What is the second largest city in South Australia?

The vast majority of South Australia’s population lives in Adelaide, but the second largest city in South Australia is Mount Gambier.

South Australia may be huge in terms of area, but its population is ridiculously small. That’s largely because the state is majority outback.

But South Australia’s population is also astonishingly concentrated. The vast bulk of the people living in the state live in Adelaide. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 1,340,790 people live in the ‘significant urban area’ of Adelaide. That’s out of a total population in South Australia of 1,769,300.

With such a proportion of the population living in Adelaide, it’s borderline irrelevant what the second largest city in South Australia is. But that doesn’t stop a few plucky battlers jostling for position.

Biggest cities in South Australia

According to the Australia Bureau of Statistics’ regional population stats published in March 2020, there are just seven other cities in South Australia. Let’s be honest, none of these are cities by any reasonable international measurement. They’re small to medium-sized towns.

But those seven South Australian significant urban areas are Mount Gambier, Murray Bridge, Port Augusta, Port Lincoln, Port Pirie, Victor Harbor-Goolwa and Whyalla.

Few of these will realistically be on the tourist radar. Port Lincoln on the Eyre Peninsula is a big drive from Adelaide, but it’s the only place where you can do shark cage dive tours in Australia. It’s seen as a regional hub, but there’s only a population of 16,418.

There are also plenty of things to do in Victor Harbor and Goolwa. These are two separate towns, but there’s a pound shop version of a conurbation going on between them. 26,921 people live in this significant urban area. This makes it the third largest ‘city’ in South Australia.

Mount Gambier: The second largest city in South Australia

Mount Gambier Blue Lake — The Blue Lake of Mount Gambier is the main attraction in the second largest city in South Australia.

The second largest city in South Australia, therefore, is Mount Gambier. Often passed through on the drive from Melbourne to Adelaide, Mount Gambier is largely known for its blue lake, although the Kilsby Sinkhole and Tantanoola Caves are also nearby. It has a population of 29,767. This makes Mount Gambier approximately as large as Kalgoorlie-Boulder in Western Australia, Devonport in Tasmania, Nelson Bay in New South Wales or Maryborough in Queensland.

Top Mount Gambier accommodation choices

The best places to stay in Mount Gambier are:

For something fun and unusual: Old Mount Gambier Gaol.
For 19^th century charm and grandeur: Colhurst House.
For a good quality motel with low prices: Blue Lake Motel.
For studio apartments with kitchenettes, washing machines & tumble dryers: Aloha Central Premium Studios.