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Living in Encounter Bay, SA
Encounter Bay is in the Victor Harbor council area. About 5,305 people lived here at the 2021 Census. Here's who they are, their homes and how they get around, next to the rest of Victor Harbor and South Australia.
Rent now
$580 a week
That's the median rent on new leases in Encounter Bay, in the June quarter 2026. Half of new leases cost more and half cost less.
Who lives here
| Measure | Encounter Bay | Victor Harbor | SA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 66 | 60 | 41 |
| People per home | 2.0 | 2.1 | 2.4 |
| Household income, a week (median) | $929 | $980 | $1,455 |
Homes
| Measure | Encounter Bay | Victor Harbor | SA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 62% | 51% | 33% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 18% | 24% | 36% |
| Rented | 18% | 21% | 28% |
| Separate houses | 97% | 89% | 78% |
| Flats and apartments | 0% | 2% | 7% |
| Rent, a week (median, 2021) | $305 | $290 | $300 |
| Mortgage repayment, a month (median) | $1,170 | $1,300 | $1,500 |
Shares of homes where people answered the question. Rent and mortgage figures are from 2021, so they're well below today's. See what tenants pay now.
Getting around
| Measure | Encounter Bay | Victor Harbor | SA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes with no car | 4% | 6% | 7% |
| Homes with two or more cars | 45% | 50% | 56% |
| Went to work by car | 83% | 79% | 77% |
| Went to work by public transport | 1% | 1% | 6% |
| Walked or cycled to work | 2% | 4% | 4% |
| Worked from home | 12% | 13% | 11% |
How people got to work on Census day, as a share of those who went to work or worked at home. The Census was on 10 August 2021, when Greater Sydney and Melbourne were in lockdown, so many more people there worked from home than usual, and fewer took public transport.
Public transport
| Kind | Stops | Services stopping, a weekday | Busiest stop, 7 to 9am |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bus | 8 | 19 | Stop 4 Maude St / Bay Rd - West side (Victor Harbor): 2 services |
Encounter Bay has no train station. The nearest is Seaford Railway Station, about 43.7 km from the middle of the suburb in a straight line.
Counted for Wednesday 21 October 2026, an ordinary weekday in the timetable. Each time a train, tram, ferry or bus stops counts once, in both directions. Train and tram stations count once however many platforms they have.
Schools
There's no school in Encounter Bay itself.
Within 2 km
- Victor Harbor High School Government, secondary, 2.0 km
Government schools only: South Australia doesn't publish an open list of Catholic and independent schools. Distances are in a straight line from the middle of Encounter Bay. Check enrolment rules with the school or the state's education department. We don't rank or rate schools.
Bushfire map
- 14% of Encounter Bay's land is mapped as bushfire prone.
These are planning maps. They decide building rules, like how a new home must be built. They aren't an insurance price or a promise: a place outside them can still burn or flood. Check a street address on SAPPA, the SA Property and Planning Atlas.
More about Victor Harbor
- What it costs to live in Victor Harbor: rent, power, fuel, pokies losses and crime, against South Australia.
- Compare Victor Harbor with another area.
- Other suburbs in Victor Harbor.
Sources: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021, General Community Profile, and Suburbs and Localities boundaries, CC BY 4.0. Victor Harbor figures use the council's 2021 boundaries. Public transport: Adelaide Metro, Department for Infrastructure and Transport, CC BY. Schools: South Australian Department for Education (2023 list), CC BY 4.0. Rent: state rental bond data (see the rent pages). Hazards: Department for Housing and Urban Development, Planning and Design Code overlays, CC BY 4.0.