Arno Bay SA 5603
Arno Bay is a rural locality in South Australia, 534 km from Adelaide CBD, around 5 hours 50 minutes by car. Population is 314; the median age is 52 and the median household income is $51,064 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the bottom 20% nationally. Population fell 5.1% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $183 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $867. The area shows high coastal erosion risk and high crime risk. Walkability is low.
This locality is too small to rate.
The Liveability Rating is calculated for suburbs of 500 residents or more, and this one has 314. Below that the school, census and safety figures behind the score cover too few people to rank fairly against the rest of the state. The individual measures further down this page are still shown.
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Median House Price
Public listings dataArno Bay's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $325,000, roughly 39% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$325,000
Based on 11 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 53 days — median across 5 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 3 bed 5 sales $325K
Land
$140,000
Based on only 5 sales — small sample, take as indicative.
Is Arno Bay safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Arno Bay sits in the moderate band, with 13 incidents recorded in 2026 — up about 8% on the prior year.
13 offences
8.3% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–20251 crash
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the locality carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. This state’s crash data does not name the road.
Coastal Erosion
Shoreline Change Summary
1988–2025Nearest Eroding Coastline
- Distance
- 1.4 km
- Rate
- -0.26 m/yr
- Net Movement
- —
- Certainty
- high angular variability
Data Quality
Schools
Walkability
Arno Bay is very car-dependent on foot — at 20/100, nearly all errands require a car.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Arno Bay.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 0%
- Premises covered
- 243
NBN Co fixed-line and fixed-wireless premises, as at 30 December 2025. Higher-quality technologies (full fibre) score above copper, wireless, and satellite. Actual speeds depend on your plan.
Amenities
Cleve: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this locality alone — this locality's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
Arno Bay is home to 314 residents, with a median age of 52 — noticeably older than the national figure of 38. Median household income runs at $51,000 a year, with unemployment at 5.7%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
314
Median Age
52
Median Household Income
$51,064/yr
Census Median Rent
$183/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$867/mo
Avg Household Size
2.2
Median Personal Income
$30,264/yr
Unemployment Rate
5.7%
Unoccupied Dwellings
95.0%
Total Dwellings
121
Owner-Occupier Rate
83.3%
Houses
97.5%
Rental Stress
18.6%
Mortgage Stress
20.4%
Work From Home
13.9%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 84.4%
- English Spoken at Home
- 88.5%
- Employment Rate
- 53.5%
- Completed Year 12
- 29.3%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,474 a year through Cleve based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Rural and farming 94%
- Environmental 4%
- Zones under 1% 1%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the locality around it — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Cleve
In the year to August 2026, 13 new dwellings were approved across Cleve. Almost all of the pipeline is detached houses.
Climate & Setting
from Cleve Aerodrome, 23.2 kmDry climate — hot summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 11 m
- above sea level, at the locality centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 1.0 km
- Annual rainfall
- 326 mm
- 61 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 28.3°C
- 23 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 7.7°C
- 0 frost days ≤ 0°C
Elevation is the ground at the locality centre, from Geoscience Australia's National Digital Elevation Model. Approximate — it reads high in dense built-up areas. It is a measure of height above sea level and not an indicator of flood risk, which depends on height above nearby waterways.
EV adoption
In postcode 5603, 0 of 500 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 0.6% (3 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 0.6%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 5603, 170 rooftop-solar systems totalling 1.1 MW have been installed since 2001, against 285 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 5 went up in the last year.
Counts every system certified since 2001, so a roof re-fitted with a newer system is counted twice, and small commercial systems are included alongside houses — useful for comparing postcodes, not an estimate of how many homes have working panels today.
2026 covers part of the year only, to 2026-07.
First Home Owner Grant
FY2026-27$15,000 for new homes.
No purchase-price cap. Stamp duty is fully exempted for eligible first-home buyers as a separate concession.
Mortgage repayments
Conveyance duty at the owner-occupier rate, and it excludes first home buyer concessions — those can cut it substantially or remove it entirely. Excludes legal, inspection and lender fees. Check with RevenueSA
A deposit under 20% usually attracts Lenders Mortgage Insurance, which this doesn't include.
Principal and interest over 30 years, fixed rate. Excludes fees, offset, redraw and LMI. Default rate is the median comparison rate across 1788 advertised products as at 2026-10-27 — indicative only, and not an offer. Your rate depends on the lender, your deposit and your circumstances. Not financial advice.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Tom Venning Liberal
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Tom Venning | 45.4% | 54.6% | +5.4 |
| 2022 | Rowan Ramsey | 39.9% | 60.1% | -3.2 |
| 2019 | Rowan Ramsey | 36.7% | 63.3% | +5.6 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact locality's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Sam Telfer Liberal Party
Next state election: 16 March 2030.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Sam Telfer LP | 59.6% |
| 2022 | Sam Telfer LP | 53.0% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2024, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this locality's voters. Results: Electoral Commission of South Australia.
Looking at a specific address in Arno Bay?
Every figure above is a locality average, and an average smooths over the difference between a street of family homes and a block of flats. Look up one address and you get the census for the few hundred people around it, its own nearest schools and stops, and what the state has mapped for that block.
- The census for a few hundred neighbours, not all 314 residents
- Nearest and zoned schools, with the walk from that door
- Flood, bushfire and noise mapping, where the state publishes it
Free to look up. Subscribers see every section in full — $29/month.
Nearby suburbs
Compare Arno Bay to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other SA suburb — type a name and pick one.
Or jump straight to a nearby comparison:
Common questions about Arno Bay
Is Arno Bay a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Arno Bay is moderate (63/100, ranked against other SA suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Arno Bay?
Arno Bay has no recorded bushfire history. These are locality-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
What is the population of Arno Bay?
Arno Bay, SA had a population of 314 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Arno Bay, SA?
The postcode for Arno Bay, SA is 5603.
How far is Arno Bay from Adelaide?
Arno Bay is 534 km from Adelaide CBD by road, about 352 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Arno Bay?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Arno Bay was $51,064 a year. It is the most recent suburb-level income figure until 2026 Census results are released in 2027.
What is the median weekly rent in Arno Bay?
There are too few current rental listings in Arno Bay for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $183, across all dwelling types.
What is the median age in Arno Bay?
The median age of residents in Arno Bay was 52 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Arno Bay walkable?
Arno Bay scores 20/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it very car-dependent. The score is a weighted average of public transport, schools, parks, supermarkets, GPs, pharmacies, childcare, and hospitals within walking distance.
What is the weather like in Arno Bay?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Arno Bay, Cleve Aerodrome (23.2 km away), summer days average 28.3°C, winter nights 7.7°C, 326 mm of rain a year over 61 rainy days, and 23 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Arno Bay?
First-home buyers in SA may be eligible for $15,000 towards new homes. The grant is administered by RevenueSA; confirm current eligibility before signing a contract — state rules and amounts can change.
What council does Arno Bay belong to?
Arno Bay sits within the Cleve local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Arno Bay?
The average residential rates bill through Cleve is $1,474 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Arno Bay?
Across Cleve, 13 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). These are LGA-level totals — every suburb in the council shares the same figure.
Which federal electorate is Arno Bay in?
Arno Bay sits within the federal Division of Grey, currently held by Tom Venning (Liberal).
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Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Median sale prices · Oct 2026
- Council rates · FY 2024–25
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2026
- Road crashes · 2021–2025
- Climate · 2006–2026
- Socio-economic (SEIFA) · 2021
- EV adoption · Jan 2025
- First Home Owner Grant · Sep 2026
- Federal electorate · 2025
- State electorate · 2026
- Amenities · Sep 2026
- Health & emergency facilities · Sep 2026
- Industrial emissions (NPI) · 2024/2025
- Coastal erosion · 1988–2025
- Aircraft noise · 2024
Vintages show when each source's data is from. See all data sources.
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Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
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