St Helens (Tas.)

An assessment of population growth drivers in St Helens reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Based on analysis of ABS population updates for the broader area, and new addresses validated by AreaSearch, the suburb of St Helens (Tas.) has an estimated population of around 2,470 as of Nov 2025. This reflects an increase of 264 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 2,206 people. The change is inferred from the resident population of 2,440 estimated by AreaSearch following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS (June 2024), and an additional 86 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 11.1 persons per square kilometer. St Helens's growth rate of 12.0% since the 2021 census exceeded the state's growth rate of 4.8%. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by interstate migration, contributing approximately 76.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data and to estimate growth by age group post-2032, Tasmania State Government's Regional/LGA projections are adopted with adjustments made employing a method of weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Over this period, projections indicate a decline in overall population, with the area's population expected to shrink by 77 persons by 2041 according to this methodology. However, growth across specific age cohorts is anticipated, led by the 75 to 84 age group, which is projected to increase by 121 people.

Recent residential development output has been above average within St Helens when compared nationally

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers, allocated from statistical area data, indicates St Helens averaged around 18 new dwelling approvals each year over the past five financial years. This totals an estimated 90 homes. So far in FY-26, six approvals have been recorded. The average number of people moving to the area per new home constructed over these five years is 2.6, suggesting healthy demand that supports property values.

New homes are being built at an average construction cost value of $348,000, consistent with regional patterns. In FY-26, commercial development approvals total $1.4 million, indicating minimal commercial development activity in the area. St Helens maintains similar construction rates per person relative to the Rest of Tas., preserving market balance with the broader area.

Recent building activity consists entirely of detached dwellings, preserving the area's low density nature and attracting space-seeking buyers. The location has approximately 157 people per dwelling approval, indicating an expanding market. Given stable or declining population forecasts, St Helens may experience less housing pressure, creating favourable conditions for buyers.

St Helens has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 15thth percentile nationally

No factors can influence a region's performance more than alterations to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. Zero projects have been identified by AreaSearch that could potentially impact this area. Notable projects include Tasmanian Irrigation Schemes: Tranche 3, Cethana Pumped Hydro Energy Storage Project, Marinus Link, and Telstra InfraCo Intercity Fibre Network. The following list details those projects likely to be most relevant.

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

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The labour market performance in St Helens lags significantly behind most other regions nationally

St Helens has a diverse workforce with both white and blue collar jobs, notable in tourism and hospitality. Its unemployment rate is 5.6%.

Over the past year, employment has remained relatively stable. As of June 2025925 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is higher than Rest of Tas.'s rate by 1.7% (3.9%). Workforce participation in St Helens is significantly lower at 40.8%, compared to Rest of Tas.'s 55.7%. Key employment industries include health care & social assistance, accommodation & food, and retail trade.

The area specializes in accommodation & food with an employment share nearly double the regional level (1.9 times). Manufacturing's presence is limited at 3.9%, compared to the regional average of 7.7%. Employment opportunities locally may be limited as indicated by Census data comparing working population to resident population. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased slightly (0.1%) while labour force decreased marginally (0.1%), leading to a decrease in unemployment rate by 0.3 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of Tas. saw a slight fall in employment (-0.5%) and labour force contraction (-0.6%). National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia (Sep-22) project national employment growth at 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to St Helens' employment mix suggests local employment could grow by 6.1% in five years and 12.7% in ten years, though this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

Income metrics place the area in the bottom 10% of locations nationally according to AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch's data for financial year 2022 shows median assessed income in St Helens is $37,754, with average income at $48,786. This contrasts with Rest of Tas., where median income is $47,358 and average income is $57,384. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 13.83% since financial year 2022, estimated current incomes are approximately $42,975 (median) and $55,533 (average) as of September 2025. Census data shows household, family, and personal incomes in St Helens fall between the 0th and 3rd percentiles nationally. Income distribution reveals that 36.9% of locals (911 people) earn $400 - $799 weekly, differing from the region where 28.5% earn $1,500 - $2,999 weekly. The concentration of 48.4% in sub-$800 brackets highlights economic challenges faced by a significant portion of the community. After housing costs, 85.8% of income remains, ranking at the 3rd percentile nationally.

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

The dwelling structure in St Helens, as per the latest Census, consisted of 86.5% houses and 13.5% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Non-Metro Tas had 92.6% houses and 7.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in St Helens stood at 51.1%, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (23.2%) or rented (25.7%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,083, lower than Non-Metro Tas's average of $1,198. The median weekly rent in St Helens was recorded at $230, matching Non-Metro Tas's figure. Nationally, St Helens's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 60.0% of all households, including 14.8% that are couples with children, 34.7% that are couples without children, and 9.8% that consist of single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 40.0%, with lone person households at 37.9% and group households comprising 2.0% of the total. The median household size is 2.0 people, which is smaller than the Rest of Tas. average of 2.3.

St Helens faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area's university qualification rate is 15.8%, considerably lower than Australia's average of 30.4%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most prevalent at 11.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.7%) and graduate diplomas (1.7%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 38.2% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas at 8.9% and certificates at 29.3%.

A substantial 21.7% of the population is actively pursuing formal education, including 8.4% in primary, 6.8% in secondary, and 2.5% in tertiary education. St Helens District High School serves the area with an enrollment of 487 students. The school offers integrated K-12 education, providing continuity throughout students' academic journey. The area functions as an education hub with 19.7 school places per 100 residents, significantly above the regional average of 9.5, attracting students from surrounding communities.

No public transport data available for this catchment area.

Health performance in St Helens is a key challenge with a range of health conditions having marked impacts on both younger and older age cohorts

St Helens faces significant health challenges with various conditions affecting both younger and older age groups. Approximately 47% (~1,148 people) have private health cover, compared to 49.4% across Rest of Tas., which is lower than the national average of 55.3%. Arthritis and mental health issues are the most common medical conditions, affecting 14.6% and 9.5% of residents respectively.

However, 56.7% claim to be free from medical ailments, compared to 60.6% across Rest of Tas.. The area has a higher proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 36.5% (901 people), compared to 27.6% in Rest of Tas.. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors are better than the general population.

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

St Helens was below average in cultural diversity, with 87.4% of its population being citizens and 84.0% born in Australia. English was spoken exclusively at home by 96.0%. Christianity was the main religion, comprising 47.9%.

Buddhism, at 1.6%, was overrepresented compared to the rest of Tasmania's 0.6%. In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were English (36.5%), Australian (31.2%), and Irish (8.0%). French (0.7%) and Maltese (0.4%) were notably overrepresented in St Helens compared to regional averages of 0.3% and 0.2%, respectively.

St Helens ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide

St Helens has a median age of 57, which is significantly higher than the Rest of Tas. figure of 45 and the Australian median of 38. Compared to Rest of Tas., St Helens has a higher concentration of residents aged 65-74 (19.6%) but fewer residents aged 25-34 (6.1%). This 65-74 concentration is well above the national figure of 9.4%. Post-2021 Census data shows that the 75 to 84 age group has grown from 11.4% to 13.0% of the population, while the 55 to 64 cohort has declined from 18.4% to 16.3%, and the 25 to 34 group has dropped from 7.4% to 6.1%. Looking ahead to 2041, demographic projections reveal significant shifts in St Helens's age structure. The 85+ cohort is expected to grow by 110%, adding 105 residents to reach 202. Demographic aging continues as residents aged 65 and older represent 85% of anticipated growth. Conversely, the 0 to 4 and 15 to 24 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.