Glenunga, SA
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Glenunga is a leafy inner suburb in Adelaide's south-east, about five kilometres from the city centre in the City of Burnside. Its name is said to blend a local Aboriginal word, unga, meaning near, with the Scottish glen drawn from neighbouring Glen Osmond. Settled by farmers in the 1840s, the district once grew prize-winning wheat, and by the 1870s was a base for coaching firms, among them the famous Cobb and Co, whose horses grazed the surrounding paddocks. In the early twentieth century the Hill family invented the Hills Hoist, the rotary clothesline that became a South Australian icon, here in Glenunga. Today the suburb is known above all for Glenunga International High School, set near its heart, and for the quiet, tree-lined streets that give the small triangle of land its character.
Among Australia's more advantaged suburbs
Glenunga is more socio-economically advantaged than about 95% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 1103, 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.
Glenunga at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 2,184
- Median age
- 44
- Median weekly household income
- $1,918
- SEIFA score
- 1103
- Coordinates
- -34.9510, 138.6389
Glenunga demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Glenunga 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 25%, 23% of homes are rented, and 40% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 410 | 19% |
| Youth (15–24) | 252 | 12% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 449 | 21% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 554 | 25% |
| Seniors (65+) | 525 | 24% |
Share of the 2,190 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 360 | 44% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 253 | 31% |
| Rented | 185 | 23% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 551 | 67% |
| Townhouses & semis | 163 | 20% |
| Flats & apartments | 111 | 13% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 825 occupied private dwellings in Glenunga.
- Median weekly rent
- $380
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,400
- Average household size
- 2.6 people
- Median weekly family income
- $2,475
- Median weekly personal income
- $902
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 865 (40%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 813 (38%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 10 (0%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 1,260 (76%)
- Labour-force participation
- 57.3%
- Unemployment rate
- 4.5%
- Employed full-time
- 561
- Employed part-time
- 373
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 Glenunga
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Glenunga 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 Glenunga
Where is Glenunga?
Glenunga is a suburb of South Australia, Australia.
What is the population of Glenunga?
At the 2021 Census, Glenunga had a population of about 2,184.
Is Glenunga an advantaged area?
Glenunga has an ABS SEIFA score of 1103, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 95 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 95% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Glenunga?
Glenunga 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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