Mount Helen

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

Mount Helen's population, as of November 2025, is estimated at around 3417 people. This figure reflects a growth of 406 individuals since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 3011 people. The increase was inferred from AreaSearch's resident population estimate of 3388 in June 2024, based on ABS ERP data, and an additional 26 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of approximately 277 persons per square kilometer. Mount Helen's growth rate of 13.5% since the 2021 census exceeded both the non-metro area's 6.0% growth and the SA4 region, making it a notable growth leader. Overseas migration contributed around 71.0% to overall population gains in 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, AreaSearch employs the VIC State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2023, adjusting using weighted aggregation methods to SA2 levels. Growth rates by age group are applied across all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on these projections, a significant population increase is forecasted for Mount Helen in the top quartile of national regional areas. By 2041, the suburb's population is expected to grow by approximately 1026 persons, reflecting an overall increase of around 20.5% over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Mount Helen, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

Mount Helen averaged approximately 17 new dwelling approvals per year. Between financial years FY-21 and FY-25, around 86 homes were approved, with an additional 7 approved in FY-26.

The population has decreased during this period, suggesting that new supply has kept pace with demand. The average construction cost value of new properties is $641,000, indicating a focus on the premium segment. Compared to the rest of Victoria, Mount Helen has significantly less development activity, being 54.0% below the regional average per person. This limited new supply generally supports stronger demand and values for established homes.

New developments consist of 86.0% standalone homes and 14.0% townhouses or apartments, preserving the area's low density nature and attracting space-seeking buyers. There are approximately 246 people per dwelling approval in Mount Helen, indicating room for growth. Future projections estimate an increase of 700 residents by 2041. Current development appears well-matched to future needs, supporting steady market conditions without extreme price pressure.

Mount Helen has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified six projects that may affect this region. Notable projects include the Buninyong Heritage Swimming Baths Conservation Works, Buninyong Botanic Gardens Landscape Masterplan, Gong Reservoir Wall Reconstruction, Mount Clear Childcare Centre and Medical Centre, and Buninyong Community Road Safety Upgrades. The following list details those most relevant.

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

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AreaSearch analysis places Mount Helen well above average for employment performance across multiple indicators

Mount Helen's workforce is highly educated with significant representation in essential services. The unemployment rate was 2.8% as of June 2025, lower than the Rest of Vic.'s 3.8%.

Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 7.4%. As of June 2025, 1,711 residents were employed with an unemployment rate 1.0% below the regional average and a workforce participation rate of 65.7%, higher than Rest of Vic.'s 57.4%. Key employment sectors include health care & social assistance, education & training, and retail trade. The area has a strong specialization in education & training with an employment share 1.8 times the regional level, while agriculture, forestry & fishing has limited presence at 1.1% compared to the regional 7.5%.

Employment opportunities locally may be limited as indicated by Census working population vs resident population data. In the 12-month period ending June 2025, employment increased by 7.4% while labour force grew by 6.9%, resulting in a unemployment rate decrease of 0.4 percentage points. This contrasts with Rest of Vic., where employment fell by 0.9%, labour force contracted by 0.4%, and unemployment rose by 0.4 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with varying rates across industry sectors. Applying these projections to Mount Helen's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.7% over five years and 14.0% over ten years.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year ending June 2022 shows that median income in Mount Helen is $54,383 and average income is $68,623. This compares to Rest of Vic.'s median income of $48,741 and average income of $60,693. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.16% from financial year ending June 2022 to September 2025, estimated median income is approximately $60,996 and average income is around $76,968 as of September 2025. According to Census data from 2021, Mount Helen's household income ranks at the 70th percentile ($2,076 weekly) and personal income ranks at the 51st percentile. Income brackets indicate that 36.0% of locals (1,230 people) fall into the $1,500 - 2,999 category, which is similar to the metropolitan region's 30.3%. After housing costs, residents retain 89.3% of their income, indicating strong purchasing power. Mount Helen's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile.

Mount Helen is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In Mount Helen, as determined by the latest Census, 94.6% of dwellings were houses with the remaining 5.4% comprising semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types of dwellings. This contrasts with Non-Metro Vic., which had 85.6% houses and 14.5% other dwellings. Home ownership in Mount Helen stood at 38.7%, with mortgaged properties at 44.0% and rented ones at 17.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,600, surpassing Non-Metro Vic.'s average of $1,499. Weekly rent in Mount Helen averaged $345 compared to Non-Metro Vic.'s $300. Nationally, Mount Helen's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were below the national figure of $375.

Mount Helen features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 80.5% of all households, including 37.9% couples with children, 30.7% couples without children, and 10.5% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 19.5%, with lone person households at 16.4% and group households making up 3.0%. The median household size is 2.8 people, larger than the Rest of Vic. average of 2.4.

Mount Helen shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Mount Helen's educational attainment is notably high, with 34.3% of residents aged 15+ holding university qualifications compared to the broader Victorian average of 21.7%. This figure also exceeds the SA4 region average of 24.6%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 21.3%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (7.5%) and graduate diplomas (5.5%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 31.7% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications, including advanced diplomas (10.8%) and certificates (20.9%). Educational participation is high, with 36.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 11.0% in primary education, 10.4% in tertiary education, and 9.9% pursuing secondary education. Mount Helen has two schools serving the area: Emmaus Catholic Primary School and Ballarat Steiner School, collectively educating 435 students. The area's socio-educational conditions are above average (ICSEA: 1084). Both schools focus on primary education, with secondary options available in nearby areas. There are 12.7 school places per 100 residents in Mount Helen, which is below the regional average of 17.9. Some students may attend schools in adjacent areas due to this discrepancy.

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

Mount Helen has 19 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by six different routes that together facilitate 906 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these services is moderate, with residents on average located 413 meters from the nearest stop.

Across all routes, there are an average of 129 trips per day, resulting in approximately 47 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Mount Helen demonstrates above-average health outcomes with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions. The rate of private health cover is found to be fairly high at approximately 54% of the total population (~1,843 people), compared to 50.9% across Rest of Vic..

The most common medical conditions in the area are asthma and mental health issues, impacting 8.9 and 8.3% of residents respectively, while 69.7% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 62.3% across Rest of Vic.. As of 15th March 2021, the area has 15.0% of residents aged 65 and over (512 people), which is lower than the 17.8% in Rest of Vic.. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, performing even better than the general population in health metrics.

Mount Helen is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics

Mount Helen's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 90.4% of its population being Australian citizens, born in Australia (88.5%), and speaking English only at home (94.1%). Christianity was the predominant religion, comprising 39.6% of Mount Helen's population. However, Judaism was overrepresented, making up 0.2%, compared to 0.1% across Rest of Vic..

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were English (31.0%), Australian (29.7%), and Irish (10.6%). Notably, Dutch (2.1%) and Scottish (9.4%) were overrepresented in Mount Helen compared to regional averages of 2.1% and 9.2%, respectively. Additionally, Croatian ancestry was slightly overrepresented at 0.8%.

Mount Helen's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

Mount Helen's median age is 35 years, which is significantly below the Rest of Vic average of 43 years and somewhat younger than the Australian median of 38 years. The 15-24 age cohort is notably over-represented in Mount Helen at 20.6%, compared to the Rest of Vic average and the national figure of 12.5%. Conversely, the 75-84 year-olds are under-represented at 4.8%. According to the 2021 Census, the 15-24 age group has grown from 17.1% to 20.6%, while the 75-84 cohort increased from 3.7% to 4.8%. Meanwhile, the 55-64 cohort declined from 12.6% to 10.2% and the 5-14 group dropped from 14.8% to 13.0%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests Mount Helen's age profile will evolve significantly. The 25-34 cohort is projected to grow by 94%, adding 338 residents to reach 701. However, both the 65-74 and 55-64 age groups are expected to see reduced numbers.