# St Helens vs Fingal — 2021 Census comparison

Urban Centre comparison · about 41 km apart

St Helens and Fingal (L) are two nearby Tasmanian areas with very different layouts. St Helens is somewhat walkable and feels more like a town center, with 58.5% of homes within 15 minutes of groceries and 57.0% near health services. In contrast, Fingal (L) is mostly car-dependent, with no homes within a 15-minute walk of shops or health services. There are also sharp differences in housing: renting is far higher in St Helens at 30.7%, while Fingal (L) has a much higher share of separate houses (96.1%) and larger homes with three or more bedrooms (73.9%).

Both areas share a very similar financial profile, with typical weekly household incomes sitting around $780. They are also both home to an older population compared to the national figure, though the gap between them has narrowed since 2016. While the typical resident in St Helens is still noticeably older at 59, the number of people aged 65 and over is now only 6.9 percentage points higher there than in Fingal (L).

## Where they differ most

- Population: 1,223 larger in St Helens
- Renting: 17.6 pts higher in St Helens
- Recent arrivals: 6.7 pts higher in St Helens
- 3+ bedrooms: 13.4 pts higher in Fingal
- Limited English: 0.3 pts higher in St Helens

## Demographics & Identity

| Statistic | St Helens | Fingal | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Population | 1,573 | 350 | 1,223 larger in St Helens | gap steady |
| Median age | 59 yrs | 55 yrs | 4 yrs older in St Helens | gap narrowing |
| First Nations | 4.6% | 3.1% | 1.5 pts higher in St Helens | gap steady |
| Aged 65+ | 38.7% | 31.7% | 6.9 pts higher in St Helens | gap narrowing |
| Under 15 | 11.1% | 11.7% | 0.6 pts higher in Fingal | gap narrowing |
| De facto | 12.8% | 16.7% | 3.9 pts higher in Fingal | gap steady |

### Age structure

| Category | St Helens % | Fingal % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Seniors (65+) | 38.7% | 31.7% | +6.9 |
| Older adults (45–64) | 27.1% | 31.1% | -4.0 |
| Young adults (25–44) | 16.5% | 15.7% | +0.8 |
| Children (0–14) | 11.1% | 11.7% | -0.6 |
| Youth (15–24) | 6.3% | 7.4% | -1.1 |

### Marital status

| Category | St Helens % | Fingal % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Married | 41.5% | 38.8% | +2.7 |
| Never married | 27.0% | 30.7% | -3.7 |
| Divorced | 17.4% | 16.5% | +0.9 |
| Widowed | 10.3% | 9.1% | +1.3 |
| Separated | 3.9% | 4.5% | -0.6 |

### Age profile

Share of each region's population by age band and sex.

| Age band | St Helens male | St Helens female | Fingal male | Fingal female |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 0–4 | 2.4% | 1.9% | 0.9% | 1.2% |
| 5–9 | 1.4% | 1.8% | 1.2% | 0.0% |
| 10–14 | 1.8% | 1.9% | 2.9% | 4.4% |
| 15–19 | 1.5% | 1.5% | 2.7% | 3.2% |
| 20–24 | 1.4% | 2.1% | 2.9% | 1.2% |
| 25–29 | 2.5% | 1.6% | 1.8% | 0.9% |
| 30–34 | 1.6% | 2.3% | 2.4% | 0.0% |
| 35–39 | 2.7% | 2.7% | 2.9% | 2.4% |
| 40–44 | 1.4% | 1.8% | 1.5% | 3.5% |
| 45–49 | 1.9% | 2.3% | 2.7% | 4.1% |
| 50–54 | 2.1% | 3.1% | 2.4% | 4.4% |
| 55–59 | 3.8% | 4.0% | 3.2% | 2.9% |
| 60–64 | 4.4% | 5.9% | 5.9% | 6.2% |
| 65–69 | 4.6% | 5.0% | 3.5% | 6.2% |
| 70–74 | 6.0% | 5.3% | 7.1% | 4.4% |
| 75–79 | 3.2% | 3.7% | 3.2% | 0.9% |
| 80–84 | 3.0% | 2.9% | 0.9% | 2.7% |
| 85+ | 1.7% | 2.8% | 1.5% | 1.8% |

## Ancestry & Birthplace

| Statistic | St Helens | Fingal | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Born overseas | 15.1% | 8.3% | 6.8 pts higher in St Helens | gap widening |

### Country of birth

| Category | St Helens % | Fingal % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Australia | 76.5% | 84.0% | -7.5 |
| England | 5.8% | 2.6% | +3.2 |
| New Zealand | 1.6% | 1.4% | +0.2 |
| Nepal | 1.1% | 0.0% | +1.1 |
| Philippines | 1.0% | 0.0% | +1.0 |
| South Africa | 0.5% | 0.0% | +0.5 |
| India | 0.4% | 0.0% | +0.4 |
| China | 0.2% | 0.0% | +0.2 |
| Italy | 0.2% | 0.0% | +0.2 |
| Vietnam | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |

### Ancestry

| Category | St Helens % | Fingal % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| English | 47.4% | 54.3% | -6.9 |
| Australian | 38.5% | 38.3% | +0.2 |
| Irish | 11.1% | 8.6% | +2.6 |
| Scottish | 10.4% | 10.0% | +0.4 |
| German | 3.8% | 5.1% | -1.3 |
| Dutch | 1.4% | 0.9% | +0.5 |
| Italian | 1.2% | 1.1% | +0.1 |
| Filipino | 1.0% | 0.0% | +1.0 |
| Chinese | 0.7% | 0.0% | +0.7 |
| Greek | 0.5% | 0.0% | +0.5 |
| Indian | 0.4% | 0.0% | +0.4 |
| Vietnamese | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |

## Language

| Statistic | St Helens | Fingal | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Other language | 4.1% | 3.4% | 0.7 pts higher in St Helens | gap steady |
| Limited English | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.3 pts higher in St Helens | gap steady |

### Language used at home

| Category | St Helens % | Fingal % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| English only | 88.6% | 90.3% | -1.7 |
| Tagalog | 0.4% | 0.0% | +0.4 |
| Mandarin | 0.2% | 0.0% | +0.2 |
| Arabic | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |
| Vietnamese | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |
| Cantonese | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |
| Punjabi | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |
| Greek | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |
| Italian | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |
| Hindi | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |

## Religion

| Statistic | St Helens | Fingal | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| No religion | 41.0% | 48.6% | 7.6 pts higher in Fingal | gap widening |

### Religious affiliation

| Category | St Helens % | Fingal % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| No religion | 41.0% | 48.6% | -7.6 |
| Christianity | 45.6% | 42.3% | +3.4 |
| Not stated | 9.7% | 8.9% | +0.8 |
| Buddhism | 1.8% | 1.7% | +0.1 |
| Hinduism | 1.5% | 0.0% | +1.5 |
| Other religions | 0.7% | 0.0% | +0.7 |
| Islam | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |
| Judaism | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |

## Education & Qualifications

| Statistic | St Helens | Fingal | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Year 12 | 31.0% | 27.6% | 3.4 pts higher in St Helens | gap narrowing |
| Bachelor+ | 11.5% | 3.2% | 8.3 pts higher in St Helens | gap widening |

### Highest year of school

| Category | St Helens % | Fingal % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Year 10 | 30.8% | 36.5% | -5.8 |
| Year 12 | 31.0% | 27.6% | +3.4 |
| Year 9 or below | 18.9% | 19.6% | -0.7 |
| Year 11 | 9.8% | 6.0% | +3.8 |

### Highest qualification level

| Category | St Helens % | Fingal % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Certificate III / IV | 37.2% | 38.2% | -1.0 |
| Advanced diploma / diploma | 12.3% | 18.8% | -6.4 |
| Bachelor degree | 16.5% | 6.9% | +9.6 |
| Postgraduate degree | 4.5% | 0.0% | +4.5 |
| Certificate I / II | 3.4% | 0.0% | +3.4 |
| Graduate diploma / certificate | 1.7% | 0.0% | +1.7 |

### Field of qualification

| Category | St Helens % | Fingal % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Engineering & related | 14.3% | 20.1% | -5.9 |
| Management & commerce | 14.0% | 7.6% | +6.4 |
| Society & culture | 11.0% | 13.2% | -2.2 |
| Health | 10.2% | 4.2% | +6.0 |
| Education | 8.1% | 6.9% | +1.1 |
| Food, hospitality & personal services | 7.6% | 6.9% | +0.7 |
| Architecture & building | 6.4% | 4.2% | +2.2 |
| Agriculture & environment | 2.5% | 3.5% | -0.9 |
| Information technology | 1.0% | 2.8% | -1.8 |
| Natural & physical sciences | 1.0% | 0.0% | +1.0 |
| Creative arts | 0.8% | 0.0% | +0.8 |

## Income

| Statistic | St Helens | Fingal | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Personal income | $487 | $464 | $23 higher in St Helens | gap narrowing |
| Household income | $779 | $783 | $4 higher in Fingal | gap narrowing |
| Family income | $1,090 | $1,218 | $128 higher in Fingal | gap narrowing |
| High earners | 2.7% | 2.6% | 0.1 pts higher in St Helens | gap steady |
| High-income homes | 3.6% | 3.9% | 0.3 pts higher in Fingal | gap narrowing |

### Household income distribution

| Category | St Helens % | Fingal % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| $650–$1,499 | 39.3% | 34.6% | +4.6 |
| Under $650 | 37.3% | 30.7% | +6.6 |
| $1,500–$2,999 | 12.7% | 17.0% | -4.3 |
| $3,000–$3,999 | 1.9% | 3.9% | -2.0 |
| $4,000 or more | 1.7% | 0.0% | +1.7 |

### Personal income distribution

| Category | St Helens % | Fingal % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Under $650 | 59.2% | 61.5% | -2.3 |
| $650–$1,499 | 26.3% | 21.0% | +5.3 |
| $1,500–$2,999 | 5.4% | 8.1% | -2.7 |
| $3,000 or more | 1.1% | 0.0% | +1.1 |

## Health & Disability

| Statistic | St Helens | Fingal | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Health condition | 42.7% | 41.7% | 0.9 pts higher in St Helens |  |
| Mental health | 13.2% | 12.6% | 0.7 pts higher in St Helens |  |
| Needs assistance | 13.8% | 10.9% | 2.9 pts higher in St Helens | gap steady |

### Long-term health conditions reported

| Category | St Helens % | Fingal % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Arthritis | 20.9% | 17.1% | +3.7 |
| Mental health | 13.2% | 12.6% | +0.7 |
| Other condition | 12.3% | 11.1% | +1.1 |
| Heart disease | 7.6% | 9.7% | -2.1 |
| Asthma | 9.3% | 9.4% | -0.1 |
| Diabetes | 8.5% | 7.7% | +0.7 |
| Cancer | 6.3% | 4.3% | +2.0 |
| Lung condition | 4.6% | 5.4% | -0.8 |
| Stroke | 2.2% | 2.9% | -0.6 |
| Dementia | 1.5% | 0.0% | +1.5 |

### Number of long-term health conditions

| Category | St Helens % | Fingal % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| None | 48.0% | 48.9% | -0.9 |
| One condition | 23.5% | 24.0% | -0.5 |
| Two conditions | 10.4% | 11.1% | -0.8 |
| Three or more | 8.8% | 7.4% | +1.3 |

## Community Participation

| Statistic | St Helens | Fingal | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Volunteering | 19.7% | 17.2% | 2.6 pts higher in St Helens | gap widening |
| Unpaid carers | 15.6% | 16.5% | 0.9 pts higher in Fingal | gap steady |
| Unpaid child care | 15.5% | 17.2% | 1.7 pts higher in Fingal | gap narrowing |
| Defence service | 5.9% | 5.5% | 0.4 pts higher in St Helens |  |
| Housework 15h+ | 24.6% | 26.5% | 1.9 pts higher in Fingal | gap widening |

## Family & Households

| Statistic | St Helens | Fingal | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Household size | 1.9 | 2.1 | 0.2 larger in Fingal | gap narrowing |
| One-parent | 18.2% | 15.1% | 3.1 pts higher in St Helens | gap narrowing |
| Living alone | 42.6% | 36.6% | 6.0 pts higher in St Helens | gap narrowing |

### Family composition

| Category | St Helens % | Fingal % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Couples without children | 47.9% | 35.9% | +12.1 |
| Couples with children | 33.2% | 45.4% | -12.3 |
| One-parent families | 18.2% | 15.1% | +3.1 |
| Other families | 0.9% | 1.2% | -0.3 |

### Household size

| Category | St Helens % | Fingal % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 person | 42.6% | 36.6% | +6.0 |
| 2 people | 39.1% | 35.9% | +3.2 |
| 3 people | 9.4% | 12.4% | -3.1 |
| 4 people | 4.8% | 9.8% | -5.0 |
| 5 people | 2.1% | 0.0% | +2.1 |
| 6 or more | 1.1% | 0.0% | +1.1 |

## Housing & Dwellings

| Statistic | St Helens | Fingal | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Rent | $230 | $194 | $36 higher in St Helens | gap widening |
| Mortgage | $1,000 | $650 | $350 higher in St Helens | gap widening |
| People / bedroom | 0.70 | 0.70 |  | gap narrowing |
| Renting | 30.7% | 13.1% | 17.6 pts higher in St Helens | gap widening |
| Owned outright | 48.1% | 57.5% | 9.4 pts higher in Fingal | gap steady |
| Separate houses | 83.2% | 96.1% | 12.9 pts higher in Fingal | gap widening |
| 3+ bedrooms | 60.5% | 73.9% | 13.4 pts higher in Fingal | gap widening |

### How homes are owned or rented

| Category | St Helens % | Fingal % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Owned outright | 48.1% | 57.5% | -9.4 |
| Rented | 30.7% | 13.1% | +17.6 |
| Owned with a mortgage | 18.0% | 22.9% | -4.8 |
| Other tenure | 1.8% | 3.9% | -2.1 |
| Not stated | 0.8% | 3.3% | -2.4 |

### Types of homes

| Category | St Helens % | Fingal % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Separate house | 83.2% | 96.1% | -12.9 |
| Flat or apartment | 9.5% | 0.0% | +9.5 |
| Townhouse / semi-detached | 5.0% | 2.0% | +3.0 |
| Other dwelling | 1.7% | 2.6% | -1.0 |

### Bedrooms per home

| Category | St Helens % | Fingal % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 3 bedrooms | 50.3% | 60.1% | -9.9 |
| 2 bedrooms | 31.1% | 16.3% | +14.8 |
| 4 bedrooms | 8.7% | 13.7% | -5.0 |
| 1 bedroom | 5.8% | 2.6% | +3.2 |
| Studio / none | 1.2% | 5.2% | -4.0 |
| 5 or more | 1.5% | 0.0% | +1.5 |

### Weekly rent distribution

| Category | St Helens % | Fingal % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Under $200 | 29.6% | 70.0% | -40.4 |
| $200–$349 | 66.8% | 30.0% | +36.8 |
| $350–$549 | 1.8% | 0.0% | +1.8 |
| $550–$749 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |
| $750 or more | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |

### Monthly mortgage distribution

| Category | St Helens % | Fingal % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Under $1,000 | 48.1% | 45.7% | +2.4 |
| $1,000–$1,799 | 44.3% | 28.6% | +15.7 |
| $1,800–$2,999 | 5.3% | 0.0% | +5.3 |
| $3,000 or more | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |

## Transport & Vehicles

| Statistic | St Helens | Fingal | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| No car | 8.8% | 5.5% | 3.3 pts higher in St Helens | gap narrowing |
| Work from home | 7.5% | 4.0% | 3.5 pts higher in St Helens | gap steady |
| PT commute | 0.0% | 0.0% |  | gap steady |

### How people get to work

| Category | St Helens % | Fingal % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Car (driver) | 55.2% | 75.2% | -20.0 |
| Walked | 9.4% | 4.0% | +5.4 |
| Worked at home | 7.5% | 4.0% | +3.5 |
| Car (passenger) | 6.5% | 0.0% | +6.5 |
| Bicycle | 1.0% | 0.0% | +1.0 |
| Train | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |
| Bus | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |

### Motor vehicles per home

| Category | St Helens % | Fingal % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 vehicle | 46.5% | 27.4% | +19.1 |
| 2 vehicles | 29.0% | 39.0% | -10.1 |
| 3 vehicles | 11.0% | 21.2% | -10.2 |
| 4 or more | 4.4% | 11.6% | -7.2 |
| No vehicle | 8.8% | 5.5% | +3.3 |

## Migration & Movement

| Statistic | St Helens | Fingal | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Recent movers | 40.7% | 35.0% | 5.7 pts higher in St Helens | gap steady |
| Recent arrivals | 6.7% | 0.0% | 6.7 pts higher in St Helens | gap narrowing |

## Jobs & Industry

| Statistic | St Helens | Fingal | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Unemployment | 7.3% | 11.5% | 4.2 pts higher in Fingal | gap widening |
| Participation | 37.2% | 36.6% | 0.7 pts higher in St Helens | gap narrowing |
| Full-time | 40.6% | 50.5% | 9.9 pts higher in Fingal | gap widening |

### Industries people work in

| Category | St Helens % | Fingal % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Accommodation & food | 17.9% | 5.0% | +13.0 |
| Health care & social assistance | 16.9% | 16.8% | +0.0 |
| Agriculture, forestry & fishing | 5.4% | 11.9% | -6.5 |
| Retail trade | 11.9% | 9.9% | +2.0 |
| Education & training | 5.8% | 9.9% | -4.1 |
| Construction | 9.2% | 0.0% | +9.2 |
| Manufacturing | 2.5% | 6.9% | -4.4 |
| Public administration & safety | 6.7% | 5.0% | +1.7 |
| Transport & warehousing | 3.3% | 5.9% | -2.6 |
| Other services | 2.7% | 5.9% | -3.2 |
| Electricity, gas & water | 0.8% | 4.0% | -3.1 |
| Administrative & support | 4.0% | 0.0% | +4.0 |

### Occupations people work in

| Category | St Helens % | Fingal % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Machinery operators & drivers | 4.2% | 22.8% | -18.6 |
| Community & personal service | 18.3% | 20.8% | -2.5 |
| Labourers | 17.1% | 19.8% | -2.7 |
| Technicians & trades | 14.4% | 7.9% | +6.5 |
| Managers | 12.5% | 8.9% | +3.6 |
| Professionals | 11.3% | 4.0% | +7.3 |
| Sales workers | 10.6% | 5.0% | +5.7 |
| Clerical & administrative | 10.2% | 4.0% | +6.2 |

## Walkability

| Statistic | St Helens | Fingal | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Walk score | 4.8 | 2.8 | 2.0 higher in St Helens |  |
| Types ≤15 min | 5.0 | 3.2 | 1.8 more in St Helens |  |
| 15-min city | 57.4% | 0.0% | 57.4 pts higher in St Helens |  |
| Walk to shops | 58.5% | 0.0% | 58.5 pts higher in St Helens |  |
| Walk to transit | 34.6% | 65.5% | 30.8 pts higher in Fingal |  |
| Walk to school | 50.9% | 0.0% | 50.9 pts higher in St Helens |  |
| Walk to a park | 93.3% | 80.5% | 12.9 pts higher in St Helens |  |
| Walk to health | 57.0% | 0.0% | 57.0 pts higher in St Helens |  |
| Amenities/1k | 25.4 | 20.0 | 5.4 more in St Helens |  |
| Intersections/km² | 49 | 7 | 42 higher in St Helens |  |
| Mean slope | 6.3% | 5.9% | 0.4 pts higher in St Helens |  |

Interactive comparison: https://censusatlas.au/compare/ucl/UCL615026/st-helens/vs/UCL622008/fingal