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Northern Areas
South Australia · Barossa - Yorke - Mid North · 4,560 people · 28 suburbs · 11 postcodes
Northern Areas at a glance
Map shows the Northern Areas LGA boundary in blue with a marker per suburb. Hover for suburb name, click for details.
Marker colour reflects SEIFA IRSAD decile: ● 1-2 (most disadvantaged), ● 3-4, ● 5-6, ● 7-8, ● 9-10 (most advantaged).
Boundary source: ABS ASGS 2021. Map tiles: OpenStreetMap contributors.
Federal electorate boundaries can be toggled on the map. Boundary source: ABS ASGS 2021 CED boundaries.
Northern Areas is a Local Government Area in South Australia, in the Adelaide region. It covers 28 suburbs across 11 postcodes and an area of 2,971 km². Northern Areas has a population of 4,560 , ranking #48 most populous in SA. The most populous suburb is Jamestown (1,549 residents).About 6.3% of residents were born overseas and 2.1% speak a language other than English at home.
Who lives here
Age structure
Show counts
| 0–14 years | 814 (18.1%) |
| 15–24 years | 382 (8.5%) |
| 25–44 years | 850 (18.9%) |
| 45–64 years | 1,285 (28.5%) |
| 65+ years | 1,172 (26.0%) |
How they live
Housing tenure
Dwelling type mix
Work and learning
Schools in Northern Areas
7 schools across Northern Areas: 71.4% Government, 28.6% Catholic, 0% Independent. The SA average is 70.8% / 14.3% / 14.9%. Schools here have a median ICSEA of 998 (range 967 to 1057). SA median is 999; national mean is 1000.
Sector mix
Type breakdown
ICSEA range
ICSEA (Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage) summarises the socio-economic background of each school's families. Higher values indicate more advantage. Source: ACARA 2025.
All 7 schools in Northern Areas, sorted by enrolment:
| School | Sector | Type | Suburb | Students | ICSEA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jamestown Community School | Government | Combined | Jamestown | 251 | 998 |
| Gladstone High School | Government | Secondary | Gladstone | 183 | 967 |
| Gladstone Primary School | Government | Primary | Gladstone | 79 | 980 |
| St James School | Catholic | Primary | Jamestown | 73 | 1029 |
| Laura Primary School | Government | Primary | Laura | 62 | 993 |
| St Joseph's Parish School | Catholic | Primary | Gladstone | 53 | 1046 |
| Spalding Primary School | Government | Primary | Spalding | 19 | 1057 |
Source: ACARA School Profiles 2025. ICSEA shown where reported; some schools (notably small primaries) do not publish ICSEA.
SEIFA socio-economic indexes
SEIFA 2021 ranks Australian areas across four dimensions. Scores are population-weighted averages of suburb-level SEIFA scores within Northern Areas. Higher scores indicate more advantage; the national mean is 1000.
IRSAD
Relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage
IRSD
Relative disadvantage only (lower = more disadvantaged)
IER
Economic resources: income, wealth, housing
IEO
Education and occupation: qualifications, skill levels
Suburbs in Northern Areas
Northern Areas contains 28 suburbs and 11 postcodes. Sorted by population.
| Suburb | Postcode | Population | Median income | Median age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jamestown | 5491 | 1,549 | $1,214/wk | 49 |
| Laura | 5480 | 765 | $1,042/wk | 48 |
| Gladstone | 5473 | 745 | $935/wk | 51 |
| Spalding | 5454 | 260 | $969/wk | 46 |
| Georgetown | 5472 | 186 | $875/wk | 53 |
| Yacka | 5470 | 147 | $1,050/wk | 56 |
| Caltowie | 5490 | 122 | $1,458/wk | 40 |
| Belalie North | 5491 | 85 | $1,350/wk | 39 |
| Gulnare | 5471 | 80 | $1,312/wk | 53 |
| Beetaloo Valley | 5523 | 75 | $1,875/wk | 56 |
| Belalie East | 5491 | 62 | $2,049/wk | 49 |
| Narridy | 5523 | 59 | $1,375/wk | 45 |
| Mannanarie | 5422 | 52 | $1,916/wk | 49 |
| Washpool | 5454 | 43 | $1,375/wk | 34 |
| Tarcowie | 5431 | 41 | $1,541/wk | 49 |
| Bundaleer North | 5491 | 38 | $1,875/wk | 42 |
| Hornsdale | 5491 | 36 | $1,749/wk | 38 |
| Andrews | 5454 | 32 | $1,375/wk | 54 |
| Stone Hut | 5480 | 30 | $833/wk | 69 |
| Hacklins Corner | 5454 | 29 | $1,625/wk | 31 |
| Caltowie West | 5490 | 28 | $1,041/wk | 56 |
| Euromina | 5454 | 25 | $725/wk | 28 |
| Huddleston | 5523 | 23 | $1,999/wk | 51 |
| Caltowie North | 5490 | 21 | $1,312/wk | 39 |
| West Bundaleer | 5491 | 15 | $1,375/wk | 42 |
| Bundaleer Gardens | 5491 | 8 | $474/wk | 68 |
| Mayfield | 5454 | 4 | $3,750/wk | 63 |
| Broughton River Valley | 5454 | $1,375/wk | 73 |
Postcodes covered
5422, 5431, 5454, 5470, 5471, 5472, 5473, 5480, 5490, 5491, 5523
Compare Northern Areas with neighbouring LGAs
Side-by-side demographic and socio-economic snapshot of Northern Areas and its closest neighbouring LGAs.
| LGA | Population | Median age | SEIFA IRSAD | % renting | % overseas-born |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Areas (SA) | 4,560 | 48.8 | 948 | 18.4% | 6.3% |
| Port Pirie | 17,239 | 44.3 | 868 | 30.9% | 7.8% |
| Goyder | 4,087 | 51.4 | 914 | 18.1% | 9.4% |
| Clare and Gilbert Valleys | 9,102 | 48.2 | 963 | 20.9% | 10.0% |
| Mount Remarkable | 2,861 | 54.3 | 950 | 12.3% | 8.0% |
| Wakefield | 6,762 | 44.6 | 897 | 23.0% | 10.2% |
Services and amenities
Frequently asked questions about Northern Areas
What is the population of Northern Areas?
The 2021 Census recorded 4,560 people living in Northern Areas, across 28 suburbs.
What suburbs are in Northern Areas?
Northern Areas contains 28 suburbs. The most populous are Jamestown, Laura, Gladstone, Spalding, Georgetown.See the full list in the Suburbs section above.
What postcodes are in Northern Areas?
Northern Areas covers 11 postcodes: 5422, 5431, 5454, 5470, 5471, 5472, 5473, 5480, 5490, 5491, 5523.
How many schools are in Northern Areas?
Northern Areas has 7 schools, including 5 government, 2 Catholic, and 0 independent schools (ACARA 2025).
What is the SEIFA score for Northern Areas?
Northern Areas has a population-weighted SEIFA IRSAD score of 948, where the national average is 1000. Higher scores indicate more relative advantage.
Page last reviewed . Data sources: Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census (CC BY 4.0), SEIFA 2021 (IRSD, IRSAD, IER, IEO), ACARA School Profiles 2025, ABS ASGS 2021 LGA boundaries. How this data is sourced.