Bagdad
At 71 square kilometres with only 1,482 residents, Bagdad is one of Tasmania's most sparsely settled rural communities, recording just 20.9 people per square kilometre. What stands out is the ownership structure: 58.4% of households carry a mortgage and 31.4% own outright, leaving renters at just 10.2%, well below the national average. The area draws working families, with 85% of households either owning or purchasing their home and a median age of 38, two years below the national figure. Every dwelling on record is a separate house, a proportion that is higher than virtually any metro suburb in Australia.
Population
1,482
Median Age
38.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,587/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Bagdad's housing stock is 100% separate houses, meaning buyers face no apartment or semi-detached competition for land and structure. Median house price data is not available for this period, but the monthly mortgage repayment averages $1,341, and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 19.5%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold compared to many metro markets. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 58.2% of dwellings, with 4-plus bedroom properties making up a further 26.7%, indicating the area caters to families rather than singles or couples downsizing. Outright ownership at 31.4% is notable for a rural community, suggesting established residents with paid-down debt. Housing affordability here is more accessible than most capital city suburbs.
For Buyers
Bagdad's housing stock is 100% separate houses, meaning buyers face no apartment or semi-detached competition for land and structure. Median house price data is not available for this period, but the monthly mortgage repayment averages $1,341, and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 19.5%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold compared to many metro markets. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 58.2% of dwellings, with 4-plus bedroom properties making up a further 26.7%, indicating the area caters to families rather than singles or couples downsizing. Outright ownership at 31.4% is notable for a rural community, suggesting established residents with paid-down debt. Housing affordability here is more accessible than most capital city suburbs.
For Investors
A rental vacancy rate of 7.7% is high and reflects limited tenant demand in a small rural market of 1,482 people. Renters make up just 10.2% of households, which is low compared to the national average, meaning landlords compete for a thin pool. Weekly rent averages $350 and there have been 0 development applications in the past 12 months, pointing to a stable but stagnant supply environment. Household income sits at the 52.1st percentile nationally, close to the median, which supports steady rental affordability rather than high yield. With no new supply and low renter share, the investment case depends on tightly priced entry and long-term capital appreciation rather than rental returns.
Schools in Bagdad iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Bagdad Primary School
K-6 · 169 students
Demographics
Bagdad's median age of 38 is 2.0 years below the national figure, reflecting a younger-skewing family-oriented community. Overseas-born residents account for just 5.5% of the population, which is 16.1 percentage points below the national average, making it one of the more Australia-born communities in the state. Ancestry is overwhelmingly Anglo-Celtic: English (678 residents) and Irish (126) are the two largest groups. University qualifications reach only 10.6%, which is 19.5 percentage points below the national figure, consistent with a trade and blue-collar workforce. Average household size is 2.8, slightly above the national average of 2.5. Household income sits at the 52.1st percentile nationally.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
100.0%
Houses
N/A
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
Every recorded dwelling in Bagdad is a separate house, a proportion that is higher than nearly any comparable community in Australia. Mortgage holders account for 58.4% of households and outright owners 31.4%, together meaning 89.8% of residents have owner-occupier stakes in the area. Renters are rare at 10.2%, far below national norms. The bedroom mix favours families: 3-bedroom homes account for 58.2% and 4-plus bedroom homes 26.7%, with 2-bedroom dwellings at 12.2%. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,341, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 19.5% is below the stress threshold compared to higher-cost metro markets. Rental yield is constrained by the weekly rent of $350 against this ownership-dominant tenure pattern.
Mortgage / mo
$1,341
Rent / wk
$350
HH Size
2.8
Personal Income / wk
$743
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
7.7%
Unoccupied
42
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.1%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.5%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
25.4%
Couples, no children
1,262
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads employment at 17.8% of workers, followed closely by Construction at 17.5% and Manufacturing at 13.1%, revealing a practical, trade-heavy economy rather than a knowledge-sector one. Education accounts for 7.2% and Public Administration 5.2%. By occupation, Clerical and Administrative workers are the largest group at 105, followed by Labourers at 91 and Community and Personal Service workers at 85. The full-time employment rate is 67.1% and unemployment sits at 5.3%, which is above the national rate, reflecting the limited local job base. Participation rate at 58.2% is modest, partly because 363 residents are outside the labour force. Personal weekly income averages $743, placing household income at the 52.1st percentile nationally.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
67.1%
Part-time
27.6%
Participation
58.2%
Employed
642
Occupations
Top Industries
University
10.6%
Postgraduate
1.5%
Born Overseas
5.5%
Dwellings
503
Transport to Work
Car dependency is near-total in Bagdad: 93.4% of workers drive to work, and only 0.5% use public transport, consistent with a rural area that sits beyond suburban bus networks. Walking and cycling accounts for just 0.7% of commute modes. Crime data is not available for this area. Rent-to-income sits at 22.1%, below the 30% stress benchmark, meaning tenants are not under housing cost pressure relative to income. Volunteering is active at 10.5% and 8.4% of residents require daily assistance. There are no schools recorded within the suburb boundary, so families depend on schooling in nearby centres such as Brighton or Hobart, which are accessible by the main highway corridor.
Drive
93.4%
Public Transport
0.5%
Walk / Cycle
0.7%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Bagdad compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bagdad a good suburb to live in?
Bagdad suits families and owner-occupiers who value space and affordability. Mortgage-to-income is 19.5%, well below the 30% stress threshold. The area has 100% detached housing and 89.8% owner-occupier tenure. The main trade-offs are car dependency (93.4% drive to work), no recorded schools inside the suburb, and limited public transport with only 0.5% using it.
What is the median house price in Bagdad?
A specific median house price is not available for Bagdad in the current dataset. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,341, and the mortgage-to-income ratio is 19.5%, suggesting prices are significantly more affordable than Hobart's metro suburbs. Weekly rent averages $350 for the 10.2% of households that are renters.
What schools are in Bagdad?
No schools are recorded within the Bagdad suburb boundary in this dataset. The area's 1,482 residents rely on schools in nearby towns, with Brighton and Hobart the closest centres. University qualifications locally stand at 10.6%, which is 19.5 percentage points below the national figure, reflecting the trade and vocational workforce.
Is Bagdad safe?
Specific crime statistics are not available for Bagdad. As contextual indicators, the area records very low population density at 20.9 people per square kilometre, high owner-occupier rates of 89.8%, and a residential stability rate of 87% staying in the same address year on year, all characteristics generally associated with lower crime risk in rural Tasmanian communities.
Is Bagdad good for property investment?
The investment case is cautious. The vacancy rate of 7.7% is high, and renters make up only 10.2% of households, so the landlord market is thin. Weekly rent averages $350 against household income at the 52.1st percentile nationally. There were 0 development applications in the past 12 months. Long-term capital growth is possible for affordable entry, but yield prospects are limited by low tenant demand.
How is Bagdad's population changing?
Bagdad's current population is 1,482 across 71 square kilometres. Residential stability is high, with 87% of residents staying at the same address compared to the prior year, and a turnover rate of just 13%. No forecast data is available, but 0 development applications in the past 12 months and low density suggest slow, organic growth rather than rapid expansion.
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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