Geeveston

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

Demographics

The median age of 44 is 4.0 years above the national figure, and the trajectory is aging: the senior share grew 7.6 points while the working-age share fell 4.0 points over the decade. University qualifications reach 24.0%, which is 6.1 points below national, consistent with the trade and agriculture-oriented workforce. Only 13.7% of residents were born overseas, compared to the national average of around 21.6%, reflecting an Anglo-Celtic community where English, Irish and Scottish ancestry account for the three largest ancestral groups. Average household size is 2.4, marginally below national at 2.5, with 42.1% of families being couples with children and 31.7% couples without children.

From $67,000 in 1996 to $575,000 in 2026, Geeveston house prices have grown at a 7.4% CAGR over 30 years, outpacing inflation but remaining modest in absolute terms compared to Hobart metropolitan suburbs. Tenure is ownership-dominated: 43.2% own outright, 41.5% hold a mortgage, and just 15.2% rent. That low renter share, combined with 97.8% separate house stock, means the suburb functions almost exclusively as an owner-occupier market. The housing stock is skewed toward 3-bedroom homes at 55.4%. Mortgage-to-income at 22.7% and rent-to-income at 24.5% are both below stress thresholds, indicating that housing costs are manageable relative to local incomes despite the SEIFA IRSD decile 2 ranking.

Community Profile

Economy & Employment

Agriculture leads local employment at 19.0% of the workforce, followed by Healthcare at 13.8%, Construction at 11.5%, Education at 11.0% and Manufacturing at 7.8%. This sector profile reflects the Huon Valley's orchard, timber and forestry industries rather than knowledge economy concentration. Labourers are the largest occupation group at 90 workers, ahead of Managers (86) and Professionals (79). The unemployment rate is 7.3%, higher than state and national benchmarks, and the participation rate is 45.7%, well below national norms because a large share of the 1,431 residents are not in the labour force. The SEIFA IRSAD decile 2 and IRSD decile 2 scores place Geeveston among the more disadvantaged communities nationally, with household income at the 17.6th percentile.

Transport to Work

Car dependence is extremely high at 87.2% of commuters, versus 6.3% who walk or cycle and just 1.0% using public transport. This reflects the rural setting 58 km south of Hobart with limited transit infrastructure. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary in this dataset, so families rely on nearby facilities. The IRSAD decile 2 score places Geeveston below 80% of Australian communities on the combined advantage-disadvantage index. About 8.2% of residents need daily assistance, which at 108 people is significant for a town of 1,431. Volunteering is strong at 19.6%, above national norms, and housing stress is low, with both mortgage-to-income at 22.7% and rent-to-income at 24.5% sitting comfortably below the 30% stress threshold.

Population Forecast

Population grew 16.0% over the decade and sits at 1,431 in the suburb SA2 area, with the broader SA2 population reaching approximately 4,408 in 2025. Annual growth is estimated at 1.23%, adding roughly 54 persons per year. Gentrification signals are early stage, with overseas-educated arrivals and population up 21% since 2011. Medium forecasts project the SA2 area reaching 4,686 by 2031. Migration is balanced, with overseas and internal migration each contributing around 30 to 32 net residents annually. Affordability has worsened over the decade, with the housing cost ratio moving from 46.5% in 2011 to 51.6% in 2021, placing Geeveston under more financial pressure relative to incomes than a decade ago.

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

How Geeveston compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs

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