Port Macdonnell SA 5291
Port Macdonnell sits 463 km from Adelaide CBD in South Australia, around 5 hours 15 minutes by car. Census data records 859 residents with a median age of 53 and a median household income of $66,976 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the lower-middle tier nationally. The locality grew 1.4% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $210 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,300. Port Macdonnell is characterised by high bushfire risk and high coastal erosion risk. Walkability is low.
Is Port Macdonnell a good place to live?
Port Macdonnell scores a D (14/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — weaker on transit and safety.
Car-dependent
Walkability 26/100 · 463.2 km · 313 min drive to Adelaide
Median available
Median $575K
High bushfire risk
Fire 79/100 · Crime 48/100
Below-average income
SEIFA decile 3/10 · median age 53 · 859 residents
Liveability Rating
14 / 100 · Ranked #520 in SAEach bar is Port Macdonnell's rank among SA suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better). Scored on 4 of 5 factors: no school data, so the other factors carry its weight.
How do you rate the liveability in Port Macdonnell?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
14 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataPort Macdonnell's house market is moving lower: the median sale price reached $575,000, about 3% below where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$575,000
Based on 29 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 64 days — median across 12 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 5 sales $465K
- 3 bed 19 sales $590K
Land
$260,000
Based on 12 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 60 days — median across 6 sales that recorded a listing period
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Port Macdonnell are currently listed at around $627,000 on average. Based on 8 houses listed in the past six months.
$627K
8 houses listed in the last 6 months.
8 of the suburb's 349 dwellings (2.3%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
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 Port Macdonnell safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Port Macdonnell sits in the moderate band, with 23 incidents recorded in 2026 — up about 4% on the prior year.
23 offences
4.5% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–20252 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital
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
1988–2025Nearest Eroding Coastline
- Distance
- 390 m
- Rate
- -0.14 m/yr
- Net Movement
- 11.6 m
- Certainty
- good
Data Quality
Schools
Walkability
Port Macdonnell is car-dependent on foot — at 26/100, most errands require a car. Within the locality there are 1 supermarket, 2 parks and 3 cafes to anchor that walking radius.
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 Port Macdonnell.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 0%
- Premises covered
- 639
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
Port Macdonnell is home to 859 residents, with a median age of 53 — noticeably older than the national figure of 38. Median household income runs at $67,000 a year, with unemployment at 2.3%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
859
Median Age
53
Median Household Income
$66,976/yr
Census Median Rent
$210/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,300/mo
Avg Household Size
2.2
Median Personal Income
$39,624/yr
Unemployment Rate
2.3%
Unoccupied Dwellings
64.2%
Total Dwellings
349
Owner-Occupier Rate
83.2%
Houses
96.8%
Rental Stress
16.3%
Mortgage Stress
23.3%
Work From Home
12.0%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 85.4%
- English Spoken at Home
- 93.7%
- Employment Rate
- 51.5%
- Completed Year 12
- 27.7%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
When They Arrived
Share of all residents by the year they arrived in Australia. Periods cover different numbers of years, so compare the shape rather than the bar widths.
8 residents (0.9%) arrived since 2016. Australia’s borders were closed to most arrivals from March 2020, so the last two years of that period are much smaller than the ones before them — nationally 260,799 people arrived in 2019 against 28,521 in 2021.
Where New Residents Came From
Where residents aged five and over lived five years before the 2021 Census, for those who lived somewhere else.
3.6% of residents (30) lived in a capital city five years earlier, most of them in Adelaide (13).
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 827 residents aged five and over. Areas are ABS statistical regions. Small counts are approximate: the ABS adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
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 79%
- Parks and recreation 12%
- Environmental 5%
- Residential 2%
- 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, 34.7 kmModerate rainfall — hot summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 5 m
- above sea level, at the locality centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 181 m
- 2.7 km to a named beach
- 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.
Industrial Emissions Nearby
1 facility within 5 km- 4.0 kmSewerage and Drainage ServicesTop reported: Total Phosphorus · Ammonia (total) · Total Nitrogen
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.
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 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 Port Macdonnell?
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 859 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 Port Macdonnell 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 Port Macdonnell
Is Port Macdonnell a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Port Macdonnell is moderate (48/100, ranked against other SA suburbs on offences per resident).
What natural hazards affect Port Macdonnell?
Port Macdonnell has a high recorded bushfire history (79/100, 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.
Is Port Macdonnell a good place to live?
Port Macdonnell has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of D (14/100), ranked against other SA suburbs on school quality (25%), safety (25%), SEIFA socio-economic advantage (25%), walkability (15%) and CBD access (10%). Whether it suits you depends on what you weigh — each of those is on this page.
What is the population of Port Macdonnell?
Port Macdonnell, SA had a population of 859 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Port Macdonnell, SA?
The postcode for Port Macdonnell, SA is 5291.
How far is Port Macdonnell from Adelaide?
Port Macdonnell is 463 km from Adelaide CBD by road, about 313 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Port Macdonnell?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Port Macdonnell was $66,976 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 Port Macdonnell?
There are too few current rental listings in Port Macdonnell for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $210, across all dwelling types.
What is the median age in Port Macdonnell?
The median age of residents in Port Macdonnell was 53 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Port Macdonnell at risk of bushfire?
Port Macdonnell has a high recorded bushfire history (79/100). 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 Port Macdonnell walkable?
Port Macdonnell scores 26/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it 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 Port Macdonnell?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Port Macdonnell, Mount Gambier Aero (34.7 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 Port Macdonnell?
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 Port Macdonnell belong to?
Port Macdonnell sits within the Grant local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Port Macdonnell?
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 Port Macdonnell?
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 Port Macdonnell in?
Port Macdonnell sits within the federal Division of Barker, currently held by Tony Pasin (Liberal).
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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.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.