Blackfellows Caves is a rural locality in South Australia, 450 km from Adelaide CBD, around 5 hours 10 minutes by car. Population is 72; the median age is 59 and the median household income is $38,948 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the lower-middle tier nationally. Population grew 2.9% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $225 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,083. The area shows high crime risk and no recorded bushfire exposure. 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 72. 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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Rental Market
Rental affordability
June quarter 2025107 Moderately unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 28% of its income on the median rent in postcode 5291.
SGS Rental Affordability Index: a score of 100 means rent takes 30% of income, the usual housing-stress line; lower scores are less affordable. "Region" is the capital city or the rest of the state.
Is Blackfellows Caves safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Blackfellows Caves sits in the moderate band, with 4 incidents recorded in 2026 — up roughly 300% on the prior year.
4 offences
300.0% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–2025No crash in Blackfellows Caves killed anyone or put anyone in hospital in 2021–2025.
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
1989–2025Nearest Eroding Coastline
- Distance
- 1.3 km
- Rate
- -0.30 m/yr
- Net Movement
- -13.5 m
- Certainty
- good
Data Quality
Schools
Walkability
Blackfellows Caves is very car-dependent on foot — at 0/100, nearly all errands require a car.
We hold no public transport timetable data for this area, so public transport is not rated here and the score is spread across the remaining components. It is not counted as zero.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Blackfellows Caves.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 0%
- Premises covered
- 83
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
Grant: 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
Blackfellows Caves is home to 72 residents, with a median age of 59 — noticeably older than the national figure of 38. Median household income runs at $39,000 a year, with unemployment at 6.2%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
72
Median Age
59
Median Household Income
$38,948/yr
Census Median Rent
$225/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,083/mo
Avg Household Size
1.9
Median Personal Income
$29,120/yr
Unemployment Rate
6.2%
Unoccupied Dwellings
102.9%
Total Dwellings
35
Owner-Occupier Rate
91.7%
Houses
100.0%
Rental Stress
30.0%
Mortgage Stress
33.4%
Work From Home
0.0%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 91.7%
- English Spoken at Home
- 95.8%
- Employment Rate
- 50.7%
- Completed Year 12
- 33.3%
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 $1,458 a year through Grant based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Rural and farming 88%
- Environmental 8%
- Residential 3%
- 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: Grant
In the year to August 2026, 39 new dwellings were approved across Grant. Almost all of the pipeline is detached houses. Approvals are up 300.0% on the same period a year earlier.
Climate & Setting
from Mount Gambier Aero, 33.9 kmModerate rainfall — hot summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 6 m
- above sea level, at the locality centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 1.2 km
- Annual rainfall
- 724 mm
- 117 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 25.8°C
- 12 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 5.8°C
- 3 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 5291, 15 of 10,007 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 1.3% (126 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 1.4%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 5291, 2,204 rooftop-solar systems totalling 19.2 MW have been installed since 2001, against 3,974 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 150 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.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Tony Pasin Liberal
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Tony Pasin | 37.0% | 63.0% | +3.6 |
| 2022 | Tony Pasin | 33.4% | 66.6% | -2.3 |
| 2019 | Tony Pasin | 31.1% | 68.9% | +5.1 |
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 Travis Fatchen Independent
Next state election: 16 March 2030.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Travis Fatchen IND | 60.4% |
| 2022 | Troy Bell IND | 63.1% |
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 Blackfellows Caves?
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 72 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 Blackfellows Caves to another suburb
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Common questions about Blackfellows Caves
Is Blackfellows Caves a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Blackfellows Caves is moderate (69/100, ranked against other SA suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Blackfellows Caves?
Blackfellows Caves 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 Blackfellows Caves?
Blackfellows Caves, SA had a population of 72 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Blackfellows Caves, SA?
The postcode for Blackfellows Caves, SA is 5291.
How far is Blackfellows Caves from Adelaide?
Blackfellows Caves is 450 km from Adelaide CBD by road, about 310 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Blackfellows Caves?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Blackfellows Caves was $38,948 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 Blackfellows Caves?
There are too few current rental listings in Blackfellows Caves for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $225, across all dwelling types.
What is the median age in Blackfellows Caves?
The median age of residents in Blackfellows Caves was 59 at the 2021 ABS Census.
What is the weather like in Blackfellows Caves?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Blackfellows Caves, Mount Gambier Aero (33.9 km away), summer days average 25.8°C, winter nights 5.8°C, 724 mm of rain a year over 117 rainy days, and 12 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Blackfellows Caves?
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 Blackfellows Caves belong to?
Blackfellows Caves sits within the Grant local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Blackfellows Caves?
The average residential rates bill through Grant is $1,458 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Blackfellows Caves?
Across Grant, 39 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 300.0% on the same period a year earlier. These are LGA-level totals — every suburb in the council shares the same figure.
Which federal electorate is Blackfellows Caves in?
Blackfellows Caves sits within the federal Division of Barker, currently held by Tony Pasin (Liberal).
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Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- 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.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.