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, according to AreaSearch's analysis, is approximately 16,663 as of August 2025. This marks an increase of 1,029 people, representing a 6.6% rise since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 15,634. The estimated resident population in June 2024 was 16,563, with an additional 182 validated new addresses since the Census date contributing to this growth. This results in a population density ratio of 2,795 persons per square kilometer, placing Henley Beach in the upper quartile compared to other national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's 6.6% population growth since the census is within 0.1 percentage points of the state average (6.7%), indicating competitive growth trends. Overseas migration accounted for approximately 82.3% of Henley Beach's overall population gains during recent periods, driving its primary demographic change.

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 beyond 2032, the SA State Government's Regional/LGA projections by age category are adopted, based on 2021 data and adjusted using a method of weighted aggregation from LGA to SA2 levels. Looking ahead, Henley Beach is projected to increase its population by just below the median rate of statistical areas analysed by AreaSearch, with an expected expansion of 2,003 persons to reach approximately 18,666 by 2041, reflecting a total gain of 11.4% 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 around 127 dwelling approvals per year on average. The Australian Bureau of Statistics provides development approval data on a financial year basis, totaling 636 approvals in the past five years from FY-21 to FY-25, with 11 approvals so far in FY-26. Each year, approximately 1.4 people move to Henley Beach for each dwelling built over the past five financial years between FY-21 and FY-25, indicating balanced supply and demand creating stable market conditions. The average construction cost value of new homes is $629,000, suggesting developers target the premium market segment with higher-end properties.

This year, commercial approvals amount to $29.3 million, demonstrating strong commercial development momentum in Henley Beach. Compared to Greater Adelaide, Henley Beach maintains similar construction rates per person, preserving market equilibrium consistent with surrounding areas. New building activity consists of 71.0% detached dwellings and 29.0% medium and high-density housing, sustaining the area's suburban identity with a concentration of family homes suited for buyers seeking space.

With around 122 people added per approval, Henley Beach reflects a developing area. Future projections estimate an addition of 1,901 residents by 2041. 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.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch identified two projects likely impacting the area: Gleneagles Reserve Stormwater Management & Reserve Upgrade, Apex Park Stage 2 Redevelopment, Adelaide Airport Project Flight Upgrades, and Findon High School Upgrade.

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

AreaSearch analysis reveals Henley Beach significantly outperforming the majority of regions assessed nationwide

Henley Beach has a well-educated workforce with essential services sectors well represented. The unemployment rate was 2.3% as of June 2025, which is lower than Greater Adelaide's rate of 4.0%.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 3.0%. There were 9,365 residents in work while the unemployment rate was 1.7% below Greater Adelaide's rate. Workforce participation was fairly standard at 64.3%, compared to Greater Adelaide's 61.7%.

Leading employment industries among Henley Beach residents comprise health care & social assistance, education & training, and retail trade. However, health care & social assistance employs just 15.1% of local workers, below Greater Adelaide's 17.7%. The predominantly residential area appears to offer limited employment opportunities locally, as indicated by the count of Census working population vs resident population. In the 12-month period ending June 2025, employment increased by 3.0% alongside labour force increasing by 3.3%, causing the unemployment rate to rise by 0.3 percentage points. By comparison, Greater Adelaide recorded employment growth of 2.1%, labour force growth of 2.1%, with unemployment rising marginally. State-level data to Sep-25 shows SA employment grew by 1.06% year-on-year (adding 9,370 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.5%, broadly in line with the national rate of 4.5%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 suggest that national employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these industry-specific projections to Henley Beach's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.6%% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, although this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections.

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

Henley Beach had a median income among taxpayers of $57,409 during financial year 2022. The average level stood at $80,949. Nationally, these figures are extremely high compared to the national averages of $52,592 and $64,886 for Greater Adelaide respectively. By March 2025, estimates suggest the median income would be approximately $63,626 and average at $89,716, based on a Wage Price Index growth rate of 10.83% since financial year 2022. According to figures from the 2021 Census, household incomes in Henley Beach cluster around the 58th percentile nationally. Income distribution data shows that 4,665 people, representing 28.0% of locals, fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 income category. This is consistent with broader trends across the region where 31.8% of residents are in the same income bracket. After housing expenses, 86.6% of income remains for other expenses. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it within the 7th decile.

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

Henley Beach's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 66.1% houses and 33.9% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), similar to Adelaide metro's distribution. 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. The 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 make up the remaining 30.1%, with lone person households at 27.3% and group households comprising 2.7% of the total. The median household size is 2.4 people, which matches 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 educational profile is notable regionally, with university qualification rates at 32.0% of residents aged 15+, surpassing the South Australian average of 25.7% and that of the SA3 area (28.8%). Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 21.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (7.2%) and graduate diplomas (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% pursuing tertiary education. Six schools operate within Henley Beach, educating approximately 4,923 students. The area has above-average socio-educational conditions (ICSEA: 1077) and functions as an education hub with 29.5 school places per 100 residents, significantly higher than the regional average of 13.6. This attracts students from surrounding communities.

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

Transport analysis shows 97 active stops operating in Henley Beach. These are mixed-use bus stops serviced by 38 routes offering a total of 2517 weekly passenger trips. Accessibility is rated excellent with residents usually located 160 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 359 daily trips across all routes, equating to approximately 25 weekly trips per 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 populations, with low prevalence of common health conditions. Private health cover is exceptionally high here, at approximately 60% of its total population of 9,964 people, compared to 52.8% across Greater Adelaide.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (affecting 8.3% of residents) and mental health issues (6.3%), while 71.3% report being free from medical ailments, higher than the 68.9% in Greater Adelaide. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over, at 21.2% (3,535 people), compared to 20.0% in Greater Adelaide. 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 has a higher cultural diversity than most local areas, with 25.0% of its population born overseas and 19.9% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Henley Beach, making up 55.4%, compared to 51.6% across Greater Adelaide. The top three ancestry groups are English (25.2%), Australian (21.1%), and Italian (10.9%).

Notably, Greek (5.6%) is overrepresented compared to the regional average of 4.7%, while Serbian (0.8%) and Polish (1.1%) have lower representations than their respective regional averages of 1.3% and 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 higher percentage of individuals aged 55-64 (14.1% locally), while those aged 25-34 are under-represented (11.0%). According to the 2021 Census, the population aged 75 to 84 increased from 6.8% to 7.7%, while the 45 to 54 age group 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 (97%), bringing the total to 1,025 individuals. The aging population trend is evident, with those aged 65 and above accounting for 58% of projected growth. Conversely, populations aged 0 to 4 and 35 to 44 are expected to decline.