Upper Scamander vs St Helens

In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Upper Scamander, about half of households are couple families. In St Helens, most households are people living alone. On these figures, Upper Scamander tends to suit share households and couples, while St Helens suits people living alone and older residents.

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

Upper Scamander

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • is already more of a family suburb (46% vs 37%)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (96% vs 86%)
  • But St Helens has more parks and reserves (21 vs 5)

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

First-home buyers

Upper Scamander

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (15% vs 30%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Upper Scamander

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($0/wk vs $230/wk)

Weighs rent.

Commuting to the city

Upper Scamander

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (188 min vs 200 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (242.1 km vs 257.4 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

St Helens

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (14% vs 4%)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (34% vs 25%)

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

Investors

Upper Scamander

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (36.4% vs 6.6%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Upper Scamander and St Helens drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Upper Scamander St Helens
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.

Upper Scamander St Helens
Walkability 0 / 4
Upper Scamander — Walkability: 0/100 St Helens — Walkability: 4/100
Low fire risk 27 / 44
Upper Scamander — Low fire risk: 27/100 St Helens — Low fire risk: 44/100

Demographics

St Helens rents higher ($230/wk vs $0/wk); St Helens has more residents (2,206 vs 60).

Upper Scamander St Helens
Population 60 2,206
+3577% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +36.4% +6.6%
Median age 55 57
Median household income $68,224/yr
+37% vs other
 $42,848/yr
Median weekly rent — $230/wk
(not reported on the other side)

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Upper Scamander St Helens
0-4 10.0% / 4.2%
Upper Scamander — 0-4: 10.0% St Helens — 0-4: 4.2%
5-14 — / 8.6%
Upper Scamander — 5-14: not among its largest St Helens — 5-14: 8.6%
15-19 — / 3.3%
Upper Scamander — 15-19: not among its largest St Helens — 15-19: 3.3%
20-24 — / 3.5%
Upper Scamander — 20-24: not among its largest St Helens — 20-24: 3.5%
25-34 6.7% / 7.4%
Upper Scamander — 25-34: 6.7% St Helens — 25-34: 7.4%
35-44 21.7% / 8.7%
Upper Scamander — 35-44: 21.7% St Helens — 35-44: 8.7%
45-54 8.3% / 11.5%
Upper Scamander — 45-54: 8.3% St Helens — 45-54: 11.5%
55-64 20.0% / 18.4%
Upper Scamander — 55-64: 20.0% St Helens — 55-64: 18.4%
65-74 20.0% / 19.2%
Upper Scamander — 65-74: 20.0% St Helens — 65-74: 19.2%
75-84 5.0% / 11.3%
Upper Scamander — 75-84: 5.0% St Helens — 75-84: 11.3%
85+ — / 3.8%
Upper Scamander — 85+: not among its largest St Helens — 85+: 3.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.7%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Upper Scamander 30.8% lone person
Upper Scamander — Lone Person: 30.8% Upper Scamander — Couple Families: 46.2% Upper Scamander — Group Household: 23.1% Upper Scamander — One Parent Families: 0.0% Upper Scamander — Other Families: 0.0%
St Helens 57.9% lone person
St Helens — Lone Person: 57.9% St Helens — Couple Families: 22.6% St Helens — Group Household: 3.1% St Helens — One Parent Families: 14.8% St Helens — Other Families: 1.6%
Lone Person Couple Families Group Household One Parent Families Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Upper Scamander 0.0% renting
Upper Scamander — Owned Outright: 76.9% Upper Scamander — Mortgage: 23.1% Upper Scamander — Renting: 0.0%
St Helens 25.9% renting
St Helens — Owned Outright: 51.3% St Helens — Mortgage: 22.8% St Helens — Renting: 25.9%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

Upper Scamander St Helens
England 15.0% / 5.7%
Upper Scamander — England: 15.0% St Helens — England: 5.7%
New Zealand — / 1.4%
Upper Scamander — New Zealand: not among its largest St Helens — New Zealand: 1.4%
Nepal — / 0.8%
Upper Scamander — Nepal: not among its largest St Helens — Nepal: 0.8%
Philippines — / 0.6%
Upper Scamander — Philippines: not among its largest St Helens — Philippines: 0.6%
Thailand — / 0.5%
Upper Scamander — Thailand: not among its largest St Helens — Thailand: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (15.0%).

Qualifications

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

Upper Scamander St Helens
Certificate III & IV 16.7% / 17.1%
Upper Scamander — Certificate III & IV: 16.7% St Helens — Certificate III & IV: 17.1%
Bachelor Degree 11.7% / 7.7%
Upper Scamander — Bachelor Degree: 11.7% St Helens — Bachelor Degree: 7.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma — / 6.0%
Upper Scamander — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: not among its largest St Helens — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.0%
Postgraduate Degree — / 1.8%
Upper Scamander — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest St Helens — Postgraduate Degree: 1.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 1.1%
Upper Scamander — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest St Helens — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.1%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Upper Scamander 96.2% houses
Upper Scamander — Houses: 96.2% Upper Scamander — Flats / Apartments: 3.8% Upper Scamander — Townhouses: 0.0%
St Helens 86.2% houses
St Helens — Houses: 86.2% St Helens — Flats / Apartments: 9.0% St Helens — Townhouses: 4.8%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Upper Scamander St Helens
Median house price — $545,000
Median unit price — $380,000
Median land price — $189,500
Typical days to sell (houses) — 66 days
from 34 sales

Zoning mix

Upper Scamander has more rural and farming land (87% vs 72%); St Helens has more land zoned for conservation (26% vs 13%).

Upper Scamander St Helens
Rural and farming 87% 72%
Environmental 13% 26%
Residential 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

Upper Scamander St Helens
New dwellings approved 48
across Break O'Day
same for both
Approvals change year on year +0%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Upper Scamander St Helens
Houses — 3.2%
$470/wk on $755K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within TAS

Upper Scamander St Helens
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 51% of TAS Higher than 10% of TAS
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 65% of TAS Higher than 68% of TAS
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 50% of TAS Higher than 30% of TAS
NBN connectivity Higher than 19% of TAS Higher than 90% of TAS
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 11% of TAS

Liveability

Upper Scamander St Helens
Grade — D
Score — 30/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
 high-need area
decile 1/10

Risk profile

Upper Scamander carries more bushfire risk (73 vs 56).

Upper Scamander St Helens
Bushfire High
73/100
 Moderate
56/100
Crime Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
 Moderate
59/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Upper Scamander St Helens
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Upper Scamander

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

Schools in St Helens

  • St Helens District High School Government · Combined at peers

Amenities in the suburb

Upper Scamander St Helens
Supermarkets 0 2
Cafes & restaurants 0 13
Parks & reserves 5 21
Childcare 0 2
GPs 0 1
Pharmacies 0 1
Hospitals 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 3
Fuel stations 0 3
EV chargers 0 1
Waterways 2 29

Mobility

St Helens sits further from the CBD (257.4 km vs 242.1 km).

Upper Scamander St Helens
Walkability score 0/100 4/100
Distance to Hobart 242.1 km 257.4 km
+6% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 188 min 200 min
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 7215
 0.4%
postcode 7216
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 29
postcode 7215
 32
postcode 7216

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.

Upper Scamander St Helens
Car (driver) 71.4% / 69.1%
Upper Scamander — Car (driver): 71.4% St Helens — Car (driver): 69.1%
Walked Only 17.9% / 9.6%
Upper Scamander — Walked Only: 17.9% St Helens — Walked Only: 9.6%
Worked from Home 10.7% / 12.8%
Upper Scamander — Worked from Home: 10.7% St Helens — Worked from Home: 12.8%
Car (passenger) — / 7.7%
Upper Scamander — Car (passenger): not among its largest St Helens — Car (passenger): 7.7%
Bicycle — / 0.9%
Upper Scamander — Bicycle: not among its largest St Helens — Bicycle: 0.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (71.4%).

Setting

Upper Scamander St Helens
Elevation 96 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 55 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 6.1 km 3.9 km

NBN connectivity

Upper Scamander St Helens
Connectivity score 15/100 89/100
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster) Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
15 premises
 85%
1,573 premises

Climate

Upper Scamander St Helens
Annual rainfall 660 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 21.4°C 22.1°C
Winter min (Jul) 6.8°C 7.7°C

Council rates

Upper Scamander St Helens
Average residential rate $1,738/yr
same for both
Council Break O'Day
same for both

Federal electorate

Upper Scamander St Helens
Division Lyons
same for both
Member Rebecca White
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Upper Scamander St Helens
Grant amount $20,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Upper Scamander

Retirees Rural Young Families

St Helens

Retirees Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Upper Scamander

Upper Scamander vs Scamander Upper Scamander vs St Marys Upper Scamander vs Beaumaris Upper Scamander vs Falmouth Upper Scamander vs Mathinna

Other comparisons with St Helens

St Helens vs Stieglitz St Helens vs Beaumaris St Helens vs Binalong Bay St Helens vs Mathinna St Helens vs Goshen
Full data on Upper Scamander Full data on St Helens
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

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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