Campbell Town

Schools in Campbell Town iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged

Demographics

The median age of 50 is 10 years above the national figure, making Campbell Town one of the older-skewing communities in Tasmania. The overseas-born share at 9.3% is 12.3 percentage points below the national average, reflecting an Anglo-Celtic heritage base: English (453), Scottish (120) and Irish (107) are the top ancestries among 1,023 residents. University qualifications reach 22.5%, which is 7.6 percentage points below national, consistent with an agriculture and trades-oriented economy. Average household size is 2.1, below the national figure of 2.5. Couples without children make up 38.4% of families, the dominant household type, fitting the older age profile. Community participation is notable, with 19.4% of residents volunteering, above what might be expected for a low-income population. About 12.2% need daily assistance, higher than typical suburbs, because of the elevated median age.

Campbell Town's ownership profile stands out nationally: 48.2% of homes are owned outright, nearly twice the national proportion, reflecting long-term residents who have paid down mortgages in a low-cost market. Mortgage holders account for 27.3% and renters 24.6%. At a median price of $427,500, this is affordable housing stock compared to the national median. The price history runs from $38,000 in 1996 to a peak of $462,500 in 2024 before the current level of $427,500, a 30-year CAGR of 8.4%. Separate houses dominate at 89.3%, with semi-detached at 5.9% and apartments at just 3.4%, making this a largely traditional detached-dwelling suburb. Three-bedroom homes are the norm at 53.3%, while two-bedroom stock at 25.6% caters to smaller households. At a rent-to-income ratio of 25.3%, renters are not yet under stress compared to major city benchmarks.

Community Profile

Economy & Employment

Agriculture is the backbone, employing 26% of the workforce, more than double the next industry, Healthcare at 14.8%. Retail (10.2%), Hospitality (7.1%) and Education (6.6%) round out the top five. By occupation, Labourers (80) and Managers (69) are the two largest groups, a pairing that reflects the mixed farm-owner and farm-worker structure of an agricultural town. Full-time employment runs at 53.9% of those employed, with 195 full-time and 167 part-time workers. The unemployment rate of 4.7% is modest, though the participation rate of 43.7% is low, with 399 residents not in the labour force, largely because of the older age profile. SEIFA scores tell a complex story: IRSD and IRSAD deciles are both 10, the top tier nationally for relative advantage. The IEO decile of 10 confirms high education and occupation status, while the IER decile of 8 reflects that household economic resources are above average but not in the top tier, consistent with the 5.9th-percentile household income figure.

Transport to Work

Car dependency is high at 76.8%, which is typical for a low-density regional town, yet 15.8% of residents walk or cycle to work, a surprisingly active share compared to similar-sized rural communities. No public transport data is recorded, consistent with a rural setting spanning 735 square kilometres. No schools are listed in the dataset for the suburb boundary, so families rely on nearby facilities. The IRSAD decile of 10 places Campbell Town in the top tier nationally for socioeconomic advantage, an unusual result for a town where household incomes rank at the 5.9th percentile, but it reflects the high outright-ownership rate and low debt burden. Rent-to-income sits at 25.3% and mortgage-to-income at 23.6%, both below stress thresholds compared to major metropolitan areas. The 19.4% volunteering rate speaks to a closely engaged residential community despite the sparse population density of 1.4 people per km2.

Population Forecast

Campbell Town's population growth trajectory is among the stronger ones for small Tasmanian towns. The 10-year population increase of 42.7% far outpaces the national average for established regional centres. The annual growth rate of 2.57% translates to roughly 138 additional residents per year, with historical data showing a rise from 5,107 in 2023 to 5,365 in 2025. Internal migration is the primary driver at a net 136 per year, supplemented by overseas migration of 58 per year. Medium-scenario forecasts project the population reaching 6,009 by 2031, up from the current 5,365. Gentrification is at the early-signs stage, with a gentrification score of 32, supported by accelerating internal migration. The working-age share has grown 0.3 points while the young-adult share fell 1.3 points, indicating that prime working-age arrivals, not youth, are fuelling the influx.

National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs

How Campbell Town compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs

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