Macgillivray SA 5223

Macgillivray is a rural locality in South Australia, 181 km from Adelaide CBD, around 3 hours 25 minutes by car. Population is 117; the median age is 37 and the median household income is $100,724 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the middle range nationally. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $150 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,095. The area shows high bushfire 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 117. 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 2025

123 Acceptable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 24% of its income on the median rent in postcode 5223.

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 Macgillivray safe? Crime statistics

2024

Crime in Macgillivray sits in the low band, with 1 incidents recorded in 2024.

1 offences

Theft 1 (100.0%)

Serious Road Crashes

2021–2025

2 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.

Coastal Erosion

100
monitoring points
within 5 km
71
actively eroding
> 0.1 m/yr retreat
-0.25
worst rate (m/yr)
Moderate
13.8 km
nearest coastline
monitoring point

Shoreline Change Summary

1988–2024
Stable or accreting 75 (75%)
Moderate erosion (0.1–0.3 m/yr) 25 (25%)
Significant erosion (> 0.3 m/yr) 0 (0%)

Nearest Eroding Coastline

Distance
13.8 km
Rate
-0.06 m/yr
Net Movement
9.5 m
Certainty
likely rocky coastline

Data Quality

High certainty: 20 of 100 points (20%)

Schools

No schools in this locality boundary.

Walkability

Macgillivray is very car-dependent on foot — at 0/100, nearly all errands require a car.

0
out of 100
Very Car-Dependent
Bottom 21% in SA
Public Transport within 1 km not measured
Schools within 1.5 km 0
Parks within 800 m 0
Supermarkets within 1 km 0
GPs within 1 km 0
Pharmacies within 1 km 0
Childcare within 1 km 0
Hospitals within 5 km 0

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 Macgillivray.

17
connectivity score / 100
Most common
Satellite (Sky Muster)
Full-fibre (FTTP) share
0%
Premises covered
24
Technology mix
Satellite (Sky Muster) (SATELLITE) 88%
Fixed wireless (WIRELESS) 12%

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

Supermarkets
None
Shopping Centres
None
Cafes & Restaurants
1 in locality
Parks & Reserves
9 in locality
Sport & Recreation
1 in locality
Beaches
None
Waterways
18 in locality
Childcare
None
GPs
None
Pharmacies
None
Hospitals
None
Police Stations
None
Banks & Bank@Post
None
Fuel Stations
None
EV Chargers
None
Pubs & Bars
None
Arts & Culture
None
Places of Worship
None

Kangaroo Island: council population

The whole council area, not just Macgillivray · estimated residents
at 30 June 2025
Residents
5,212
+0.8% in a year
Change
+40
people since 2024
Density
1.2
people per km² across the council area
What drove the change
Natural increase
-1
births minus deaths
Net internal migration
+22
moves within Australia
Net overseas migration
+19
arrivals minus departures

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

ABS SEIFA · ranked against every suburb in Australia, and within the state
2021 census
Advantage and disadvantage
6/10
6/10 within SA
income, education, jobs and housing together
Economic resources
7/10
8/10 within SA
income against housing cost and household size
Education and occupation
6/10
6/10 within SA
qualifications and job type, income excluded

Macgillivray is home to 117 residents, with a median age of 37, broadly in line with the national figure. Median household income runs at $101,000 a year, with unemployment at 4.5%.

2021 Census · change since 2016

Population

117

no change since 2016

Median Age

37

5.1% since 2016

Median Household Income

$100,724/yr

25.7% since 2016
Top 21% in SA

Census Median Rent

$150/wk

Census Median Mortgage

$1,095/mo

3.9% since 2016

Avg Household Size

3.1

40.9% since 2016

Median Personal Income

$33,228/yr

2.7% since 2016

Unemployment Rate

4.5%

6.2% since 2016

Unoccupied Dwellings

28.6%

214.3% since 2016

Total Dwellings

28

15.2% since 2016

Owner-Occupier Rate

76.5%

23.5% since 2016

Houses

100.0%

5.7% since 2016

Rental Stress

7.7%

Mortgage Stress

13.0%

24.0% since 2016

Work From Home

38.6%

10.0% since 2016

Dwelling Types

Houses 28 (100.0%)

Property Ownership

Mortgage 19 (55.9%)
Renting 8 (23.5%)
Owned Outright 7 (20.6%)

Demographics

Born in Australia
76.9%
English Spoken at Home
83.8%
Employment Rate
70.7%
2.0% since 2016
Completed Year 12
38.5%

Occupations

Managers 30 (46.9%)
Labourers 10 (15.6%)
Community & Personal Service 7 (10.9%)
Technicians & Trades 5 (7.8%)
Professionals 4 (6.2%)
Sales 4 (6.2%)
Clerical & Administrative 3 (4.7%)
Machinery Operators & Drivers 3 (4.7%)

Religion

No Religion 74 (63.2%)
Christianity 19 (16.2%)
Buddhism 3 (2.6%)

Country of Birth (overseas)

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.

Japan 3 (2.6%)

Age Distribution

0-4 12 (10.3%)
5-14 13 (11.1%)
15-19 10 (8.5%)
20-24 3 (2.6%)
25-34 8 (6.8%)
35-44 12 (10.3%)
45-54 19 (16.2%)
55-64 23 (19.7%)
65-74 4 (3.4%)

Family & Household Composition

Couple Families 22 (88.0%)
Lone Person 3 (12.0%)

Commute to Work

Car (driver) 26 (45.6%)
Worked from Home 22 (38.6%)
Walked Only 6 (10.5%)
Bus 3 (5.3%)

Education

Bachelor Degree 12 (10.3%)
Certificate III & IV 11 (9.4%)
Postgraduate Degree 4 (3.4%)

Cars per Dwelling

1 car 5 (17.9%)
2 cars 8 (28.6%)
3 cars 9 (32.1%)
4+ cars 10 (35.7%)

Council Rates

Kangaroo Island
FY 2024-25

Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,908 a year through Kangaroo Island based on 2024 figures.

Avg residential rate
$1,908/yr
About the SA average ($1,863) · median of 68 councils
Valuation basis
Capital Value
land + buildings

How this land is zoned

Share of Macgillivray's area by planning zone
2026-09
  • Rural and farming 55%
  • Environmental 45%

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

The whole council area, not just Macgillivray · new residential dwellings
to 2026-08

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.

Trailing 12 months
48dwellings
-12.5% YoY
Houses
46
detached dwellings
Units
2
townhouses + apartments

Climate & Setting

from Kingscote, 32.1 km

Dry climate.

Elevation
25 m
above sea level, at the locality centre
Distance to the ocean
11.6 km
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

0.4%
of light vehicles are electric
Up from 0.00% in 2021
+0.2 points this year

In postcode 5223, 16 of 4,245 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 0.9% (40 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 1.3%.

Electric share, year by year
2021
0.00%
2022
0.08%
2023
0.07%
2024
0.22%
2025
0.38%

Rooftop solar

54
systems per 100 dwellings
Averaging 7.0 kW each

In postcode 5223, 1,101 rooftop-solar systems totalling 7.7 MW have been installed since 2001, against 2,056 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 86 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.

Systems installed, year by year
2019
41
2020
71
2021
72
2022
81
2023
57
2024
62
2025
74
2026
35

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.

Verify eligibility with RevenueSA

Federal Electorate

Division of Mayo

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

Mawson District

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 Macgillivray?

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.

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Nearby suburbs

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Common questions about Macgillivray

Is Macgillivray a safe place to live?

Recorded crime in Macgillivray is low (15/100, ranked against other SA suburbs on offences per resident).

What natural hazards affect Macgillivray?

Macgillivray has a high recorded bushfire history (76/100, 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 Macgillivray?

Macgillivray, SA had a population of 117 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.

What is the postcode for Macgillivray, SA?

The postcode for Macgillivray, SA is 5223.

How far is Macgillivray from Adelaide?

Macgillivray is 181 km from Adelaide CBD by road, about 206 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.

What is the median household income in Macgillivray?

At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Macgillivray was $100,724 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 Macgillivray?

There are too few current rental listings in Macgillivray for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $150, across all dwelling types.

What is the median age in Macgillivray?

The median age of residents in Macgillivray was 37 at the 2021 ABS Census.

Is Macgillivray at risk of bushfire?

Macgillivray has a high recorded bushfire history (76/100). 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.

What is the weather like in Macgillivray?

At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Macgillivray, Kingscote (32.1 km away), 412 mm of rain a year over 62 rainy days over 2006-2026.

Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Macgillivray?

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 Macgillivray belong to?

Macgillivray 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 Macgillivray?

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 Macgillivray?

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 Macgillivray in?

Macgillivray sits within the federal Division of Mayo, currently held by Rebekha Sharkie (Centre Alliance).

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