Murray Bridge, SA
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Murray Bridge is the largest river town in South Australia, set on the Murray about an hour east of Adelaide. It is the country of the Ngarrindjeri people, who know the place as Pomberuk. The town grew up around the crossing of the river: a long road bridge opened here in 1879, the first of its kind across the Murray in the colony, and the settlement that gathered at its western end took the bridge's name. Rail, river trade and irrigated farming built the town, and paddle-steamers once worked the wharves. Today Murray Bridge is a busy regional centre, a base for houseboating and fishing on the river, with a riverside precinct, gallery and the long-running speedway.
Among Australia's less advantaged suburbs
Murray Bridge is more socio-economically advantaged than about 3% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 830, where about 1000 is the national average).
A socio-economic measure from ABS Census data — not a measure of how good a suburb is to live in or visit. How we calculate this.
Murray Bridge at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 15,043
- Median age
- 42
- Median weekly household income
- $1,005
- SEIFA score
- 830
- Coordinates
- -35.1294, 139.2612
Murray Bridge demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Murray Bridge using the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census; every percentage is a share of a clearly stated Census count, so each one traces back to the source. At a glance, the largest age group is young adults (25–44) at 25%, 40% of homes are rented, and 16% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 2,546 | 17% |
| Youth (15–24) | 1,720 | 11% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 3,700 | 25% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 3,575 | 24% |
| Seniors (65+) | 3,511 | 23% |
Share of the 15,052 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 1,700 | 28% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 1,596 | 27% |
| Rented | 2,387 | 40% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 5,096 | 85% |
| Townhouses & semis | 801 | 13% |
| Flats & apartments | 33 | 1% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 5,993 occupied private dwellings in Murray Bridge.
- Median weekly rent
- $240
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,083
- Average household size
- 2.2 people
- Median weekly family income
- $1,311
- Median weekly personal income
- $574
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 2,246 (16%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 1,535 (11%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 983 (7%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 4,178 (35%)
- Labour-force participation
- 47.6%
- Unemployment rate
- 7.7%
- Employed full-time
- 3,057
- Employed part-time
- 2,065
Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2021 (General Community Profile, by Suburb and Locality). © Australian Bureau of Statistics, released under CC BY 4.0. How we group bands and derive each share is set out on our methodology page.
Weather and climate in Murray Bridge
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Murray Bridge is January (average daytime high around 28.4°C) and the coolest is July (around 14.9°C). The area receives roughly 400 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28.4°C | 16°C | 31 mm |
| Feb | 27°C | 15.3°C | 26 mm |
| Mar | 25.3°C | 14.2°C | 16 mm |
| Apr | 22.1°C | 12°C | 33 mm |
| May | 17.9°C | 9.7°C | 36 mm |
| Jun | 15.2°C | 7.7°C | 33 mm |
| Jul | 14.9°C | 7.1°C | 37 mm |
| Aug | 15.6°C | 7.2°C | 43 mm |
| Sep | 18.5°C | 8.4°C | 39 mm |
| Oct | 22.3°C | 10.5°C | 32 mm |
| Nov | 24°C | 12.5°C | 45 mm |
| Dec | 26.6°C | 14.3°C | 29 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Murray Bridge
Where is Murray Bridge?
Murray Bridge is a suburb of South Australia, Australia.
What is the population of Murray Bridge?
At the 2021 Census, Murray Bridge had a population of about 15,043.
Is Murray Bridge an advantaged area?
Murray Bridge has an ABS SEIFA score of 830, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 3 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 3% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Murray Bridge?
Murray Bridge has average daytime highs of about 21.5°C and overnight lows of about 11.2°C, with roughly 400 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
How big is Murray Bridge?
Murray Bridge is one of the most populous suburbs in South Australia — the 7th-largest by usual resident population at the 2021 Census (about 15,043 usual residents).
Where Murray Bridge ranks
Murray Bridge appears in these data-driven guides — each a transparent sort on a single ABS figure shown on this page.
Nearby suburbs in South Australia
More suburb guides in South Australia
Other hand-written, cited guides — browse all guides.