South Australia · Postcode 5211
Encounter Bay postcode and suburb data
South Australia · Phone area code 08 · 72 km from Adelaide
Suburb snapshot
Encounter Bay at a glance vs SA
Fast facts and benchmark bars show the suburb's key postcode, Census, SEIFA, school and LGA signals in context.
Quick facts
Benchmarks against SA
Income, rent and SEIFA figures are from the ABS 2021 Census and are reported in 2021 dollars, not adjusted for subsequent inflation.
Where Encounter Bay ranks: household income sits in the bottom 25% of SA suburbs.
ABS Census 2021 · SEIFA 2021Detailed comparison table
Encounter Bay vs the SA average and the national average, using population-weighted 2021 Census data.
| Metric | Encounter Bay | SA avg | AU avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Household income/wk | $929 -SA | $1,545 | $1,836 |
| Rent/wk | $305 ≈SA | $308 | $390 |
| Mortgage/month | $1,170 -SA | $1,558 | $1,958 |
| Median age | 66 | 45.0 | 45.0 |
| SEIFA decile | 3/10 -SA | 5.0/10 | 6.0/10 |
| Unemployment | 6.0% ≈SA | 6.0% | 5.0% |
Green pill = at least 10% above the SA average; red = at least 10% below; grey = within 10%. For unemployment, colour polarity is inverted: lower is better.
Encounter Bay (5211) is a coastal town in regional South Australia. It lies around 72 km from Adelaide by road. The locality is part of the Fleurieu - Kangaroo Island statistical area. It is administered by Victor Harbor.
According to the 2021 Census, Encounter Bay has a population of 5,305 with a median age of 66. The median weekly household income is $929, below the SA average. The unemployment rate is 6.0%. The Indigenous population is 49 (0.9% of residents).
Housing in Encounter Bay includes a median weekly rent of $305, median monthly mortgage repayment of $1,170, with 2,484 total dwellings. Housing costs in the area sit below the SA average. Owner-occupied dwellings (owned or mortgaged) make up 81.7% of housing.
On the SEIFA Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage, Encounter Bay scores in decile 3 out of 10, which is below the national average.
Encounter Bay is part of the Fleurieu - Kangaroo Island statistical area in South Australia.
Encounter Bay details
Location, Census, housing, SEIFA and geography fields used across this profile.
| Postcode | 5211 |
| State | South Australia (SA) |
| Phone Area Code | 08 |
| Population (2021) | 5,305 |
| Median Age | 66 years |
| Median Household Income (Census 2021) | $929/week |
| Median Personal Income (Census 2021) | $514/week |
| Median Weekly Rent (Census 2021) | $305 |
| Median Monthly Mortgage (Census 2021) | $1,170 |
| Average Household Size | 2 persons |
| Area | 4.3 km² |
| Population Density | 1235/km² |
| Total Dwellings | 2,484 |
| Australian Citizens | 91.7% |
| Indigenous Population | 49 (0.9%) |
| Unemployment Rate | 6.0% |
| SEIFA IRSAD Decile | 3/10 (below average) |
| Latitude | -35.5753024 |
| Longitude | 138.5962997 |
| Distance from Adelaide | 72 km |
| Region (SA4) | South Australia - South East |
| Area (SA3) | Fleurieu - Kangaroo Island |
| Local Government | Victor Harbor |
| Federal Electorate | Mayo |
| State Electorate | Mawson |
| Time Zone | ACST (UTC+9:30), Australia/Adelaide (standard time) |
Age Profile
Show counts
| 0–14 years | 488 (9.2%) |
| 15–24 years | 292 (5.5%) |
| 25–44 years | 571 (10.8%) |
| 45–64 years | 1,143 (21.5%) |
| 65+ years | 2,807 (52.9%) |
Housing Tenure
SEIFA socio-economic index
Health Conditions (2021 Census)
| Arthritis | 1,065 (20.1%) |
| Asthma | 546 (10.3%) |
| Heart Disease | 520 (9.8%) |
| Diabetes | 503 (9.5%) |
| Cancer | 368 (6.9%) |
| Lung Condition | 226 (4.3%) |
| Dementia | 105 (2.0%) |
Long-term health conditions self-reported in the 2021 Census. Persons may report more than one condition.
Motor Vehicles per Dwelling
| No vehicle | 101 (4.1%) |
| 1 vehicle | 1,256 (51.2%) |
| 2 vehicles | 839 (34.2%) |
| 3+ vehicles | 259 (10.5%) |
Suburbs Near Encounter Bay
Same Postcode (5211)
More Encounter Bay Data
Page last reviewed . Data sources: Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census (CC BY 4.0), SEIFA 2021 IRSAD, ACARA school profiles 2025. How this data is sourced.