Moving to Mount Gambier SA 5290
What the official numbers say about living in Mount Gambier — before you pack a box.
At a glance
Housing: buy or rent
Renting? The census median is $220 a week, against a median household income of $1,197 a week.
About 64% of homes are owner-occupied and 33% rented, and the most common dwelling type is the house.
Who you'll be living with
Mount Gambier grew 3% between the 2011 and 2021 censuses (24,905 → 25,591 people).
Around 63% of households are families, averaging 2.2 people per home.
Largest overseas birthplaces: England, New Zealand, Myanmar; most spoken languages besides English: Italian, Mandarin, Punjabi.
On the ABS advantage scale (SEIFA), Mount Gambier scores below the national average (decile 1 of 10).
The commute
The most common way to work is by car (92% of workers).
Nearest airport: Mount Gambier Airport, 8.4 km north.
The Adelaide CBD is roughly 377 km away in a straight line.
Daily life
Mapped locally so far: 10 schools · 22 cafes & restaurants · 6 supermarkets · 11 parks — see them all on the Mount Gambier profile.
What's actually nearby
Schools: MacDonald Park Primary School 950 m · Mount Gambier North Primary School 1 km · St Martin's Lutheran College 1.4 km · Reidy Park Primary School 1.5 km · Mount Gambier High School 1.5 km · Melaleuca Park Primary School 1.9 km · Mulga Street Primary School 2.5 km · Tenison Woods College 2.6 km
Groceries: ALDI 550 m · Coles 650 m · Cheap as Chips 800 m · Foodland 800 m · Foodworks 1.9 km · Woolworths 2.1 km
Parks and reserves: Frew Park 200 m · Cave Garden 550 m · Vansittart Park 800 m · Mount Gambier Railway Lands 900 m · National Servicemans Memorial Park 1.1 km · McDonald Park 1.2 km · Marist Park 2.4 km · Melaleuca Reserve 2.4 km
What you'll see in the garden
Birds recorded around Mount Gambier, most often seen first: Eurasian Blackbird · New Holland Honeyeater · Southern Victoria Australian Magpie · Pacific Black Duck · Australasian Purple Swamphen · Australian Magpie.
How the neighbours compare
The suburbs nearest to Mount Gambier, side by side.
| Suburb | People | Median house | Advantage | Canopy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Gambier here | 25,591 | — | 1/10 | 11% |
| Suttontown | 692 | — | 7/10 | 2% |
| Worrolong | 1,293 | — | 7/10 | 5% |
| Port Macdonnell | 859 | — | 3/10 | 8% |
| Penola | 1,622 | — | 3/10 | 34% |
| Millicent | 5,110 | — | 1/10 | 4% |
Before you move — quick checklist
- Your council will be Mount Gambier — bins, rates, pets and permits live there.
- You'll vote in the federal electorate of Barker — update your enrolment address.
- The postcode is 5290 — handy for utility sign-ups and quotes.
- Check street-level details on the full Mount Gambier profile (map, streets, amenities, wildlife).
In short
Renters pay a median $220 a week, and about 33% of homes here are rented.
The population grew 3% between the 2011 and 2021 censuses, from 24,905 people to 25,591. It sits about 377 km from the Adelaide CBD in a straight line. Local government is Mount Gambier council, and the federal seat is Barker.
Weighing up alternatives?
Nearby guides: Suttontown · Worrolong · Port Macdonnell · Penola · Millicent.
Keep an eye on Mount Gambier
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