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Suburb Insights · SA 5540

Port Pirie South, SA 5540 Property Profile

ABS 2021 Census · Updated 21 May 2026

Suburb Overview

Port Pirie South is a regional centre in South Australia, Australia, with a population of approximately 3,878, making it a boutique locality. Located approximately 198 km from the Adelaide CBD, Port Pirie South is a regional area in South Australia. The median household income is $59,540 per year.

Investment Score

36 / 100 Weak

Lower income levels in Port Pirie South typically translate to more affordable entry points for investors. Regional positioning means lower entry costs but potentially longer hold periods for capital gains.

Location

Adelaide
Port Pirie South
South Australia · 5540
198 km from Adelaide CBD
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Key Indicators

Postcode
5540

Official Australia Post postcode for Port Pirie South. A postcode may cover multiple suburbs.

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Population
3,878

Usual resident population at the most recent census.

Median weekly rent
$200/wk

Weekly median rent for occupied homes. Live rental data integration coming soon.

Median household income
$59,540/yr

Annual median household income (before tax) across all households.

Distance to CBD
198 km

Straight-line distance from the suburb centroid to the nearest capital city CBD. Actual driving distance will be longer.

Lifestyle & Amenities

Schools nearby
1

Estimated 1 school within or near this suburb.

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Parks & green spaces
2

Estimated 2 parks and green spaces near this suburb.

Median monthly mortgage
$975/mo

Monthly median mortgage repayment for households currently paying off a mortgage.

Home type
79% houses

Proportion of separate houses versus units, townhouses, and other home types. Useful for investors assessing rental demand mix.

Why People Like Living in Port Pirie South

Who Port Pirie South Suits

👨‍👩‍👧FamiliesSchool count or dwelling mix is lighter here.
📊InvestorsRent covers a solid share of the median mortgage.
🏡First-home buyersEntry costs sit at or below the South Australia median.
💼ProfessionalsLonger commute to the CBD.

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Rent sits within an affordable share of local incomes, supporting tenant demand.
  • Mortgage costs are lower than the South Australia median, improving cash-flow margins.
  • Solid transport links into employment hubs.

Cons

  • Long distance to the CBD (198 km) — plan for commute time or local employment.
  • Fewer schools inside the suburb itself — verify catchments for neighbouring areas.

Investment Insight

3,878 residents places Port Pirie South squarely in the middle of the South Australia suburb size distribution (state median 3,699), with market depth comparable to most SA localities. Port Pirie South's median household income of $59,540/year is 26% below the South Australia suburb median ($80,964) — this is an affordability play where returns lean on yield and patient capital growth rather than demographic premium. Rent of $200/week (89% coverage of the $975/month median mortgage) leaves a gap of roughly $108/month that a typical investor bridges with negative gearing, depreciation and capital growth. Port Pirie South is 198 km from Adelaide, so the local market tracks regional employment and lifestyle drivers more than CBD-driven commuter demand.

Investment Tip

This suburb suits yield-focused investors who are comfortable with lower liquidity. Employment concentration and local population trends matter more here than in metro markets. Local rents consume roughly 17% of household income — a useful sanity check on tenant affordability.

Port Pirie South vs South Australia Median

How Port Pirie South stacks up against the median of all South Australia suburbs in our dataset. Positive values mean Port Pirie South sits above the state median; negative means below.

MetricPort Pirie SouthSA medianΔ vs state
Population3,8783,699+5%
Median household income$59,540/yr$80,964/yr-26%
Median rent (weekly)$200$320-37%
Median mortgage (monthly)$975$1,616-40%
Distance to CBD198 km13 km+1423%
Separate houses79%73%+6pp

Investor Checklist

Pre-inspection briefing for Port Pirie South — every item is derived from public datasets, with full citations in our data sources page.

Investment Strategy

Buy & Hold

Limited buy-and-hold upside: household incomes 26% below the SA median ($59,540 vs $80,964) means liquidity is thin and capital growth tends to lag the wider South Australia market over full cycles.

Rental Yield

Strong rental coverage: $200/week (~$867/month) covers 89% of the $975/month median mortgage repayment, so the shortfall sits at just $108/month. Investors targeting positive cash flow should shortlist this suburb.

⚠️
Renovation / Flip

With 79% houses in a 3,878-person market, renovation margins depend on individual street and aspect rather than any suburb-wide story — do comparable-sales analysis before committing capital.

Risk Factors

Run the numbers on a Port Pirie South property

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30-year projections for Port Pirie South

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2026 Outlook

Growth: Low Rental Demand: Low Investor Sentiment: Low

Capital-growth expectations for Port Pirie South are modest for 2026 — incomes 26% below the SA median of $80,964 and a population of 3,878 suggest gains will lag headline metro markets. Rental coverage runs at ~89% of the typical mortgage ($867/month rent vs $975/month repayment), keeping cash flow in positive or near-neutral territory. The EquitySight investment score of 36/100 places Port Pirie South in the lower tier of Australian suburbs we profile, and overall investor sentiment is cautious heading into the second half of 2026.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Port Pirie South a good suburb for investment?

Port Pirie South scores 36/100 on our EquitySight investment framework — a weak rating. That score is driven by a population of 3,878, median household income of $59,540/year and median weekly rent of $200. Whether it fits your portfolio depends on whether you are targeting cash flow, capital growth, or a value-add renovation — all three are scored with suburb-specific numbers elsewhere on this page.

What drives property demand in Port Pirie South?

The main demand drivers in Port Pirie South are a median household income of $59,540/year, a dwelling mix that is 79% separate houses, roughly 1 schools and 2 parks within the catchment. Together these shape both owner-occupier and tenant demand and are the factors we weight most heavily in the suburb's investment score.

What is the population of Port Pirie South?

Port Pirie South has a usual resident population of approximately 3,878, compared with a South Australia suburb median of 3,699 — placing it in the upper half of the state's suburbs by size. Population is the clearest proxy for market depth: more residents mean more transactions and typically a shorter average days-on-market on resale.

How far is Port Pirie South from the Adelaide CBD?

Port Pirie South sits 198 km straight-line from the Adelaide CBD. This is a regional market where CBD distance is only indicative — local industry diversity and commute alternatives matter more.

What is the median rent in Port Pirie South?

The most recent census recorded a median weekly rent of $200 in Port Pirie South, equating to approximately $10,400/year in gross rental income (state median $320/week). Market rents have typically drifted above the recorded figure — verify against current listings on realestate.com.au and Domain before making an offer.

What is the typical mortgage repayment in Port Pirie South?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Port Pirie South is $975, or approximately $11,700/year (vs $1,616/month state median). Stress-test your own borrowing at rates 1–2 percentage points above today's to make sure you can still service the loan through an RBA tightening cycle.

Is Port Pirie South cash-flow positive for investors?

A median weekly rent of $200 works out to $867/month, covering 89% of the median mortgage repayment of $975/month. That leaves a $108/month shortfall (around $1,296/year before tax benefits), so a typical owner-occupier-priced property here is negatively geared. Actual cash flow depends on your deposit, loan terms, ownership costs and marginal tax rate — run the full numbers in our rental yield calculator.

What are the main risks of investing in Port Pirie South?

The main risks are a thin buyer pool (3,878 residents), interest-rate sensitivity on the $975 median mortgage, below-median household incomes ($59,540 vs $80,964 state median), the broader South Australia market cycle. Each of these is covered in the Risk Factors section above with suburb-specific numbers rather than generic warnings.

How we built this Port Pirie South profile

Every number on this page comes from the ABS 2021 Census of Population and Housing, Australia Post postcode reference data, and OpenStreetMap amenity tiles. The investment score, strategy verdicts, and comparison table are computed deterministically from those inputs — no opinion, no estimation. See our full methodology and the data sources and licences for the formulas we use.

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