Helensburgh

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 is around 9,213 as of Nov 2025. This reflects an increase of 78 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 9,135 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 9,124 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 54 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 59 persons per square kilometer. Population growth was primarily driven by natural growth, contributing approximately 51.9% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections are used, released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. 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 of national regional areas, with an expected expansion of 365 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a gain of 3.0% in total 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 experienced approximately 22 dwelling approvals per year over the past five financial years, totalling 112 homes. As of FY-26, 11 approvals have been recorded so far. The average construction cost value for new homes is $506,000. In this financial year, $1.3 million in commercial approvals have been registered, indicating the area's residential nature.

Compared to Rest of NSW, Helensburgh has significantly less development activity, with 58.0% below the regional average per person. This constrained new construction typically reinforces demand and pricing for existing properties. New building activity shows 47.0% detached dwellings and 53.0% medium and high-density housing. The current housing mix is 85.0% houses, reflecting reduced availability of development sites and shifting lifestyle demands. The estimated population per dwelling approval is 1151 people. Future projections show Helensburgh adding 274 residents by 2041, with new housing supply expected to meet demand based on current development patterns.

Future projections show Helensburgh adding 274 residents by 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). Based on current development patterns, new housing supply should readily meet demand, offering good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

Helensburgh has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 16 projects that could impact the area. Notable projects include Helensburgh Pool Refurbishment, Former Helensburgh Waste Depot Remediation, Vera and Wilson Streets Helensburgh, and Helensburgh Community Centre and Library. The following list details those most relevant.

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

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees Helensburgh performing better than 85% of local markets assessed across Australia

Helensburgh has a highly educated workforce with professional services well represented. Its unemployment rate was 1.8% as of June 2025, lower than the Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%.

Employment stability in Helensburgh over the past year was relative, with an increase of 0.4% in employment and a rise of 0.3 percentage points in unemployment rate. The dominant employment sectors among residents include health care & social assistance, construction, and education & training. Notably, professional & technical services have a significant presence, with an employment share 1.9 times the regional level. Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing has limited presence at 0.6% compared to the regional average of 5.3%.

AreaSearch analysis indicates that local employment opportunities may be limited, as suggested by the difference between Census working population and resident population figures. In broader context, NSW state-level data from Nov-25 shows employment contracted by 0.03%, with an unemployment rate of 3.9%, compared to the national average of 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years nationally, but growth rates vary significantly between sectors. Applying these projections to Helensburgh's employment mix suggests local employment could increase by 6.7% over five years and 13.8% over ten years, though this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localised population projections.

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

AreaSearch's data for financial year 2022 shows Helensburgh SA2 had a median income of $60,010 and an average income of $78,086. This is higher than the Rest of NSW's median income of $49,459 and average income of $62,998. By September 2025, estimated incomes would be approximately $67,577 (median) and $87,933 (average), based on a 12.61% Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2022. Census 2021 data ranks Helensburgh's household, family, and personal incomes highly, between the 79th and 91st percentiles nationally. The $1,500 - $2,999 earnings band includes 33.7% of individuals (3,104 people), similar to regional levels at 29.9%. Helensburgh's affluence is evident with 39.3% earning over $3,000 per week, supporting premium retail and services. Housing accounts for 14.8% of income, and residents rank in 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 structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 85.4% houses and 14.6% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), contrasting with Non-Metro NSW's 58.9% houses and 41.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Helensburgh was 33.8%, similar to Non-Metro NSW, with mortgaged dwellings at 50.7% and rented ones at 15.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Helensburgh was $2,512, higher than Non-Metro NSW's average of $2,189. The median weekly rent figure in Helensburgh was $530, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $400. Nationally, Helensburgh's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $2,512 versus 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 comprise the remaining 16.1%, with lone person households at 14.6% and group households making up 1.6% of the total. The median household size is 2.9 people, 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%, higher than the Rest of NSW average of 21.3% and the SA4 region's 25.2%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 19.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (7.7%) and graduate diplomas (3.0%). Vocational credentials are held by 40.7% of residents aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 12.7% and certificates at 28.0%.

Educational participation is high, with 30.5% currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.6% in primary education, 7.8% in secondary education, and 4.3% pursuing tertiary education.

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 are served by 20 routes that together facilitate 1,640 weekly passenger trips. The average distance to the nearest stop for residents is 176 meters, indicating excellent accessibility.

On average, there are 234 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 16 weekly trips per individual 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-than-average health outcomes with fewer common health conditions among its general population compared to national averages. However, older and at-risk cohorts have higher prevalence rates.

Approximately 59% of Helensburgh's total population (5,417 people) has private health cover, which is higher than the Rest of NSW average of 56.6%. The most prevalent medical conditions are asthma and arthritis, affecting 8.1% and 7.4% of residents respectively. 71.0% of Helensburgh residents report being free from medical ailments, compared to 68.6% in the Rest of NSW. As of 2021, 15.2% of Helensburgh's population is aged 65 and over (1,404 people), lower than the Rest of NSW average of 17.7%. Health outcomes among seniors require more attention than those for the broader population.

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

Helensburgh, as per the 2016 Census, had a low cultural diversity with 86.6% of its population born in Australia, 92.7% being Australian citizens, and 95.1% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, accounting for 50.2%, slightly lower than the Rest of NSW average of 51.0%. The top three ancestral groups were English (30.9%), Australian (30.3%), and Irish (9.9%).

Notably, Maltese (0.8% vs regional 0.6%), Macedonian (0.2% vs 1.5%), and Dutch (1.4% vs 1.5%) groups had different representations compared to the regional averages.

Helensburgh's population aligns closely with national norms in age terms

The median age in Helensburgh is 39 years, which is significantly lower than Rest of NSW's average of 43 but essentially aligned with Australia's median age of 38 years. Compared to Rest of NSW, Helensburgh has a higher concentration of residents aged 5-14 (14.9%) but fewer residents aged 65-74 (8.8%). According to the 2021 Census, the proportion of residents aged 5 to 14 increased from 14.1% to 14.9%, while the proportion of those aged 55 to 64 decreased from 13.2% to 11.8%. By 2041, demographic projections show significant shifts in Helensburgh's age structure. The number of residents aged 75 to 84 is projected to grow by 46%, reaching 638 from 437. Notably, the combined age groups of 65 and above will account for 57% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. In contrast, both the 15 to 24 and 65 to 74 age groups are projected to decrease in number.