Port Augusta property market: the official numbers
The official read on Port Augusta, SA: who lives there, what they pay in rent and repayments, and where the jobs are. Every figure below is ABS Census 2021 data, linked at the bottom so you can check it yourself.
The straight answer
Port Augusta rented at a median $200/wk in 2021 — 47% below the national median. The typical repayment was $1,138 a month against $867 in rent — a middling gap, neither bargain nor squeeze.
What the census counted
The typical repayment ran at about 21% of the median household income. These are point-in-time medians from August 2021. Rents and repayments have moved since — repayments especially, after the 2022–24 rate rises — so compare places with them; don't price today with them.
Renting vs paying a mortgage
At the census, the typical monthly rent worked out to $867 against a typical mortgage repayment of $1,138:
How to read the rent-repayment gap
The mortgage figure reflects loans and rates as at August 2021, before the 2022–24 rate rises — today's repayment on a new loan would be higher. The rent figure is what tenants were actually paying, not today's asking rents. The useful signal is the shape: where rent and repayments sit close together, buying has historically competed well with renting here; where repayments tower over rent, the market prices in growth. Run your own numbers with the mortgage vs invest tool or what can I afford?
How Port Augusta houses itself
38.0% of Port Augusta households rent — that's the tenant pool an investor here would actually be renting into, and it's a deep pool by national standards.
Who lives here
How to read an age profile
A heavy 25–44 band usually means family housing demand (and pressure on 3–4 bedroom stock); a heavy 65+ band signals downsizer and retiree demand (units, single-level living, proximity to health care). Port Augusta's median age of 38 sits right on the national median of 38.
What the local economy runs on
16.1% of Port Augusta's 5,450 workers are in health care & social assistance. That's the engine under local housing demand — worth knowing how it's running before you buy.
The upfront costs in SA
Current sale prices live behind licensed feeds we won't republish. The costs of buying don't — they're public and exact:
- Stamp duty in South Australia — exact duty and first-home-buyer concessions.
- What can I afford? — borrowing power, price range and all-in upfront cash.
- The official SA price trend — ABS state-level values since 2011, interactive.
Common questions
What is the median rent in Port Augusta?
At the 2021 Census the median rent in Port Augusta was $200 a week — 47% below the national median ($375/wk). Rents have moved since 2021; check current listings for today's asking rents.
How many people live in Port Augusta?
13,515 people at the 2021 Census, with a median age of 38 (national median: 38). Port Augusta is one of South Australia's significant urban areas as defined by the ABS.
What do people in Port Augusta do for work?
The biggest employing industry is health care & social assistance, followed by public administration & safety (ABS Census 2021). The industry mix shapes how resilient local housing demand is.
Who this market suits
Your call
Rent covered roughly 76% of the typical repayment here — a middling shape. Owner-occupiers do fine in markets like this; an investor needs a sharper reason to pick it. And be honest about size: 13,515 people is a thin market — fewer sales, fewer buyers when you want out, and longer waits at both ends.
Whatever you do, check the things the census can't show: today's asking rents, vacancy and days on market in Port Augusta. Then run your own numbers: what can I afford? for borrowing power and upfront cash, and the South Australia stamp duty calculator for the tax bill.
More SA snapshots
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General information only — not financial or property advice. All figures are ABS Census 2021 ( official QuickStats for Port Augusta, CC-BY 4.0), which predates the 2022–24 rate rises; conditions have moved since. Last reviewed 10 July 2026.