Whyalla, SA
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Whyalla stands on the shores of Spencer Gulf, on the east coast of the Eyre Peninsula, about 395 kilometres north-west of Adelaide. It lies within Barngarla country, though the meaning of the name Whyalla is uncertain. The settlement began in 1901 as Hummock's Hill, a BHP tramway port shipping iron ore, and was renamed Whyalla in 1920. It grew rapidly from the late 1930s as a shipbuilding centre and steel town; the corvette HMAS Whyalla, launched in 1941, is now preserved as a museum ship. Long known as the Steel City, Whyalla is also celebrated for the winter aggregation of giant Australian cuttlefish in the gulf, which draws divers from around the world. Steel, mining and fishing drive the local economy.
Less advantaged than the national average
Whyalla is more socio-economically advantaged than about 38% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 967, 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.
Whyalla at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 3,609
- Median age
- 46
- Median weekly household income
- $1,658
- SEIFA score
- 967
- Coordinates
- -33.0378, 137.5761
Whyalla demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Whyalla 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%, 28% of homes are rented, and 21% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 560 | 16% |
| Youth (15–24) | 376 | 10% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 788 | 22% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 1,142 | 32% |
| Seniors (65+) | 738 | 20% |
Share of the 3,604 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 491 | 33% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 534 | 36% |
| Rented | 425 | 28% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 1,122 | 76% |
| Townhouses & semis | 260 | 17% |
| Flats & apartments | 92 | 6% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 1,486 occupied private dwellings in Whyalla.
- Median weekly rent
- $200
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,300
- Average household size
- 2.2 people
- Median weekly family income
- $2,307
- Median weekly personal income
- $815
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 715 (21%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 254 (7%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 86 (2%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 1,302 (45%)
- Labour-force participation
- 60.9%
- Unemployment rate
- 5.2%
- Employed full-time
- 1,135
- Employed part-time
- 516
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 Whyalla
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Whyalla is January (average daytime high around 31.6°C) and the coolest is July (around 17°C). The area receives roughly 301 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31.6°C | 18.8°C | 35 mm |
| Feb | 30.4°C | 18.2°C | 21 mm |
| Mar | 28.4°C | 16.6°C | 15 mm |
| Apr | 24.7°C | 13.4°C | 31 mm |
| May | 20.2°C | 10°C | 18 mm |
| Jun | 17.1°C | 7.5°C | 24 mm |
| Jul | 17°C | 6.9°C | 13 mm |
| Aug | 18.3°C | 7.4°C | 27 mm |
| Sep | 22°C | 9.4°C | 23 mm |
| Oct | 25.7°C | 12.2°C | 24 mm |
| Nov | 27.4°C | 14.2°C | 34 mm |
| Dec | 30.1°C | 16.8°C | 36 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Whyalla
Where is Whyalla?
Whyalla is a suburb of South Australia, Australia.
What is the population of Whyalla?
At the 2021 Census, Whyalla had a population of about 3,609.
Is Whyalla an advantaged area?
Whyalla has an ABS SEIFA score of 967, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 38 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 38% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Whyalla?
Whyalla has average daytime highs of about 24.4°C and overnight lows of about 12.6°C, with roughly 301 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
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