Tarlee, SA
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Tarlee is a small town in the Mid North of South Australia, set where the Horrocks Highway crosses the Gilbert River amid the broad farming country of the lower Mid North. The origin of its name is uncertain, but it is thought to be a corruption of Tralee in Ireland. The township was offered for sale by auction in 1867 and was later served by the railway between Roseworthy and Burra, a line that closed in the 2000s. Reminders of its civic past remain, including the Tarlee Institute, opened in 1888, and a war memorial. Today Tarlee is a quiet roadside community serving the grain and grazing properties of the surrounding district.
Among Australia's less advantaged suburbs
Tarlee is more socio-economically advantaged than about 12% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 902, 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.
Tarlee at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 316
- Median age
- 46
- Median weekly household income
- $1,437
- SEIFA score
- 902
- Coordinates
- -34.2602, 138.7765
Tarlee demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Tarlee 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 29%, 11% of homes are rented, and 9% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 55 | 18% |
| Youth (15–24) | 41 | 13% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 52 | 17% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 90 | 29% |
| Seniors (65+) | 73 | 23% |
Share of the 311 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 36 | 38% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 49 | 52% |
| Rented | 10 | 11% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 101 | 100% |
| Townhouses & semis | 0 | 0% |
| Flats & apartments | 0 | 0% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 101 occupied private dwellings in Tarlee.
- Median weekly rent
- $260
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,083
- Average household size
- 2.8 people
- Median weekly family income
- $1,609
- Median weekly personal income
- $604
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 25 (9%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 3 (1%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 5 (2%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 82 (34%)
- Labour-force participation
- 60.1%
- Unemployment rate
- 5.9%
- Employed full-time
- 82
- Employed part-time
- 47
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.
Common questions about Tarlee
Where is Tarlee?
Tarlee is a suburb of South Australia, Australia.
What is the population of Tarlee?
At the 2021 Census, Tarlee had a population of about 316.
Is Tarlee an advantaged area?
Tarlee has an ABS SEIFA score of 902, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 12 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 12% of Australian suburbs.
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