Sickest and healthiest regions and suburbs in South Australia

These are the sickest suburbs in SA with high rates of stroke, dementia, heart disease, cancer and arthritis. See how your suburb rates using our searchable tool.

Kangaroo Island and both Fleurieu and Yorke Peninsulas are among the sickest regions in Australia, with very high numbers of people suffering from serious illnesses, a new analysis has revealed.

The region that includes Fleurieu Peninsula and Kangaroo Island is the equal fourth sickest spot in the country with high rates of stroke, dementia, heart disease, cancer and arthritis.

It is level with the Yorke Peninsula, which also has high rates of diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, arthritis and cancer.

The bleak results come from analysis of last year’s Australian Bureau of Statistics census, which asked people whether they suffered from one of 10 key health conditions.

The age of the population in these regions is likely behind the health problems.

Almost 57 per cent of people in Fleurieu Peninsula and Kangaroo Island are aged over 50.

Nearly 58 per cent of those living in the Yorke Peninsula are aged over 50.

The healthiest place in the state is Adelaide’s Burnside region, which takes in the suburbs of Kensington Gardens, Wattle Park, Dulwich, Stonyfell and St George.

The bleak results come from analysis of last year’s Australian Bureau of Statistics census, which asked people whether they suffered from one of 10 key health conditions.

Two in three people (65 per cent) people who live there told the census they had none of the top 10 health conditions.

That is likely because its population is much younger — only 36 per cent of residents are aged over 50.

The Yorke Peninsula has the highest rates of arthritis, diabetes, kidney disease and lung disease in the state.

Fleurieu Peninsula and Kangaroo Island has the highest rates of cancer, heart disease, and stroke in the state.

Playford, which includes the suburbs of Virginia, Angle Vale and One Tree Hill, has the highest rates of asthma and mental health problems in the state.

Nationally, Queensland’s Bribie Island and Beachmere are the sickest regions in Australia and home to the highest proportion of people suffering from the top 10 health conditions, the census data shows.

The Great Lakes region of NSW, which takes in Forster, Tuncurry and Bulahdelah, is the second unhealthiest place in the country.

It has high rates of heart disease, lung disease, kidney disease, stroke, cancer, arthritis and ranks number one for dementia.

In Victoria, the Maryborough Pyrenees region ranks in equal third place with high rates of stroke, diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, arthritis and mental health

In Tasmania, the South East Coast region has the second highest rates of cancer and arthritis in the country and Brighton has high rates of asthma and mental health problems.

In the Northern Territory, people with no fixed address have the nation’s highest rate of kidney disease.

It is the first time the national Census has collected information on diagnosed long-term health conditions.

Australian Medical Association (AMA) president Professor Stephen Robson said it was vital it was used to plan health service delivery.

While most major hospitals and health services are concentrated in the centre of our big cities, the census showed people with the most chronic health conditions live in rural and regional areas, he said.

Australian Medical Association (AMA) president Professor Stephen Robson said it was vital it was used to plan health service delivery.

Professor Robson said health policy makers had to figure out “how can we make it an attractive thing to move out of the lower north shore of Sydney and move into a place where you can have an enormous impact on a community living and working?”

The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ Dr David Gruen said the proportion of those with a long-term health condition increased with age and women were more likely to report a long-term health condition than men.

Asthma was the most commonly reported health condition for 0–14 year olds, with more boys (7.4 per cent) reporting asthma compared to girls (5.3 per cent).

More than half of Australians with Greek (56.1 per cent) and Italian (53.7 per cent) heritage reported one or more long-term health conditions.

The 2021 census also found:

• More than 8 million people had a long-term health condition.

• 4,791,516 people had one of the selected top 10 long-term health conditions.

• 1,490,344 people had two of the selected long-term health conditions.

• 772,142 people had three or more of the selected long-term health conditions.

Originally published as Sickest and healthiest regions and suburbs in South Australia