Salisbury (SA), SA
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Salisbury is a northern suburb of Adelaide and the seat of the City of Salisbury, set around a service centre of parklands, shops and cafes. The town was founded by John Harvey, a young Scot who arrived in the new province of South Australia in 1839 and began selling town allotments in 1848 on land he had bought beside the Little Para River. He named the place after Salisbury in Wiltshire, England, the home county of his wife. Salisbury began life as a service centre for the surrounding wheat and hay farms, and the railway arrived in 1857 on the broad-gauge northern line to Gawler. During the Second World War a large explosives and munitions factory was established a short distance to the north, and after the war the suburb grew quickly as new housing estates took shape. In the twenty-first century Salisbury has become a popular destination for immigrants, and the Parabanks Shopping Centre near the Salisbury Interchange is its main retail hub.
Among Australia's less advantaged suburbs
Salisbury (SA) is more socio-economically advantaged than about 2% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 812, 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.
Salisbury (SA) at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 8,841
- Median age
- 37
- Median weekly household income
- $1,029
- SEIFA score
- 812
- Coordinates
- -34.7639, 138.6389
Salisbury (SA) demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Salisbury (SA) 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 27%, 42% of homes are rented, and 45% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 1,665 | 19% |
| Youth (15–24) | 1,104 | 12% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 2,422 | 27% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 2,017 | 23% |
| Seniors (65+) | 1,627 | 18% |
Share of the 8,835 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 856 | 26% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 927 | 28% |
| Rented | 1,395 | 42% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 2,026 | 61% |
| Townhouses & semis | 789 | 24% |
| Flats & apartments | 481 | 15% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 3,306 occupied private dwellings in Salisbury (SA).
- Median weekly rent
- $260
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,213
- Average household size
- 2.5 people
- Median weekly family income
- $1,318
- Median weekly personal income
- $536
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 3,699 (45%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 3,644 (44%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 196 (2%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 2,747 (40%)
- Labour-force participation
- 48.6%
- Unemployment rate
- 10.9%
- Employed full-time
- 1,719
- Employed part-time
- 1,188
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 Salisbury (SA)
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Salisbury (SA) is January (average daytime high around 28.9°C) and the coolest is July (around 13°C). The area receives roughly 850 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28.9°C | 16.1°C | 31 mm |
| Feb | 27.5°C | 15.4°C | 28 mm |
| Mar | 25.2°C | 14.3°C | 23 mm |
| Apr | 21.2°C | 12°C | 55 mm |
| May | 16.4°C | 9.4°C | 90 mm |
| Jun | 13.7°C | 7.3°C | 112 mm |
| Jul | 13°C | 6.4°C | 132 mm |
| Aug | 13.8°C | 6.6°C | 141 mm |
| Sep | 16.6°C | 8°C | 87 mm |
| Oct | 20.6°C | 10.1°C | 63 mm |
| Nov | 23°C | 11.7°C | 58 mm |
| Dec | 26.5°C | 13.9°C | 30 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Salisbury (SA)
Where is Salisbury (SA)?
Salisbury (SA) is a suburb of South Australia, Australia.
What is the population of Salisbury (SA)?
At the 2021 Census, Salisbury (SA) had a population of about 8,841.
Is Salisbury (SA) an advantaged area?
Salisbury (SA) has an ABS SEIFA score of 812, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 2 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 2% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Salisbury (SA)?
Salisbury (SA) has average daytime highs of about 20.5°C and overnight lows of about 10.9°C, with roughly 850 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
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