Helensburgh
Statistical Area - sa2

An assessment of population growth drivers in Helensburgh reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Helensburgh's population, as of Aug 2025, is around 9,205, showing an increase of 70 people since the 2021 Census. The 2021 Census reported a population of 9,135. This change is inferred from ABS data: Helensburgh's estimated resident population was 9,124 in June 2024, with an additional 51 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 59 persons per square kilometer. Natural growth contributed approximately 51.9% to recent population gains.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections are used, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Future population dynamics anticipate lower quartile growth, with Helensburgh expected to expand by 365 persons to 2041, a total gain of 3.1% over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Helensburgh, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

Helensburgh has received approximately 22 dwelling approvals annually. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reports a total of 112 approvals over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, with 10 approved in FY-26 so far. Despite population decline, new supply has likely kept pace with demand, offering good choices for buyers. The average construction cost value for new homes is $506,000.

This financial year has seen $1.3 million in commercial approvals, indicating the area's residential nature. Compared to the Rest of NSW, Helensburgh records significantly lower building activity, 58.0% below the regional average per person. This constrained new construction typically reinforces demand and pricing for existing homes. Activity is also below the national average, suggesting the area's established nature and potential planning limitations. New building activity comprises 47.0% detached houses and 53.0% medium to high-density housing, offering affordable entry pathways and attracting downsizers, investors, and first-time purchasers. This represents a shift from the current 85.0% houses in the area, indicating decreasing developable sites and changing lifestyles. The estimated population per dwelling approval is 1151 people, reflecting its quiet development environment.

Population forecasts indicate Helensburgh will gain 282 residents by 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current projections.

Helensburgh has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 16 projects that may impact the area. Notable ones are Helensburgh Pool Refurbishment, Former Helensburgh Waste Depot Remediation, Helensburgh Streetscape Masterplan - Stage 2 & 3, and Vera and Wilson Streets Helensburgh. The following list details those most relevant.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

The labour market strength in Helensburgh positions it well ahead of most Australian regions

Helensburgh has an educated workforce with professional services well represented. The unemployment rate was 1.8% in June 2025, below Rest of NSW's 3.7%.

Workforce participation was 68.2%, above Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Key employment industries were health care & social assistance, construction, and education & training. The area had a strong specialization in professional & technical services, at 1.9 times the regional level, but agriculture, forestry & fishing showed lower representation at 0.6% versus the regional average of 5.3%. Over June 2024 to June 2025, employment increased by 0.4%, labour force grew by 0.6%, and unemployment rose by 0.3 percentage points in Helensburgh.

In comparison, Rest of NSW saw employment decline by 0.1%, labour force growth of 0.3%, with unemployment rising by 0.4 percentage points. As of Sep-25, NSW employment had contracted by 0.41% (losing 19,270 jobs), with a state unemployment rate of 4.3%, compared to the national rate of 4.5%. National employment forecasts from May 2025 project growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Helensburgh's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.7% over five years and 13.8% over ten years.

Income metrics indicate excellent economic conditions, with the area achieving higher performance than 75% of national locations assessed by AreaSearch

AreaSearch released postcode-level ATO data for financial year 2022. Helensburgh's median income among taxpayers was $60,010 and the average was $78,086. Nationally, these figures are extremely high compared to Rest of NSW's median of $49,459 and average of $62,998. As of March 2025, estimated incomes would be approximately $66,371 (median) and $86,363 (average), based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.6% since financial year 2022. Census 2021 income data ranks Helensburgh's household, family, and personal incomes highly nationally, between the 79th and 91st percentiles. Income analysis shows that the largest segment in Helensburgh comprises 33.7% earning $1,500 - 2,999 weekly (3,102 residents), similar to the metropolitan region where 29.9% occupy this bracket. A substantial proportion of high earners, at 39.3%, indicates strong economic capacity throughout the suburb. Housing accounts for 14.8% of income, and residents rank within the 91st percentile for disposable income. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

Helensburgh is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with ownership patterns similar to the broader region

Helensburgh's dwelling structure, as recorded in the latest Census, was 85.4% houses and 14.6% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). Non-Metro NSW had a different composition with 58.9% houses and 41.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Helensburgh was 33.8%, similar to Non-Metro NSW's figure. The remaining dwellings were mortgaged (50.7%) or rented (15.5%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in Helensburgh was $2,512, higher than Non-Metro NSW's average of $2,189. Median weekly rent in Helensburgh was $530, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $400. Nationally, Helensburgh's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Helensburgh features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 83.9% of all households, including 47.5% couples with children, 26.6% couples without children, and 9.1% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 16.1%, with lone person households at 14.6% and group households comprising 1.6% of the total. The median household size is 2.9 people, which is larger than the Rest of NSW average of 2.5.

Helensburgh shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

The area's university qualification rate is 30.0% among residents aged 15+, surpassing the Rest of NSW average of 21.3% and the SA4 region average of 25.2%. Bachelor degrees are the most prevalent at 19.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (7.7%) and graduate diplomas (3.0%). Vocational credentials are also common, with 40.7% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas account for 12.7% and certificates for 28.0%.

Educational participation is high at 30.5%, including 10.6% in primary education, 7.8% in secondary education, and 4.3% pursuing tertiary education. Helensburgh has five schools with a combined enrollment of 1,004 students. The ICSEA score for Helensburgh's socio-educational conditions is 1065, indicating above-average conditions. There are four primary schools and one K-12 school in the area. School places per 100 residents are 10.9, lower than the regional average of 15.0, suggesting some students may attend schools outside Helensburgh.

Transport servicing is moderate compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

Helensburgh has 97 active public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 20 individual routes, collectively facilitating 1640 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located 176 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 234 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 16 weekly trips per stop.

The level of general health in Helensburgh is notably higher than the national average with prevalence of common health conditions low among the general population though higher than the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts

Helensburgh shows better health outcomes compared to averages, with low prevalence of common conditions among its general population but higher rates among older and at-risk groups. Approximately 59% of Helensburgh's total population (5,412 people) have private health cover, slightly higher than Rest of NSW's 56.6%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are asthma and arthritis, affecting 8.1 and 7.4% of residents respectively, while 71.0% report no medical ailments, compared to 68.6% in Rest of NSW. As of the latest data (20XX), Helensburgh has a lower proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 15.2% (1,402 people) than Rest of NSW's 17.7%. However, health outcomes among seniors require more attention due to these higher rates of common conditions.

Helensburgh is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics

Helensburgh had a cultural diversity score below average, with 86.6% of its population born in Australia, 92.7% being citizens, and 95.1% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Helensburgh, comprising 50.2%, compared to 51.0% across Rest of NSW. The top three ancestry groups were English (30.9%), Australian (30.3%), and Irish (9.9%).

Notably, Maltese were overrepresented at 0.8% in Helensburgh compared to the regional average of 0.6%, while Macedonian was underrepresented at 0.2% versus 1.5%. Dutch representation was similar to the regional average, at 1.4%.

Helensburgh's population is slightly older than the national pattern

The median age in Helensburgh is 39 years, which is significantly lower than Rest of NSW's average of 43 but aligns with Australia's median age of 38 years. Compared to Rest of NSW, Helensburgh has a higher proportion of residents aged 5-14 (14.9%) but fewer individuals aged 65-74 (8.8%). According to the 2021 Census, the 5-14 age group increased from 14.1% to 14.9%, while the 55-64 cohort decreased from 13.2% to 11.8%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Helensburgh's age structure. The 75-84 age group is expected to grow by 46% (an increase of 200 people), reaching a total of 638 from the previous count of 437. Notably, the combined age groups of 65 and above will account for 56% of the total population growth, reflecting Helensburgh's aging demographic profile. In contrast, both the 15-24 and 65-74 age groups are projected to have reduced numbers.