Macclesfield (SA), SA
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Macclesfield is a small town in the Adelaide Hills of South Australia, set on the upper reaches of the River Angas about 14 kilometres south of Mount Barker. It was established in 1840, when George Francis Davenport selected the land, and is named after the Earl of Macclesfield, whom Davenport had served as a steward in England. An inn opened in 1841 and a primary school has run since 1876. A brewery built around 1851 later became a butter and cheese factory before closing in the 1930s. The village today gathers around the Three Brothers Arms hotel, the church of St James the Less and Crystal Lake Park, and the former federal minister Alexander Downer once lived nearby.
More advantaged than the national average
Macclesfield (SA) is more socio-economically advantaged than about 67% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 1017, 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.
Macclesfield (SA) at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 1,413
- Median age
- 47
- Median weekly household income
- $1,605
- SEIFA score
- 1017
- Coordinates
- -35.1775, 138.8464
Macclesfield (SA) demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Macclesfield (SA) 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 32%, 7% of homes are rented, and 13% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 216 | 15% |
| Youth (15–24) | 146 | 10% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 306 | 22% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 457 | 32% |
| Seniors (65+) | 288 | 20% |
Share of the 1,413 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 215 | 39% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 287 | 52% |
| Rented | 38 | 7% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 546 | 99% |
| Townhouses & semis | 3 | 1% |
| Flats & apartments | 0 | 0% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 549 occupied private dwellings in Macclesfield (SA).
- Median weekly rent
- $308
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,500
- Average household size
- 2.4 people
- Median weekly family income
- $2,037
- Median weekly personal income
- $791
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 180 (13%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 36 (3%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 7 (0%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 643 (56%)
- Labour-force participation
- 64.5%
- Unemployment rate
- 3.9%
- Employed full-time
- 386
- Employed part-time
- 314
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 Macclesfield (SA)
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Macclesfield (SA) is January (average daytime high around 25.9°C) and the coolest is July (around 12.6°C). The area receives roughly 600 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25.9°C | 14.4°C | 33 mm |
| Feb | 24.7°C | 13.9°C | 27 mm |
| Mar | 22.8°C | 13.1°C | 20 mm |
| Apr | 19.7°C | 11.6°C | 36 mm |
| May | 15.7°C | 9.6°C | 64 mm |
| Jun | 13.3°C | 7.8°C | 64 mm |
| Jul | 12.6°C | 7.2°C | 80 mm |
| Aug | 13.3°C | 6.8°C | 82 mm |
| Sep | 15.8°C | 7.9°C | 58 mm |
| Oct | 19.3°C | 9.4°C | 49 mm |
| Nov | 21.1°C | 10.9°C | 50 mm |
| Dec | 23.9°C | 12.6°C | 37 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Macclesfield (SA)
Where is Macclesfield (SA)?
Macclesfield (SA) is a suburb of South Australia, Australia.
What is the population of Macclesfield (SA)?
At the 2021 Census, Macclesfield (SA) had a population of about 1,413.
Is Macclesfield (SA) an advantaged area?
Macclesfield (SA) has an ABS SEIFA score of 1017, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 67 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 67% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Macclesfield (SA)?
Macclesfield (SA) has average daytime highs of about 19°C and overnight lows of about 10.4°C, with roughly 600 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
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