Echunga, SA
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Echunga is a small town in the Adelaide Hills of South Australia, about 34 kilometres south-east of Adelaide and a short drive from Hahndorf. Its name is thought to come from the Kaurna word 'Ityangga', variously recorded as meaning 'over there' or 'close by'. Europeans settled the area in 1839 and the town was laid out in 1849. When gold was discovered nearby in 1852 it became South Australia's first proclaimed goldfield, drawing diggers to the district for a time. The colonial-era Hagen Arms Hotel still stands on the main street, and each January riders in the Tour Down Under climb the hills around the town.
More advantaged than the national average
Echunga is more socio-economically advantaged than about 76% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 1035, 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.
Echunga at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 1,219
- Median age
- 41
- Median weekly household income
- $2,090
- SEIFA score
- 1035
- Coordinates
- -35.0918, 138.8034
Echunga demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Echunga 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 11% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 221 | 18% |
| Youth (15–24) | 145 | 12% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 295 | 24% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 357 | 29% |
| Seniors (65+) | 205 | 17% |
Share of the 1,223 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 152 | 36% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 212 | 51% |
| Rented | 47 | 11% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 413 | 100% |
| Townhouses & semis | 0 | 0% |
| Flats & apartments | 0 | 0% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 413 occupied private dwellings in Echunga.
- Median weekly rent
- $320
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,761
- Average household size
- 2.7 people
- Median weekly family income
- $2,322
- Median weekly personal income
- $887
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 129 (11%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 31 (3%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 5 (0%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 573 (60%)
- Labour-force participation
- 67.3%
- Unemployment rate
- 3.6%
- Employed full-time
- 352
- Employed part-time
- 253
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 Echunga
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Echunga is January (average daytime high around 29.7°C) and the coolest is July (around 14.4°C). The area receives roughly 732 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29.7°C | 17°C | 34 mm |
| Feb | 28.2°C | 16.4°C | 32 mm |
| Mar | 26°C | 15.4°C | 23 mm |
| Apr | 22.1°C | 13.5°C | 54 mm |
| May | 17.7°C | 11.2°C | 83 mm |
| Jun | 15.1°C | 9.3°C | 91 mm |
| Jul | 14.4°C | 8.5°C | 102 mm |
| Aug | 15.3°C | 8.4°C | 91 mm |
| Sep | 18°C | 9.7°C | 69 mm |
| Oct | 21.9°C | 11.5°C | 59 mm |
| Nov | 24.1°C | 13°C | 57 mm |
| Dec | 27.3°C | 15°C | 37 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Echunga
Where is Echunga?
Echunga is a suburb of South Australia, Australia.
What is the population of Echunga?
At the 2021 Census, Echunga had a population of about 1,219.
Is Echunga an advantaged area?
Echunga has an ABS SEIFA score of 1035, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 76 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 76% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Echunga?
Echunga has average daytime highs of about 21.7°C and overnight lows of about 12.4°C, with roughly 732 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
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