Port Adelaide, SA
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Port Adelaide is the historic port district of South Australia's capital, about 14 km north-west of the city centre on the Port River. The Kaurna people, the traditional owners of the Adelaide Plains, knew the area as Yertabulti. When colonists established a landing here in the late 1830s the muddy, flood-prone site earned the unflattering nickname 'Port Misery', but it grew into the colony's main harbour, and its streets still hold one of Australia's best-preserved groups of nineteenth-century portside buildings. Today 'the Port' is known for its maritime, railway and aviation museums, weekend markets and a growing arts scene — and as the home of the Port Adelaide Football Club.
Less advantaged than the national average
Port Adelaide is more socio-economically advantaged than about 26% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 943, 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.
Port Adelaide at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 1,338
- Median age
- 45
- Median weekly household income
- $1,230
- SEIFA score
- 943
- Coordinates
- -34.8451, 138.5114
Port Adelaide demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Port Adelaide 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 mid-life (45–64) at 32%, 54% of homes are rented, and 25% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 127 | 9% |
| Youth (15–24) | 159 | 12% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 379 | 28% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 431 | 32% |
| Seniors (65+) | 244 | 18% |
Share of the 1,340 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 128 | 20% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 147 | 23% |
| Rented | 342 | 54% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 179 | 28% |
| Townhouses & semis | 372 | 59% |
| Flats & apartments | 63 | 10% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 635 occupied private dwellings in Port Adelaide.
- Median weekly rent
- $293
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,672
- Average household size
- 1.9 people
- Median weekly family income
- $1,860
- Median weekly personal income
- $754
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 317 (25%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 179 (14%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 52 (4%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 608 (52%)
- Labour-force participation
- 60%
- Unemployment rate
- 9.5%
- Employed full-time
- 423
- Employed part-time
- 200
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 Port Adelaide
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Port Adelaide is January (average daytime high around 28.7°C) and the coolest is July (around 14.6°C). The area receives roughly 542 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28.7°C | 17.4°C | 32 mm |
| Feb | 27.6°C | 17°C | 23 mm |
| Mar | 25.6°C | 15.8°C | 18 mm |
| Apr | 22.4°C | 13.5°C | 48 mm |
| May | 18.1°C | 11°C | 63 mm |
| Jun | 15.4°C | 8.8°C | 67 mm |
| Jul | 14.6°C | 8°C | 64 mm |
| Aug | 15.3°C | 8.1°C | 69 mm |
| Sep | 17.9°C | 9.6°C | 49 mm |
| Oct | 21.6°C | 11.7°C | 42 mm |
| Nov | 23.9°C | 13.4°C | 41 mm |
| Dec | 26.7°C | 15.4°C | 26 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Port Adelaide
Where is Port Adelaide?
Port Adelaide is a suburb of South Australia, Australia.
What is the population of Port Adelaide?
At the 2021 Census, Port Adelaide had a population of about 1,338.
Is Port Adelaide an advantaged area?
Port Adelaide has an ABS SEIFA score of 943, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 26 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 26% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Port Adelaide?
Port Adelaide has average daytime highs of about 21.5°C and overnight lows of about 12.5°C, with roughly 542 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
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