Port Pirie South (SA)

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Based on demographic evaluations from the Australian Bureau of Statistics for the wider region, along with residential address validations by Districts following the Census, the suburb of Port Pirie South has an estimated population of 3,966 as of May 2026. This represents an addition of 88 people (2.3%) relative to the 2021 Census, which counted 3,878 individuals. The estimate is derived from a resident base of 3,952 calculated by Districts using the June 2025 ABS demographic update, supplemented by 32 new addresses confirmed since the Census. This population level translates to a density of 256 persons per square kilometer, indicating low density living and room for future expansion. The post-census growth rate of 2.3% in the suburb of Port Pirie South is within 0.1 percentage points of the wider SA3 region (2.4%), indicating comparable growth characteristics. Inward overseas migration served as the primary source of demographic expansion, representing almost the entire net gain during the latest tracking intervals.

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The workforce profile in the suburb of Port Pirie South is distributed across professional and manual occupations, with a solid footprint in essential public service sectors, an unemployment rate of 8.7%, and an estimated job growth rate of 5.0% over the preceding year. As of March 2026, the employed resident cohort numbered 1,742 individuals, while the jobless rate was 3.2% higher than the Regional SA average of 5.5%, and the participation rate closely matched the Regional SA benchmark of 58.4%. Census records show that a minor 2.6% share of the workforce operated from home, though this figure reflects the influence of public health restrictions.

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The latest postcode-level taxation records from the ATO for the financial year 2023 show that personal earnings in the suburb of Port Pirie South are below the national average, with a median of $51,305 and an average of $60,209. In comparison, Regional SA recorded a median of $48,920 and an average of $58,933. Factoring in Wage Price Index growth of 10.17% since the financial year 2023, current estimates for March 2026 stand at approximately $56,523 for the median and $66,332 for the average. Census data places household, family, and individual incomes in the suburb of Port Pirie South between the 9th and 13th percentiles nationally. Regarding income cohorts, the $400 - 799 weekly income bracket contains 28.7% of the population (1,138 people), differing from the broader regional trend where of residents earn within the - range. Although residents retain of their income due to low housing expenses, the total disposable income of the area sits in the th percentile nationwide.

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Residential structures in the suburb of Port Pirie South at the time of the last Census consisted of 89.0% separate houses and 11.0% multi-unit dwellings like townhouses and apartments, compared to 88.5% houses and 11.5% other dwellings across Regional SA. Home ownership rates in the suburb of Port Pirie South lagged behind the regional average at 37.1%, with the remaining dwellings occupied by households with a mortgage (34.3%) or tenants renting their homes (28.6%). The median monthly home loan repayment of $975 was notably lower than the Regional SA average of $1,153, while the median weekly rent stood at $200 compared to the Regional SA average of $220. On a national scale, mortgage repayments are significantly below the Australian average of $1,863, and weekly rents are much lower than the national figure of $375.

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Family households represent 64.2% of the local domestic landscape, consisting of couples with children at 21.9%, couples without children at 28.1%, and single parent households at 13.3%. The remaining 35.8% are non-family households, which are mostly single-person households at 33.5% alongside group households at 2.2%. The median household size of 2.2 persons is slightly below the Regional SA average of 2.3.

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Educational attainment levels present challenges, with the proportion of residents holding university qualifications (11.9%) sitting well below the national mark of 30.4%. Bachelor degrees are the most common higher education qualification at 8.8%, followed by graduate diplomas at 1.8% and postgraduate degrees at 1.3%. Vocational and technical training is highly prevalent, with 36.0% of the population aged 15+ holding vocational qualifications, split between advanced diplomas (6.4%) and certificates (29.6%).

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Health metrics indicate notable challenges in the suburb of Port Pirie South, based on mortality rates, chronic illness rates across younger and older age cohorts, and a relatively low rate of private health insurance coverage, which stands at approximately 51% of the population (~2,015 people).

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Cultural diversity in the suburb of Port Pirie South is lower than average, with 92.0% of residents born in Australia, 93.3% holding citizenship, and 94.5% speaking only English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion, followed by 49.3% of the population. The most prominent religious overrepresentation is Islam, which accounts for 1.2% of residents compared to 0.5% in Regional SA.

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The median age in the suburb of Port Pirie South is 43 years, which is lower than the Regional SA average of 47 but higher than the national median of 38 years. The demographic mix is characterized by a strong presence of 25 - 34 year-olds (12.9%), while the 65 - 74 age group (11.9%) is smaller than the regional average. Since 2021, the 25 to 34 year-old cohort grew from 12.0% to 12.9% of the population, whereas the 45 to 54 cohort fell from 12.6% to 11.0%. Significant demographic shifts are expected by 2041, led by a 68% growth in the 85+ cohort (an increase of people), raising its size from to . This aging trend is prominent, with residents aged and over accounting for of all projected growth, while contractions are forecast for the to and to age brackets.

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Port Pirie South currently has an estimated 166 children under 5 years old, comprising approximately 118 children aged 0-2 and 80 children aged 3-4. This cohort declined by an estimated 9% since the previous census. while population forecasts indicate future decline, with an anticipated decrease of 1% by 2041 (to approximately 165 children). Meanwhile the 5-12 cohort currently amounts to 349. Birth rates in the area have averaged 11.3 per 1,000 residents over the latest two-year period, a moderate rate (within the middle tier nationally). This rate has slowed down slightly in recent years however.