Encounter Bay Postcode

South Australia

CoastalInner Regional
5211
Postcode for Encounter Bay, SA
Phone area code: 08 · 72 km from Adelaide · Pop. 5,305
5,305
Population
66
Median Age
$929
Household Income/wk
$305
Median Rent/wk
3/10
SEIFA Advantage
4.3
Area (km²)

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.

How Encounter Bay Compares

Encounter Bay vs the SA average and the national average (2021 Census, population-weighted).

MetricEncounter BaySA avgAU 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

Postcode5211
StateSouth Australia (SA)
Phone Area Code08
Population (2021)5,305
Median Age66 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 Size2 persons
Area4.3 km²
Population Density1235/km²
Total Dwellings2,484
Australian Citizens91.7%
Indigenous Population49 (0.9%)
Unemployment Rate6.0%
SEIFA IRSAD Decile3/10 (below average)
Latitude-35.5753024
Longitude138.5962997
Distance from Adelaide72 km
Region (SA4)South Australia - South East
Area (SA3)Fleurieu - Kangaroo Island
Local GovernmentVictor Harbor
Federal ElectorateMayo

Age Profile

0–14 (9.2%) 15–24 (5.5%) 25–44 (10.8%) 45–64 (21.5%) 65+ (52.9%)
Show counts
0–14 years488 (9.2%)
15–24 years292 (5.5%)
25–44 years571 (10.8%)
45–64 years1,143 (21.5%)
65+ years2,807 (52.9%)

Housing Tenure

Owned outright (63.1%) Mortgaged (18.6%) Rented (18.3%)

SEIFA Socio-economic Index

Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage (IRSAD), decile 3 of 10. Higher deciles indicate more advantage.

Health Conditions (2021 Census)

Arthritis1,065 (20.1%)
Asthma546 (10.3%)
Heart Disease520 (9.8%)
Diabetes503 (9.5%)
Cancer368 (6.9%)
Lung Condition226 (4.3%)
Dementia105 (2.0%)

Long-term health conditions self-reported in the 2021 Census. Persons may report more than one condition.

Motor Vehicles per Dwelling

No vehicle101 (4.1%)
1 vehicle1,256 (51.2%)
2 vehicles839 (34.2%)
3+ vehicles259 (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.