Nelshaby SA 5540
Located in South Australia, Nelshaby sits 230 km from Adelaide CBD, around 2 hours 35 minutes by car. The locality has 188 residents, a median age of 51, and a median household income of $66,092 per year. On socioeconomic measures it sits in the lower-middle tier nationally. Population grew 3.9% from 2016 to 2021. The 2021 Census recorded a median rent of $295 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,089. The area shows high bushfire 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 188. 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 Nelshaby?
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Our score
Not enough data to score this locality.
Residents say
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Rental Market
Rental affordability
June quarter 2025149 Acceptable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 20% of its income on the median rent in postcode 5540.
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 Nelshaby safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Nelshaby sits in the moderate band, with 7 incidents recorded in 2026 — down roughly 61% on the prior year.
7 offences
61.1% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–2025No crash in Nelshaby 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.
Schools
Walkability
Nelshaby 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 Nelshaby.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 0%
- Premises covered
- 72
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
Port Pirie: 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
Nelshaby is home to 188 residents, with a median age of 51 — noticeably older than the national figure of 38. Median household income runs at $66,000 a year, with unemployment at 6.0%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
188
Median Age
51
Median Household Income
$66,092/yr
Census Median Rent
$295/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,089/mo
Avg Household Size
2.4
Median Personal Income
$27,560/yr
Unemployment Rate
6.0%
Unoccupied Dwellings
10.0%
Total Dwellings
70
Owner-Occupier Rate
100.0%
Houses
100.0%
Rental Stress
23.2%
Mortgage Stress
19.8%
Work From Home
0.0%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 69.7%
- English Spoken at Home
- 68.6%
- Employment Rate
- 52.6%
- Completed Year 12
- 27.1%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
Languages Spoken at Home
Top languages other than English, 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 $1,855 a year through Port Pirie based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Rural and farming 65%
- Environmental 34%
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: Port Pirie
In the year to August 2026, 53 new dwellings were approved across Port Pirie. That mix is 40 houses and 13 units. Approvals are up 75.0% on the same period a year earlier.
Air Quality
This station does not measure fine particles (PM2.5).
PM10 averaged 23.7 µg/m³. Days over the limit in 2025: PM10 17.
From the Port Pirie, Oliver Street monitoring station, 12.1 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Georgetown, 36.7 kmDry climate.
- Elevation
- 111 m
- above sea level, at the locality centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 6.5 km
- Annual rainfall
- 472 mm
- 68 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 5540, 20 of 12,715 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 2.1% (273 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 2.3%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 5540, 4,134 rooftop-solar systems totalling 24.6 MW have been installed since 2001, against 7,188 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 153 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 Geoff Brock Independent
Next state election: 16 March 2030.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Geoff Brock IND | 56.9% |
| 2022 | Geoff Brock IND | 67.1% |
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 Nelshaby?
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 188 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 Nelshaby 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 Nelshaby
Is Nelshaby a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Nelshaby is moderate (61/100, ranked against other SA suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Nelshaby?
Nelshaby has a high recorded bushfire history (82/100, 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 Nelshaby?
Nelshaby, SA had a population of 188 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Nelshaby, SA?
The postcode for Nelshaby, SA is 5540.
How far is Nelshaby from Adelaide?
Nelshaby is 230 km from Adelaide CBD by road, about 153 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Nelshaby?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Nelshaby was $66,092 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 Nelshaby?
There are too few current rental listings in Nelshaby for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $295, across all dwelling types.
What is the median age in Nelshaby?
The median age of residents in Nelshaby was 51 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Nelshaby at risk of bushfire?
Nelshaby has a high recorded bushfire history (82/100). 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 Nelshaby walkable?
Nelshaby 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 Nelshaby?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Nelshaby, Georgetown (36.7 km away), 472 mm of rain a year over 68 rainy days over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Nelshaby?
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 Nelshaby belong to?
Nelshaby sits within the Port Pirie local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Nelshaby?
The average residential rates bill through Port Pirie is $1,855 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Nelshaby?
Across Port Pirie, 53 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's up 75.0% 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 Nelshaby in?
Nelshaby sits within the federal Division of Grey, currently held by Tom Venning (Liberal).
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Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- 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
- Air quality · 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.