Bellerive
Detached houses define Bellerive more than its waterfront address: 81.0% of dwellings are separate homes in a compact 2.71 sqkm suburb of 4,945 people. Compared with denser Rosny Park and more family-scaled Howrah, Bellerive reads as older and more settled, with a median age of 44, 4.0 years above national, and 76.3% of residents at the same address as the year before. Education levels are a standout, with 45.9% university qualified, 15.8 percentage points above national.
Population
4,945
Median Age
44.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,461/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Homebuyers are mostly choosing established houses rather than strata stock, because 81.0% of homes are separate houses while apartments account for only 7.2%. The bedroom mix is practical for downsizers and smaller households: 31.9% are 2 bedroom and 39.3% are 3 bedroom dwellings. Affordability sits below the national middle on income, with household income at the 44.8 percentile, but mortgage costs of $1,600 a month absorb 25.3% of income, only slightly higher than rent at 24.6%.
For Buyers
Homebuyers are mostly choosing established houses rather than strata stock, because 81.0% of homes are separate houses while apartments account for only 7.2%. The bedroom mix is practical for downsizers and smaller households: 31.9% are 2 bedroom and 39.3% are 3 bedroom dwellings. Affordability sits below the national middle on income, with household income at the 44.8 percentile, but mortgage costs of $1,600 a month absorb 25.3% of income, only slightly higher than rent at 24.6%.
For Investors
Bellerive has a measured rental market rather than a high-churn one: 29.5% of households rent, below the 43.0% owned outright cohort but above the 26.2% paying a mortgage. Median rent is $360 a week, and the 6.3% vacancy rate means landlords need sharper pricing than in tighter markets. With 0 new developments over 12 months, supply pressure is lower because new competing stock is limited, while overseas migration is the main growth driver.
Demographics
Bellerive skews older and well educated. The median age is 44, which is 4.0 years above national, while the 45.9% university-qualified share is 15.8 percentage points higher than national. Overseas-born residents make up 21.6%, broadly in line with the national comparison, and households average 2.2 people, 0.3 below national. English ancestry leads with 2,181 people, followed by Irish at 569 and Scottish at 550, while the largest non-English home language counts include Nepali 65 and Mandarin 62.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
81.0%
Houses
11.3%
Townhouse
7.2%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing is ownership-heavy and low-rise. Outright owners make up 43.0% of households, higher than renters at 29.5% and mortgage holders at 26.2%, which helps explain the settled feel and 76.3% one-year stay rate. Separate houses dominate at 81.0%, compared with 11.3% semi-detached and 7.2% apartments. Costs are moderate relative to income: rent takes 24.6% and mortgages 25.3%, while household income at the 44.8 percentile sits below the national midpoint.
Mortgage / mo
$1,600
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$360
Census 2021
HH Size
2.2
Personal Income / wk
$817
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.3%
Unoccupied
143
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.6%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.3%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
34.6%
Couples with children
48.2%
Couples, no children
14.8%
Single parent
1,359
Total families
Economy & Employment
Bellerive's workforce leans toward public-facing and knowledge roles. Healthcare is the largest industry at 21.1% or 367 workers, followed by education at 14.8% and public admin at 13.0%, so demand is tied more to Hobart's service economy than construction cycles, which is 6.8%. Professionals lead occupations with 693 people, well above managers at 334. SEIFA is mixed: IEO decile 7, IRSD 6 and IRSAD 6 are above average, but IER decile 4 is lower because income resources are less elevated than education and occupation signals.
Unemployment
5.7%
Labour Force
2,500
Unemployed
142
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
55.8%
Part-time
39.0%
Participation
58.9%
Employed
2,358
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
45.9%
Postgraduate
14.1%
Born Overseas
21.6%
Dwellings
2,131
Transport to Work
Bellerive works best for car-based households with some flexibility. Driving accounts for 69.7% of commutes, far higher than public transport at 9.1% or walking and cycling at 4.3%, while 10.7% work from home. The compact 2.71 sqkm layout and density of 1,824.5 people per sqkm support short local trips, because services sit close together around the eastern shore. A suburb crime rate is not available, so safety should be checked street by street; broader disadvantage is moderate, with IRSD and IRSAD both in decile 6, above lower-decile areas.
Drive
69.7%
Public Transport
9.1%
Walk / Cycle
4.3%
Work from Home
10.7%
Population Forecast
+0.64%/yr
(+42 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is steady rather than explosive, with the forecast trend at 0.64% a year and the 10-year population change recorded at 11.9%. Overseas migration is the primary driver, which matters because local development has been 0 over 12 months, limiting new dwelling-led expansion. The shift trajectory is Mixed: rent growth was 50.0%, affordability worsened from 40.4 to 43.0, and seniors rose 2.0 points compared with the working-age share falling 0.7. Gentrification is scored 3 and labelled Not gentrifying, despite a separate shift score of 59 marked Active.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+51
Net Internal / yr
-62
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Population +10% since 2011
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Bellerive compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bellerive a good suburb to live in?
Bellerive suits buyers wanting an established eastern shore setting, with 81.0% separate houses, a median age of 44 and a compact 2.71 sqkm footprint. It is more car-oriented than inner Hobart, with 69.7% driving to work.
What is the median house price in Bellerive?
A current median house price is not available for Bellerive. Cost context is still useful: typical mortgage payments are $1,600 a month, median rent is $360 a week, and mortgage costs take 25.3% of income.
What schools are in Bellerive?
There are 0 schools recorded within Bellerive itself. Families should check nearby Clarence suburbs for options, while factoring in Bellerive's commuting pattern, where 69.7% drive and 9.1% use public transport.
Is Bellerive safe?
A suburb-level crime rate is not available, so a single safety score would be unreliable. For context, Bellerive has 4,945 residents, a 76.3% one-year stay rate and IRSD decile 6, all useful checks alongside local police updates.
Is Bellerive good for property investment?
Bellerive is more of a steady investment market than a high-yield growth play. Renters are 29.5% of households, rent is $360 a week, vacancy is 6.3%, and there were 0 new developments over 12 months.
How is Bellerive's population changing?
Bellerive's growth trend is modest at 0.64% a year, with overseas migration the main driver. The 10-year population change is 11.9%, while the shift trajectory is Mixed rather than clearly accelerating.
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 education open registers (school locations), 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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