Port Pirie South SA 5540
Port Pirie South sits 228 km from Adelaide CBD in South Australia, around 2 hours 35 minutes by car. Census data records 3,878 residents with a median age of 43 and a median household income of $59,540 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the bottom 20% nationally. The suburb fell 1.5% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $200 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $975. Port Pirie South is characterised by high flood risk and high crime risk. 2 schools sit within the suburb boundary, and walkability is low.
Is Port Pirie South a good suburb?
Port Pirie South scores a D (10/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — weaker on transit, safety, and community.
Mixed results
2 schools
Car-dependent
Walkability 4/100 · 227.5 km · 155 min drive to Adelaide
Median available
Median $360K
High crime risk
Fire 0/100 · Crime 85/100 · Flood 88/100
Highly disadvantaged
SEIFA decile 1/10 · median age 43 · 3,878 residents
Liveability Rating
10 / 100 · Ranked #527 in SAEach bar is Port Pirie South'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 Pirie South?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
10 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataPort Pirie South's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $360,000, roughly 20% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$359,500
22% above its 4 neighbours (median $294,500)
Based on 106 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 13 sales $320K
- 3 bed 63 sales $359K
- 4 bed 21 sales $460K
Land
$155,000
Based on only 7 sales — small sample, take as indicative.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Port Pirie South rent for around $425 a week on average, based on 4 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
$425/wk
4 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
4 rentals advertised against an estimated 469 rented homes (0.9%) in the last 6 months.
Rent agreed on new leases
Apr–Jun 2026- 3-bed houses
- $400/wk
- 20 bonds
- +10% since 2024
Median weekly rent on bonds lodged for new tenancies. Change since 2024 compares the median of the first four quarters with the last four. Asking rents above come from advertised listings.
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 Port Pirie South safe? Crime statistics
2026Crime in Port Pirie South sits in the high band, with 353 incidents recorded in 2026 — up roughly 10% on the prior year.
353 offences
10.3% since 2025Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–20253 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the suburb carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. This state’s crash data does not name the road.
Schools
Two schools serve Port Pirie South, and the cohort is trailing peer-suburb performance.
- • 1,245 students across 2 schools (avg 622)
- • Sectors: 1 Government, 1 Catholic
- • ICSEA 944-1002, median 973 (below the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: St Mark's College - Bosco Campus (945 students)
Primary
Combined
Walkability
Port Pirie South 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.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Port Pirie South.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 13.0 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 12.1 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 4.1 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 1 min
- Span of service
- 10.8 hours
Scheduled service only, based on the 21 October 2026 timetable. Reliability (delays, cancellations) not measured.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Port Pirie South.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 26%
- Premises covered
- 1,987
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 suburb alone — this suburb's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
The ABS scores 13 small areas inside this suburb and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 4 different deciles — a wide range, so parts of this suburb rank well above the average and parts well below it.
Port Pirie South is home to about 3,900 residents, with a median age of 43, a touch above the national 38. Median household income runs at $60,000 a year, with unemployment at 6.4%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
3,878
Median Age
43
Median Household Income
$59,540/yr
Census Median Rent
$200/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$975/mo
Avg Household Size
2.2
Median Personal Income
$32,032/yr
Unemployment Rate
6.4%
Unoccupied Dwellings
11.2%
Total Dwellings
1,650
Owner-Occupier Rate
71.6%
Houses
88.4%
Rental Stress
17.5%
Mortgage Stress
19.7%
Work From Home
2.7%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
107 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 9 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 450 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 87.2%
- English Spoken at Home
- 90.3%
- Employment Rate
- 51.7%
- Completed Year 12
- 28.7%
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.
54 residents (1.4%) 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.
5.0% of residents (185) lived in a capital city five years earlier, most of them in Adelaide (161).
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 3,695 residents aged five and over. Areas are ABS statistical regions. Small counts are approximate: the ABS adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Languages Spoken at Home
Top languages other than English, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
1% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (12 of 1,667).
City centre: the ABS area around each capital's CBD, such as Sydney Inner City or Perth City (which takes in Subiaco and Leederville). 2021 Census place of 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 72%
- Residential 17%
- Industrial 7%
- Infrastructure and transport 4%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb 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, 1.9 km away.
Climate & Setting
from Georgetown, 37.8 kmDry climate.
- Elevation
- 12 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 5.7 km
- 3.2 km to a named beach
- Annual rainfall
- 472 mm
- 68 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- —
- Winter min (Jul)
- —
Elevation is the ground at the suburb 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
2 facilities within 5 km- 2.4 kmIndustrial and Agricultural Chemical Product WholesalingTop reported: Fluoride compounds · Manganese & compounds
- 4.3 kmOther Warehousing and Storage ServicesTop reported: Zinc and compounds · Lead & compounds · Manganese & compounds
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.
Mortgage repayments
2 mortgage brokers are registered in postcode 5540.
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 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 suburb'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 suburb's voters. Results: Electoral Commission of South Australia.
Looking at a specific address in Port Pirie South?
Every figure above is a suburb 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 3,878 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
Risdon Park SA 5540
Port Pirie West SA 5540
Risdon Park South SA 5540
Solomontown SA 5540
Port Pirie SA 5540
Bungama SA 5540
Compare Port Pirie South 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 Pirie South
Is Port Pirie South a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Port Pirie South is high (85/100, ranked against other SA suburbs on offences per resident). Offences against shops, venues and visitors are divided by the people who live here, so suburbs with large daytime or visitor populations rank higher than living there may feel.
What natural hazards affect Port Pirie South?
Port Pirie South has no recorded bushfire history. Flood overlays cover a high share of it (88/100). These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Port Pirie South a good place to live?
Port Pirie South has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of D (10/100), 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 Pirie South?
Port Pirie South, SA had a population of 3,878 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Port Pirie South, SA?
The postcode for Port Pirie South, SA is 5540.
How far is Port Pirie South from Adelaide?
Port Pirie South is 228 km from Adelaide CBD by road, about 155 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Port Pirie South?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Port Pirie South was $59,540 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 Pirie South?
The median advertised rent in Port Pirie South is $425 a week for houses (4 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Port Pirie South?
The median age of residents in Port Pirie South was 43 at the 2021 ABS Census.
How are the schools in Port Pirie South?
There are 2 schools inside the Port Pirie South boundary: 1 below similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Port Pirie South walkable?
Port Pirie South 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.
What is the weather like in Port Pirie South?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Port Pirie South, Georgetown (37.8 km away), 472 mm of rain a year over 68 rainy days over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Port Pirie South?
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 Pirie South belong to?
Port Pirie South 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 Port Pirie South?
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 Port Pirie South?
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 Port Pirie South in?
Port Pirie South sits within the federal Division of Grey, currently held by Tom Venning (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
- Public transport · Oct 2026
- 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.