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This analysis uses Suburbs and Localities (SAL) boundaries, which can materially differ from Statistical Areas (SA2) even when sharing the same name.
SAL boundaries are defined by Australia Post and the Australian Bureau of Statistics to represent commonly-known suburb names used in postal addresses.
Statistical Areas (SA2) are designed for census data collection and may combine multiple suburbs or use different geographic boundaries. For comprehensive analysis, consider reviewing both boundary types if available.
est. as @ -- *
2021 Census | -- people
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St Helena has an estimated 3,022 residents, up from 2,890 at the 2021 Census — a change of 132 people, or 4.6%. That puts 1,843 residents on each square kilometre. Population is estimated from ABS Estimated Resident Population releases and GNAF address data, re-based from the 2021 Census and updated annually.
Detail
In the suburb of St Helena, demographic modelling combining regional ABS updates and 65 post-Census validated new addresses puts the population at approximately 3,022 as of Aug 2026. This represents an addition of 132 people (4.6%) relative to the 2,890 people counted in the 2021 Census. AreaSearch arrived at this by evaluating the ABS ERP figures from June 2025 (indicating 3,019 residents) alongside subsequent address registrations. The suburb's density reaches 1,842 persons per square kilometer, which outpaces the national benchmark. Furthermore, the 4.6% expansion observed in the suburb of St Helena since the Census tracks closely with the broader SA3 area (5.6%), lagging by only 1.0 percentage points.
Net overseas arrivals served as the primary catalyst, generating around 70.0% of recent population additions. Projections for the suburb of St Helena utilize the 2024 ABS/Geoscience Australia SA2 series based on 2022, supplemented where necessary by the 2023 VIC State Government LGA projections aggregated via population weights to SA2 levels, with age-specific rates extended through 2032 to 2041. Over the coming years, the suburb of St Helena is anticipated to record top 10 percent growth nationally, expanding by 1,180 persons to 2041 under aggregated SA2 forecasts—equating to a cumulative 39.0% rise across the 16 years.
Frequently Asked Questions - Population
20 new dwellings have been approved in St Helena over the past five years, an average of 4 a year. That is 1.6 approvals per 1,000 residents. Approvals are currently running at an annualised 4, broadly in line with that longer-run average. Figures come from ABS building approvals aggregated to this Suburb (SAL) boundary and are updated monthly as the ABS releases them.
Detail
Council planning metrics sourced from ABS data show that residential building approvals in St Helena have hovered around 4 dwellings per year, totalling approximately 20 homes across the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25), with 4 recorded year-to-date in FY-25. The ratio of 1.1 new residents per home over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25) previously signaled balanced conditions, but this pace has surged to 4.3 people per dwelling across the past 2 financial years, indicating tighter housing stock. Residential development projects carry an average construction cost of $722,000, underscoring an emphasis on higher-end builds.
Meanwhile, commercial construction remains subdued, with commercial approvals amounting to $1.2 million this financial year. Per capita residential construction in St Helena sits 78.0% below the Greater Melbourne benchmark, creating an undersupply that bolsters prices for established homes despite a slight recent uptick in activity. This constrained pipeline, also lagging national rates, highlights planning restrictions and the area's established urban footprint. Detached dwellings account for 60.0% of recent approvals while medium-to-high-density options (townhouses and apartments) comprise 40.0%, introducing more diverse price points compared to the existing housing stock of 84.0% houses. With roughly 317 people per approval, the locality maintains a low-density character. Longer-term demographic projections indicate that St Helena is slated to absorb 1,177 residents through to 2041 according to the most recent AreaSearch quarterly update. If residential building activity continues at its current rate, housing additions will trail demographic expansion, reinforcing demand pressures and driving property values upward.
Frequently Asked Questions - Development
Development applications around St Helena
SOURCE: Planning portals and council registers, compiled by AreaSearch. Distance & bearing measured from the suburb midpoint.
AreaSearch tracks one current infrastructure or development project inside St Helena, worth an estimated $150 million. A further 35 sit in the immediately surrounding suburbs, taking the tracked pipeline within reach of the area to $2.73 billion. 11 are already under construction and 14 are due for completion within three years. The pipeline spans sports & recreation, communities, precincts & urban renewal and transport & logistics. Records are compiled from Infrastructure Australia, state agencies, council planning portals and public announcements, reviewed and updated daily, then ranked by proximity, construction stage, completion horizon and project scale.
Detail
Civic infrastructure and capital works play a pivotal role in shaping local growth and property performance. AreaSearch has pinpointed 5 significant initiatives with direct local relevance, headlined by St Helena Place, the Nillumbik Play Space Renewal Projects, the Hurstbridge Rail Line Upgrades (Watsonia-Eltham), and the Nillumbik Waste Management Facility Upgrade.
Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.
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Frequently Asked Questions - Infrastructure
St Helena Place
Master planned community in Melbourne's north east delivering around 240 new homes with parks, wetlands and open space. First residents have moved in and sales are ongoing, with a site sales office operating at the address and staged construction continuing.
Hurstbridge Rail Line Upgrades (Watsonia-Eltham)
A major upgrade of the Hurstbridge line integrated with the North East Link project. Key milestones include the completion of Melbourne's third longest rail tunnel at Watsonia (500 metres) in late 2025 and the rebuilding of the Grimshaw Street Bridge. The project encompasses track duplication, new stations at Greensborough and Montmorency, and extensive signalling and power upgrades. Final finishing works and rail corridor improvements are continuing into mid-2026 to enhance service frequency and reliability for Melbourne's northeast.
St Helena Place
A master-planned residential community featuring approximately 240 homes in St Helena, combining quiet family living with connectivity to urban amenities, including quality schools, shopping centres, wildlife reserves, and parklands.
Nillumbik Play Space Renewal Projects
Nillumbik Shire Council is delivering ongoing play space renewals and upgrades across the municipality. The multi-year capital works program includes the installation of accessible nature play equipment, shade sails, pathways, seating, and landscaping across various local and district parks.
106-126 Main Street Greensborough Affordable Housing
A 17-storey mixed-use development fast-tracked under the Victorian Government Development Facilitation Program. The project delivers 211 affordable dwellings, ground-level retail, and commercial spaces. Managed by HousingFirst, it features communal areas and improved pedestrian links near the Greensborough train station. While a planning permit (PA2503550) was issued by the Department of Transport and Planning, construction start dates are yet to be confirmed as of May 2026.
Plenty River Flood Management Works
Comprehensive flood management program led by Melbourne Water to update flood mapping and planning controls for the Plenty River and Diamond Creek catchments. The project involves utilizing advanced computer modeling and community data to identify high-risk zones, update the Nillumbik Planning Scheme, and inform future mitigation infrastructure such as retarding basins and levees. This data-driven approach aims to improve climate resilience for new developments and emergency response strategies within the shire.
Nillumbik Waste Management Facility Upgrade
Upgrade of waste management facilities in Nillumbik area including recycling processing improvements, organic waste processing capabilities, and enhanced environmental monitoring systems.
Eltham Major Activity Centre
Strategic planning project for the Eltham Major Activity Centre to guide long-term land use, housing, employment, transport, public realm and urban design outcomes. The 2020 Structure Plan has now been implemented through Amendment C143nillPt1 to the Nillumbik Planning Scheme, providing the statutory framework for future redevelopment within the activity centre.
1,730 residents of St Helena are employed, from a labour force of 1,773. Unemployment sits at 2.4%, with participation at 70.7%. Weighted for its industry mix, the area's sectors are forecast to grow about 6.8% nationally over five years. That reflects industry composition only and makes no allowance for local population growth. The working-day population is estimated at 2,237, about 74% of the resident population, so more people leave the area for work than travel in. Unemployment and labour force come from ABS Small Area Labour Markets, updated quarterly; the industry and occupation profile is from the 2021 Census.
Detail
St Helena maintains a skilled local workforce characterized by significant white-collar employment, an unemployment rate standing at 2.4%, and an annual job creation rate of 3.0% based on statistical area aggregations. As of March 2026, employed locals tally 1,730, while joblessness sits 2.3% beneath the 4.8% recorded across Greater Melbourne, alongside a labour force participation rate on par with Greater Melbourne's 70.1%. At the Census, remote work was prevalent, with 33.3% of workers operating from home, though this coincided with pandemic-related restrictions. Health care & social assistance, construction, and education & training represent the three primary employers of local workers.
The construction sector displays particularly strong local concentration, employing 1.4 times the regional proportion. On the other hand, accommodation & food services is underrepresented at 3.9%, compared with 6.4% across the broader region. Local commercial employment opportunities remain sparse given the area's predominantly residential profile, as highlighted by Census workplace versus resident worker counts. Over the twelve months to March 2026, statistical area data indicates that local employment expanded by 3.0% while the labour supply grew by 3.4%, causing unemployment to tick up by 0.4 percentage points. Across Greater Melbourne over the same interval, jobs rose by 2.1%, the workforce increased by 2.3%, and unemployment lifted by 0.2 percentage points. Applying Jobs and Skills Australia's Mar-26 industry growth models (which project nationwide gains of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years) to St Helena's workforce profile points to local employment expansions of 6.8% over five years and 13.8% over ten years, based on simple industry weighting without local population adjustments.
Frequently Asked Questions - Employment
Median household income in St Helena is $2,256 a week (about $117,000 a year), with median personal income at $925 a week. ATO records put median taxable income at $61,023 a year against an average of $75,433. Household income is from the 2021 Census; taxable income is from ATO Taxation Statistics for the latest financial year available, indexed forward using the ABS Wage Price Index.
Detail
According to postcode-level ATO statistics for financial year 2023, local earnings in the suburb of St Helena outperform countrywide averages, with a median taxable income of $61,023 and an average of $75,433, outstripping the Greater Melbourne median of $57,688 and average of $75,164. Factoring in the 9.62% rise in the Wage Price Index since financial year 2023, estimated earnings reach $66,893 (median) and $82,690 (average) as of March 2026. In the 2021 Census, local personal, family, and household earnings placed in the 70th to 81st percentiles nationally. The largest income bracket includes 28.9% of residents (873 people) earning between $1,500 - 2,999 weekly, aligning with the regional share of 32.8%.
High earners making over $3,000 per week constitute 35.8% of the community, while locals retain 89.4% of earnings after meeting housing payments, placing the suburb in the 8th decile for SEIFA income.
Frequently Asked Questions - Income
St Helena had 1,006 occupied dwellings at the 2021 Census, 84% detached houses and 3% apartments. 43% are owned with a mortgage, 14% rented and 43% owned outright. At that Census the median rent was $163 a week and the median mortgage repayment $2,167 a month. Rent absorbs 7.2% of household income here and mortgage repayments 22.2%. Dwelling stock, tenure and housing costs are 2021 Census measures — the only source that counts dwellings at this boundary size.
Detail
Census data reveals that separate houses constitute 84.0% of St Helena's dwelling stock, with 16.0% comprising semi-detached homes, apartments, and other configurations, contrasting with Melbourne metro where houses make up 67.9% and alternate dwellings 32.1%. Outright ownership in St Helena reaches 42.8%, substantially exceeding Melbourne metro, while mortgaged properties account for 43.4% and rentals represent 13.9%. Local monthly mortgage commitments stand at a median of $2,167 compared to $2,000 for Melbourne metro and $1,863 nationally. Conversely, weekly rental payments average a median of $163, well below the Melbourne metro figure of $390 and the national benchmark of $375.
Frequently Asked Questions - Housing
St Helena counted 1,006 households at the 2021 Census, averaging 2.7 people each. 42% are couples with children, more than in 84% of areas nationally, against 28% couples without children. 19% of households are people living alone, and families average 1.8 children. Household and family composition is measured only by the Census, so these are 2021 figures.
Detail
Family units constitute 78.9% of all local households, divided between couples with children at 42.3%, childless couples at 28.2%, and one-parent families at 7.9%. Single-person living arrangements make up 19.4% and shared group dwellings account for 0.5%, bringing non-family households to 21.1%. Overall, the median household size is 2.7 people, marginally higher than the Greater Melbourne norm of 2.6.
Frequently Asked Questions - Households
32.4% of adults in St Helena hold a university qualification, including 21.5% with a bachelor degree and 6.3% with postgraduate qualifications, higher than 96% of areas nationally. A further 20.7% hold a vocational qualification. 1 school serves the area, with 103 enrolment places and an average ICSEA of 1,142 against a national benchmark of 1,000. Qualifications come from the 2021 Census; school enrolments, ICSEA and results come from ACARA's current release.
Detail
Higher educational attainment in St Helena sits below the surrounding district, with 32.4% of residents aged 15+ holding a tertiary degree versus 41.2% across the SA3 area. Among degree holders, bachelor qualifications account for 21.5%, postgraduate credentials represent 6.3%, and graduate diplomas make up 4.6%. Vocational education is strongly represented, with 32.0% of residents aged 15+ holding trade credentials, comprising certificates (20.7%) and advanced diplomas (11.3%). Student participation in the suburb is strong, with 28.7% of the population actively undertaking formal study. By level, primary schooling represents 11.0% of residents, secondary education encompasses 7.6%, and higher tertiary education accounts for 4.6%.
Frequently Asked Questions - Education
Schools Detail
Public transport in St Helena reaches 11 stops on 4 routes, timetabled for about 2,600 services a week. The typical home sits about 190 m from its nearest stop. Buses carry the largest share of public transport commuters. Households keep an average of 1.8 vehicles. Stop and service counts are built from operators' published GTFS timetables and refresh with each timetable release; vehicle ownership is from the 2021 Census.
Detail
Commuters in St Helena are served by 11 bus stops operating across 4 dedicated routes, generating 2,596 weekly passenger trips. Local transit connectivity is strong, with typical walking distances to the nearest stop averaging 191 meters. Reflecting outward travel patterns in this residential suburb, private vehicles dominate mode share at 92%, with households holding an average of 1.8 vehicles. In addition, 33.3% of employed residents worked remotely according to the 2021 Census during pandemic conditions. Across all operating routes, transit frequency averages 370 trips per day, translating to around 236 weekly departures per individual stop.
Frequently Asked Questions - Transport
Transport Stops Detail
67.3% of residents in St Helena report no long-term health condition. 5.5% need daily assistance with core activities, and 56.6% hold private health cover. The standardised death rate runs at 5.0 per 1,000 residents. Health conditions, assistance needs and insurance are 2021 Census measures; the death rate comes from current ABS releases.
Detail
Community health measures in St Helena are generally favorable, characterized by lower chronic illness rates among the broader populace alongside elevated prevalence among elderly, high-risk groups, with private health insurance uptake standing at approximately 57% of the population (~1,710 people). Arthritis and mental health conditions are the most widespread diagnosed illnesses, reported by 9.8% and 7.6% of the population, respectively, while 67.3% of residents report no chronic health conditions, compared to 72.6% regionally. While residents under 65 exhibit strong wellness metrics, seniors aged 65 and over comprise 24.7% of the community (746 people)—above Greater Melbourne's 15.1%—leading to greater health management needs among older cohorts.
Frequently Asked Questions - Health
St Helena is largely Australian-born, at 81.6% of residents, with 13.3% speaking a language other than English at home. The largest reported ancestries are English (26.2%) and Australian (23.6%). Ancestry, language and country of birth are counted only by the Census, so these are 2021 figures.
Detail
Demographic indicators for cultural background in St Helena align closely with regional standards: Australian-born residents account for 81.6%, Australian citizens comprise 91.5%, and 86.7% speak only English at home. Christianity forms the dominant religious affiliation, representing 53.5% of locals compared with 43.0% throughout Greater Melbourne. Regarding ancestral heritage, English background leads at 26.2% (compared to 20.1% across the region), followed by Australian at 23.6% (versus 18.4% regionally) and Italian at 9.5%. Other cultural groups exhibiting higher-than-average local concentration include Maltese at 1.9% (versus 1.1% regionally), Macedonian at 1.6% (versus 0.7%), and Hungarian at 0.4% (versus 0.3%).
Frequently Asked Questions - Diversity
The median resident of St Helena is 46, older than 82% of areas nationally. 18.5% of residents are aged 15 to 34. Age cohorts are not raw Census counts: the Census split is re-based to the latest ABS population estimates and state projections.
Detail
The suburb of St Helena exhibits an older age structure than its surrounding metropolitan area. Updates to August 2026 indicate that seniors aged 65+ make up 24.7% of the community compared to 15.1% in Greater Melbourne, whereas individuals aged 25 - 44 represent 19.3% against the regional share of 32.1%. The median age remains steady from the 2021 Census at 46 as at August 2026, exceeding Greater Melbourne's 37 and the Australian median of 38 from the 2021 Census. Since the Census, the proportion of residents aged 65+ has increased from 23.4% to 24.7%, and this cohort is projected to generate the majority of upcoming demographic growth, adding 489 residents (65%) to reach 1,235 by 2041.
Frequently Asked Questions - Age
Data & MethodBoundaries, Sources & Method for St Helena
9 of 14 data sections on this page were updated within the last 12 months — the newest current to Sep 2026.
Everything is aggregated to the Suburb (SAL) boundary shown above, on a 2021 Census baseline. Only 3 sections — housing, households and cultural diversity — still wait on the 2026 Census.
The ledger — source, cycle and currency by section
| Section | Source & update cycle | Currency |
|---|---|---|
| Updated within the last 12 months 9 sections | ||
| Population | ABS, GNAF, Geoscience Australia Annual (ABS ERP) | Aug 2026 last month headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Re-based to the ABS Estimated Resident Population (June 2025 release) and updated with new dwellings from GNAF address data. Current to Aug 2026, with the 2021 Census supplying the small-area baseline. | ||
| Age profile | ABS, Geoscience Australia, State governments Annual | Aug 2026 last month headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Age cohorts are re-based to the latest ABS population estimates and state projections, current to Aug 2026. Each cohort is held as a Census baseline and a current estimate. | ||
| Development & approvals | ABS, GNAF Monthly (ABS approvals) | Aug 2026 last month headline measures · Jul 2026 baseline |
| Property sales & rents | Valuer General, Rental Board, ABS Weekly sales, quarterly rents | Sep 2026 this month all 21 measures |
| Sales from the state Valuer General register, refreshed weekly, and rents from quarterly rental bond lodgements. Both are read live each time this page loads, current to Sep 2026. | ||
| Infrastructure projects | Infrastructure Australia, State agencies, Local governments Daily | Aug 2026 last month all 1 projects tracked here |
| Project pipeline maintained continuously from Infrastructure Australia, state agencies, local government and public announcements. Records are added and revised daily; this area was last updated Aug 2026. | ||
| Employment | ABS, DEWR, JSA Quarterly (ABS SALM) | Mar 2026 6 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Unemployment and labour force from ABS Small Area Labour Markets, current to Mar 2026. The growth outlook applies Department of Employment (now Jobs and Skills Australia) forecasts for all 19 industry divisions to the local industry mix, so it measures sector composition rather than local expansion and makes no allowance for population growth. Job demand comes from the same agency via its Internet Vacancy Index; industry and occupation structure from the 2021 Census. | ||
| Education | ABS, ACARA Annual (ACARA) | Aug 2026 last month headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Transport | ABS, State Transport Departments Each timetable release | Jul 2026 2 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Services & amenities | Provider directories, ACECQA Continuous | Jul 2026 2 months ago all 14 measures |
| Annual and financial-year sources 2 sections | ||
| Income | ABS, ATO Annual (ATO) | FY 2023 3 years ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| ATO taxable income statistics for FY 2023, indexed forward using the Wage Price Index. Census household income provides the distribution detail. | ||
| Health | ABS, ATO Annual | 2024 2 years ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Census-measured — next update: 2026 Census 3 sections No more current small-area source exists for these, so they are labelled as Census-measured rather than implied to be current. | ||
| Housing | ABS 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 30 measures |
| Households | ABS 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 18 measures |
| Cultural diversity | ABS, Geoscience Australia 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 44 measures |
"Currency" is the most recent release feeding that section. Where the Census supplies the structural baseline underneath a current headline figure, the row says so.
How the numbers are built
Population
The Census provides the small-area baseline, aggregated from mesh blocks to this boundary. It is then re-based to the ABS Estimated Resident Population (June 2025 release), and new dwellings built since Census night are counted from address data — 65 validated new addresses here. The headline figure is therefore a current estimate for Aug 2026, not a 2021 count (2,890 at the 2021 Census → 3,022 now). Annual growth rates are compound (CAGR), not simple averages.
Age profile
Cohort shares are not raw Census counts. Every cohort is held as a pair — the Census baseline and a current estimate — and the split is re-based using ERP and state population projections, current to Aug 2026. Median age is the Census median plus modelled change since. Charts that show both are labelled "2021 Census vs Current Estimate".
Property sales
Sourced from the state valuation authority's sales register — current, not Census, and refreshed weekly. Medians are calculated from settled transactions in the period shown; periods with very low transaction counts are flagged or suppressed, because a handful of sales can move a median substantially.
Rents
Derived from state rental bond lodgement data, by dwelling type and bedroom count. Bonds are lodged at the start of a new tenancy, so this reflects new lettings, not the whole rented stock.
Development & infrastructure
Building approvals come from current ABS releases; development applications are collected from council and state planning portals; the infrastructure pipeline is compiled from Infrastructure Australia and local government sources. Applications are matched to this boundary by address or coordinates, so very recent lodgements may not yet appear.
Employment & income
Industry and occupation structure comes from the Census, but the headline labour-market indicators do not. Unemployment and labour force are derived from ABS Small Area Labour Markets (quarterly). The employment outlook applies Department of Employment forecasts for all 19 industry divisions to this area's own industry mix (the agency is now Jobs and Skills Australia), as does the Internet Vacancy Index used for job demand. Because it is weighted on industry composition alone, that outlook carries no allowance for local population growth — in fast-growing areas the real rise in local jobs will typically be higher. Income combines Census household income with ATO taxable-income statistics for FY 2023, indexed forward using the Wage Price Index.
Education, transport & amenities
School enrolments, ICSEA and performance come from ACARA's current release, not the Census. Public transport stops and service frequency are derived from GTFS timetable feeds published by state transport departments. Services and amenities are proximity and count scores built from provider directories, refreshed on their own cycle. The Census contributes only the travel-to-work and qualification measures.
Rankings and benchmarks. Where we rank this area, the comparison set is every area of the same boundary type — suburbs against suburbs, SA2s against SA2s. Benchmarks compare this area against its greater capital city region and the national figure for the same measure and period.
Limits worth knowing. Small areas carry larger error margins, and the ABS introduces small random adjustments to Census counts to protect confidentiality — so totals may not sum exactly. Estimates re-based from regional data describe the area's expected trajectory, not a direct count of it. Figures are indicative for research and are not financial, planning or valuation advice.
Cross-check us. The Census baseline for this boundary is at ABS 2021 Census QuickStats (SAL22339). QuickStats reports 2021 only — the figures on this page are more current wherever the ledger shows a later date.