Find out what it’s like to live in the Port Adelaide Enfield Council area, learn about our history and culturally diverse communities, and explore our community and economic profile.
Who we are
At the City of PAE, we’re proud to see ourselves as a growing, thriving and diverse community. The rich heritage of our First Nations peoples, along with the cultures of residents who were born around the world, make this a unique place to live, work, learn and play.
No matter what your age, ability or stage of life is, Port Adelaide Enfield is a community where it’s easy to be active, get involved and enjoy a good life. There’s a sense of care and cohesion as people look out for each other and the neighbourhoods they live in. It’s easy to connect with friends, neighbours, activities, opportunities and services that support individual and community health, wellbeing, safety and aspirations.
We’re a growing city
The population of the City of PAE continues to grow, increasing by about 9% to 132,400 between the 2016 and 2021 Census. It is estimated that the population has increased to 138,585 in 2023 and will continue to grow for at least the next 10 years. Age groups experiencing the biggest growth include young workers and families and residents aged 60 to 85 years.
We’re culturally diverse
The City of PAE is one of the most culturally diverse cities in South Australia. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population of 3,296 makes up 2.5% of our entire population and 13.9% of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Population in Greater Adelaide. About 36% of PAE residents were born overseas, with 23% having arrived in Australia in the last five years. The largest and growing birthplace group has been from India. Vietnamese, Punjabi and Mandarin are the languages other than English most often spoken at home.
We have a rich history
Port Adelaide Enfield is the traditional land of the Kaurna people, and their spiritual presence is acknowledged with an interactive arts walk and historic park sites.
We’re proud of our diversity
The rich heritage of our First Nations peoples, together with people from countries around the globe, is reflected in our food, arts, enterprises, traditions and celebrations. We’re active in advocating for and on behalf of our community, and we work with agencies and tiers of government to support both individual and community needs and aspirations.
We make space for connection and collaboration
Our places have a unique, local identity that helps people to connect with each other and with nature. We support and empower local artists, whose creative and artistic expressions can be found throughout our city.
We’re a city that’s made for living
Our green open spaces, sporting facilities, libraries, centres, halls and hubs are places where people come together and learn skills for life and employment. We offer contemporary, high-quality, well-maintained community infrastructure across our city.
Both our new and historic neighbourhoods are evolving in ways that reflect our residents’ expectations of good lives. There’s a range of affordable housing choices in PAE, and essential health services are easily accessible. Our community is resilient and we face challenges together.
We’re keen volunteers
Port Adelaide Enfield residents are keen volunteers. Over 13,950 residents reported doing some voluntary work in 2021, and we have more than 300 active volunteers on our books. Find out more about volunteering in the City of PAE.
Our Community Profile, Social Atlas and Population Profile
We gather statistics about the Port Adelaide Enfield Council area every five years through the Australian Census. Knowing who we are, how we live and what we do helps us make decisions about how our community can continue to thrive and prosper.
Our Community Profile presents the population characteristics of PAE, as well as profile areas (groups of suburbs) and additional areas (suburbs), which we can compare with Greater Adelaide, South Australia or Australia. The Census also gives us data on how these characteristics have changed over time from 1991, 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011, 2016 and 2021.
Our Social Atlas provides a variety of population characteristics in map form. The maps help to identify spatial patterns of a number of characteristics across PAE for 2011, 2016 and 2021, as well as the percentage change between these Census periods.
Our Population Forecast presents information about what is driving population change in the community and how the population, age and household structure, and number of dwellings will change between 2021 and 2046. The forecasts are designed to provide staff, Elected Members, community groups, investors, business, students and the general public with knowledge to make confident decisions about the future.
Our economic profile
PAE has a thriving economy and is a business-friendly city. Our established businesses are growing, as are our new businesses. We’re also attracting new investment and embracing innovation and start-ups.
We’re national leaders in minimising waste, collaborating to create a local circular economy and providing green business opportunities. We buy locally while maintaining value and quality for the community.
PAE is the home of Australia’s defence ship-building program and the state’s sea freight hub. We also boast a range of employment opportunities and are the engine room of the South Australian economy.
Urban renewal has stimulated new economic activity and employment. Our public and private transport network is well integrated and supports economic growth. Our city’s infrastructure and assets meet the needs of existing and new businesses and communities.
Port Adelaide is a major tourism destination, and the local tourism industry is booming.
Adelaide Airport and the CBD are only 20 minutes away from the waterfront in Port Adelaide, which is also the gateway for cruise ship passengers wanting to discover our maritime, cultural and built heritage.
The Port River estuary is home to ancient mangroves, the Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary and the Adelaide International Bird Sanctuary, while along the coast there are several pristine sandy beaches.
View our economic profile
Visit Port and Coast
Learn more about doing business in PAE
