Mount Barker (SA), SA
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Mount Barker is a fast-growing town in the Adelaide Hills, about 33 kilometres south-east of Adelaide and named after the peak beside it. That hill honours Captain Collet Barker, who surveyed the area in 1831; the township was laid out in 1839 and farming took hold through the 1840s. The surrounding ranges are the country of the Peramangk people, and the mountain's summit holds particular significance in the region's Aboriginal heritage. Once a quiet farming centre — and the place where the agricultural value of subterranean clover was first recognised — Mount Barker is now among the fastest-growing parts of the state. Heritage steam trains still run on the SteamRanger line, and the Ukaria Cultural Centre draws audiences for chamber music.
Around the national middle
Mount Barker (SA) is more socio-economically advantaged than about 51% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 988, 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.
Mount Barker (SA) at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 18,330
- Median age
- 36
- Median weekly household income
- $1,624
- SEIFA score
- 988
- Coordinates
- -35.0818, 138.8652
Mount Barker (SA) demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Mount Barker (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 young adults (25–44) at 29%, 29% of homes are rented, and 18% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 3,637 | 20% |
| Youth (15–24) | 2,291 | 13% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 5,229 | 29% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 4,013 | 22% |
| Seniors (65+) | 3,157 | 17% |
Share of the 18,327 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 1,644 | 23% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 2,998 | 43% |
| Rented | 2,063 | 29% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 6,412 | 91% |
| Townhouses & semis | 546 | 8% |
| Flats & apartments | 35 | 0% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 7,032 occupied private dwellings in Mount Barker (SA).
- Median weekly rent
- $350
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,603
- Average household size
- 2.5 people
- Median weekly family income
- $2,038
- Median weekly personal income
- $815
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 3,097 (18%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 1,305 (7%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 292 (2%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 8,229 (59%)
- Labour-force participation
- 65.4%
- Unemployment rate
- 3.7%
- Employed full-time
- 5,368
- Employed part-time
- 3,343
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 Mount Barker (SA)
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Mount Barker (SA) 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 Mount Barker (SA)
Where is Mount Barker (SA)?
Mount Barker (SA) is a suburb of South Australia, Australia.
What is the population of Mount Barker (SA)?
At the 2021 Census, Mount Barker (SA) had a population of about 18,330.
Is Mount Barker (SA) an advantaged area?
Mount Barker (SA) has an ABS SEIFA score of 988, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 51 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 51% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Mount Barker (SA)?
Mount Barker (SA) 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).
How big is Mount Barker (SA)?
Mount Barker (SA) is one of the most populous suburbs in South Australia — the 4th-largest by usual resident population at the 2021 Census (about 18,330 usual residents).
Where Mount Barker (SA) ranks
Mount Barker (SA) appears in these data-driven guides — each a transparent sort on a single ABS figure shown on this page.
Nearby suburbs in South Australia
More suburb guides in South Australia
Other hand-written, cited guides — browse all guides.