Geilston Bay
Only 16.7% of dwellings are rented, so Geilston Bay reads more owner-settled than many inner-Hobart suburbs. Its 3,461 residents sit in a detached-house landscape: 96.7% separate houses and just 1.2% apartments. The median age is 43, 3.0 years above the national benchmark, while university attainment is 36.9%, 6.8 points above national. Compared with nearby Lindisfarne and Risdon Vale, the suburb's identity is quieter and more ownership-led because 82.1% of homes are owned outright or mortgaged.
Population
3,461
Median Age
43.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,610/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
For homebuyers, the main signal is land and dwelling format rather than apartment choice. Separate houses make up 96.7% of stock, apartments 1.2%, and 3-bedroom homes are the largest group at 51.3%. Monthly mortgage payments sit at $1,625, equal to 23.3% of household income, so mortgage stress is not flagged. The trade-off is limited small-dwelling depth: only 1.4% have 0 or 1 bedrooms, which can constrain downsizers and singles.
For Buyers
For homebuyers, the main signal is land and dwelling format rather than apartment choice. Separate houses make up 96.7% of stock, apartments 1.2%, and 3-bedroom homes are the largest group at 51.3%. Monthly mortgage payments sit at $1,625, equal to 23.3% of household income, so mortgage stress is not flagged. The trade-off is limited small-dwelling depth: only 1.4% have 0 or 1 bedrooms, which can constrain downsizers and singles.
For Investors
Investors face a thin rental market rather than a high-turnover one. Renting accounts for 16.7% of tenure, well below the 40.7% owned outright and 41.4% mortgaged shares, so listings may be scarcer. Median rent is $380 a week and vacancy is 4.0%, while recorded development activity is 0 projects in 12 months. That supply calm can protect existing houses because new competition is limited, but it also restricts new-stock uplift.
Demographics
Geilston Bay skews older and more Australian-born than the national profile. Median age is 43, 3.0 years above national, and overseas-born residents are 13.3%, 8.3 points below national. Education is a counterweight: 36.9% hold university qualifications, 6.8 points above national. English ancestry is the largest count at 1,669, followed by Irish 463 and Scottish 356, which explains the relatively low non-English language counts such as Mandarin 13 and Nepali 12.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
96.7%
Houses
2.2%
Townhouse
1.2%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing is strongly ownership-based and detached, which makes Geilston Bay closer to a family-house market than a unit market. Owned outright homes are 40.7% and mortgaged homes 41.4%, compared with 16.7% rented. The stock is 96.7% separate houses, with 25.6% at 4 or more bedrooms and 21.7% at 2 bedrooms. Household income sits in the 53.0 percentile, and mortgage payments consume 23.3% of income, indicating affordability is manageable for existing borrowers.
Mortgage / mo
$1,625
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$380
Census 2021
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$845
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.0%
Unoccupied
60
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.6%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.3%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
38.4%
Couples with children
44.6%
Couples, no children
15.0%
Single parent
1,000
Total families
Economy & Employment
The worker base leans into public-service and care roles, with Healthcare at 19.7% (236 workers), Public Admin 14.8% (177), Education 11.9% (143), Construction 8.6% (103) and Professional/Tech 7.4% (89). Professionals are the largest occupation count at 439, above Clerical/Admin 269 and Trades 257. SEIFA is broadly middle to upper-middle: IEO decile 6, IER 6, IRSD 7 and IRSAD 6, so disadvantage ranks slightly stronger than advantage.
Unemployment
4.7%
Labour Force
1,806
Unemployed
85
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
58.5%
Part-time
35.6%
Participation
62.2%
Employed
1,721
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
36.9%
Postgraduate
9.2%
Born Overseas
13.3%
Dwellings
1,440
Transport to Work
Daily life is car-oriented because 75.1% drive to work, compared with 7.3% using public transport and 2.7% walking or cycling. Working from home is 8.4%, adding flexibility for households not close to frequent services. Social conditions sit above the lower bands: IRSD is decile 7 and IRSAD decile 6. A suburb-level crime rate is not published, so local safety should be checked through current police information and on-site inspections.
Drive
75.1%
Public Transport
7.3%
Walk / Cycle
2.7%
Work from Home
8.4%
Population Forecast
+0.82%/yr
(+30 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth signals are steady, not speculative. The forecast trend is 0.82% a year and the 10-year population-change marker is 8.6%, with migration classified as Balanced rather than driven by a single source. The shift trajectory is Mixed: rent growth was 39.2%, real income growth 10.6%, seniors rose 1.8 points and the young share fell 0.6 points. The separate gentrification score is 19, labelled Not gentrifying, below the stronger Active signal in the shift score of 45.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+22
Net Internal / yr
-10
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Population +13% since 2011, Accelerating: 1% → 12%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Geilston Bay compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Geilston Bay a good suburb to live in?
Yes, for buyers wanting a quieter, owner-occupied housing setting. Separate houses make up 96.7% of dwellings and only 16.7% are rented, so the suburb suits households seeking stability more than apartment turnover.
What is the median house price in Geilston Bay?
The median house price should be checked against current settled sales before purchase. Local cost context points to a $1,625 monthly mortgage payment and $380 weekly rent, with mortgage costs at 23.3% of household income.
What schools are in Geilston Bay?
School choice is typically assessed through nearby Clarence campuses and Tasmanian public catchments rather than suburb name alone. For Geilston Bay 7015, confirm the zoned primary and secondary options before signing.
Is Geilston Bay safe?
A suburb-level crime rate is not published. For a practical view, compare current Tasmania Police updates with inspections around commute and evening periods; 75.1% of workers drive, so street activity can vary by time.
Is Geilston Bay good for property investment?
It suits investors who prefer established detached stock over heavy new supply. Renting is 16.7%, median rent is $380 a week, vacancy is 4.0%, and recorded development activity is 0 projects in 12 months.
How is Geilston Bay's population changing?
Geilston Bay has 3,461 residents today. Growth is moderate, with a forecast trend of 0.82% a year, a 10-year population-change marker of 8.6%, and migration classified as Balanced rather than one-source driven.
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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