Darkes Forest vs Helensburgh

Helensburgh is the younger of the two, with a median age of 38 against 45 in Darkes Forest. In both, most households own their home, the large majority of homes are detached houses, and most households are couple families. On these figures, Darkes Forest tends to suit couples and older residents, while Helensburgh suits families with children.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

Helensburgh

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (7 vs 1)
  • has more childcare (6 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (2 vs 0)
  • But Darkes Forest has more separate houses rather than flats (92% vs 82%)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

Darkes Forest

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (12% vs 23%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Darkes Forest

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (38% vs 15%)
  • has cheaper rent ($488/wk vs $535/wk)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Helensburgh

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (58/100 vs 13/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (57.2 km vs 64.6 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (63 min vs 68 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Helensburgh

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (58/100 vs 13/100)
  • has more GPs (2 vs 0)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (18% vs 8%)
  • But Darkes Forest has more residents already 65 and over (23% vs 13%)

Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Helensburgh

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (3.0% vs -17.4%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Darkes Forest and Helensburgh drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Darkes Forest Helensburgh
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Darkes Forest Helensburgh
Walkability 13 / 58
Darkes Forest — Walkability: 13/100 Helensburgh — Walkability: 58/100
Safety 63 / 63
Darkes Forest — Safety: 63/100 Helensburgh — Safety: 63/100
Low fire risk 11 / 9
Darkes Forest — Low fire risk: 11/100 Helensburgh — Low fire risk: 9/100

Demographics

Helensburgh has more residents (6,576 vs 95); Darkes Forest skews older (45 vs 38).

Darkes Forest Helensburgh
Population 95 6,576
+6822% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) -17.4% +3.0%
Median age 45 38
Median household income $136,448/yr
+5% vs other
 $129,480/yr
Median weekly rent $488/wk $535/wk
+10% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Darkes Forest Helensburgh
0-4 7.4% / 7.7%
Darkes Forest — 0-4: 7.4% Helensburgh — 0-4: 7.7%
5-14 6.3% / 14.8%
Darkes Forest — 5-14: 6.3% Helensburgh — 5-14: 14.8%
15-19 9.5% / 6.6%
Darkes Forest — 15-19: 9.5% Helensburgh — 15-19: 6.6%
20-24 8.4% / 5.8%
Darkes Forest — 20-24: 8.4% Helensburgh — 20-24: 5.8%
25-34 11.6% / 11.3%
Darkes Forest — 25-34: 11.6% Helensburgh — 25-34: 11.3%
35-44 6.3% / 14.7%
Darkes Forest — 35-44: 6.3% Helensburgh — 35-44: 14.7%
45-54 12.6% / 14.2%
Darkes Forest — 45-54: 12.6% Helensburgh — 45-54: 14.2%
55-64 20.0% / 12.3%
Darkes Forest — 55-64: 20.0% Helensburgh — 55-64: 12.3%
65-74 11.6% / 7.6%
Darkes Forest — 65-74: 11.6% Helensburgh — 65-74: 7.6%
75-84 8.4% / 4.0%
Darkes Forest — 75-84: 8.4% Helensburgh — 75-84: 4.0%
85+ 3.2% / 1.2%
Darkes Forest — 85+: 3.2% Helensburgh — 85+: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Darkes Forest 83.3% couple families
Darkes Forest — Couple Families: 83.3% Darkes Forest — Lone Person: 16.7% Darkes Forest — One Parent Families: 0.0% Darkes Forest — Group Household: 0.0% Darkes Forest — Other Families: 0.0%
Helensburgh 64.6% couple families
Helensburgh — Couple Families: 64.6% Helensburgh — Lone Person: 19.2% Helensburgh — One Parent Families: 13.9% Helensburgh — Group Household: 1.5% Helensburgh — Other Families: 0.8%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Darkes Forest 37.5% renting
Darkes Forest — Owned Outright: 45.8% Darkes Forest — Mortgage: 16.7% Darkes Forest — Renting: 37.5%
Helensburgh 15.1% renting
Helensburgh — Owned Outright: 31.0% Helensburgh — Mortgage: 53.9% Helensburgh — Renting: 15.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Darkes Forest 92.3% houses
Darkes Forest — Houses: 92.3% Darkes Forest — Flats / Apartments: 7.7% Darkes Forest — Townhouses: 0.0%
Helensburgh 82.2% houses
Helensburgh — Houses: 82.2% Helensburgh — Flats / Apartments: 14.9% Helensburgh — Townhouses: 2.8%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Darkes Forest Helensburgh
Certificate III & IV 18.9% / 18.6%
Darkes Forest — Certificate III & IV: 18.9% Helensburgh — Certificate III & IV: 18.6%
Bachelor Degree 14.7% / 12.0%
Darkes Forest — Bachelor Degree: 14.7% Helensburgh — Bachelor Degree: 12.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 14.7% / 8.9%
Darkes Forest — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 14.7% Helensburgh — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.9%
Postgraduate Degree 3.2% / 3.9%
Darkes Forest — Postgraduate Degree: 3.2% Helensburgh — Postgraduate Degree: 3.9%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 2.0%
Darkes Forest — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Helensburgh — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.9%).

Property market

Darkes Forest Helensburgh
Median house price — $1,400,000
Median unit price — $790,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) — 24 days
from 39 sales

Zoning mix

Darkes Forest has more land zoned for conservation (98% vs 67%).

Darkes Forest Helensburgh
Environmental 98% 67%
Infrastructure and transport 2% 14%
Residential 0% 11%
Rural and farming 1% 5%
Parks and recreation 0% 2%
Industrial 0% 1%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it. Zones as at 2026-09.

Development activity

Darkes Forest Helensburgh
New dwellings approved 1,476
across Wollongong
same for both
Approvals change year on year -31%
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Darkes Forest Helensburgh
House price — Higher than 67% of NSW
Income Higher than 91% of NSW Higher than 89% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 62% of NSW Higher than 84% of NSW
Affordability — Higher than 64% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 85% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 12% of NSW Higher than 79% of NSW

Liveability

Helensburgh is more walkable (58 vs 13).

Darkes Forest Helensburgh
Grade — B
Score — 49/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 9/10
same for both

Risk profile

Darkes Forest Helensburgh
Bushfire High
89/100
 High
91/100
Crime Low
37/100
same for both
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
 1
within 5 km

Schools

Darkes Forest Helensburgh
Inside the suburb 0 2
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 2
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Darkes Forest

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Schools in Helensburgh

  • Helensburgh Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • Holy Cross Catholic Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Darkes Forest Helensburgh
Supermarkets 0 1
Cafes & restaurants 0 1
Parks & reserves 1 7
Childcare 0 6
GPs 0 2
Pharmacies 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 0 1
Waterways 3 30

Mobility

Darkes Forest sits further from the CBD (64.6 km vs 57.2 km).

Darkes Forest Helensburgh
Walkability score 13/100 58/100
Distance to Sydney 64.6 km
+11% vs other
 57.2 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 68 min 63 min
Electric vehicle share 1.2%
postcode 2508
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 43
postcode 2508
same for both

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Darkes Forest Helensburgh
Car (driver) 59.3% / 52.9%
Darkes Forest — Car (driver): 59.3% Helensburgh — Car (driver): 52.9%
Worked from Home 40.7% / 39.3%
Darkes Forest — Worked from Home: 40.7% Helensburgh — Worked from Home: 39.3%
Train — / 2.7%
Darkes Forest — Train: not among its largest Helensburgh — Train: 2.7%
Car (passenger) — / 2.5%
Darkes Forest — Car (passenger): not among its largest Helensburgh — Car (passenger): 2.5%
Walked Only — / 2.3%
Darkes Forest — Walked Only: not among its largest Helensburgh — Walked Only: 2.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (59.3%).

Setting

Darkes Forest Helensburgh
Elevation 368 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 242 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 7.1 km 4.2 km
4.2 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Darkes Forest Helensburgh
Connectivity score 15/100 72/100
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster) Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
10 premises
 38%
2,526 premises

Climate

Darkes Forest Helensburgh
Annual rainfall 1,038 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Darkes Forest Helensburgh
PM2.5 5.8 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 14.8 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.97 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Darkes Forest Helensburgh
Average residential rate $1,751/yr
same for both
Council Wollongong
same for both

Federal electorate

Darkes Forest Helensburgh
Division Cunningham
same for both
Member Alison Byrnes
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Darkes Forest Helensburgh
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Darkes Forest

Outer

Helensburgh

Family Outer River

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Darkes Forest

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Other comparisons with Helensburgh

Helensburgh vs Waterfall Helensburgh vs Stanwell Tops Helensburgh vs Otford
Full data on Darkes Forest Full data on Helensburgh
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Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

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