Darkes Forest
NSWDarkes Forest is a declining suburb in NSW with 95 residents.
- SAL code
- 11210
- SA2
- 107041147
- Population
- 95
- LGA
- Wollongong
Darkes Forest, NSW had 95 residents at the 2021 Census, with the broader statistical area roughly steady over the last five years. The predominant age group is 55-64 years, and the median age sits at 45. Households are most often couples with children, and those with a mortgage repay a median of $1,326 a month. Around 62.5% of homes are owner-occupied, with the largest single tenure being owned outright at 45.8%. Most dwellings are separate houses, making up 100.0% of the suburb's housing stock. The suburb has 1 park or reserve mapped within its boundary. Source: ABS Census 2021 and Estimated Resident Population, with amenity counts from state Open Data and OpenStreetMap.
Population
?95
Suburb · Census 2021
5-Year Growth
-0.2%
3yr: +0.7% · 10yr: +1.8%
SA2 · 5yr
Household Income
$2,624/wk
Suburb · Census 2021 median
Median Age
45
Suburb · Census 2021
Socio-Economic Index
?10/10
SA2 · least disadvantaged
Unemployment
?2.5%
SA4 · Q4 2025
Hospitals
No data for this suburb
Childcare services
No data for this suburb
Parks & green space
?1
Parks, reserves
Transport stops
?3
GTFS stops
Dwelling approvals
?73
Wollongong · Feb 2026
Median Weekly Rent
Based on NSW rental bond lodgements, aggregated at postcode level. All SALs sharing this postcode show the same median.
Median House Sale Price
No data for this suburb
VGV suppresses suburbs with too few sales per quarter
Safety & Crime
2025 Q4Reported incidents from NSW police. Offence rates may not reflect all crime.
Population over time — Helensburgh (SA2)
ABS publishes annual estimates only at SA2; Darkes Forest suburb alone is ~95 (Census 2021).
Growth at a Glance
Population grew from 8,118 to 9,174 over 24 years, averaging 0.5% per year.
Government school catchment
Intake zonePrimary
Helensburgh PS98.6%
- Appin PS 1.4%
Secondary
Heathcote HS98.6%
- Ambarvale HS 1.4%
Source: NSW Department of Education — School Intake Zones. Boundaries can be amended without notice; confirm with the school before relying on enrolment.
Profile
Census snapshot
Housing
Almost entirely detached houses (100%), mixed tenure (63% own or mortgage), built for families (48% are 3 bed).
Dwelling mix
Tenure
Number of bedrooms
Bushfire & flood risk
Hazard data is not yet available for NSW.
Source when available: NSW Rural Fire Service (BFPL) and NSW DPHI EPI Flood.
Planning zones
5 zones in suburb| Code | Zone | % covered | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| C2 | ZoneEnvironmental | 52.9% | 13.51 km² |
| C1 | ZoneEnvironmental | 36.2% | 9.26 km² |
| C3 | ZoneEnvironmental | 8.4% | 2.15 km² |
| SP2 | ZoneSpecial use | 1.6% | 0.42 km² |
| RU2 | ZoneRural | 0.8% | 0.19 km² |
Source: NSW DPHI EPI Land Zoning (ZONE_NSW/2026-04-29/1eccf1a530fa1be5) · As of Apr 2026. Zone boundaries are amended periodically; verify the exact property with the relevant council before relying on permitted use.