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Outback

South Australia · Outback - North and East, South Australia - Outback

Live · ABS ERP June 2025

Children under 15 are 11.9% of residents, against 17.0% in the middle South Australia area (Census 2021).

Outback has 5 schools (5 government, 0 non-government; ACARA School Profile 2025) and 5 NQS-rated childcare services (ACECQA register). Population is 1,939 (ABS ERP June 2025).

Outback at a glance

Median house price
Not published
No free price series for this area
Family-Fit score
68/100
Strong for families
How it is calculated
Schools
5
located in this area
See the schools
Childcare services
5
4 rated Meeting NQS or above
Population
1,939
-1.7% in a year
Median age
43
11.9% are children under 15
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Shade the map by values: Coober Pedy

Boundaries: ABS Suburbs & Localities 2021. School pins are ACARA's published locations. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors, © CARTO. Open the full SA map →

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How the Family-Fit score is built68/100

Family-Fit score

Method published in full
68 /100
Strong for families

Strong for families - strongest on getting around, weakest on socio-economic profile.

Schools in the area · 20% of the score
60/100

SA median 68/100

5 schools in this SA2 · average government-school ICSEA 842

Childcare & early years · 15% of the score
50/100

SA median 70/100

5 NQS-rated services nearby

Everyday amenities · 15% of the score
88/100

SA median 78/100

7 parks · 2 GPs · 3 supermarkets · 6 playgrounds

Getting around · 15% of the score
100/100

SA median 100/100

2 train stations in this SA2 (no train-time data for SA yet)

Housing affordability · 15% of the score
100/100

SA median 53/100

Paying over 30% of income on housing: 7.3% of renting households

Families already here · 10% of the score
30/100

SA median 58/100

11.9% of residents are children aged 0–14 · 34.0% of families are couples with children

Socio-economic profile · 10% of the score
22/100

SA median 33/100

SEIFA IRSAD decile 3 of 10 nationally

The grey marker on each bar is the median across the 164 South Australia areas we publish a score for (state median overall: 63/100). It is context, not a pass mark.

How this score is calculated

Each published figure for the Outback SA2 is mapped onto 0–100 by fixed thresholds, then weighted. Inputs with no data here are dropped and the rest rescaled - never scored as zero. Every threshold and weight →

Schools in the area 60/100 × 20% → 12 points
5 schools in this SA2 · average government-school ICSEA 842
Childcare & early years 50/100 × 15% → 7.5 points
5 NQS-rated services nearby
Everyday amenities 88/100 × 15% → 13.1 points
7 parks · 2 GPs · 3 supermarkets · 6 playgrounds
Getting around 100/100 × 15% → 15 points
2 train stations in this SA2 (no train-time data for SA yet)
Housing affordability 100/100 × 15% → 15 points
Paying over 30% of income on housing: 7.3% of renting households
Families already here 30/100 × 10% → 3 points
11.9% of residents are children aged 0–14 · 34.0% of families are couples with children
Socio-economic profile 22/100 × 10% → 2.2 points
SEIFA IRSAD decile 3 of 10 nationally

School results, crime and flood or bushfire overlays are not graded into this score. Limits of the score →

What families notice
In their own terms

What families notice

Live
Families often notice
  • 7 parks mapped inside this SA2 (OpenStreetMap).
  • 5 schools sit inside this SA2 - more choice than most areas this size.
Good to know
  • We don't have official school-zoning data for SA yet (only VIC, NSW and QLD) - confirm zoning directly with the school or department.
  • We don't yet have official crime data for SA (only NSW and VIC) - that's a data gap on our side, not a claim this area is safe.
  • We don't yet have property or rent figures for this area - check a real-estate portal directly for current prices.
Source: Templated from the live data on this page - ABS, ACARA, ACECQA, BOCSAR/CSA Victoria, SEIFA 2021.
Living in Outback: family snapshot
Family snapshot

Living in Outback

Live

A smaller suburb. Many childcare options nearby - 5 NQS-rated services. Mostly detached family homes.

Source: ABS population estimates · ABS Census 2021 · ACARA · ACECQA
Outback compared with South Australia10 measures
Outback compared with the SA average
Measure Outback SA average Against SA
Children aged 0 to 4 3.7% 5.3% Lower
Children aged 5 to 14 8.2% 11.7% Lower
Couple families with children 34.0% 40.7% Lower
One-parent families 13.2% 16.7% Lower
Homes owned outright 37.3% 33.1% Higher
Homes owned with a mortgage 9.0% 36.5% Lower
Homes rented 33.6% 27.7% Higher
Separate houses 87.1% 78.8% Higher
Flats and apartments 1.5% 6.5% Lower
Born overseas 10.2% 24.1% Lower

Source: ABS Census 2021. The SA figure is the population-weighted average of the 172 SA areas with a published value. "Higher" and "Lower" describe the number only.

About this area and its boundary

Outback is a locality in the Outback - North and East area of South Australia. This profile draws on ABS population and Census figures, the ACARA school register and ACECQA childcare ratings for the Outback SA2.

1,939 residents - 11.9% are children under 15, median age 43.

This profile uses the ABS Outback statistical area (SA2) - the level Australian government data is published at. SA2 boundaries don’t always match suburb boundaries. It covers the gazetted suburbs of Coober Pedy, Andamooka, Anna Creek, Woomera, Oodnadatta, Gidgealpa, Leigh Creek and Copley and 67 more localities, drawn separately on the map above.

Property market

No free house sale price or 3-bedroom house rent is published for this area. 33.6% of homes are rented, against 27.7% across South Australia.

Homes and households

Who owns the homes
37% Owned outright 9% Mortgage 34% Rented
Families
34% Couple with children 51% Couple, no children 13% One parent
Types of home
87% House 2% Townhouse 2% Apartment

Source: ABS Census 2021. Where the shares do not add to 100%, the rest is "other" or "not stated".

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Housing cost pressuremortgage and rent against income
What households here actually pay

Housing cost pressure

Live

In Outback, 7.3% of renting households spend more than 30% of their income on rent - the ABS's stretched-household threshold (Census 2021).

ABS published figures, not our calculation.

Rent over 30% of income
7.3%

SA avg 30.6%

Share of RENTING households whose rent takes more than 30% of income. That's 16 of 164 households with a stated rent.

The two figures cover different households (mortgage-holding vs renting), so never add them. How the ABS counts these → Grey marker: SA average (164 for rent). Census 2021 - housing costs have moved since. Not financial advice.

Source: ABS Census 2021 - Mortgage & Rent Affordability Indicator Datasets (via ABS Data by Region, SA2)
What's being built herenew homes approved, year by year
Outback · new dwellings approved

What's being built here

Live

1 new home was approved in Outback in the year to June 2025. Councils approved 9 new dwellings here across the 6 years to June 2025 - an approval is permission to build, not a home that exists yet.

1

Approved in the year to June 2025

Middle SA area: 51

8

Separate houses

Private sector, over the 5 of these 6 years where the breakdown is published

0

Townhouses & apartments

Private sector, over the 5 of these 6 years where the breakdown is published

Counts are for the whole Outback statistical area. What these counts include → Dashed line: the median of 162South Australia areas.

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Data by region, 2011-2025 (cat. 1410.0), sourced from ABS Building Approvals, Australia (cat. 8731.0) (source, CC BY 4.0). Each year is a year ended 30 June, published for the SA2, not the suburb.

Schools and childcare

5 schools are located in the area. 5 childcare services are on the national register, 4 rated Meeting the National Quality Standard or above.

Government schools Soon SA zoning

Government schools in Outback

Free government schools your child may attend. Exact school zones aren’t mapped for SA yet, so we can’t confirm which one is yours.

Leigh Creek Area School Government · 42 students
ICSEA 791
Marree Aboriginal School Government · 19 students
ICSEA 781
Andamooka Primary School Government · 16 students
Oodnadatta Aboriginal School Government · 16 students

A picture of students’ family backgrounds (ICSEA) - not a ranking or a quality score.

We show school intake context and catchments, not exam results. We don’t publish a school ranking.

To look beyond Outback, every South Australia school is on the Australian schools and catchment zones map.

Schools in Outback

ICSEA reflects student intake context, not teaching quality (1000 = national average). Source: ACARA School Profile 2025. All SA schools →

Childcare: 5 services

Exceeding NQS: 2Meeting NQS: 2Not yet rated: 1

National Quality Standard ratings from the ACECQA register, refreshed Oct 2026. Services are matched by suburb name.

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Childcare services, ratings and fees5 services
  • Coober Pedy Preschool
    Centre-Based Care · 40 places · Coober Pedy
    Rated Sep 2014 · over 3 years old, check for a more recent assessment
    Exceeding NQS
  • Leigh Creek Kindergarten
    Centre-Based Care · 15 places · Leigh Creek
    Rated Aug 2025
    Exceeding NQS
  • Mini Gems Children's Centre
    Centre-Based Care · 41 places · Coober Pedy
    Rated Oct 2026
    Meeting NQS
  • Marree Preschool
    Centre-Based Care · 30 places · Marree
    Rated May 2023 · over 3 years old, check for a more recent assessment
    Meeting NQS
  • Andamooka Rural Children's Centre for Early Childhood Development and Parenting
    Centre-Based Care · 23 places · Andamooka
    Not yet rated
Average subsidised fee - Outback - North and East area
Centre-based day care
$12.76/hr

Mean hourly fee across CCS-approved services, December quarter 2025 - Dept of Education, © Commonwealth of Australia, CC BY 4.0. Published at SA3 level (a wider area than this suburb's SA2), so it's an average across Outback - North and East and surrounds, not this specific service list.

Verify locations before visiting. A rating over 3 years old is flagged. What the NQS ratings mean → Childcare places per child, by suburb →

Who lives here

Fewer people born overseas than South Australia overall: 10.2% of residents, against 24.1% statewide.

Median age
43
ABS Census 2021
Children under 15
11.9%
Below the SA average
Born overseas
10.2%
Below the SA average
Density
0
people per km²

Ages of people here

Outback SA average

Share of residents in each age band, in years. Source: ABS Census 2021.

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How the area is changingCensus 2011 to 2021
People counted at the Census, 2011 to 2021
−1,406 people
2011: 3,436 2021: 2,030
Median age, 2011 to 2021
+4 years
2011: 39 2021: 43
Children aged 0 to 14, 2011 to 2021
−4.9 points
2011: 16.8% 2021: 11.9%
Born overseas, 2011 to 2021
−0.5 points
2011: 10.7% 2021: 10.2%
Speak another language at home, 2011 to 2021
+3.6 points
2011: 6.7% 2021: 10.3%

Each line is drawn on its own scale, so compare the numbers, not the heights. Source: ABS Census 2011, 2016 and 2021.

Census trends against the middle SA areafull charts
Three censuses, same boundaries

Which way this area is moving

Live

The 2011, 2016 and 2021 Censuses for Outback, counted on today's boundaries.

Since 2011, Outback has grown older, with a smaller share of children and more residents speaking another language at home.

People counted
−1,406 people since 2011

Usual residents counted on Census night.

Median age
+4 years since 2011

Half the residents are older than this, half younger.

Children aged 0–14
−4.9 pts since 2011

Share of all residents. The clearest signal of families arriving or moving on.

Born overseas
−0.5 pts since 2011

Share of all residents born outside Australia.

Speak another language at home
+3.6 pts since 2011

Share of residents who stated a language, speaking one other than English at home.

The dashed line is the median across the South Australia areas we profile. How the three Censuses line up →

Source: ABS Census Time Series Profile 2021 (2011, 2016 and 2021 Censuses, SA2)
Where this year's population change came from-1.70% in a year
Population
1,939
ABS estimate, June 2025
Growth in one year
-1.70%
2024 to 2025
Net change
-33
people in a year

Where did the loss come from?

-33
Natural increase
Births minus deaths
+13
Internal migration
Net movers from elsewhere in Australia
-56
Overseas migration
Net arrivals from overseas
+10

Reading the streams: organic growth - more babies than goodbyes - was the biggest driver.

Growth vs benchmarks
Outback
-1.70%
SA median
+0.70%
National median
+0.80%
Ages against the state average, band by band
The neighbourhood, in people

Ages of people here

Live

8.2% of people here are school-age children (5–14) - fewer than the South Australia average of 11.7%, and 3.7% are under 5. The median age is 43.

0–4 years · before school
3.7%

SA avg 5.3%

5–14 years · school age
8.2%

SA avg 11.7%

15–19 years · teens
4.7%

SA avg 5.6%

20–34 years
23.3%

SA avg 19.3%

35–54 years
27.5%

SA avg 25.3%

55–64 years
17.6%

SA avg 12.8%

65 years and over
14.9%

SA avg 20%

Share of all residents of Outback (ABS Statistical Area 2) at the 2021 Census; the grey marker is the South Australia average. How the bands and averages work →

Source: ABS Census 2021, General Community Profile (SA2)
Households and families
The neighbourhood, in people

Households and families

Live

47% of families here have children living at home - fewer than the South Australia average of 57%. The largest overseas-born communities are United Kingdom (3.1%), New Zealand (1.2%) and South Africa (0.5%). 34% of homes are rented.

Family make-up

Share of all families in the area. A small "other family" group the ABS also counts is not shown.

Couple with children
34%

SA avg 40.7%

One-parent family
13.2%

SA avg 16.7%

Couple, no children
51%

SA avg 41%

What people live in

Share of occupied private dwellings. Other and unstated structures are not shown.

Separate house
87.1%

SA avg 78.8%

Semi-detached / townhouse
1.6%

SA avg 14.2%

Flat or apartment
1.5%

SA avg 6.5%

Owned or rented

Share of occupied private dwellings. Other and unstated tenures are not shown.

Owned outright
37.3%

SA avg 33.1%

Owned with a mortgage
9%

SA avg 36.5%

Rented
33.6%

SA avg 27.7%

Figures describe Outback (ABS Statistical Area 2) at the 2021 Census; the grey marker is the South Australia average. How these are counted →

Source: ABS Census 2021, General Community Profile (SA2)
Birthplaces, languages and communities
The neighbourhood, in people

Who lives in Outback

Live

Top 5 overseas birthplaces shown · 94.4% born in Australia or a country not in the top five.

United Kingdom · established by 2016
3.1%

SA avg 6.3%

New Zealand · established by 2016
1.2%

SA avg 0.4%

South Africa · growing since 2016
0.5%

SA avg 0.2%

Germany · growing since 2016
0.4%

SA avg 0.2%

India · growing since 2016
0.4%

SA avg 2.4%

Nearby
Port Augusta, Whyalla and Peterborough - Mount Remarkable also have an established United Kingdom community.
Settlement pattern
Of overseas-born residents who stated when they arrived, 16.9% arrived in the last 5 years (2016–2021) (SA avg 16.4%) and 57.2% arrived before 2001 (SA avg 52.5%).
English at home
Of residents who speak a language other than English at home and stated their English proficiency, 3.4% report speaking English “not well” or “not at all” (SA avg 13%) - a self-reported ABS figure across all languages combined, not a judgement of any one community.

Figures describe Outback (ABS Statistical Area 2) at the 2021 Census. The ABS publishes only the five largest communities per area, so a missing name did not rank in the top five. How these are counted →

Source: ABS Census 2021, General Community Profile (SA2)
Socio-economic index (SEIFA)decile 3 of 10
Decile (1 lowest, 10 highest)
Decile 3 of 10
Where this sits in SA
bottom 30% of South Australia areas

A relative comparison of the whole area against all of Australia - not a safety, liveability, or school-quality measure. What IRSAD measures → Source: ABS SEIFA 2021, IRSAD index (SA2).

Getting around and lifestyle

3 supermarkets, 2 GPs and 7 parks are mapped in the area, and the nearest emergency department is Coober Pedy Hospital, 264.8 km away in a straight line.

3
Supermarkets
Middle SA area: 1
2
GPs
Middle SA area: 0
7
Parks
Middle SA area: 15
6
Playgrounds
Middle SA area: 6
2
Train stations
Middle SA area: 0
None mapped
Libraries
Middle SA area: 0

Mapped inside the Outback boundary. A zero can mean "not mapped" rather than "not there". Source: © OpenStreetMap contributors.

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Train to the city and nearest emergency department

Train to the city

Not published

South Australia publishes its timetable data behind a free developer account we have not yet set up, so we show no travel time here. This is a gap on our side, not a statement about the transport in this area.

Nearest emergency department

Mapped

Coober Pedy Hospital · 264.8 km

Straight-line distance from the middle of this area - not a drive time. In an emergency call 000; do not plan around this figure.

Community and recreation
4
Places of worship
Middle SA area: 1
2
Community centres
Middle SA area: 0
None mapped
Swimming pools
Middle SA area: 0
3
Sport and fitness venues
Middle SA area: 1
Out with a baby
8
Baby-change tables
None mapped
Baby-care rooms

Public-toilet facilities recorded on the National Public Toilet Map - not every place in the area that will let you change a baby.

About this data

Counts of features tagged in OpenStreetMap inside the Outback boundary. “Middle SA area”: the median of 172 South Australia areas. How these counts and times are made →

Source: © OpenStreetMap contributors · baby-facility counts from the National Public Toilet Map (Continence Foundation of Australia, funded by the Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, CC BY 3.0 AU)

Crime & safety in Outback

Official recorded-incident data is only published on this site for NSW and VIC so far - that's a coverage gap on our side, not a claim that Outback is safe. SuburbRadar does not rate suburbs as safe or unsafe. More on crime & safety →

Risks

1 of the 1 planning and hazard records we hold show something in this area: traffic noise. 6 more are not published for SA - treat them as not checked.

Traffic noise

Freeway or highway present

Stuart Highway · Barrier Highway · Railway Terrace · +1 more

Each line is the extent of an official record across the whole Outback area - not a risk rating, and a specific address may or may not be affected. Not financial or insurance advice.

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All 9 checks and what each one means

Flooding

Not published

No free statewide flood overlay is published for SA yet, so we show none. Check the local council's planning maps.

Bushfire

Not published

We hold official bushfire mapping for Victoria and New South Wales only - nothing is published here for SA yet. Check the state fire service's mapping.

Heritage controls

Not published

We hold official heritage overlay mapping for Victoria and New South Wales only - nothing is published here for SA yet. Check the local council's planning scheme and the state heritage register.

Traffic noise

Freeway or highway present

Stuart Highway · Barrier Highway · Railway Terrace · +1 more

4 named roads through this area carry OpenStreetMap's highest classification - a freeway, motorway or major highway, whatever the road is called locally, alongside 33 named main roads. Roads are counted by name, not by mapped segment. Where a home sits relative to them matters far more than the count - a street two blocks back can be quiet.

Aircraft noise

Not published

We hold official aircraft-noise mapping for Victoria and New South Wales only - nothing is published here for SA yet. Check the airport's noise contours and the local planning scheme.

Land contamination checks

Not mapped

We hold official contaminated-land overlay mapping for Victoria only - nothing is published here for SA yet. Check the state environment authority's contaminated land register and the local planning scheme.

Acid sulfate soils

Not published

We hold acid sulfate soil mapping for Victoria and New South Wales only - nothing is published here for SA yet. Coastal and estuarine land is where these soils occur; check the state's soil mapping and the local planning scheme.

Recorded crime

Not published

SA does not release the suburb-level incident counts we republish for New South Wales and Victoria, so we show none here.

Social housing

Census figure

12.1% rented from a state or territory housing authority · 2.1% from a community housing provider

Share of occupied private dwellings here with a stated tenure (Census 2021). The middle SA area is 2.4% public and 1.0% community, across 166 areas. Listed because families ask; it is a fact about who owns the homes, not a judgement about the people in them.

About this data

Every line is an official published record for the Outback area - we don't rate, score or rank any of them. Where a line is missing, treat it as not checked rather than clear. What each line covers and does not →

Source: ABS Census 2021 (G37 tenure and landlord type) · © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) - road classification

Nearby suburbs

The six closest profiled areas in South Australia, by distance between area centres.

Outback · 75 gazetted suburbs

The suburbs in this area

Live

Everything else on this page is published for Outback as a whole - one ABS statistical area covering 75 separate gazetted suburbs. These are the figures published for each of the 60 the ABS publishes a profile for.

Gazetted suburbs inside Outback, with each suburb's own published figures.
Suburb Residents
Census 2021
Schools
Coober Pedy 1,566 1
Andamooka 262 1
Anna Creek 176 0
Woomera 132 1
Oodnadatta 102 1
Gidgealpa 100 0
Leigh Creek 91 1
Copley 83 0

15 smaller localities are also inside this area. The ABS publishes no separate census profile for them, so they have no row here.

Each row is that suburb's own published figure - nothing here is the wider area's number divided up. Resident counts are the Census 2021 usual-resident count for the gazetted suburb, so they will not add up to the population at the top of this page, which is the ABS's later June 2025 estimate for the whole statistical area: a different measure on a different date. Schools are ACARA-registered schools whose published address falls inside the suburb boundary, which is not the same as the school your address is zoned to. No free source publishes suburb-level house medians in South Australia, so no price column is shown - that is our coverage gap, not a statement about the market here. Every other figure on this page - crime & safety, overlays, commute, amenities, projections, the Family-Fit score - is published for the whole statistical area and cannot be separated by suburb.

Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing 2021, General Community Profile for Suburbs and Localities; ABS ASGS Edition 3 suburb boundaries; ACARA School Location 2025.

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A note on this page. Nothing on this page is property, financial, legal or schooling advice - verify with primary sources before any decision.