Spalding (SA), SA
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Spalding is a small town in the Mid North of South Australia, set on the Broughton River just north of the Clare Valley. The early settler W.E. Lunn named it in 1876 after his birthplace, the market town of Spalding in Lincolnshire, England. Five sheep runs worked the area before 1869, when a farming community began to take shape; a post office opened in 1875 and the District Council of Spalding was proclaimed in 1885. A broad-gauge railway served the town from 1922 until 1978. Farming and a slate quarry have shaped the local economy. The heritage-listed Spalding Railway Bridge spans the river, and the long Heysen Trail passes through near its midpoint.
Among Australia's less advantaged suburbs
Spalding (SA) is more socio-economically advantaged than about 11% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 895, 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.
Spalding (SA) at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 260
- Median age
- 46
- Median weekly household income
- $969
- SEIFA score
- 895
- Coordinates
- -33.4947, 138.6290
Spalding (SA) demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Spalding (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 25%, 17% of homes are rented, and 6% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 45 | 18% |
| Youth (15–24) | 21 | 8% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 57 | 23% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 63 | 25% |
| Seniors (65+) | 63 | 25% |
Share of the 249 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 49 | 48% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 30 | 29% |
| Rented | 18 | 17% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 105 | 100% |
| Townhouses & semis | 0 | 0% |
| Flats & apartments | 0 | 0% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 105 occupied private dwellings in Spalding (SA).
- Median weekly rent
- $155
- Median monthly mortgage
- $704
- Average household size
- 2.2 people
- Median weekly family income
- $1,375
- Median weekly personal income
- $578
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 15 (6%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 3 (1%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 14 (5%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 89 (45%)
- Labour-force participation
- 58.3%
- Unemployment rate
- 9.8%
- Employed full-time
- 59
- Employed part-time
- 43
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.
Common questions about Spalding (SA)
Where is Spalding (SA)?
Spalding (SA) is a suburb of South Australia, Australia.
What is the population of Spalding (SA)?
At the 2021 Census, Spalding (SA) had a population of about 260.
Is Spalding (SA) an advantaged area?
Spalding (SA) has an ABS SEIFA score of 895, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 11 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 11% of Australian suburbs.
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