St Helens - Scamander
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, St Helens - Scamander's population is around 7292 as of November 2025. This reflects an increase of 536 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 6756 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 7162 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 250 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 2.2 persons per square kilometer. St Helens - Scamander's growth rate of 7.9% since the 2021 census exceeded the state's average of 4.8%, making it a growth leader in the region. Interstate migration contributed approximately 76.2% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, 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, released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Projections indicate a decline in overall population by 457 persons by 2041. However, specific age cohorts are expected to grow, notably the 75 to 84 age group, projected to expand by 304 people.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions St Helens - Scamander among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

St Helens - Scamander has averaged approximately 50 new dwelling approvals annually over the past five financial years, totalling 252 homes. As of FY-26, 18 approvals have been recorded. Each dwelling built between FY-21 and FY-25 has resulted in an average of 2.6 new residents per year, indicating strong demand that may support property values. The average construction cost value of new homes is $249,000.

This financial year, $4.1 million in commercial approvals have been registered, suggesting the area's residential character. Compared to the Rest of Tas., St Helens - Scamander maintains similar construction rates per person, supporting market stability aligned with regional patterns. Recent development has consisted entirely of detached houses, preserving the area's traditional low-density character with a focus on family homes.

With around 160 people per dwelling approval, St Helens - Scamander exhibits characteristics of a growth area. Population is expected to remain stable or decline, potentially reducing pressure on housing and creating opportunities for buyers.

St Helens - Scamander has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 11thth percentile nationally

No infrastructure changes are anticipated in the area. Zero projects have been identified by AreaSearch that could impact the region. Key initiatives include Bass Offshore Wind Energy Project, Tasmanian Irrigation Schemes: Tranche 3, Cethana Pumped Hydro Energy Storage Project, and Marinus Link Stage 1.

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

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Employment conditions in St Helens - Scamander face significant challenges, ranking among the bottom 10% of areas assessed nationally

St Helens - Scamander has a balanced workforce with white and blue collar jobs across various sectors. As of June 2025, its unemployment rate is 6.7%.

In June 2025, 2,673 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 2.7% higher than Rest of Tas.'s rate of 3.9%. Workforce participation stands at 42.8%, significantly lower than Rest of Tas.'s 55.7%. Key industries employing locals include health care & social assistance, accommodation & food, and retail trade. Notably, accommodation & food employs 1.5 times the regional average.

However, health care & social assistance employs only 14.2% of local workers, below Rest of Tas.'s 16.5%. The area may offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by Census data showing fewer working residents than locals. Over June 2024 to June 2025, labour force levels decreased by 1.5%, employment declined by 1.3%, causing unemployment to fall by 0.2 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of Tas. saw employment decline of 0.5% and labour force decline of 0.6%. Jobs and Skills Australia's forecasts from May 2025 project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with varying rates across sectors. Applying these projections to St Helens - Scamander suggests local growth of approximately 5.9% over five years and 12.6% over 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 latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows that income in St Helens - Scamander is lower than average on a national basis. The median income is $37,067, while the average income stands at $47,898. This contrasts with Rest of Tas.'s figures of a median income of $47,358 and an average income of $57,384. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 13.83% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $42,193 (median) and $54,522 (average) as of September 2025. From the 2021 Census, household, family and personal incomes in St Helens - Scamander all fall between the 1st and 3rd percentiles nationally. Income brackets indicate that the largest segment comprises 36.5% earning $400 - $799 weekly (2,661 residents), differing from metropolitan regions where the $1,500 - $2,999 category predominates at 28.5%. The prevalence of lower-income residents (48.3% under $800/week) suggests constrained household budgets across much of the locality. While housing costs are modest with 87.2% of income retained, total disposable income ranks at just the 3rd percentile nationally.

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

In St Helens - Scamander, as per the latest Census evaluation, 91.9% of dwellings were houses with the remaining 8.1% comprising semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types. This is comparable to Non-Metro Tas., which had 92.6% houses and 7.4% other dwellings. Home ownership in St Helens - Scamander stood at 56.5%, with mortgaged properties at 23.2% and rented dwellings at 20.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,083, lower than Non-Metro Tas.'s average of $1,198. Weekly rent in St Helens - Scamander was recorded at $240, compared to $230 in Non-Metro Tas. Nationally, St Helens - Scamander'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 - Scamander features high concentrations of lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 62.1% of all households, including 16.7% couples with children, 36.2% couples without children, and 8.5% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 37.9%, with lone person households at 36.0% and group households making up 2.0%. The median household size is 2.0 people, which is smaller than the Rest of Tas. average of 2.3.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 16.7%, significantly lower than the Australian average of 30.4%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are most common at 11.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.0%) and graduate diplomas (1.8%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 40.3% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (9.7%) and certificates (30.6%).

A substantial 21.2% of the population is actively pursuing formal education, including 10.0% in primary, 5.5% in secondary, and 1.8% in tertiary education. St Helens - Scamander's 3 schools have a combined enrollment of 721 students as of the latest available data. All 3 schools offer integrated K-12 education for academic continuity. Note: where schools show 'n/a' for enrolments, please refer to parent campus.

No public transport data available for this catchment area.

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

St Helens-Scamander faces significant health challenges, with various conditions affecting both younger and older age groups. Private health cover stands at approximately 46%, covering about 3,354 people, compared to Tasmania's average of 49.4% and the national average of 55.3%. The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (14.2%) and mental health issues (9.8%), while 57.3% report no medical ailments, compared to 60.6% in the rest of Tasmania.

The area has a higher proportion of residents aged 65 and over, at 34%, or approximately 2,479 people, compared to 27.6% in the rest of Tasmania.

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

St Helens-Scamander, as per data from the 2016 Census, showed lower cultural diversity with 89.4% of its population being Australian citizens and 85.7% born in Australia. English was spoken at home by 96.7%. Christianity was the predominant religion at 43.0%.

The 'Other' religious category comprised 0.7%, slightly higher than the Rest of Tasmania's 0.5%. In terms of ancestry, English was highest at 36.6%, followed by Australian at 30.0% and Scottish at 8.7%. Notable differences were seen in Welsh (0.6% vs regional 0.4%), Australian Aboriginal (3.0% vs 3.0%), and French (0.5% vs 0.3%).

St Helens - Scamander ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide

The median age in St Helens - Scamander is 56, which is significantly higher than the Rest of Tas. figure of 45 and Australia's median age of 38. The 65-74 age group constitutes 20.2% of the population compared to the Rest of Tas., while the 25-34 cohort makes up 6.3%. This concentration in the 65-74 age group is well above the national figure of 9.4%. Between 2021 and the present, the 75 to 84 age group has grown from 9.5% to 11.3%, while the 35 to 44 cohort increased from 9.5% to 10.7%. Conversely, the 55 to 64 cohort has declined from 20.1% to 18.1%. Demographic modeling indicates that by 2041, St Helens - Scamander's age profile will evolve significantly. Leading this demographic shift, the 75 to 84 group is projected to grow by 31%, reaching 1,084 from 825. This growth is primarily driven by residents aged 65 and older representing 83% of anticipated population increase. Conversely, both the 0 to 4 and 15 to 24 age groups are expected to see reduced numbers.