Regional South Australia · 2023-24 to 2025-26

Safest suburbs and towns in regional South Australia, and where crime is highest

Encounter Bay had the lowest recorded crime rate of the 37 regional SA suburbs and towns with at least 2,000 residents over 2023-24 to 2025-26: about 1,170 offences a year per 100,000 residents, against a median of 4,030. Freeling and Williamstown were next. The highest rates were in Port Augusta (41,000), Port Augusta West and Whyalla Norrie.

Read rates with care. Police count an offence where it happens, and these rates divide by the people who live there. Suburbs with a city centre, a large shopping centre or nightlife draw many visitors, so their rates run high even if few residents are affected. Suburbs under 2,000 residents are not ranked: a handful of incidents would swing their rate. Every suburb page still shows its figures.

Safest
Highest crime
Violent crime
Break-ins
Every suburb

Safest suburbs and towns in regional South Australia

Lowest recorded offences per 100,000 residents a year, 2023-24 to 2025-26 average.
#	Suburb	Residents	All offences a year	Per 100k
1	Encounter BayVictor Harbor · 5211	5,305	62	1,170
2	FreelingLight · 5372	2,688	43	1,590
3	WilliamstownBarossa · 5351	2,981	52	1,740
4	TanundaBarossa · 5352	4,710	94	1,990
5	AngastonBarossa · 5353	2,202	46	2,090
6	Moonta BayCopper Coast · 5558	2,633	58	2,200
7	Goolwa BeachAlexandrina · 5214	2,222	52	2,360
8	LewistonAdelaide Plains · 5501	3,275	82	2,490
9	McCrackenVictor Harbor · 5211	2,076	53	2,550
10	Roxby DownsUnincorporated SA · 5725	3,671	97	2,630
11	LyndochBarossa · 5351	2,151	58	2,680
12	Port ElliotAlexandrina · 5212	2,251	62	2,740
13	NuriootpaBarossa · 5355	6,901	202	2,930
14	BordertownTatiara · 5268	3,095	93	3,000
15	BalaklavaWakefield · 5461	2,083	71	3,390
16	LoxtonLoxton Waikerie · 5333	4,677	172	3,680
17	KapundaLight · 5373	2,947	109	3,690
18	HayboroughVictor Harbor · 5211	2,238	90	4,010
19	GoolwaAlexandrina · 5214	2,558	103	4,030
20	Stirling NorthPort Augusta · 5710	2,793	115	4,120

Highest recorded crime

Highest recorded offences per 100,000 residents a year, 2023-24 to 2025-26 average.
#	Suburb	Residents	All offences a year	Per 100k
1	Port AugustaPort Augusta · 5700	6,437	2,637	41,000
2	Port Augusta WestPort Augusta · 5700	4,046	999	24,700
3	Whyalla NorrieWhyalla · 5608	6,288	1,110	17,600
4	Whyalla StuartWhyalla · 5608	6,476	1,016	15,700
5	Port LincolnPort Lincoln · 5606	14,458	1,876	13,000
6	BerriBerri Barmera · 5343	4,143	373	9,000
7	Port Pirie SouthPort Pirie · 5540	3,878	333	8,590
8	Risdon ParkPort Pirie · 5540	3,878	300	7,740
9	WhyallaUnincorporated SA · 5600	3,609	265	7,350
10	RenmarkRenmark Paringa · 5341	4,705	343	7,290
11	Mount GambierMount Gambier · 5290	25,591	1,730	6,760
12	WallarooCopper Coast · 5556	3,699	237	6,400
13	Whyalla PlayfordUnincorporated SA · 5600	2,540	153	6,020
14	KadinaCopper Coast · 5554	2,944	159	5,390
15	BarmeraBerri Barmera · 5345	2,884	137	4,750
16	Victor HarborVictor Harbor · 5211	4,520	209	4,620
17	Risdon Park SouthPort Pirie · 5540	2,230	103	4,620
18	Stirling NorthPort Augusta · 5710	2,793	115	4,120
19	GoolwaAlexandrina · 5214	2,558	103	4,030
20	HayboroughVictor Harbor · 5211	2,238	90	4,010

Violent crime

Lowest

Homicide, assault, sexual offences and robbery.
#	Suburb	Residents	Violent a year	Per 100k
1	FreelingLight · 5372	2,688	9	322
2	Encounter BayVictor Harbor · 5211	5,305	19	352
3	WilliamstownBarossa · 5351	2,981	12	403
4	TanundaBarossa · 5352	4,710	19	410
5	Goolwa BeachAlexandrina · 5214	2,222	10	450
6	AngastonBarossa · 5353	2,202	11	484
7	LewistonAdelaide Plains · 5501	3,275	19	570
8	Port ElliotAlexandrina · 5212	2,251	14	607
9	NuriootpaBarossa · 5355	6,901	46	667
10	BordertownTatiara · 5268	3,095	21	679

Highest

Homicide, assault, sexual offences and robbery.
#	Suburb	Residents	Violent a year	Per 100k
1	Port AugustaPort Augusta · 5700	6,437	776	12,100
2	Port Augusta WestPort Augusta · 5700	4,046	278	6,870
3	Whyalla StuartWhyalla · 5608	6,476	331	5,110
4	Whyalla NorrieWhyalla · 5608	6,288	265	4,210
5	Port LincolnPort Lincoln · 5606	14,458	393	2,720
6	BerriBerri Barmera · 5343	4,143	110	2,650
7	Risdon ParkPort Pirie · 5540	3,878	90	2,330
8	Port Pirie SouthPort Pirie · 5540	3,878	82	2,120
9	RenmarkRenmark Paringa · 5341	4,705	89	1,880
10	Stirling NorthPort Augusta · 5710	2,793	52	1,870

Break-ins

Fewest

Break and enter, homes and businesses.
#	Suburb	Residents	Break-ins a year	Per 100k
1	Encounter BayVictor Harbor · 5211	5,305	11	214
2	FreelingLight · 5372	2,688	7	248
3	NuriootpaBarossa · 5355	6,901	18	261
4	BordertownTatiara · 5268	3,095	9	280
5	Roxby DownsUnincorporated SA · 5725	3,671	10	281
6	WilliamstownBarossa · 5351	2,981	9	291
7	LewistonAdelaide Plains · 5501	3,275	10	316
8	AngastonBarossa · 5353	2,202	7	318
9	McCrackenVictor Harbor · 5211	2,076	7	321
10	TanundaBarossa · 5352	4,710	16	347

Most

Break and enter, homes and businesses.
#	Suburb	Residents	Break-ins a year	Per 100k
1	Port AugustaPort Augusta · 5700	6,437	453	7,030
2	Port Augusta WestPort Augusta · 5700	4,046	172	4,260
3	Whyalla StuartWhyalla · 5608	6,476	137	2,110
4	Whyalla NorrieWhyalla · 5608	6,288	114	1,820
5	Port LincolnPort Lincoln · 5606	14,458	255	1,760
6	WallarooCopper Coast · 5556	3,699	56	1,510
7	Port Pirie SouthPort Pirie · 5540	3,878	50	1,300
8	Whyalla PlayfordUnincorporated SA · 5600	2,540	28	1,120
9	WhyallaUnincorporated SA · 5600	3,609	39	1,090
10	BerriBerri Barmera · 5343	4,143	38	917

Every ranked suburb

Suburb	Safest rank	All offences	Violent	Break-ins
AngastonBarossa	5 of 37	2,090	484	318
BalaklavaWakefield	15 of 37	3,390	1,230	464
BarmeraBerri Barmera	23 of 37	4,750	1,510	462
BerriBerri Barmera	32 of 37	9,000	2,650	917
BordertownTatiara	14 of 37	3,000	679	280
Encounter BayVictor Harbor	1 of 37	1,170	352	214
FreelingLight	2 of 37	1,590	322	248
GoolwaAlexandrina	19 of 37	4,030	1,110	482
Goolwa BeachAlexandrina	7 of 37	2,360	450	525
HayboroughVictor Harbor	18 of 37	4,010	760	626
KadinaCopper Coast	24 of 37	5,390	1,260	566
KapundaLight	17 of 37	3,690	814	419
LewistonAdelaide Plains	8 of 37	2,490	570	316
LoxtonLoxton Waikerie	16 of 37	3,680	891	620
LyndochBarossa	11 of 37	2,680	728	418
McCrackenVictor Harbor	9 of 37	2,550	835	321
Moonta BayCopper Coast	6 of 37	2,200	734	392
Mount GambierMount Gambier	27 of 37	6,760	1,830	801
NuriootpaBarossa	13 of 37	2,930	667	261
Port AugustaPort Augusta	37 of 37	41,000	12,100	7,030
Port Augusta WestPort Augusta	36 of 37	24,700	6,870	4,260
Port ElliotAlexandrina	12 of 37	2,740	607	444
Port LincolnPort Lincoln	33 of 37	13,000	2,720	1,760
Port Pirie SouthPort Pirie	31 of 37	8,590	2,120	1,300
RenmarkRenmark Paringa	28 of 37	7,290	1,880	623
Risdon ParkPort Pirie	30 of 37	7,740	2,330	713
Risdon Park SouthPort Pirie	21 of 37	4,620	1,640	703
Roxby DownsUnincorporated SA	10 of 37	2,630	1,080	281
Stirling NorthPort Augusta	20 of 37	4,120	1,870	597
TanundaBarossa	4 of 37	1,990	410	347
Victor HarborVictor Harbor	22 of 37	4,620	1,120	597
WallarooCopper Coast	26 of 37	6,400	1,310	1,510
WhyallaUnincorporated SA	29 of 37	7,350	1,650	1,090
Whyalla NorrieWhyalla	35 of 37	17,600	4,210	1,820
Whyalla PlayfordUnincorporated SA	25 of 37	6,020	1,540	1,120
Whyalla StuartWhyalla	34 of 37	15,700	5,110	2,110
WilliamstownBarossa	3 of 37	1,740	403	291

Offences per 100,000 residents a year, 2023-24 to 2025-26 average. Safest rank: 1 is the lowest rate of all recorded offences.

Questions

What is the safest suburb in regional South Australia?

By recorded crime per resident, Encounter Bay (Victor Harbor): about 1,170 offences a year per 100,000 residents over 2023-24 to 2025-26, against a median of 4,030 for regional SA suburbs and towns. The next lowest were Freeling, Williamstown, Tanunda, Angaston.

Which suburb in regional South Australia has the highest crime rate?

Port Augusta, at about 41,000 offences a year per 100,000 residents, then Port Augusta West, Whyalla Norrie, Whyalla Stuart. Places with a city or town centre, shopping or nightlife rank high: offences are counted where they happen, and many people there live elsewhere.

Which suburbs in regional South Australia have the fewest break-ins?

Encounter Bay (214), Freeling (248), Nuriootpa (261) recorded the fewest break-ins per 100,000 residents a year over 2023-24 to 2025-26. The most were in Port Augusta (7,030), Port Augusta West (4,260), Whyalla Stuart (2,110).

Why is my suburb not ranked?

Only suburbs with at least 2,000 residents at the 2021 Census and figures in each of the three years are ranked: 37 regional SA suburbs and towns. Smaller suburbs still have a page with their figures; find them on the map or by postcode.

Where do these figures come from?

SA Police publish offences reported or becoming known to police by suburb each financial year. Each rate here averages 2023-24 to 2025-26 (three years, so one unusual year does not decide a suburb's place) and divides by usual residents at the 2021 Census (ABS). Offence types follow the national categories: violent crime is homicide, assault, sexual offences and robbery.

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