Henley Beach

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

As of Feb 2026, the estimated population of the suburb of Henley Beach is around 6,921, reflecting an increase of 662 people since the 2021 Census. This growth represents a 10.6% increase from the previous population count of 6,259. The change was inferred from AreaSearch's resident population estimate of 6,607 in June 2024, based on examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS and an additional 49 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 2,768 persons per square kilometer, placing Henley Beach in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The suburb's population growth exceeded both state (9.0%) and Greater Adelaide averages, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Overseas migration contributed approximately 82.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

For projections, AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia data released in 2024 with a base year of 2022 for each SA2 area. For areas not covered by this data and years post-2032, SA State Government's Regional/LGA projections are used, adjusted employing a method of weighted aggregation from LGA to SA2 levels. Looking ahead, Henley Beach is expected to increase by 732 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a gain of 5.8% in total over the 17 years.

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

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers shows Henley Beach had approximately 39 new homes approved annually over the past five financial years, totalling around 198 homes. As of FY-26, 18 approvals have been recorded. The average number of new residents per year per dwelling constructed between FY-21 and FY-25 was 1.7, indicating a balanced supply and demand market with stable conditions. New homes are built at an average cost of $629,000, targeting the premium market segment.

In FY-26, $12.1 million in commercial approvals have been registered, showing moderate levels of commercial development. Compared to Greater Adelaide, Henley Beach has around three-quarters the building activity per person and ranks at the 79th percentile nationally. New development consists of 73.0% detached dwellings and 27.0% medium and high-density housing, maintaining the area's suburban character with a focus on family homes.

The location has approximately 145 people per dwelling approval, suggesting an expanding market. Population forecasts indicate Henley Beach will gain 405 residents by 2041. Based on current development patterns, new housing supply should meet demand, offering good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond projections.

Henley Beach has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 25thth percentile nationally

No infrastructure changes are currently planned for this area. Zero projects have been identified by AreaSearch that could impact it. Key initiatives include Rivergarden Estate, Charles Sturt Playground Renewal Program, Findon High School Upgrade, and The Queen Elizabeth Hospital Redevelopment Stage Three.

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AreaSearch analysis of employment trends sees Henley Beach performing better than 90% of local markets assessed across Australia

Henley Beach has an educated workforce with significant representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate is 1.7%, having seen a 4.4% employment growth over the past year (AreaSearch data). As of September 2025, 3907 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 2.3%, lower than Greater Adelaide's 3.9%.

Workforce participation is at 70.5%, slightly higher than Greater Adelaide's 66.4%. Home-based work accounts for 14.4% of jobs (Census data). Key industries include health care & social assistance, education & training, and construction. Henley Beach specialises in professional & technical roles, with an employment share 1.3 times the regional level.

However, health care & social assistance is under-represented at 14.9% compared to Greater Adelaide's 17.7%. Employment opportunities may be limited locally due to its residential nature. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment levels increased by 4.4%, with labour force growth of 4.3%, keeping unemployment stable (AreaSearch analysis). In contrast, Greater Adelaide saw employment growth of 3.0% and labour force growth of 2.9%, with a slight fall in unemployment. Jobs and Skills Australia's May-25 forecasts indicate national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Henley Beach's industry mix suggests local employment could increase by 6.7% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, though this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

The area exhibits notably strong income performance, ranking higher than 70% of areas assessed nationally through AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 shows that Henley Beach has extremely high incomes nationally. The median income is $62,916 and the average is $88,714. This contrasts with Greater Adelaide's figures of a median income of $54,808 and an average of $66,852. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.8% since financial year 2023, current estimates would be approximately $68,453 (median) and $96,521 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census, 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 (1,813 individuals). This is consistent with broader trends across the region showing 31.8% in the same category. There is a substantial proportion of high earners (31.5% above $3,000/week), indicating strong economic capacity throughout Henley Beach. 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's dwellings, as per the latest Census, consisted of 57.9% houses and 42.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Adelaide metro had 75.2% houses and 24.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Henley Beach was at 36.8%, with mortgaged dwellings at 31.9% and rented ones at 31.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,000, higher than Adelaide metro's average of $1,562 and the national average of $1,863. The median weekly rent in Henley Beach was $345, lower than Adelaide metro's $320 and the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 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 account for 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 2.5.

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 34.6% of residents aged 15+, surpassing the South Australian average of 25.7% and the SA3 area average of 28.8%. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 23.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (7.9%) and graduate diplomas (3.7%). Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 30.3% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas account for 11.8% and certificates for 18.5%.

Educational participation is high, with 27.4% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 10.2% in primary education, 6.9% in secondary education, and 6.3% pursuing tertiary education.

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 serving a mix of bus routes. These stops are covered by 33 different routes, offering 1,572 weekly passenger trips in total. Transport accessibility is high, with residents on average located 144 meters from the nearest stop. Most residents commute outwards daily due to its residential nature. Car remains the primary mode of transport at 87%, while bus usage stands at 6%. On average, there are 1.3 vehicles per dwelling.

According to the 2021 Census, 14.4% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 224 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 35 weekly trips per stop.

Henley Beach's residents are extremely healthy with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Analysis of health metrics indicates strong performance throughout Henley Beach. AreaSearch's assessment shows low prevalence of common health conditions across both young and old age cohorts. The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 62% of the total population (4,290 people), compared to 52.7% across Greater Adelaide and 55.7% nationally.

The most common medical conditions are arthritis and mental health issues, affecting 8.1 and 6.6% of residents respectively, while 72.2% declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 67.9% across Greater Adelaide. Working-age residents have low chronic condition prevalence. The area has 19.7% of residents aged 65 and over (1,363 people). Health outcomes among seniors are above average, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

In terms of cultural diversity, Henley Beach records figures broadly comparable to the national average, as found in AreaSearch's assessment of a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Henley Beach has a cultural diversity level above average, with 20.6% of its population born overseas and 11.9% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity is the predominant religion in Henley Beach, comprising 51.2% of its population. Notably, Judaism is overrepresented compared to Greater Adelaide, making up 0.1% versus 0.1%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (28.6%), Australian (23.0%), and Irish (7.8%). Some ethnic groups have notable divergences in their representation: Polish at 1.1% (versus 1.0% regionally), Italian at 7.7% (versus 5.2%), and Serbian at 0.7% (versus 0.4%).

Henley Beach hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

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 55-64 age group constitutes 15.0% 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 75-84 age group has increased from 5.6% to 6.7% of the population. Conversely, the 45-54 cohort has decreased from 16.7% to 14.9%, and the 5-14 group has dropped from 12.1% to 11.0%. Demographic modeling suggests that Henley Beach's age profile will significantly change by 2041, with the 85+ cohort projected to grow by 87%, adding 162 residents to reach 349. Senior residents aged 65 and above will drive 66% of population growth, indicating demographic aging trends. Meanwhile, population declines are projected for the 55-64 and 0-4 age cohorts.