Mount Barker, SA: suburb profile

The population of Mount Barker SA is 18,330 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Mount Barker is $815 per week ($42,380 per year). Median rent in Mount Barker is $350 per week ($1,517 per month). Mount Barker has a median age of 36 years, younger than the national median of 38. Mount Barker has a population density of 484 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Mount Barker is England. The most common religion is No religion (52.3% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Afrikaans. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Mount Barker is $1,603.

There were 348 recorded offences in Mount Barker in 2025-26, a rate of 19 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was theft (155 offences).

Population
18,330
Census 2021
Median income
$815/wk
Personal, Census 2021
Median rent
$350/wk
Weekly, Census 2021
Median age
36years
Census 2021

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing 2021; offences from SA Government Open Data (data.sa.gov.au), 2025-26.

Mount Barker vs the typical SA suburb

The median personal income in Mount Barker is $815 a week, 7% above the typical SA suburb ($759). That ranks 252nd of 710 SA suburbs with 200 or more residents. Median rent is $350 a week, $50 more than the typical SA suburb. Rent takes 21.6% of the median household income here, against 19.5% in the typical SA suburb. The median resident is 36, 7 years younger than in the typical SA suburb (43).

The typical suburb is the median across suburbs with 200 or more residents. ABS Census 2021, calculated by GDP.com.au.
MeasureMount BarkerTypical SADifferenceTypical Australia
Personal income$815/wk$759/wk +7%$766/wk
Household income$1,624/wk$1,494/wk +9%$1,637/wk
Rent$350/wk$300/wk +17%$330/wk
Mortgage repayment$1,603/mo$1,534/mo +4%$1,733/mo
Median age3643 −7 yrs42
Rent share of household income21.6%19.5% +2.1 pts20.3%
Income, rent and mortgage against the typical suburb Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS, calculated by GDP.com.au
Bar chart of median income, rent and mortgage repayment in Mount Barker, the typical SA suburb and the typical Australian suburb.

Mount Barker Population

18,330 residents at the 2021 Census.

Mount Barker Median Income & Rent

Median Income
$815/wk
$42,380 per year
Ranked 3,337 of 14,663
Median Rent
$350/wk
$1,517 per month
Ranked 3,104 of 14,663
Median Age
36years
2 years younger than the national median
Mortgage
$1,603/mo
Avg household size: 2.5 · 0.7 per bedroom

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing.

Mount Barker Rent Prices & Affordability

22% of median household income goes on median rent

Marks at 25% and 35%. Band: affordable.

Household income $1,624/wk
Median rent $350/wk
Rent to income 21.6%

Rent is under 25% of household income, generally considered affordable.

Median rent in Mount Barker against your income

About $7,037 a month
Median rent $350/wk
Left after rent $1,274/wk
Rent share 21.6%

Mount Barker Schools

8
schools nearby
3
government
1049
avg ICSEA score
4,259
total students
Cornerstone College Independent
Secondary · 7-12 · 754 students
1094
ICSEA
Mount Barker Waldorf School Independent
Combined · R-12 · 321 students
1087
ICSEA
St Mark's Lutheran School Independent
Primary · R-6 · 351 students
1071
ICSEA
St Francis de Sales College Catholic
Combined · R-12 · 1,047 students
1051
ICSEA
Mount Barker Primary School Government
Primary · U, R-6 · 326 students
1016
ICSEA
Mount Barker South Primary School Government
Primary · U, R-6 · 399 students
1011
ICSEA
Mount Barker High School Government
Secondary · U, 7-12 · 1,061 students
1010
ICSEA
King's Baptist Grammar School - Mount Barker Campus Independent
Combined

Source: Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), 2025. ICSEA is the Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (national average 1000).

All schools near Mount Barker, with a map

Mount Barker Map

Mount Barker, South Australia Map data: OpenStreetMap
Loading map…

Mount Barker, South Australia: 35.0817°S, 138.8660°E

Mount Barker Circle size: offences per 1,000 residents Schools (8)

People in Mount Barker

Demographics

Gender Split

Male 47.9% (8,788) Female 52.1% (9,541)

Population Density

484
people per km²
18,330 people · 37.9 km²

Households

2.5
Avg household size
0.7
Persons per bedroom
$2,038
Family income/wk

Age Distribution

0-4
5-9
10-14
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69
70-74
75-79
80-84
85+
Male Female

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Most common overseas birthplaces

England
5.9%
South Africa
1.3%
New Zealand
0.9%
India
0.8%
Philippines
0.7%
Scotland
0.7%
Germany
0.6%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G09 Country of Birth by SAL

Most common languages at home other than English

Afrikaans
0.6%
Mandarin
0.5%
German
0.4%
Punjabi
0.4%
Filipino
0.3%
Italian
0.3%
Tagalog
0.3%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G13 Language Used at Home by SAL

Ancestry

English
46.9%
Australian
38.8%
German
11.7%
Scottish
10.4%
Irish
8.9%
Italian
3.3%
Dutch
2.8%
Australian Aboriginal
1.6%
Indian
1.1%
Filipino
1.1%
Chinese
1.0%

Shares are of the suburb population. People can report up to two ancestries, so shares add to more than 100%. Source: ABS Census 2021, G08 Ancestry by SAL

Religion

No religion
52.3%
Catholic
10.6%
Anglican
7.0%
Not stated
6.0%
Uniting Church
4.8%
Lutheran
4.7%
Christian (other)
2.9%
Baptist
2.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G14 Religion by SAL

Indigenous Population

1.6%
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

Source: ABS Census 2021, G07 Indigenous Status by SAL

Marital Status

Married
45.9% 6,743
Separated
3.7% 550
Divorced
9.6% 1,405
Widowed
5.0% 738
Never married
35.8% 5,257

Source: ABS Census 2021, G05 Marital Status by SAL

Family Structure

Couple: children under 15
43.5%
Couple: no children
27.0%
Couple: no children under 15
13.7%
One parent: children under 15
8.9%
One parent: no children under 15
6.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G29 Family Composition by SAL

Household Size

1 person
25.3%
2 persons
34.9%
3 persons
16.5%
4 persons
15.0%
5 persons
6.0%
6+ persons
2.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G35 Household Size by SAL

Homes in Mount Barker

Housing Tenure

Of the 7,032 occupied private dwellings in Mount Barker at the 2021 Census, 29.3% were rented, 23.4% owned outright and 42.6% owned with a mortgage.

Other tenure type
3.5% 243 dwellings
Owned outright
23.4% 1,644 dwellings
Owned with mortgage
42.6% 2,998 dwellings
Rented
29.3% 2,063 dwellings
Tenure type not stated
1.3% 90 dwellings

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Dwelling Types

Separate house
92.2%
Semi-detached (1 storey)
6.7%
Semi-detached (2+ storey)
1.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G36 Dwelling Structure by SAL

Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom
1.9%
2 bedrooms
10.1%
3 bedrooms
51.3%
4 bedrooms
31.9%
5 bedrooms
4.3%
6+ bedrooms
0.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G41 Number of Bedrooms by SAL

Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo
3.7%
$300-$449/mo
1.8%
$450-$599/mo
1.4%
$600-$799/mo
4.3%
$800-$999/mo
4.6%
$1,000-$1,399/mo
20.9%
$1,400-$1,799/mo
25.8%
$1,800-$2,399/mo
25.7%
$2,400-$2,999/mo
7.5%
$3,000-$3,999/mo
4.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G38 Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Car Ownership

0 vehicles
5.3%
1 vehicle
35.5%
2 vehicles
40.2%
3 vehicles
12.4%
4+ vehicles
6.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G34 Motor Vehicles per Dwelling by SAL

Work, income and education in Mount Barker

Employment

Employed full-time
39.4% 5,372 people
Employed part-time
24.5% 3,341 people
Unemployed
2.6% 353 people
Not in labour force
33.5% 4,561 people

Source: ABS Census 2021, G46 Labour Force Status by SAL

Occupation

Professionals
27.9%
Technicians & Trade Workers
16.1%
Community & Personal Service
14.9%
Managers
13.1%
Clerical & Administrative
12.3%
Sales Workers
6.2%
Labourers
6.1%
Machinery Operators & Drivers
3.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Industry of Employment by Occupation

Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk
0.9%
$1-$149/wk
0.4%
$150-$299/wk
0.9%
$300-$399/wk
2.1%
$400-$499/wk
6.5%
$500-$649/wk
5.2%
$650-$799/wk
6.2%
$800-$999/wk
7.8%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
8.1%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
8.6%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
6.4%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
6.5%
$2,000-$2,499/wk
13.5%
$2,500-$2,999/wk
8.9%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
6.5%
$3,500-$3,999/wk
4.1%
$4,000+/wk
7.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G33 Household Income by SAL

Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk
8.3%
$1-$149/wk
4.4%
$150-$299/wk
6.3%
$300-$399/wk
4.0%
$400-$499/wk
3.6%
$500-$649/wk
3.6%
$650-$799/wk
9.1%
$800-$999/wk
12.3%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
12.9%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
9.8%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
7.9%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
6.0%
$2,000-$2,999/wk
8.7%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
1.4%
$3,500+/wk
1.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G17 Personal Income by SAL

How People Get to Work

Car (driver)
73.8%
Did not go to work
14.2%
Car (passenger)
4.7%
Bus
3.3%
Walked only
2.3%
Other
0.8%
Motorbike/Scooter
0.4%
Truck
0.3%
Bicycle
0.2%
Taxi/Rideshare
0.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G62 Method of Travel to Work by SAL

Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent
63.1%
Year 11 or equivalent
18.1%
Year 10 or equivalent
15.1%
Year 9 or equivalent
3.7%

Shares are of people whose highest year of school is Year 9 to 12 only. Source: ABS Census 2021, G16 Highest Year of School by SAL

Qualifications

Certificate III/IV
37.9%
Bachelor Degree
27.8%
Advanced Diploma/Diploma
19.4%
Postgraduate Degree
6.7%
Graduate Diploma/Certificate
5.1%
Certificate I/II
3.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G49 Non-School Qualification by SAL

Field of Study

Management & Commerce
20.4%
Society & Culture
16.1%
Health
14.0%
Engineering
13.5%
Education
10.0%
Food, Hospitality & Personal Services
6.6%
Architecture & Building
5.8%
Creative Arts
4.1%
Agriculture & Environment
3.3%
Information Technology
3.2%
Natural & Physical Sciences
3.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Field of Study by SAL

School & University Attendance

Primary: Government
28.5%
Secondary: Government
16.0%
Vocational Education
12.3%
Primary: Other Non-Govt
11.3%
Secondary: Other Non-Govt
10.7%
Pre-school
8.9%
Primary: Catholic
6.9%
Secondary: Catholic
5.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G15 Type of Educational Institution by SAL

More from the 2021 Census

Need for Assistance

Does not have need for assistance
90.1%
Has need for assistance
6.1%
Need for assistance not stated
3.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G18 Core Activity Need for Assistance by SAL

Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health
2,096
Asthma
779
Arthritis
567
Diabetes
479
Heart disease
448
Lung condition
305
Cancer
247
Stroke
177
Kidney disease
130
Dementia
54

Source: ABS Census 2021, G19 Long-term Health Conditions by SAL

Unpaid Carers

Provided unpaid assistance
13.0% 1,824
Did not provide
87.0% 12,256

Source: ABS Census 2021, G25 Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Volunteering

Volunteer
20.4% 2,876
Not a volunteer
79.6% 11,230

Source: ABS Census 2021, G23 Voluntary Work by SAL

Military Service

Current ADF: Regular
0.6% 78
Current ADF: Reserves
0.1% 16
Previously served
3.4% 482
Never served
95.9% 13,565

Source: ABS Census 2021, G22 ADF Service by SAL

Children Ever Born

No children
33.0%
1 child
13.9%
2 children
29.7%
3 children
16.2%
4 children
5.6%
5+ children
1.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G28 Children Ever Born by SAL

When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951
53
1951: 1960
226
1961: 1970
442
1971: 1980
283
1981: 1990
242
1991: 2000
255
2001: 2010
693
2011: 2015
449
2016
103
2017
64
2018
77
2019
76
2020
37
2021
31

Source: ABS Census 2021, G10 Year of Arrival by SAL

Population Mobility

18.8%
moved in the last year
53.8%
moved in the last 5 years
3.7%
unemployment rate (Census)
65.4%
labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021, G43 Summary by SAL

Where Residents Moved From

Same address
14,103
Moved from SA
1,783
Moved: same area (SA2)
1,064
Moved from VIC
101
Moved from overseas
100
Moved from QLD
61
Moved from NSW
53
Moved from NT
33
Moved from WA
17
Moved from TAS
10
Moved from ACT
10

Source: ABS Census 2021, G44 Address 1 Year Ago by SAL

Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours
23.3%
5: 14 hours
33.7%
15: 29 hours
13.6%
30+ hours
9.3%
Did not do domestic work
20.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G24 Unpaid Domestic Work by SAL

Family Blending

Intact family: no other children
86.5%
Step family: no other children
7.8%
Blended family: no other children
4.7%
Intact family: other children present
0.4%
Other couple: children only
0.4%
Step family: other children present
0.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G31 Family Blending by SAL

Mount Barker Crime Statistics

348 reported offences in 2025-26, by category.

Theft
155
Assault
84
Property Damage
53
Break & Enter
35
Fraud
11
Other Against Person
8
Robbery
2

Total offences by year

2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Source: SA Government Open Data (data.sa.gov.au).

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Gilles Plains
Income: $678/wk Rent: $295/wk $55/wk less rent
Klemzig
Income: $769/wk Rent: $300/wk $50/wk less rent
Richmond (SA)
Income: $771/wk Rent: $300/wk $50/wk less rent
Beverley (SA)
Income: $816/wk Rent: $300/wk $50/wk less rent
Camden Park (SA)
Income: $797/wk Rent: $305/wk $45/wk less rent
Marden
Income: $818/wk Rent: $305/wk $45/wk less rent
Broadview
Income: $897/wk Rent: $320/wk $30/wk less rent
Plympton Park
Income: $831/wk Rent: $320/wk $30/wk less rent

Suburbs near Mount Barker

The closest suburb to Mount Barker is Littlehampton, 5.0 km away.

Littlehampton
5.0 km away · income $886/wk · rent $360/wk
Echunga
5.9 km away · income $887/wk · rent $320/wk
Nairne
6.6 km away · income $859/wk · rent $350/wk
Hahndorf
7.3 km away · income $767/wk · rent $350/wk
Balhannah
10.2 km away · income $843/wk · rent $335/wk
Mylor
10.4 km away · income $815/wk · rent $350/wk

Compare Mount Barker (SA)

Frequently Asked Questions About Mount Barker

What is the population of Mount Barker SA?

The population of Mount Barker SA is 18,330 according to the ABS Census 2021. The suburb has a population density of 484 people per km². Mount Barker is ranked #177 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Mount Barker?

The median personal income in Mount Barker SA is $815 per week, or $42,380 per year. The median household income is $1,624 per week. Family income is $2,038 per week. Mount Barker is ranked #3,337 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Mount Barker?

Median rent in Mount Barker SA is $350 per week ($1,517 per month). Rent represents 21.6% of household income, which is considered affordable. Mount Barker ranks #3,104 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Mount Barker?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Mount Barker SA is $1,603. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Mount Barker?

The median age in Mount Barker SA is 36 years. This is younger than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Mount Barker a good suburb to live in?

Mount Barker is a suburb in South Australia with a population of 18,330. The median income is $815/wk, which is above the typical SA suburb ($759/wk). Rent affordability is rated as affordable (21.6% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

Explore More

Australian Average Salary Australian House Prices Adelaide Cost of Living

Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 40932. All dollar figures in AUD.