Port Pirie, SA
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Port Pirie is a regional city on the eastern shore of Spencer Gulf, about 223 kilometres north of Adelaide on the traditional country of the Nukunu people. The settlement began in the 1840s around a creek that Governor Robe renamed after the ship John Pirie; land was subdivided as a township in 1848, and Port Pirie became a municipality in 1876. The opening of a narrow-gauge railway to the Broken Hill mining field in 1888 set its course as a smelting town. Today it is home to one of the world's largest lead smelters, operated by Nyrstar, which also produces refined silver, copper and gold. As the main retail centre of the Mid North and a busy port, Port Pirie also handles grain, metals and mineral concentrates.
Among Australia's less advantaged suburbs
Port Pirie is more socio-economically advantaged than about 1% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 775, 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 Pirie at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 176
- Median age
- 77
- Median weekly household income
- $599
- SEIFA score
- 775
- Coordinates
- -33.1711, 138.0106
Port Pirie demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Port Pirie 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 seniors (65+) at 65%, 57% of homes are rented, and 16% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 5 | 3% |
| Youth (15–24) | 13 | 7% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 25 | 13% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 22 | 12% |
| Seniors (65+) | 122 | 65% |
Share of the 187 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 11 | 28% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 6 | 15% |
| Rented | 23 | 57% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 28 | 64% |
| Townhouses & semis | 16 | 36% |
| Flats & apartments | 0 | 0% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 44 occupied private dwellings in Port Pirie.
- Median weekly rent
- $173
- Median monthly mortgage
- $650
- Average household size
- 1.4 people
- Median weekly family income
- $850
- Median weekly personal income
- $378
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 27 (16%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 17 (10%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 0 (0%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 35 (21%)
- Labour-force participation
- 21.8%
- Unemployment rate
- 16.2%
- Employed full-time
- 19
- Employed part-time
- 13
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 Pirie
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Port Pirie is January (average daytime high around 31.8°C) and the coolest is July (around 15.7°C). The area receives roughly 368 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31.8°C | 19.1°C | 31 mm |
| Feb | 30.5°C | 18.4°C | 20 mm |
| Mar | 28.4°C | 17°C | 12 mm |
| Apr | 24.3°C | 14.2°C | 40 mm |
| May | 19.2°C | 11°C | 33 mm |
| Jun | 16.1°C | 8.7°C | 39 mm |
| Jul | 15.7°C | 8°C | 25 mm |
| Aug | 16.8°C | 8.2°C | 41 mm |
| Sep | 20.7°C | 10.2°C | 33 mm |
| Oct | 24.5°C | 12.8°C | 27 mm |
| Nov | 26.8°C | 14.6°C | 32 mm |
| Dec | 29.8°C | 17°C | 35 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Port Pirie
Where is Port Pirie?
Port Pirie is a suburb of South Australia, Australia.
What is the population of Port Pirie?
At the 2021 Census, Port Pirie had a population of about 176.
Is Port Pirie an advantaged area?
Port Pirie has an ABS SEIFA score of 775, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 1 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 1% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Port Pirie?
Port Pirie has average daytime highs of about 23.7°C and overnight lows of about 13.3°C, with roughly 368 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
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