Bridport
With a vacancy rate of 37.7%, nearly two in five dwellings in Bridport sit empty at any given time, which is far above the national average for residential suburbs and signals this is primarily a holiday and sea-change destination rather than a permanent settlement. The median age of 51 is 11 years above the national figure, the population of 1,742 is spread across 320.7 square kilometres at just 5.4 persons per km2, and household income sits at the 27.5th percentile nationally. Despite those modest incomes, 45.9% of residents own their home outright, one of the clearest indicators of a retirement and lifestyle community where debt has largely been paid down.
Population
1,742
Median Age
51.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,242/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
No median house price is recorded in the dataset for Bridport, which reflects the thin and intermittent transaction volume typical of small coastal towns. Weekly rent averages $270, lower than most Tasmanian regional centres, and monthly mortgage repayments average $1,300, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.2% that sits below the 30% stress threshold. The housing stock is overwhelmingly detached, with 94.6% being separate houses compared to a national figure closer to 70%, and four-bedroom-plus homes account for 28.3% of dwellings, suggesting larger lifestyle properties are common. Buyers choosing Bridport over denser Tasmanian towns are trading urban convenience for space, lower repayment pressure and a community where 45.9% of owners are already mortgage-free.
For Buyers
No median house price is recorded in the dataset for Bridport, which reflects the thin and intermittent transaction volume typical of small coastal towns. Weekly rent averages $270, lower than most Tasmanian regional centres, and monthly mortgage repayments average $1,300, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.2% that sits below the 30% stress threshold. The housing stock is overwhelmingly detached, with 94.6% being separate houses compared to a national figure closer to 70%, and four-bedroom-plus homes account for 28.3% of dwellings, suggesting larger lifestyle properties are common. Buyers choosing Bridport over denser Tasmanian towns are trading urban convenience for space, lower repayment pressure and a community where 45.9% of owners are already mortgage-free.
For Investors
The 37.7% vacancy rate is the dominant number for any investor considering Bridport and it reflects the holiday-home nature of the market rather than structural oversupply in the traditional sense. Renting residents make up just 21.5% of households, well below the national average, because the majority of dwellings function as holiday shacks or part-time residences. Weekly rent of $270 is modest, suggesting limited yield opportunity from permanent tenants. Net internal migration averages 23 persons per year and overseas migration 19, which is positive for a town of 1,742 but insufficient to drive rapid demand pressure. No development applications were lodged in the past 12 months, confirming a static supply environment where value depends on lifestyle demand rather than population-driven fundamentals.
Schools in Bridport iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Bridport Primary School
K-6 · 180 students
Demographics
The median age of 51 places Bridport 11 years above the national figure, and the trajectory is explicitly aging: the senior share rose 6.5 points over the decade while the working-age share fell 2.3 points. The overseas-born share is 8.2%, which is 13.4 percentage points below the national average, and ancestry is strongly Anglo-Celtic with English (798), Scottish (182) and Irish (148) the three largest groups. The participation rate of 50.0% is low compared to the national figure, consistent with a large retired and semi-retired population where 529 residents are not in the labour force at all. Average household size of 2.1 is 0.4 below national, reflecting the dominance of couples without children: 41.6% of families fall into that category.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
94.6%
Houses
1.4%
Townhouse
3.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Separate houses make up 94.6% of dwellings, well above the national average, confirming a low-density coastal character. Ownership without a mortgage is unusually high at 45.9%, nearly double the renter share of 21.5%, pointing to a settled population who bought years ago and have since paid off their loans. Three-bedroom homes are the most common at 49.9%, followed by four-bedroom-plus at 28.3%, which means most stock is family-sized rather than the smaller units typical of retirement villages. Mortgage-to-income at 24.2% and rent-to-income at 21.7% both sit below stress thresholds, so neither owners nor renters are under financial pressure relative to local incomes. The high vacancy of 37.7% means a large portion of the 1,742-person population does not correspond to occupied dwellings.
Mortgage / mo
$1,300
Rent / wk
$270
HH Size
2.1
Personal Income / wk
$723
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
37.7%
Unoccupied
424
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.7%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.2%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
41.6%
Couples, no children
1,179
Total families
Economy & Employment
Agriculture is the largest single industry at 14.1% of local workers (67 people), followed by Education at 13.3% (63) and Construction at 11.8% (56), with Healthcare at 11.2% and Manufacturing at 10.1%. By occupation, Managers lead with 136 workers, then Labourers at 108, reflecting the mix of farm operators and physical tradespeople that drives a regional Tasmanian economy. The SEIFA scores reveal significant disadvantage: the IRSD decile is 2 and the IRSAD decile is 2, placing Bridport in the bottom 20% nationally for both relative disadvantage and overall advantage-disadvantage. The IEO decile of 1 confirms limited education and occupation opportunities compared to most Australian areas. Unemployment is low at 2.6% but the participation rate of 50.0% is below the national figure, because retirement reduces the denominator.
Unemployment
4.3%
Labour Force
3,386
Unemployed
145
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
63.0%
Part-time
34.4%
Participation
50.0%
Employed
708
Occupations
Top Industries
University
22.2%
Postgraduate
3.5%
Born Overseas
8.2%
Dwellings
702
Transport to Work
Car dependence is high: 88.9% of residents drive to work, consistent with the 320.7 km2 footprint and the lack of public transport recorded in the dataset. Walking and cycling account for 4.3% of commuters, feasible within the township but not across the broader area. No schools are recorded within Bridport itself, so families depend on services in nearby towns. The IRSAD decile of 2 places Bridport below 80% of Australian suburbs on the combined advantage-disadvantage index, yet the practical experience is softened by low housing costs: mortgage-to-income at 24.2% and rent-to-income at 21.7% are both below stress thresholds. The volunteering rate is high at 22.8%, above the national average, which is common in small communities where residents staff essential services. Only 6.7% of residents (105 people) need daily assistance despite the median age of 51.
Drive
88.9%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
4.3%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
-0.04%/yr
(-3 people/yr)
EstablishedPopulation growth over 10 years is effectively flat at 0.1%, and the annual trend projects a decline of 0.04% per year, or roughly 3 fewer persons per year to 2031. The medium forecast holds the broader SA2 population near 6,946 by 2031 from a 2025 base of 7,076, a slow contraction rather than collapse. The aging trajectory is confirmed by a young-share decline of 3.3 points and a senior-share increase of 6.5 points over the decade. Real income growth of 20.1% over the period is notable for a low-income area, suggesting cost pressures remain manageable. Rent growth of 46.7% over the same period outpaced income growth substantially, which has tightened affordability for tenants despite the low dollar amounts involved. The gentrification score is 0, classified as not gentrifying.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+19
Net Internal / yr
+23
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Bridport compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bridport a good suburb to live in?
Bridport suits retirees and lifestyle seekers more than working families. The median age is 51, which is 11 years above the national average, and 45.9% of residents own their home outright. Housing costs are low with mortgage-to-income at 24.2%, but SEIFA scores place the area in decile 2 for relative disadvantage nationally, and no schools are recorded within the suburb.
What is the median house price in Bridport?
No median house price is available in the dataset for Bridport due to low transaction volumes typical of small coastal towns. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,300 and weekly rent averages $270, both well below Tasmanian capital city levels, indicating an affordable coastal market.
What schools are in Bridport?
No schools are recorded within Bridport in this dataset. Families typically travel to nearby towns for primary and secondary education. The suburb has a low university qualification rate of 22.2%, which is 7.9 percentage points below the national figure, reflecting its trade and agriculture-oriented workforce.
Is Bridport safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Bridport in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the area scores decile 2 on IRSD nationally, which reflects lower socioeconomic resources rather than crime levels directly. The small population of 1,742 and high rate of owner-occupancy at 45.9% are generally associated with stable residential environments.
Is Bridport good for property investment?
The 37.7% vacancy rate signals this is primarily a holiday market, not a rental-demand market. Only 21.5% of households rent permanently, and weekly rent of $270 implies limited yield from long-term tenants. Flat population growth of 0.1% over 10 years and zero development applications in the past 12 months mean capital growth depends on lifestyle demand rather than population pressure.
How is Bridport's population changing?
The population of 1,742 has grown just 0.1% over 10 years and the annual trend projects a loss of roughly 3 persons per year to 2031. The profile is aging, with the senior share up 6.5 points and the working-age share down 2.3 points over the decade. Net internal migration averages 23 per year and overseas migration 19, providing modest positive inflows that partially offset the aging trend.
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.
Explore Bridport on the Map
View parcels, zoning overlays, DA applications, schools and more.
Open Interactive Map