QLD · Gold Coast Council

Helensvale, 4212

Est. population · Jun 2025

21,244

Growth (1 yr)

+1.6%

Growth (5 yr)

+11.2%

Median age

41

Median income

$2,014/wk

Employment rate

60.8%

University qualified

21%

Work from home

15.1%

Languages at home

14.9%non-English

Most common: Mandarin, Spanish, Japanese

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

48.1/100
Average

Top 29% of Queensland's suburbs

Verified 93% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Green suburb
  • Golf
  • Outer suburban
What Helensvale is known for: Green suburb, Golf, Outer suburban

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Helensvale, QLD suburb snapshot — Suburb Guide

Cite this suburb snapshot

Suburb Guide, “Helensvale, QLD Suburb Guide”, updated 2 October 2026, https://suburb.guide/qld/helensvale

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Suburb profile

Helensvale is an outer metropolitan suburb of Brisbane, in Gold Coast Council. It is mainly residential, with little in the way of a distinct commercial centre or landmark identity.

Public transport coverage is exceptionally strong, placing it among the highest-ranked outer metropolitan suburbs. Open-space access is exceptionally strong. Green cover is an exceptional strength, and socio-economic advantage sits well above the peer median. The main trade-offs are higher rents and thinner dining and café options, with median rents 38% above the peer median.

Helensvale's appeal is better explained by housing, access and location than by a strong standalone precinct or destination.

Generated from the official metrics on this page. It can omit nuance or contain errors — check the tables and source notes before relying on it.

Strengths and weaknesses

Outer metropolitan suburb · compared with outer metropolitan suburbs in Queensland (215)

Strengths

  • Public transport coverage is exceptionally strong
  • Open-space access is exceptionally strong
  • Green cover is a relative strength
  • Socio-economic advantage sits well above the peer median

Weaknesses

  • Rents are among the highest in the peer group
  • Dining and café options are thinner than in comparable places

What stands out

  • Overseas-born and multilingual community

Who it suits

  • Families
  • Professionals
  • Retirees
  • Students
  • Budget buyers

Housing, growth and risk

How Helensvale compares

A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk

Median house price

—

No data available

Median rent

$920/wk

Population (ERP)

21,244

+1.6% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

4.5%

Census unoccupied dwellings

Livability profile

Desirability pillars vs the peer median (50th percentile)

How it compares

Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles

Desirability

#140

among Metro Brisbane · Established

Crime rate

56th

percentile in state (higher = more crime)

Pop. growth

66th

percentile in QLD

Rented dwellings

20%

2021 Census tenure

Advantage (IRSAD)

8/10

national SEIFA decile

School ICSEA

55th

percentile among schools with ICSEA

Population growth

Recent ERP change over 1 and 5 years

Housing mix

Dwelling types from the 2021 Census

Risks & flags

Quick scan — open a section below for full context

Living here

Desirability

Ranks & confidence
Desirability score
48.1/100 — Average
State standing
Top 29% of Queensland's suburbs
National rank
2390th in Australia
State rank
438th in QLD
Peer rank
#140 among Metro Brisbane · Established suburbs
Cohort rank
#239 among Metro Brisbane suburbs
Data confidence
93%

Data sources & freshness

  • Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated

Housing

All types (Mar 2026)
$920

Median weekly rent from Queensland RTA rental bond data. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.

Contributes to desirability score · Housing (10%) · Future Growth (6%)

Household crowding and healthy vacancy — not cheapness Modest price change as a healthy-growth band

Data sources & freshness

Population

Estimated resident population

21,244(June 2025)

+1.6% annual · +11.2% over 5 years · 66th percentile in QLD

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+1.6%
5-year growth
+11.2%
Change in 1 year
+334
Change in 5 years
+2,143
Growth rank in QLD
66th percentile

ABS Estimated Resident Population allocated to this suburb from SA2-level data. Not an official ABS suburb count.

Methodology

Figures are allocated from ABS Estimated Resident Population at Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2), using 2021 Census share within overlapping SA2 regions. Where Census data is unavailable, area overlap is used instead.

The dashed chart line is a simple growth-trend estimate to June 2030 (~23,150), extrapolated at +1.7% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
18,949
Median age
41
Median household income / week
$2,014
Dwelling vacancy
4.5%
Unoccupied private dwellings
297 of 6,667
Median monthly mortgage
$2,098
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$495
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
32.3% / 48% / 19.8%
Employment rate
60.8%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
15.1% / 2% / 69.1%
Walked or cycled to work
1%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
5,181 / 915 / 257 (+ 11 other)

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%) · Accessibility (12%) · Future Growth (6%)

Employment, household income and owned-outright tenure (2021 Census) Work-from-home and public-transport commute shares (2021 Census) Five-year population change as a healthy-growth band, not a boom bonus

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

  • Estimated Resident Population — Australian Bureau of Statistics · 2025 · Updated · SA2 ERP allocated to suburb boundaries

Qualifications

21% of adults have a university degree, compared with 21.9% across Queensland. 19.6% have a trade or vocational qualification.

  • University qualified21% · 21.9% QLD
  • Diploma qualified11.8% · 9.4% QLD
  • Trade / vocational19.6% · 18.9% QLD
  • Year 12 or below47.7% · 49.8% QLD

Highest qualification field

Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).

  • Management and commerce24.1%
  • Engineering and related technologies16.7%
  • Health13%
  • Society and culture12.5%
  • Architecture and building8%
  • Education7.9%
How these groups are defined
MeasureDefinition
University qualifiedBachelor degree or higher
Diploma qualifiedAdvanced Diploma / Diploma
Trade / vocationalCertificate III + IV
Year 12Year 12 as highest attainment
Below Year 12Year 11 / 10 / 9 or below

People aged 15 years and over, 2021 Census. University, diploma and trade shares match ABS highest educational attainment (HEAP). Year 12 and below Year 12 are combined in the chart because the General Community Profile reports school-only attainment as a residual.

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)

University qualifications from the 2021 Census

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Tax & income

Median taxable income (2023–24)
$58,196

63rd percentile in QLD · -1% vs Australia

Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$63,723

63rd percentile in QLD · -2% vs Australia

Residents with rental investments
14.0%

82nd percentile in QLD · +1% vs Australia

Median super balance (2023–24)
$72,733

58th percentile in QLD · +15% vs Australia

Residents with business income
10.0%

49th percentile in QLD · -4% vs Australia

Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 4212 — not a suburb-level official statistic. Rental investment is the share of local taxpayers reporting rental income or loss, not the share of local properties owned by investors.

Counts, net rent & state comparison
Taxpayers in this postcode
23,880
Taxpayers reporting net rent
3,245
Median net rent
-$38
Taxpayers reporting business income
2,400
Taxable income vs state median
+5%
Salary / wages vs state median
+4%
Rental investment vs state median
+27%
Super vs state median
+5%
Business income vs state median
0%

Percentiles rank this postcode among unique postcodes in QLD, so suburbs that share a postcode are not counted twice. Dollar figures are compared with Australia-wide ATO medians from the same release. Median net rent is among taxpayers who reported the rent label and can be negative.

Data sources & freshness

  • Taxation Statistics 2023–24 — individuals by postcode (Table 25) — Australian Taxation Office · Updated · Annual release; taxpayer residential postcode, not suburb boundary

Community & culture

14.9% speak a language other than English at home; 34.1% born overseas

Language at home
15,455 English only · 2,716 other
Non-English at home
14.9%
Born overseas
6,204 (34.1%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
365 (1.9%)
Australian citizens
15,712
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
34

Top languages other than English

Share of residents who speak a language other than English at home (2021 Census).

  • Mandarin281 · 26.7%
  • Spanish58 · 5.5%
  • Japanese55 · 5.2%
  • Korean53 · 5%
  • Arabic42 · 4%
  • Cantonese41 · 3.9%
  • Punjabi40 · 3.8%
  • Afrikaans39 · 3.7%

Religion

45.7%Most common religion · Christianity

Christianity is the most common response at 45.7%, while 43.8% reported no religion.

MeasureSuburbState
No religion43.8%40.7%
Christianity45.7%45.7%
Other / not stated10.6%13.6%
Christian denominations
DenominationSuburbState
Catholic17.8%18.6%
Anglican14.8%11.3%
Uniting Church2.6%3.6%
Christian (not further defined)2.6%3.1%
Presbyterian and Reformed2%2.1%

2021 Census — languages spoken at home, birthplace, Indigenous status, and religious affiliation (usual residence). Religion is optional on the Census form.

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Crime & safety

Offence counts are estimated for this suburb from postcode 4212, which is shared with other suburbs.

Reported offences are running higher than the same point last year.

Offence counts & rates
Total offences (Jan 2026 to Sep 2026)
1,161
Against the person
189
Against property
567
Rate per 1,000 residents (annualised)
73.1
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 100 residents
State crime-rate percentile
55.5th (higher = more crime)
Increase (daily rate, partial year)
+21.9%

Most common offence types

  • Assault76
  • Drug Offences233
  • Good Order Offences75
  • Other Theft (Excl. Unlawful Entry)330
  • Traffic And Related Offences118

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)

Crime rate, offences against the person, year-on-year trend and recorded road crash rates

Data sources & freshness

  • QPS Online Crime Map — Queensland Police Service · Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 → Jan 2026 to Sep 2026; Jan 2026 to Sep 2026 · Updated · Calendar-year aggregates

Family & Lifestyle

Schools & preschools

Schools within 2 km
2
Median school ICSEA (2 schools)
1,016
Median ICSEA percentile
55th
Primary catchments overlapping suburb
7
Secondary catchments overlapping suburb
5
School list
  • Helensvale State High SchoolSecondary · Government · ICSEA 1017 · 55th percentile · LBOTE 14% · 1,875 students · Top SEA quarter 10% · 1.1 km awayView on My School →
  • Helensvale State SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1015 · 54th percentile · LBOTE 20% · 871 students · Top SEA quarter 11% · 1.9 km awayView on My School →
School catchments
  • Arundel SSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Coombabah SHSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
  • Coombabah SSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Coomera SSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Foxwell State Secondary CollegeGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
  • Gaven SSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Helensvale SHSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
  • Helensvale SSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Oxenford SSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
  • Pacific Pines SHSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment

Government school intake zones that overlap this suburb boundary. Living in a catchment does not guarantee enrolment; check the education authority.

Contributes to desirability score · Education (14%)

Median school ICSEA first, then school and catchment counts

Data sources & freshness

Childcare

2 childcare services from OpenStreetMap

  • Goodstart Early Learning Hope Islandchildcare
  • kindergartenkindergarten

Contributes to desirability score · Education (14%)

Childcare centres per 1,000 residents

Data sources & freshness

  • Childcare services — OpenStreetMap · current · Updated

Public transport

85 public transport stops in this suburb

  • Discovery Dr at Ashford Road
  • Discovery Dr at Eugenia Reserve
  • Discovery Dr at Hession Oval
  • Discovery Dr at Lindfield Road Shops
  • Town Centre Drive

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Public transport stops per 1,000 residents and walkability

Data sources & freshness

Amenities

70 mapped amenities

1 supermarkets · 3 playgrounds · 1 sports centres · 1 swimming pools · 1 caravan parks · 1 petrol stations

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • Reasonably walkable — many shops and services reachable on foot or by bus
  • Great for outdoor family life — 102 parks mapped in suburb, 3 playgrounds nearby
  • Well connected by public transport — 85 public transport stops
Walkability proxy
55/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0
Parks per 1,000 residents
5.38
Shopping(4)
  • Liquor Legends Monterey KeysBottle shop

    175 Monterey Keys Drive, Helensvale

  • 7-ElevenConvenience store
  • Helensvale Convenience StoreConvenience store

    107 Mildura Drive

  • IGASupermarket
Everyday services(1)
  • MobilPetrol station
Community(2)
  • Goodstart Early Learning Hope IslandChildcare
  • Helensvale State High SchoolSchool
Sport & outdoors(39)
  • "Steve's Bridge"Cycling route
  • Coomera Connector Shared PathwayCycling route
  • Helensvale Golf CourseGolf course
  • Saltwater Creek Conservation ParkNature reserve
  • Acacia ReservePark
  • Ashford ParkPark
  • Banksia ReservePark
  • Cadaghi ReservePark
  • Cassia ReservePark
  • Cupania ReservePark
  • Dubbo Court ReservePark
  • Eugenia ReservePark
  • Flindersia ReservePark
  • Grevillea ReservePark
  • Katoomba Court ReservePark
  • Melaleuca ReservePark
  • Otford ReservePark
  • Park
  • Penrith ReservePark
  • Plympton Court ReservePark
  • Ridgevale Drive ParkPark
  • Robe Court ParkPark
  • Rosedale Place ReservePark
  • Rosswood Court ReservePark
  • Rugby ParkPark
  • Salix ReservePark
  • Salix Reserve EastPark
  • Samford Court ReservePark
  • Schneider Family ParkPark
  • Tanunda Drive ReservePark
  • Tristania ReservePark
  • Village GreenPark
  • Playground (3)
  • Public toilets
  • Helensvale Aquatic CentreSports centre
  • Sports field
  • Swimming pool
Camping & holiday parks(1)
  • Gold Coast Holiday Park & MotelCaravan park
Transport(15)

15 bus stops

Other(2)
  • Parking (6)
  • Shelter (2)

Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually. Campgrounds, beaches, wineries and local trails are included when they sit inside the suburb boundary.

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)

Food, shopping, recreation and sport per 1,000 residents (OpenStreetMap)

Data sources & freshness

  • Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
  • OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated

Parks & reserves

61 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Acacia ReservePark
  • Ashford ParkPark
  • Banksia ReservePark
  • Bauhinia ReservePark
  • Cadaghi ReservePark
  • Calliandra ParkPark
  • Callistemon ReservePark
  • Careel ReservePark
  • Cassia ReservePark
  • Cupania ReservePark

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Green cover of suburb area
21.4%
Woodland / forest cover
14.5%
Parks & woodland features (OSM)
150
Parks (OSM)
102
Typical summer maximum
28°C

Green cover is the share of this suburb's boundary overlapping OpenStreetMap parks, woodland and forest polygons — not a satellite tree-canopy product. Summer maximum is the WorldClim / Open-Meteo seasonal normal already collected for Weather.

Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)

Tree canopy first, then green-cover area and parks per 1,000

Data sources & freshness

  • OpenStreetMap green cover and tree canopy — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated · Park/woodland polygons intersected with suburb boundaries

Health access

Hospitals & GP clinics in suburb
5
Nearest hospital
Emergency (7.8 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department
Emergency department in suburb
Not in suburb
GP clinics in suburb
2
GPs tagged bulk billing (OSM)
0 of 2
Aged-care services
3
Residential aged-care places
142

GP clinic counts from OpenStreetMap. Bulk-billing figures only include clinics tagged in OSM (sparse and unofficial — not a Medicare list).

  • Enrich Living ServicesHELENSVALEShort-Term Restorative Care (STRC)
  • Myhealth HelensvaleMillaroo DriveGP
  • Helensvale Community HealthClinic
  • Pacific Smiles DentalDentist
  • PharmacyPharmacy
  • Priceline PharmacyPharmacy
Aged-care services
  • Arcare HelensvaleHELENSVALEResidential
  • Arcare Helensvale St JamesHELENSVALEResidential

Australian Government–subsidised services from the AIHW GEN list (30 June 2025), assigned to this suburb by location.

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Hospitals, GPs and aged care

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
563
Participants per 1,000 residents
26.5

Active NDIS participants allocated from NDIA Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2, ASGS 2016) counts to this suburb boundary. Not an official suburb-level NDIS figure · as at 31 March 2026.

For NDIS spend and service-demand exploration by SA2 or postcode, see the Care Sector Demand Map.

Data sources & freshness

Weather

Typical conditions by season for suburbs in the same ~44 km climate area. Rainfall totals are summed from monthly WorldClim layers; rainy-day counts are approximate.

Summer (Dec–Feb)

Usual max / min
28° / 18°
Rainfall
493 mm · ~62 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
25° / 14°
Rainfall
343 mm · ~43 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
20° / 7°
Rainfall
144 mm · ~18 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
25° / 12°
Rainfall
249 mm · ~31 rainy days

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)

Temperature and humidity comfort

Data sources & freshness

  • Seasonal climate normals — WorldClim 2.1 · Updated

Future & Planning

Roadworks & transport

6 active roadworks / incidents

  • Between Discovery Drive and Buckler Drive.Gold Coast Highway16 Sep 2026 – 31 Jan 2027
  • Between Discovery Drive and Coombabah Creek.Gold Coast Highway21 Sep 2026 – 15 Oct 2026
  • Between the Queensalnd Rail bridge and Gippsland DriveRidgevale Drive30 Aug 2026 – 29 Aug 2027
  • Between Town Centre Drive bridge and Helensvale Light Rail Station eastern park 'n' ride car parks.Buckler Drive22 Sep 2026 – 10 Oct 2026
  • From Gold Coast Highway and Helensvale Light Rail Station eastern park 'n' ride car parks.Buckler Drive16 Aug 2026 – 30 Mar 2028
  • left turn from Cyan Street to Buckler DriveCyan Street16 Aug 2026 – 30 Dec 2027

Data sources & freshness

  • Road incidents & closures — State road authority open-data feeds · current · Updated

Hazards

Bushfire planning zone
No overlay at centroid
Flood / inundation overlay
No mapped inundation on suburb boundary

Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via Queensland Bushfire Prone Area mapping. Flood cover uses floodplain overlay polygons against the suburb boundary where published.

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)

Bushfire and flood hazard overlays

Data sources & freshness

  • Bushfire and flood planning overlays — State government hazard layers · current · Updated

Politics & representation

Federal electorate
Fadden
Member of Parliament
Cameron CALDWELL (Liberal National Party of Queensland)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
135,733
Turnout (2025)
87.1%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
+3.8 pp toward Labor

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 56.9%Labor 43.1%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 4.8 km away).

Coalition 51.3%Labor 48.7%

5.6 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +5.2 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • HelensvaleLabor 49.1% · Coalition 50.9% TPP (2025)0.7 km away
  • Helensvale NorthLabor 45.0% · Coalition 55.0% TPP (2025)1.2 km away
  • Pacific Pines North (Fadden)Labor 55.7% · Coalition 44.3% TPP (2025)2.4 km away
  • Oxenford (Fadden)Labor 45.8% · Coalition 54.2% TPP (2025)2.9 km away
  • Pacific Pines CentralLabor 55.4% · Coalition 44.6% TPP (2025)3.7 km away

Federal electorate from AEC federal division boundaries (2025 redistribution). Division-level results are official AEC figures from the latest general election, with by-election updates where applicable. The estimated suburb profile blends up to eight nearest ordinary polling booths in the same electorate using inverse-distance weighting from the suburb centroid — an approximation, not official AEC data. Nearest polling places are shown for reference.

Data sources & freshness

Socio-economic

IRSAD decile (2021)
8/10
IRSD decile (2021)
7/10

ABS Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), 2021 release — the latest available, derived from the 2021 Census. Deciles rank suburbs nationally from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).

What do IRSAD and IRSD measure?

IRSAD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage. Combines indicators of advantage (e.g. high income, skilled occupations) and disadvantage. Higher decile = more advantaged relative to other Australian areas.

IRSD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage. Focuses on disadvantage only (e.g. low income, unemployment, limited education). Higher decile = less disadvantage nationally.

A new SEIFA edition typically follows each census; the ABS has not announced a release date beyond 2021.

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)

Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD and IRSD deciles)

Data sources & freshness

Compare with

Similar suburbs to weigh up side by side — scores, safety, schools, and lifestyle.

More in Gold Coast Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Queensland.