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 is 9,205 as of August 2025. This shows an increase of 70 people (0.8%) since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 9,135. The change is inferred from ABS estimated resident population of 9,124 in June 2024 and additional validated new addresses of 51 since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 59 persons per square kilometer. Recent population growth was primarily driven by natural growth contributing approximately 51.9%.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for SA2 areas, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For uncovers areas, 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 for national regional areas, with the area expected to expand by 365 persons to 2041 based on latest numbers, recording a 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 33 dwelling approvals annually. Since FY-20 to FY-25, the ABS recorded a total of 166 approvals, with an additional 10 in FY-26. The average construction cost for new homes is $506,000. This financial year has seen $1.3 million in commercial approvals.

Compared to Rest of NSW, Helensburgh has significantly lower building activity, being 59.0% below the regional average per person. New supply appears to be keeping pace with demand, offering good choice for buyers. The area's new housing stock consists of 47.0% detached houses and 53.0% medium/high-density housing, indicating a shift from its existing housing composition, which is currently 85.0% houses. With an estimated 1151 people per dwelling approval, Helensburgh has a quiet development environment. Population forecasts predict an increase of 282 residents by 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should meet demand comfortably, supporting buyers and potential growth beyond current projections.

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

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 16 projects that could affect this region. Notable initiatives include Helensburgh Pool Refurbishment, Former Helensburgh Waste Depot Remediation, Helensburgh Streetscape Masterplan - Stage 2 & 3, and Vera and Wilson Streets Helensburgh. The following list outlines 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 a highly educated workforce with significant representation in professional services. Its unemployment rate is 1.8%, lower than the Rest of NSW's 3.7%.

Employment stability has been maintained over the past year, with 5,172 residents employed as of June 2025. The area's workforce participation rate is high at 68.2% compared to the Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Leading industries include health care & social assistance, construction, and education & training. Notably, professional & technical services have a strong presence, with an employment share 1.9 times the regional level.

Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing has lower representation at 0.6% versus the regional average of 5.3%. Employment opportunities locally appear limited based on Census data analysis. Over the year to June 2025, employment increased by 0.4%, while labour force grew by 0.6%, resulting in a slight unemployment rise of 0.3 percentage points. In comparison, Rest of NSW saw an employment decline of 0.1% and a unemployment increase of 0.4 percentage points. State-wide, NSW employment contracted by 0.41% (losing 19,270 jobs) with an unemployment rate of 4.3%, slightly lower than the national rate of 4.5%. National employment forecasts project growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.8% 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, although this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 indicates Helensburgh had a median income among taxpayers of $60,010 and an average of $78,086. Nationally, these figures are extremely high compared to Rest of NSW's median of $49,459 and average of $62,998. Projecting forward using the 10.6% Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2022, estimated incomes as of March 2025 would be approximately $66,371 (median) and $86,363 (average). Census 2021 income data places Helensburgh's household, family, and personal incomes between the 79th and 91st percentiles nationally. Income analysis shows that 33.7% of residents earn between $1,500 and $2,999 weekly, similar to metropolitan regions at 29.9%. Notably, 39.3% of residents earn above $3,000 per week, indicating strong economic capacity in the suburb. Housing expenses account for 14.8% of income, with residents ranking 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 per the latest Census, was 85.4% houses and 14.6% other dwellings. In comparison, Non-Metro NSW had 58.9% houses and 41.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Helensburgh stood at 33.8%, similar to Non-Metro NSW's level. The remaining dwellings were either mortgaged (50.7%) or rented (15.5%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,512, higher than Non-Metro NSW's average of $2,189. The median weekly rent 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, while 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 account for 83.9% of all households. They consist of 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%. 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 rates are notably high at 30.0% of residents aged 15+, surpassing the Rest of NSW average of 21.3% and the SA4 region average of 25.2%. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 19.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (7.7%) and graduate diplomas (3.0%). Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 40.7% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications, including advanced diplomas (12.7%) and certificates (28.0%).

Educational participation is high, with 30.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, comprising 10.6% in primary, 7.8% in secondary, and 4.3% in tertiary education. Helensburgh's five schools have a combined enrollment of 1,004 students as of the latest data. The area demonstrates above-average socio-educational conditions with an ICSEA score of 1065. Educational facilities include four primary schools and one K-12 school. School places per 100 residents stand at 11.0, lower than the regional average of 15.0, indicating some students may attend schools in nearby areas.

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 that collectively facilitate 1640 weekly passenger trips. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 176 meters to 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-than-average health outcomes with low prevalence of common conditions among its general population compared to national averages but higher rates among older and at-risk groups. Private health cover is exceptionally high here at about 59% (5,412 people) versus 56.6% in the rest of NSW.

The most frequent medical issues are asthma (8.1%) and arthritis (7.4%), while 71.0% report no medical ailments, compared to 68.6% elsewhere in NSW. As of June 30, 2020, 15.2% of residents are aged 65 or older (1,402 people), lower than the 17.7% in the rest of NSW. Health outcomes among seniors require more attention compared to 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, surveyed in the year 2016, had below average cultural diversity with 86.6% of its population born in Australia, 92.7% being citizens, and 95.1% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the main religion, comprising 50.2% of Helensburgh's population, compared to 51.0% across Rest of NSW. The top three ancestry groups were English (30.9%), Australian (30.3%, higher than the regional average of 24.8%), and Irish (9.9%).

Notable differences existed in Maltese representation at 0.8% (vs regional 0.6%) and Macedonian at 0.2% (vs regional 1.5%), with Dutch at 1.4% closely matching the regional average of 1.5%.

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 essentially aligned with Australia's median age of 38 years. Compared to Rest of NSW, Helensburgh has a higher percentage of residents aged 5-14 (14.9%) but fewer residents aged 65-74 (8.8%). According to the 2021 Census, the 5-14 age group grew from 14.1% to 14.9% of Helensburgh's population while the 55-64 age group declined 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%, reaching 638 people from the current 437. Notably, the combined age groups of 65 and above will account for 56% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. In contrast, both the 15-24 and 65-74 age groups are projected to decrease in numbers.