go to work

17.4%

Walked only

5.0%

Other

2.0%

Car (passenger)

1.8%

Truck

0.9%

Bicycle

0.5%

Bus

0.5%

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

Goolwa Car Ownership

0 vehicles

10.0%

1 vehicle

51.9%

2 vehicles

26.6%

3 vehicles

6.8%

4+ vehicles

4.7%

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

Goolwa Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom

7.1%

2 bedrooms

34.7%

3 bedrooms

46.3%

4 bedrooms

9.9%

5 bedrooms

1.7%

6+ bedrooms

0.3%

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

Goolwa Population Mobility

14.1%

moved in the last year

43.2%

moved in the last 5 years

6.8%

unemployment rate (Census)

28.5%

labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021 G43 — Summary by SAL

Goolwa Indigenous Population

2.1%

Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

103

Indigenous residents

4,723

Non-Indigenous residents

Source: ABS Census 2021 G07 — Indigenous Status by SAL

Goolwa Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health

351

Arthritis

215

Heart disease

181

Lung condition

132

Diabetes

124

Stroke

Asthma

Cancer

Kidney disease

Dementia

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

Goolwa Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk

6.2%

$1-$149/wk

4.1%

$150-$299/wk

9.4%

$300-$399/wk

13.1%

$400-$499/wk

10.6%

$500-$649/wk

8.9%

$650-$799/wk

12.8%

$800-$999/wk

9.7%

$1,000-$1,249/wk

9.6%

$1,250-$1,499/wk

5.2%

$1,500-$1,749/wk

3.1%

$1,750-$1,999/wk

2.3%

$2,000-$2,999/wk

3.5%

$3,000-$3,499/wk

0.5%

$3,500+/wk

0.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G17 — Personal Income by SAL

Goolwa Family Structure

Couple — no children

59.5%

Couple — children under 15

17.0%

Couple — no children under 15

8.8%

One parent — no children under 15

7.8%

One parent — children under 15

6.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G29 — Family Composition by SAL

Goolwa Military Service

🏅

Previously served

6.3% 139

👤

Never served

93.7% 2,056

Source: ABS Census 2021 G22 — ADF Service by SAL

Goolwa Unpaid Carers

🤲

Provided unpaid assistance

15.2% 338

—

Did not provide

84.8% 1,882

Source: ABS Census 2021 G25 — Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Goolwa Children Ever Born

No children

25.0%

1 child

11.9%

2 children

33.1%

3 children

21.6%

4 children

6.9%

5+ children

1.5%

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

Goolwa When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951

1951–1960

1961–1970

181

1971–1980

112

1981–1990

1991–2000

2001–2010

2011–2015

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

Goolwa Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours

15.6%

5–14 hours

26.8%

15–29 hours

16.4%

30+ hours

11.1%

Did not do domestic work

30.2%

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

Goolwa Household Size

1 person

44.8%

2 persons

42.4%

3 persons

6.2%

4 persons

3.7%

5 persons

1.4%

6+ persons

1.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G35 — Household Size by SAL

Goolwa Where Residents Moved From

Same address

2,054

Moved from SA

154

Moved — same area (SA2)

120

Moved from VIC

Moved from NSW

Moved from overseas

Moved from NT

Moved from QLD

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

Goolwa Family Blending

Intact family — no other children

83.7%

Step family — no other children

13.5%

Blended family — no other children

2.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021 G31 — Family Blending by SAL

Goolwa Crime Statistics

Reported offences in 2025-26 — 61 total

Assault

Theft

Property Damage

Break & Enter

Fraud

Other Against Person

Offence trend by year:

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

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

Goolwa Schools

schools nearby

government

965

avg ICSEA score

566

total students

Goolwa Primary School Government

Primary · R-6 · 281 students

972

ICSEA

Goolwa Secondary College Government

Secondary · 7-12 · 285 students

957

ICSEA

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

View all schools in Goolwa with map →

Goolwa Rent Prices & Affordability

32%

of income

Moderate

Household Income $790/wk

Median Rent $250/wk

Rent-to-Income 31.6%

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

If you earn X in Goolwa

Your weekly income

≈ $3,423/month

Median rent $250/wk

Left after rent $540/wk

Rent share 31.6%

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Port Broughton

Income: $507/wk Rent: $235/wk Save: $15/wk

Ardrossan

Income: $495/wk Rent: $228/wk Save: $22/wk

Waterloo Corner

Income: $486/wk Rent: $225/wk Save: $25/wk

Riverton (SA)

Income: $536/wk Rent: $230/wk Save: $20/wk

Wallaroo (SA)

Income: $506/wk Rent: $245/wk Save: $5/wk

Minlaton

Income: $580/wk Rent: $200/wk Save: $50/wk

Mannum

Income: $487/wk Rent: $220/wk Save: $30/wk

Peterborough (SA)

Income: $456/wk Rent: $160/wk Save: $90/wk

Goolwa vs State & National Average

Nearby Suburbs in SA

New Town (SA)

Pop: 1,291 Income: $604/wk Rent: $242/wk

Worrolong

Pop: 1,293 Income: $934/wk Rent: $361/wk

Middleton (SA)

Pop: 1,298 Income: $708/wk Rent: $283/wk

Crafers West

Pop: 1,307 Income: $1,096/wk Rent: $406/wk

Goolwa North

Pop: 1,307 Income: $520/wk Rent: $270/wk

Maitland (SA)

Pop: 1,312 Income: $617/wk Rent: $200/wk

Compare Goolwa

Goolwa vs New Town (SA) →Goolwa vs Worrolong →Goolwa vs Middleton (SA) →Goolwa vs Crafers West →

Frequently Asked Questions About Goolwa

What is the population of Goolwa SA?

The population of Goolwa SA is 2,558 according to the ABS Census 2021.The suburb has a population density of 147.5 people per km².Goolwa is ranked #2,684 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Goolwa?

The median personal income in Goolwa SA is $493 per week, or $25,636 per year.The median household income is $790 per week.Family income is $1,064 per week.Goolwa is ranked #8,265 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Goolwa?

Median rent in Goolwa SA is $250 per week ($1,083 per month).Rent represents 31.6% of household income, which is considered moderate.Goolwa ranks #6,115 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Goolwa?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Goolwa SA is $1,000. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Goolwa?

The median age in Goolwa SA is 67 years.This is older than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Goolwa a good suburb to live in?

Goolwa is a suburb in South Australia with a population of 2,558.The median income is $493/wk, which is below the SA average of $763/wk.Rent affordability is rated as moderate (31.6% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

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Looking for schools, childcare centres, and playgrounds in this area? See kid.com.au for family facilities data.

Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 40521. All dollar figures in AUD.