Acton
With all four SEIFA deciles sitting at 1, Acton ranks among the most disadvantaged suburbs nationally, yet its population has grown 44.9% over the decade, a pace that contradicts the typical story of declining low-income areas. The suburb holds 1,377 residents in 0.95 square kilometres, giving a density of 1,444 people per km2. Household income falls in the 17.5th percentile, well below the national average, and the unemployment rate of 9.0% is considerably higher than the national figure. Healthcare employs 29.2% of the local workforce, making it the dominant industry by a wide margin. The vacancy rate of 8.6% and a renter share of 39.5% are both elevated compared to state norms.
Population
1,377
Median Age
35.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,100/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
No recent median house sale price is recorded for Acton in this dataset, which limits direct price comparison. What the data does show is a monthly mortgage repayment average of $867, substantially lower than the national median, reflecting the affordability of dwelling stock in this low-income suburb. The housing stock is overwhelmingly detached houses at 91.3%, with semi-detached at 8.7% and no apartment segment recorded. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 79.1% of dwellings, with four-plus bedrooms at 8.9%. Mortgage-to-income at 18.2% stays below the 30% stress threshold, meaning buyers who do hold a mortgage here are not severely stretched relative to local incomes. Outright owners account for 24.4% of households, below the national rate for established suburbs.
For Buyers
No recent median house sale price is recorded for Acton in this dataset, which limits direct price comparison. What the data does show is a monthly mortgage repayment average of $867, substantially lower than the national median, reflecting the affordability of dwelling stock in this low-income suburb. The housing stock is overwhelmingly detached houses at 91.3%, with semi-detached at 8.7% and no apartment segment recorded. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 79.1% of dwellings, with four-plus bedrooms at 8.9%. Mortgage-to-income at 18.2% stays below the 30% stress threshold, meaning buyers who do hold a mortgage here are not severely stretched relative to local incomes. Outright owners account for 24.4% of households, below the national rate for established suburbs.
For Investors
Acton sits in decile 1 on SEIFA IRSAD and scores poorly on economic resources, which caps rental demand from higher-income tenants. Weekly rent of $240 is low compared to the national median, reflecting both the low-income base and the high vacancy rate of 8.6%. That vacancy level signals meaningful oversupply risk relative to current demand. On the demand side, overseas migration drives almost all growth, averaging 187 net arrivals per year versus just 1 net internal migrant, and medium forecasts project the broader SA2 reaching 4,030 residents by 2031 from 3,616 in 2025. Development activity is nil, with zero applications in the past 12 months, so new supply is not adding to oversupply pressure. Returns depend more on long-term population growth than on yield expansion given the constrained income base.
Demographics
Acton skews younger than the national average, with a median age of 35, which is 5.0 years below the national figure. The overseas-born share is just 6.5%, which is 15.1 percentage points below the national average, indicating a predominantly Australian-born population. Ancestry is heavily English at 570 residents, followed by Irish (105) and Scottish (74), a pattern consistent with long-established Anglo-Celtic settlement in regional Tasmania. University qualifications reach only 12.0% of residents, which is 18.1 percentage points below the national rate, and this education gap directly explains why occupations lean toward Community/Personal services (98 workers) and Labourers (97) rather than professional roles. Average household size of 2.3 is slightly below the national figure of 2.5.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
91.3%
Houses
8.7%
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
The tenure split here is notable: 36.1% hold a mortgage, 39.5% rent, and 24.4% own outright, so renters nearly match mortgage holders, unlike in most owner-occupier-dominant Australian suburbs. Separate houses make up 91.3% of all dwellings, above the national average, with semi-detached at 8.7% and no significant apartment stock. Three-bedroom homes account for 79.1% of dwellings, consistent with the family-household composition: 35.4% of families are couples with children. The mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 18.2% and rent-to-income at 21.8%, both below stress thresholds, meaning housing costs are manageable relative to local incomes even though those incomes rank in the 17.5th percentile nationally. No median house price is available for formal comparison.
Mortgage / mo
$867
Rent / wk
$240
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$625
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
8.6%
Unoccupied
54
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.2%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
25.3%
Couples, no children
1,047
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare dominates local employment at 29.2% (88 workers), more than double any other sector, followed by Retail at 11.6% and Construction at 8.3%. This healthcare concentration reflects proximity to regional medical services in Burnie. The unemployment rate of 9.0% is significantly higher than the national average, and the labour force participation rate of 51.2% is low, with 433 residents not in the labour force. Full-time employment accounts for 56.6% of employed people, comparable to state norms. All four SEIFA deciles register at 1, meaning Acton ranks in the bottom tenth nationally on education/occupation advantage, economic resources, disadvantage, and advantage/disadvantage combined. Real income growth over the decade was modest at 1.4%, barely keeping pace with cost-of-living increases.
Unemployment
0.8%
Labour Force
2,261
Unemployed
18
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
56.6%
Part-time
34.4%
Participation
51.2%
Employed
514
Occupations
Top Industries
University
12.0%
Postgraduate
0.8%
Born Overseas
6.5%
Dwellings
574
Transport to Work
Car dependency is pronounced, with 88.6% of residents driving to work, above the national average, and walking or cycling accounting for only 1.3% of commuters. No schools are recorded within the Acton boundary, so families rely on institutions in surrounding Burnie suburbs. Crime statistics are not available in this dataset, but as an indirect indicator the suburb scores decile 1 on IRSD, the lowest advantage tier nationally, which is associated with higher risk of property and social crime in comparable areas. About 9.4% of residents (124 people) need daily assistance, above the national average. The volunteering rate is 9.7%, somewhat below the national baseline, and household income sits in the 17.5th percentile. The 8.6% vacancy rate and a relatively low density of 1,444 per km2 give the suburb a more spacious, less congested character than inner-city areas.
Drive
88.6%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
1.3%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+2.88%/yr
(+104 people/yr)
EstablishedActon has grown strongly, with population up 44.9% over the past decade, far above the national average for established suburbs. Annual growth runs at 2.88%, adding approximately 104 residents per year, and medium forecasts project the broader SA2 reaching 4,030 by 2031. Overseas migration is the primary driver, contributing an average net 187 arrivals annually, while internal migration is essentially flat at 1 net person per year. Despite this growth, the gentrification score sits at 0, classified as not gentrifying, meaning the incoming population broadly matches existing income and qualification levels rather than driving socioeconomic uplift. Affordability improved sharply between 2011 and 2021, from 203.9 to 3.5 on the brief's index, and the working-age share declined 15.2 points, suggesting the growth is partly driven by younger, lower-income arrivals.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+187
Net Internal / yr
+1
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Accelerating: 2% → 70%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Acton compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Acton a good suburb to live in?
Acton offers affordable housing, with mortgage repayments averaging $867 per month and a mortgage-to-income ratio of 18.2%, well below stress levels. However, all four SEIFA deciles register at 1, placing it in the bottom 10% nationally on education, economic resources, and disadvantage measures. Unemployment at 9.0% is considerably higher than the national figure, so the suburb suits budget-conscious residents more than those seeking high-amenity living.
What is the median house price in Acton?
No recent median house sale price is recorded for Acton TAS in this dataset. The closest available indicator is a median monthly mortgage repayment of $867, which is well below the national average and reflects the affordable nature of housing stock in this low-income suburb. Weekly rent averages $240, also significantly below the national median.
What schools are in Acton?
No schools are recorded inside the Acton, TAS boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in neighbouring Burnie suburbs. The local population has a university qualification rate of just 12.0%, which is 18.1 percentage points below the national figure, reflecting limited higher-education attainment in the area.
Is Acton safe?
Crime statistics are not directly available for Acton TAS in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 1 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, the lowest tier nationally, and 9.4% of its 1,377 residents require daily assistance. Low-decile SEIFA areas are statistically associated with higher rates of property crime compared to higher-decile suburbs nationally.
Is Acton good for property investment?
The investment case is mixed. Weekly rent of $240 is low, and the 8.6% vacancy rate signals elevated oversupply risk. However, population grew 44.9% over the past decade, and medium forecasts project growth to 4,030 in the broader area by 2031, driven by 187 net overseas arrivals per year. With zero development applications in the past 12 months, new supply is not compounding vacancy. Yields may be modest but competition for rentals could tighten as population rises.
How is Acton's population changing?
Population grew 44.9% over the past decade, one of the stronger growth rates among comparable Tasmanian suburbs. Annual growth runs at 2.88%, adding around 104 residents per year. Overseas migration is the primary driver, contributing a net 187 arrivals annually, while internal migration contributes just 1 net person per year. Medium forecasts project the broader SA2 reaching 4,030 by 2031 from 3,616 in 2025.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), state Valuer-General (house prices), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), ACARA (school ICSEA), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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