Henley Beach
Statistical Area - sa2

Henley Beach has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

Henley Beach's population, as of November 2025, is approximately 16,676. This figure represents an increase of 1,042 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 15,634. The growth is inferred from ABS estimated resident population of 16,564 as of June 2024 and additional validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 2,798 persons per square kilometer, placing Henley Beach in the upper quartile nationally according to AreaSearch's assessments. The area's growth rate of 6.7% since the census is within 0.4 percentage points of South Australia's state average of 7.1%. Overseas migration contributed approximately 82.3% of overall population gains during recent periods.

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 and years post-2032, the SA State Government's Regional/LGA projections are adopted with adjustments made using weighted aggregation methods from LGA to SA2 levels. Future population trends suggest an increase just below the median for statistical areas analysed by AreaSearch, with Henley Beach expected to expand by 2,003 persons by 2041 based on latest numbers, resulting in a total gain of 11.3% over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Henley Beach among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

Henley Beach has received approximately 127 dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling 636 homes. As of FY-26, 27 dwellings have been approved. On average, 1.4 new residents arrive per new home built each year between FY-21 and FY-25. The average construction cost for new homes is $420,000, indicating a focus on the premium market segment.

This financial year has seen $29.3 million in commercial approvals, reflecting high local commercial activity. Henley Beach maintains similar construction rates per person compared to Greater Adelaide, preserving market equilibrium with surrounding areas. Detached dwellings make up 71.0% of new building activity, while medium and high-density housing accounts for 29.0%, sustaining the area's suburban identity.

With around 122 people per approval, Henley Beach reflects a developing area. Population forecasts project an increase of 1,888 residents by 2041. Current construction levels suggest adequate housing supply to meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers and potentially enabling growth beyond current projections.

Henley Beach has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally

Area infrastructure changes significantly influence local performance. AreaSearch identified five projects likely impacting the area. Major projects include Gleneagles Reserve Stormwater Management & Reserve Upgrade, Fulham Gardens Shopping Centre Redevelopment, Rivergarden Estate, and Harbour Town Premium Outlets Adelaide Expansion. 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 reveals Henley Beach significantly outperforming the majority of regions assessed nationwide

Henley Beach has a highly educated workforce with prominent representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate is 2.3%, lower than Greater Adelaide's 4.0%.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 3.0%. As of June 2025, 9,365 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 1.7% below Greater Adelaide's and a workforce participation rate of 64.3%, slightly higher than Greater Adelaide's 61.7%. Leading employment industries include health care & social assistance, education & training, and retail trade.

However, health care & social assistance employs only 15.1% of local workers, lower than Greater Adelaide's 17.7%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the difference between Census working population and resident population figures. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment increased by 3.0%, while labour force grew by 3.3%, leading to a rise in unemployment rate of 0.3 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Adelaide recorded employment growth of 2.1% and labour force growth of 2.1%. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia, issued in May 2025, project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Henley Beach's employment mix suggests local growth could approximate these rates over the same periods, although this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes only and does not account for local population projections.

Income analysis reveals strong economic positioning, with the area outperforming 60% of locations assessed nationally by AreaSearch

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2022, Henley Beach had a median income among taxpayers of $57,409. The average income stood at $80,949. Nationally, these figures are extremely high compared to $52,592 and $64,886 across Greater Adelaide respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.83% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $64,775 (median) and $91,335 (average) as of September 2025. According to 2021 Census figures, household, family and personal incomes in Henley Beach cluster around the 58th percentile nationally. Distribution data shows that 28.0% of locals (4,669 people) fall into the $1,500 - 2,999 income category, which is consistent with broader trends across the region showing 31.8% in the same category. After housing costs, 86.6% of income remains for other expenses. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

Henley Beach displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Henley Beach dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 66.1% houses and 33.9% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This was similar to Adelaide metro's distribution of 66.1% houses and 33.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Henley Beach stood at 41.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 31.5% and rented ones at 26.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,000, higher than Adelaide metro's average of $1,733. Median weekly rent in Henley Beach was $350, compared to Adelaide metro's $325. Nationally, Henley Beach's mortgage repayments exceeded the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were lower than the national figure of $375.

Henley Beach has a typical household mix, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households account for 69.9% of all households, including 32.6% couples with children, 27.0% couples without children, and 9.4% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 30.1%, with lone person households at 27.3% and group households comprising 2.7%. The median household size is 2.4 people, aligning with the Greater Adelaide average.

The educational profile of Henley Beach exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

The area's university qualification rate is 32.0% among residents aged 15+, exceeding the South Australian (SA) average of 25.7% and that of SA3 area at 28.8%. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 21.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 7.2% and graduate diplomas at 3.2%. Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 30.5% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas at 11.0% and certificates at 19.5%.

Educational participation is high, with 26.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 9.8% in primary, 6.9% in secondary, and 5.8% in tertiary education. Henley Beach operates a robust network of six schools educating approximately 4,923 students as of the latest data. The area demonstrates above-average socio-educational conditions with an ICSEA score of 1077. The educational mix includes four primary, one secondary, and one K-12 school. As of recent statistics, Henley Beach functions as an education hub with 29.5 school places per 100 residents, significantly above the regional average of 13.6, attracting students from surrounding communities.

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

Henley Beach has 97 active public transport stops operating within its area. These stops are served by a mix of buses, with a total of 38 individual routes providing service. The combined weekly passenger trips across all routes amount to 2,517.

Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 160 meters to the nearest stop. Service frequency is high, with an average of 359 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 25 weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in Henley Beach is notably higher than the national average with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Henley Beach shows superior health outcomes for both young and elderly residents, with low prevalence of common health conditions. The rate of private health cover stands at approximately 60% of its total population of 9,972 people, compared to Greater Adelaide's 52.8%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (affecting 8.3%) and mental health issues (6.3%). A majority, 71.3%, report being free from medical ailments, compared to 68.9% in Greater Adelaide. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 21.2% (3,538 people), compared to Greater Adelaide's 20.0%. Health outcomes among seniors are notably strong, outperforming the general population in health metrics.

Henley Beach was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Henley Beach's population showed higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 25.0% born overseas and 19.9% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Henley Beach, at 55.4%, compared to 51.6% across Greater Adelaide. The top three ancestry groups were English (25.2%), Australian (21.1%), and Italian (10.9%).

Notably, Greek ethnicity was higher than regional averages, at 5.6% versus 4.7%. Serbian ethnicity stood at 0.8%, lower than the regional average of 1.3%, while Polish ethnicity was slightly lower at 1.1% compared to the regional average of 1.4%.

Henley Beach hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

The median age in Henley Beach is 44 years, which is higher than Greater Adelaide's average of 39 years and also exceeds the Australian median of 38 years. Compared to Greater Adelaide, Henley Beach has a notably larger proportion of individuals aged 55-64 (14.1%) but fewer individuals aged 25-34 (11.0%). According to the 2021 Census, the population aged 75 to 84 increased from 6.8% to 7.7%, while the proportion of those aged 45 to 54 decreased from 15.5% to 13.9%. By 2041, Henley Beach's population is projected to see significant growth in the 85+ age cohort, with an increase of 503 people (96%), rising from 521 to 1,025 individuals. The aging population trend is evident, with those aged 65 and above accounting for 58% of the projected growth. Conversely, the populations aged 0-4 and 35-44 are expected to decline.