Emu Flat is a rural locality in South Australia, 143 km from Adelaide CBD, around 1 hour 50 minutes by car. Population is 106; the median age is 41 and the median household income is $117,000 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the top 40% nationally. The locality grew 16.5% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $370 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $2,059. Emu Flat is characterised by 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 106. 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.
How do you rate the liveability in Emu Flat?
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Our score
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Rental Market
Rental affordability
June quarter 2025114 Moderately unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 26% of its income on the median rent in postcode 5453.
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 Emu Flat safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Emu Flat sits in the moderate band, with 5 incidents recorded in 2026.
5 offences
Serious Road Crashes
2021–20252 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital, 1 of them fatal
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.
Schools
Walkability
Emu Flat is very car-dependent on foot — at 4/100, 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 Emu Flat.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 0%
- Premises covered
- 43
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
Clare and Gilbert Valleys: 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
Emu Flat is home to 106 residents, with a median age of 41, broadly in line with the national figure. Median household income runs at $117,000 a year, with unemployment at 0.0%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
106
Median Age
41
Median Household Income
$117,000/yr
Census Median Rent
$370/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$2,059/mo
Avg Household Size
2.9
Median Personal Income
$54,704/yr
Unemployment Rate
0.0%
Unoccupied Dwellings
34.3%
Total Dwellings
35
Owner-Occupier Rate
75.0%
Houses
100.0%
Rental Stress
16.4%
Mortgage Stress
21.1%
Work From Home
10.8%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 70.8%
- English Spoken at Home
- 83.0%
- Employment Rate
- 65.8%
- Completed Year 12
- 36.8%
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 $1,830 a year through Clare and Gilbert Valleys based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Rural and farming 100%
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: Clare and Gilbert Valleys
In the year to August 2026, 28 new dwellings were approved across Clare and Gilbert Valleys. Almost all of the pipeline is detached houses. Approvals are up 20.0% on the same period a year earlier.
Setting
- Elevation
- 433 m
- above sea level, at the locality centre
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.
Industrial Emissions Nearby
4 facilities within 5 km- 3.2 kmWine and Other Alcoholic Beverage ManufacturingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Ethanol
- 3.6 kmWine and Other Alcoholic Beverage ManufacturingTop reported: Ethanol · Total Volatile Organic Compounds
- 3.7 kmWine and Other Alcoholic Beverage ManufacturingTop reported: Ethanol · Total Volatile Organic Compounds
- 4.5 kmWine and Other Alcoholic Beverage ManufacturingTop reported: Ethanol · Total Volatile Organic Compounds
EV adoption
In postcode 5453, 8 of 5,200 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 2.3% (120 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 2.5%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 5453, 1,574 rooftop-solar systems totalling 12.4 MW have been installed since 2001, against 2,357 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 71 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 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 David Paton Pauline Hanson's One Nation
Next state election: 16 March 2030.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | David Paton ON | 57.0% |
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 Emu Flat?
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 106 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 Emu Flat to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other SA suburb — type a name and pick one.
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Common questions about Emu Flat
Is Emu Flat a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Emu Flat is moderate (63/100, ranked against other SA suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Emu Flat?
Emu Flat has a moderate recorded bushfire history (47/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). These are locality-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
What is the population of Emu Flat?
Emu Flat, SA had a population of 106 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Emu Flat, SA?
The postcode for Emu Flat, SA is 5453.
How far is Emu Flat from Adelaide?
Emu Flat is 143 km from Adelaide CBD by road, about 111 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Emu Flat?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Emu Flat was $117,000 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 Emu Flat?
There are too few current rental listings in Emu Flat for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $370, across all dwelling types.
What is the median age in Emu Flat?
The median age of residents in Emu Flat was 41 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Emu Flat at risk of bushfire?
Emu Flat has a moderate recorded bushfire history (47/100). The score comes from Geoscience Australia's historical bushfire boundaries, with planned burns excluded: the area of recorded fires touching the locality relative to its size, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history. It records where fire has burned, not a bushfire-prone land designation, which your council's planning scheme sets.
Is Emu Flat walkable?
Emu Flat scores 4/100 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.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Emu Flat?
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 Emu Flat belong to?
Emu Flat sits within the Clare and Gilbert Valleys local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Emu Flat?
The average residential rates bill through Clare and Gilbert Valleys is $1,830 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Emu Flat?
Across Clare and Gilbert Valleys, 28 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 20.0% 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 Emu Flat in?
Emu Flat sits within the federal Division of Grey, currently held by Tom Venning (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
- 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.