Island Beach SA 5222
Island Beach is a rural locality in South Australia, 144 km from Adelaide CBD, around 2 hours 55 minutes by car. Population is 71; the median age is 60 and the median household income is $37,700 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the middle range nationally. The locality more than doubled between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $220 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,142. Island Beach is characterised by high flood 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 71. 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 Island Beach?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
Not enough data to score this locality.
Residents say
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Median Land Price
Public listings dataIsland Beach's land market is moving lower: the median sale price reached $232,000, roughly 31% below where it sat a year earlier.
Land
$232,500
Based on 12 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Houses
$540,000
Based on only 9 sales — small sample, take as indicative.
Typically sold in 90 days — median across 3 sales that recorded a listing period
Is Island Beach safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Island Beach sits in the moderate band, with 2 incidents recorded in 2026 — up roughly 100% on the prior year.
2 offences
100.0% since 2024Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–2025No crash in Island Beach 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
1988–2024Data Quality
Schools
Walkability
Island Beach is very car-dependent on foot — at 10/100, 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 Island Beach.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 0%
- Premises covered
- 138
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
Kangaroo Island: 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
Island Beach is home to 71 residents, with a median age of 60 — noticeably older than the national figure of 38. Median household income runs at $38,000 a year, with unemployment at 0.0%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
71
Median Age
60
Median Household Income
$37,700/yr
Census Median Rent
$220/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,142/mo
Avg Household Size
1.7
Median Personal Income
$32,760/yr
Unemployment Rate
0.0%
Unoccupied Dwellings
307.9%
Total Dwellings
38
Owner-Occupier Rate
86.8%
Houses
89.5%
Rental Stress
30.3%
Mortgage Stress
36.4%
Work From Home
18.8%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 74.6%
- English Spoken at Home
- 93.0%
- Employment Rate
- 40.6%
- Completed Year 12
- 50.7%
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 $1,908 a year through Kangaroo Island based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Residential 45%
- Rural and farming 29%
- Environmental 27%
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: Kangaroo Island
In the year to August 2026, 48 new dwellings were approved across Kangaroo Island. That mix is 46 houses and 2 units. Approvals are down 12.5% on the same period a year earlier.
Climate & Setting
from Kingscote, 21.9 kmDry climate.
- Elevation
- 9 m
- above sea level, at the locality centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 170 m
- 3.7 km to a named beach
- Annual rainfall
- 412 mm
- 62 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- —
- Winter min (Jul)
- —
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 5222, 10 of 1,216 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 1.2% (14 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 2.0%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 5222, 390 rooftop-solar systems totalling 2.4 MW have been installed since 2001, against 653 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 32 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 Rebekha Sharkie Centre Alliance
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Rebekha Sharkie | 55.0% | 45.0% | +3.4 |
| 2022 | Rebekha Sharkie | 51.6% | 48.4% | -4.1 |
| 2019 | Rebekha Sharkie | 47.5% | 52.5% | -0.7 |
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 Jenni Mitton Australian Labor Party
Next state election: 16 March 2030.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Jenni Mitton ALP | 56.6% |
| 2022 | Leon Bignell ALP | 63.8% |
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 Island Beach?
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 71 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.
Compare Island Beach to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other SA suburb — type a name and pick one.
Common questions about Island Beach
Is Island Beach a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Island Beach is moderate (45/100, ranked against other SA suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Island Beach?
Island Beach has a moderate recorded bushfire history (41/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). Flood overlays cover a moderate share of it (60/100). These are locality-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
What is the population of Island Beach?
Island Beach, SA had a population of 71 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Island Beach, SA?
The postcode for Island Beach, SA is 5222.
How far is Island Beach from Adelaide?
Island Beach is 144 km from Adelaide CBD by road, about 173 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Island Beach?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Island Beach was $37,700 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 Island Beach?
There are too few current rental listings in Island Beach for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $220, across all dwelling types.
What is the median age in Island Beach?
The median age of residents in Island Beach was 60 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Island Beach at risk of bushfire?
Island Beach has a moderate recorded bushfire history (41/100). 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 Island Beach walkable?
Island Beach scores 10/100 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 Island Beach?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Island Beach, Kingscote (21.9 km away), 412 mm of rain a year over 62 rainy days over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Island Beach?
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 Island Beach belong to?
Island Beach sits within the Kangaroo Island local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Island Beach?
The average residential rates bill through Kangaroo Island is $1,908 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Island Beach?
Across Kangaroo Island, 48 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's down 12.5% 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 Island Beach in?
Island Beach sits within the federal Division of Mayo, currently held by Rebekha Sharkie (Centre Alliance).
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Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Median sale prices · Oct 2026
- For-sale & rental market · 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.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
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