Mount Helen, VIC: suburb profile

The population of Mount Helen VIC is 3,011 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Mount Helen is $808 per week ($42,016 per year). Median rent in Mount Helen is $345 per week ($1,495 per month). Mount Helen has a median age of 36 years, younger than the national median of 38. Mount Helen has a population density of 244 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Mount Helen is England. The most common religion is No religion (53.3% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Mandarin. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Mount Helen is $1,600.

There were 128 recorded offences in Mount Helen in 2025-25, a rate of 43 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was theft (39 offences).

Population
3,011
Census 2021
Median income
$808/wk
Personal, Census 2021
Median rent
$345/wk
Weekly, Census 2021
Median age
36years
Census 2021

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing 2021; offences from Crime Statistics Agency Victoria (crimestatistics.vic.gov.au), 2025-25.

Mount Helen vs the typical VIC suburb

The median personal income in Mount Helen is $808 a week, 5% above the typical VIC suburb ($767). That ranks 497th of 1,274 VIC suburbs with 200 or more residents. Median rent is $345 a week, $29 more than the typical VIC suburb. Rent takes 16.6% of the median household income here, against 19.1% in the typical VIC suburb. The median resident is 36, 7 years younger than in the typical VIC suburb (43).

The typical suburb is the median across suburbs with 200 or more residents. ABS Census 2021, calculated by GDP.com.au.
MeasureMount HelenTypical VICDifferenceTypical Australia
Personal income$808/wk$767/wk +5%$766/wk
Household income$2,076/wk$1,687/wk +23%$1,637/wk
Rent$345/wk$316/wk +9%$330/wk
Mortgage repayment$1,600/mo$1,723/mo −7%$1,733/mo
Median age3643 −7 yrs42
Rent share of household income16.6%19.1% −2.5 pts20.3%
Income, rent and mortgage against the typical suburb Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS, calculated by GDP.com.au
Bar chart of median income, rent and mortgage repayment in Mount Helen, the typical VIC suburb and the typical Australian suburb.

Mount Helen Population

3,011 residents at the 2021 Census.

Mount Helen Median Income & Rent

Median Income
$808/wk
$42,016 per year
Ranked 3,479 of 14,663
Median Rent
$345/wk
$1,495 per month
Ranked 3,520 of 14,663
Median Age
36years
2 years younger than the national median
Mortgage
$1,600/mo
Avg household size: 2.8 · 0.8 per bedroom

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing.

Mount Helen Rent Prices & Affordability

17% of median household income goes on median rent

Marks at 25% and 35%. Band: affordable.

Household income $2,076/wk
Median rent $345/wk
Rent to income 16.6%

Rent is under 25% of household income, generally considered affordable.

Median rent in Mount Helen against your income

About $8,996 a month
Median rent $345/wk
Left after rent $1,731/wk
Rent share 16.6%

Mount Helen Schools

6
schools nearby
3
government
1041
avg ICSEA score
3,411
total students
Emmaus Catholic Primary School Catholic
Primary · Prep-6 · 362 students
1088
ICSEA
Ballarat Steiner School Independent
Primary · Prep-6 · 64 students
1076
ICSEA
Damascus College Catholic
Secondary · 7-12 · 1,215 students
1052
ICSEA
Buninyong Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 567 students
1044
ICSEA
Mount Clear College Government
Secondary · 7-12 · 982 students
996
ICSEA
Mount Clear Primary School Government
Primary · Prep-6 · 221 students
991
ICSEA

Source: Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), 2025. ICSEA is the Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (national average 1000).

All schools near Mount Helen, with a map

Mount Helen Map

Mount Helen, Victoria Map data: OpenStreetMap
Loading map…

People in Mount Helen

Demographics

Gender Split

Male 50.3% (1,515) Female 49.7% (1,497)

Population Density

244
people per km²
3,011 people · 12.3 km²

Households

2.8
Avg household size
0.8
Persons per bedroom
$2,340
Family income/wk

Age Distribution

0-4
5-9
10-14
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69
70-74
75-79
80-84
85+
Male Female

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Most common overseas birthplaces

England
3.2%
New Zealand
0.9%
India
0.8%
China
0.6%
South Africa
0.6%
Netherlands
0.4%
United States of America
0.4%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G09 Country of Birth by SAL

Most common languages at home other than English

Mandarin
0.9%
Tamil
0.6%
Punjabi
0.4%
Spanish
0.3%
Arabic
0.3%
Croatian
0.3%
French
0.3%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G13 Language Used at Home by SAL

Ancestry

English
43.4%
Australian
41.5%
Irish
14.9%
Scottish
13.1%
German
4.1%
Dutch
3.0%
Italian
2.8%
Chinese
2.1%
Australian Aboriginal
1.1%
Croatian
1.1%
Indian
1.0%

Shares are of the suburb population. People can report up to two ancestries, so shares add to more than 100%. Source: ABS Census 2021, G08 Ancestry by SAL

Religion

No religion
53.3%
Catholic
18.7%
Not stated
7.3%
Anglican
7.1%
Uniting Church
4.7%
Christian (other)
1.5%
Presbyterian and Reformed
1.3%
Baptist
1.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G14 Religion by SAL

Indigenous Population

1.1%
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

Source: ABS Census 2021, G07 Indigenous Status by SAL

Marital Status

Married
48.9% 1,169
Separated
2.4% 57
Divorced
7.2% 173
Widowed
2.9% 69
Never married
38.6% 923

Source: ABS Census 2021, G05 Marital Status by SAL

Family Structure

Couple: children under 15
46.1%
Couple: no children
26.0%
Couple: no children under 15
16.0%
One parent: children under 15
6.7%
One parent: no children under 15
5.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G29 Family Composition by SAL

Household Size

1 person
16.5%
2 persons
35.8%
3 persons
16.4%
4 persons
19.7%
5 persons
8.3%
6+ persons
3.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G35 Household Size by SAL

Homes in Mount Helen

Housing Tenure

Of the 993 occupied private dwellings in Mount Helen at the 2021 Census, 17.5% were rented, 37.9% owned outright and 43.0% owned with a mortgage.

Other tenure type
1.3% 13 dwellings
Owned outright
37.9% 376 dwellings
Owned with mortgage
43.0% 427 dwellings
Rented
17.5% 174 dwellings
Tenure type not stated
0.6% 6 dwellings

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Dwelling Types

Separate house
96.0%
Semi-detached (1 storey)
2.8%
Semi-detached (2+ storey)
1.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G36 Dwelling Structure by SAL

Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom
1.3%
2 bedrooms
3.8%
3 bedrooms
39.1%
4 bedrooms
47.6%
5 bedrooms
6.4%
6+ bedrooms
1.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G41 Number of Bedrooms by SAL

Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo
4.8%
$300-$449/mo
3.0%
$450-$599/mo
1.3%
$600-$799/mo
4.5%
$800-$999/mo
3.5%
$1,000-$1,399/mo
20.9%
$1,400-$1,799/mo
24.7%
$1,800-$2,399/mo
23.2%
$2,400-$2,999/mo
9.8%
$3,000-$3,999/mo
4.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G38 Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Car Ownership

0 vehicles
1.1%
1 vehicle
25.0%
2 vehicles
45.6%
3 vehicles
18.2%
4+ vehicles
10.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G34 Motor Vehicles per Dwelling by SAL

Work, income and education in Mount Helen

Employment

Employed full-time
37.9% 817 people
Employed part-time
26.5% 572 people
Unemployed
3.7% 79 people
Not in labour force
32.0% 690 people

Source: ABS Census 2021, G46 Labour Force Status by SAL

Occupation

Professionals
39.1%
Managers
15.0%
Technicians & Trade Workers
12.0%
Clerical & Administrative
11.9%
Community & Personal Service
10.1%
Sales Workers
5.6%
Labourers
4.2%
Machinery Operators & Drivers
2.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Industry of Employment by Occupation

Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk
1.1%
$1-$149/wk
0.9%
$150-$299/wk
1.1%
$300-$399/wk
1.8%
$400-$499/wk
2.6%
$500-$649/wk
4.5%
$650-$799/wk
6.2%
$800-$999/wk
4.9%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
6.8%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
6.9%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
5.7%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
5.7%
$2,000-$2,499/wk
13.0%
$2,500-$2,999/wk
11.6%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
8.9%
$3,500-$3,999/wk
6.3%
$4,000+/wk
11.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G33 Household Income by SAL

Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk
10.3%
$1-$149/wk
5.7%
$150-$299/wk
6.6%
$300-$399/wk
4.9%
$400-$499/wk
2.8%
$500-$649/wk
3.8%
$650-$799/wk
8.1%
$800-$999/wk
8.9%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
10.3%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
7.5%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
8.1%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
7.1%
$2,000-$2,999/wk
10.9%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
1.9%
$3,500+/wk
3.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G17 Personal Income by SAL

How People Get to Work

Car (driver)
72.8%
Did not go to work
17.3%
Car (passenger)
6.5%
Bus
1.0%
Walked only
0.7%
Truck
0.3%
Bicycle
0.3%
Other
0.3%
Taxi/Rideshare
0.3%
Motorbike/Scooter
0.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G62 Method of Travel to Work by SAL

Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent
69.1%
Year 11 or equivalent
14.2%
Year 10 or equivalent
12.7%
Year 9 or equivalent
4.1%

Shares are of people whose highest year of school is Year 9 to 12 only. Source: ABS Census 2021, G16 Highest Year of School by SAL

Qualifications

Bachelor Degree
33.4%
Certificate III/IV
27.4%
Advanced Diploma/Diploma
16.5%
Postgraduate Degree
12.0%
Graduate Diploma/Certificate
8.3%
Certificate I/II
2.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G49 Non-School Qualification by SAL

Field of Study

Management & Commerce
18.8%
Education
14.8%
Health
14.4%
Society & Culture
13.8%
Engineering
11.0%
Information Technology
6.9%
Architecture & Building
6.8%
Creative Arts
3.8%
Natural & Physical Sciences
3.7%
Food, Hospitality & Personal Services
3.6%
Agriculture & Environment
2.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Field of Study by SAL

School & University Attendance

Primary: Government
25.2%
Secondary: Catholic
20.4%
Secondary: Government
11.8%
Primary: Catholic
11.2%
Pre-school
10.6%
Vocational Education
9.0%
Secondary: Other Non-Govt
6.1%
Primary: Other Non-Govt
5.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G15 Type of Educational Institution by SAL

More from the 2021 Census

Need for Assistance

Does not have need for assistance
91.1%
Has need for assistance
3.5%
Need for assistance not stated
5.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G18 Core Activity Need for Assistance by SAL

Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health
271
Asthma
148
Arthritis
71
Heart disease
66
Diabetes
58
Lung condition
40
Cancer
37
Stroke
18
Kidney disease
16
Dementia
5

Source: ABS Census 2021, G19 Long-term Health Conditions by SAL

Unpaid Carers

Provided unpaid assistance
13.8% 312
Did not provide
86.2% 1,945

Source: ABS Census 2021, G25 Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Volunteering

Volunteer
19.2% 434
Not a volunteer
80.8% 1,826

Source: ABS Census 2021, G23 Voluntary Work by SAL

Military Service

Previously served
2.8% 63
Never served
97.2% 2,202

Source: ABS Census 2021, G22 ADF Service by SAL

Children Ever Born

No children
32.0%
1 child
9.6%
2 children
32.7%
3 children
19.4%
4 children
5.2%
5+ children
1.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G28 Children Ever Born by SAL

When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951
4
1951: 1960
29
1961: 1970
32
1971: 1980
54
1981: 1990
36
1991: 2000
39
2001: 2010
54
2011: 2015
31
2016
5
2017
8
2018
15
2019
21
2020
16

Source: ABS Census 2021, G10 Year of Arrival by SAL

Population Mobility

15.5%
moved in the last year
42.2%
moved in the last 5 years
4.7%
unemployment rate (Census)
65.8%
labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021, G43 Summary by SAL

Where Residents Moved From

Same address
2,399
Moved from VIC
340
Moved: same area (SA2)
73
Moved from WA
10
Moved from TAS
9
Moved from NSW
4
Moved from overseas
3
Moved from QLD
3

Source: ABS Census 2021, G44 Address 1 Year Ago by SAL

Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours
23.0%
5: 14 hours
31.9%
15: 29 hours
17.4%
30+ hours
9.0%
Did not do domestic work
18.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G24 Unpaid Domestic Work by SAL

Family Blending

Intact family: no other children
85.1%
Step family: no other children
9.6%
Blended family: no other children
4.5%
Other couple: children only
0.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G31 Family Blending by SAL

Mount Helen Crime Statistics

128 reported offences in 2025-25, by category.

Theft
39
Assault
22
Justice Procedures
16
Break & Enter
15
Public Order
15
Drug Offences
9
Property Damage
7
Fraud
4
Weapons
1

Total offences by year

2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria (crimestatistics.vic.gov.au).

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Suburbs near Mount Helen

The closest suburb to Mount Helen is Buninyong, 2.6 km away.

Buninyong
2.6 km away · income $818/wk · rent $305/wk
Mount Clear
2.9 km away · income $728/wk · rent $310/wk
Canadian
4.9 km away · income $749/wk · rent $300/wk
Sebastopol (Vic.)
5.4 km away · income $606/wk · rent $270/wk
Mount Pleasant (Vic.)
6.0 km away · income $690/wk · rent $280/wk
Golden Point (Ballarat - Vic.)
6.3 km away · income $757/wk · rent $290/wk

Frequently Asked Questions About Mount Helen

What is the population of Mount Helen VIC?

The population of Mount Helen VIC is 3,011 according to the ABS Census 2021. The suburb has a population density of 244 people per km². Mount Helen is ranked #2,406 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Mount Helen?

The median personal income in Mount Helen VIC is $808 per week, or $42,016 per year. The median household income is $2,076 per week. Family income is $2,340 per week. Mount Helen is ranked #3,479 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Mount Helen?

Median rent in Mount Helen VIC is $345 per week ($1,495 per month). Rent represents 16.6% of household income, which is considered affordable. Mount Helen ranks #3,520 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Mount Helen?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Mount Helen VIC is $1,600. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Mount Helen?

The median age in Mount Helen VIC is 36 years. This is younger than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Mount Helen a good suburb to live in?

Mount Helen is a suburb in Victoria with a population of 3,011. The median income is $808/wk, which is above the typical VIC suburb ($767/wk). Rent affordability is rated as affordable (16.6% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 21798. All dollar figures in AUD.