Willunga, SA
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Willunga sits at the foot of the Willunga Hills on South Australia's Fleurieu Peninsula, about 47 kilometres south of Adelaide and a short way inland from the coast at Aldinga Bay. Its name comes from a Kaurna place name whose meaning is now uncertain. From 1840 the town was known for its slate, quarried from the surrounding hills and used for roofing, flagstones and buildings such as the old courthouse and police station of the 1850s. Ringed by almond orchards, Willunga has long marked late winter with an Almond Blossom Festival each July, and today it sits at the southern edge of the McLaren Vale wine region, a popular base for exploring the Fleurieu.
More advantaged than the national average
Willunga is more socio-economically advantaged than about 71% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 1025, 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.
Willunga at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 2,445
- Median age
- 47
- Median weekly household income
- $1,681
- SEIFA score
- 1025
- Coordinates
- -35.2686, 138.5693
Willunga demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Willunga 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 30%, 15% of homes are rented, and 21% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 439 | 18% |
| Youth (15–24) | 242 | 10% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 457 | 19% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 738 | 30% |
| Seniors (65+) | 569 | 23% |
Share of the 2,445 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 394 | 42% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 370 | 40% |
| Rented | 137 | 15% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 886 | 96% |
| Townhouses & semis | 16 | 2% |
| Flats & apartments | 18 | 2% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 920 occupied private dwellings in Willunga.
- Median weekly rent
- $330
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,683
- Average household size
- 2.5 people
- Median weekly family income
- $2,019
- Median weekly personal income
- $780
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 495 (21%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 69 (3%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 27 (1%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 1,182 (61%)
- Labour-force participation
- 61.8%
- Unemployment rate
- 4.3%
- Employed full-time
- 601
- Employed part-time
- 519
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 Willunga
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Willunga is January (average daytime high around 26.7°C) and the coolest is July (around 13.2°C). The area receives roughly 801 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26.7°C | 16.2°C | 32 mm |
| Feb | 25.4°C | 15.8°C | 24 mm |
| Mar | 23.7°C | 14.9°C | 20 mm |
| Apr | 20.5°C | 13.2°C | 47 mm |
| May | 16.5°C | 11.1°C | 96 mm |
| Jun | 14°C | 9.1°C | 114 mm |
| Jul | 13.2°C | 8.4°C | 138 mm |
| Aug | 13.9°C | 8.1°C | 124 mm |
| Sep | 16.2°C | 9.2°C | 73 mm |
| Oct | 19.5°C | 10.8°C | 53 mm |
| Nov | 21.6°C | 12.4°C | 46 mm |
| Dec | 24.5°C | 14.2°C | 34 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Willunga
Where is Willunga?
Willunga is a suburb of South Australia, Australia.
What is the population of Willunga?
At the 2021 Census, Willunga had a population of about 2,445.
Is Willunga an advantaged area?
Willunga has an ABS SEIFA score of 1025, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 71 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 71% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Willunga?
Willunga has average daytime highs of about 19.6°C and overnight lows of about 11.9°C, with roughly 801 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
Nearby suburbs in South Australia
More suburb guides in South Australia
Other hand-written, cited guides — browse all guides.