Henley Beach

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 estimated at around 6,636 people. This figure reflects an increase of 377 individuals since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 6,259 persons. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 6,582 following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024, along with an additional 49 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 2,654 persons per square kilometer, placing Henley Beach in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's 6.0% growth since census is within 1.1 percentage points of the state (7.1%), indicating competitive growth fundamentals. Overseas migration contributed approximately 82.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, driving primary population growth in the area.

For projections, AreaSearch adopts 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 by age category are adopted, based on 2021 data and released in 2023, with adjustments made using a method of weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Looking ahead, Henley Beach is expected to increase by 713 persons to 2041, reflecting a gain of 10.2% over the 17 years based on aggregated SA2-level projections.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Henley Beach when compared nationally

Based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers, allocated from statistical area data, Henley Beach saw around 41 new homes approved per year between FY-21 and FY-25. This totals an estimated 205 homes over the past five financial years. As of FY-26, 8 approvals have been recorded. On average, 1.6 new residents were added per year per dwelling constructed during this period.

This suggests a balanced supply and demand market with stable conditions. The average construction cost value for new homes was $629,000, indicating developers targeted the premium market segment with higher-end properties. In FY-26, $3.3 million in commercial approvals have been registered, reflecting Henley Beach's primarily residential nature compared to Greater Adelaide.

While Henley Beach records about three-quarters the building activity per person compared to Greater Adelaide, it ranks among the 82nd percentile of areas assessed nationally. However, building activity has accelerated in recent years. New development consists of 71.0% detached dwellings and 29.0% medium and high-density housing, maintaining Henley Beach's traditional suburban character with a focus on family homes appealing to those seeking space. With around 128 people per approval, Henley Beach reflects a low density area. According to AreaSearch quarterly estimates, Henley Beach is forecasted to gain 676 residents by 2041. Given 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 strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 40% nationally

Area infrastructure significantly impacts performance. AreaSearch identified 0 relevant projects. Notable ones are Rivergarden Estate, Charles Sturt Playground Renewal Program, Findon High School Upgrade, and The Queen Elizabeth Hospital Redevelopment Stage Three.

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 Henley Beach performing better than 90% of local markets assessed across Australia

Henley Beach has a well-educated workforce with prominent representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate was 1.7% as of June 2025, lower than Greater Adelaide's 4.0%.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 3.0%. There were 3,838 residents employed while the participation rate was 65.9%, slightly higher than Greater Adelaide's 61.7%. Key industries of employment among residents are health care & social assistance, education & training, and construction. Professional & technical services have notable concentration with levels at 1.3 times the regional average.

Health care & social assistance has limited presence with 14.9% employment compared to the regional average of 17.7%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities as indicated by Census data. In the year ending Sep-22, employment increased by 3.0%, labour force by 3.1%, and unemployment rose by 0.2 percentage points. By comparison, Greater Adelaide recorded employment growth of 2.1% with similar labour force growth. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Henley Beach's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.7% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, assuming constant population growth for illustrative purposes.

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 shows that income in Henley Beach is extremely high nationally. The median assessed income is $62,916 while the average income stands at $88,714. This contrasts with Greater Adelaide's figures of a median income of $52,592 and an average income of $64,886. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.83% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $70,988 (median) and $100,096 (average) as of September 2025. Census 2021 income data shows personal income ranks at the 75th percentile ($971 weekly), while household income sits at the 57th percentile. Income analysis reveals that the $1,500 - 2,999 earnings band captures 26.2% of the community (1,738 individuals). Economic strength emerges through 31.5% of households achieving high weekly earnings exceeding $3,000. After housing, 86.4% of income remains for other expenses and the area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

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

Henley Beach dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 57.9% houses and 42.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Adelaide metro's 66.1% houses and 33.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Henley Beach was at 36.8%, with mortgaged dwellings at 31.9% and rented at 31.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,000, higher than Adelaide metro's average of $1,733. Median weekly rent in Henley Beach was $345, compared to Adelaide metro's $325. Nationally, Henley Beach's mortgage repayments were higher at $2,000 than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were lower at $345 compared to the national figure of $375.

Henley Beach features high concentrations of lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 65.6% of all households, including 31.0% couples with children, 25.5% couples without children, and 8.4% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 34.4%, with lone person households at 31.6% and group households comprising 2.6%. The median household size is 2.3 people, which is smaller than the Greater Adelaide average of 2.4.

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

Henley Beach's educational profile is notable regionally with university qualification rates at 34.6% of residents aged 15+, exceeding the South Australian (SA) average of 25.7%. This rate also surpasses that of the SA3 area at 28.8%, indicating a strong emphasis on higher education in the community. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 23.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 7.9% and graduate diplomas at 3.7%.

Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 30.3% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas at 11.8% and certificates at 18.5%. Educational participation is high, with 27.4% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.2% in primary education, 6.9% in secondary education, and 6.3% pursuing tertiary education. Henley Beach's five schools have a combined enrollment of 4,562 students as of the latest data. The area demonstrates above-average socio-educational conditions with an ICSEA score of 1073. The educational mix includes three primary, one secondary, and one K-12 school. Henley Beach functions as an education hub with 68.8 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 44 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 32 different routes that together facilitate 1,568 weekly passenger trips. The average distance residents live from the nearest stop is 144 meters, indicating excellent transport accessibility.

On average, there are 224 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately 35 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 better-than-average health results, with both younger and older age groups experiencing low rates of common health conditions. Approximately 62% of its total population of 4,113 has private health cover, compared to Greater Adelaide's 52.8% and the national average of 55.3%. The most prevalent medical issues are arthritis (affecting 8.1%) and mental health concerns (6.6%).

A higher proportion of residents, 72.2%, report being free from medical ailments compared to Greater Adelaide's 68.9%. The area has a senior population of 1,300 people, comprising 19.6% of its total residents. Health outcomes among seniors are above average and align with the overall population's health profile.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Henley Beach was found to be above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Henley Beach, surveyed in June 2016, had above-average cultural diversity with 20.6% of its population born overseas and 11.9% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, making up 51.2%. Judaism, however, was overrepresented at 0.1%, compared to Greater Adelaide's 0.1%.

The top three ancestry groups were English (28.6%), Australian (23.0%), and Irish (7.8%). Polish (1.1%) was notably overrepresented while Italian (7.7%) and Serbian (0.7%) were underrepresented compared to regional averages of 1.4%, 10.2%, and 1.3% respectively.

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

Henley Beach's median age is 45 years, which is higher than Greater Adelaide's average of 39 years and exceeds the national average of 38 years. The age group of 45-54 represents 15.3% of Henley Beach's population compared to Greater Adelaide, while the 25-34 cohort makes up 10.9%. According to data from the 2021 Census, the 25-34 age group has increased from 9.9% to 10.9%, and the 45-54 cohort has decreased from 16.7% to 15.3%. By 2041, Henley Beach's age profile is projected to change significantly. The 85+ cohort is expected to grow by 95%, adding 169 residents to reach a total of 349. Residents aged 65 and above are projected to drive 54% of population growth, indicating demographic aging trends. Meanwhile, populations in the 35-44 and 5-14 age groups are expected to decline.