Grindelwald
Older, owner-occupied and almost entirely detached, Grindelwald stands out in West Tamar for a median age of 50, which is 10 years above the national benchmark. The suburb has 1037 residents, 100.0% separate houses and 56.5% owned outright, so it reads more like a settled lakeside housing enclave than a high-turnover market. Compared with nearby Legana and Rosevears, the defining feature is the narrow housing mix and very low 4.0% renting share. Household income sits at the 54.2 percentile nationally, supporting steady rather than speculative demand.
Local council: West Tamar
Population
1,037
Median Age
50.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,625/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
For buyers, Grindelwald is mainly a space and stability market because 100.0% of dwellings are separate houses and 48.9% have 4 or more bedrooms. A further 35.9% have 3 bedrooms, higher than the 13.9% with 2 bedrooms, so downsizer choice is thinner than family-sized stock. Mortgage repayments average $1625 a month and mortgage-to-income is 23.1%, below the local stress flag. With 56.5% owned outright and only 4.0% renting, listings may be limited because many households have little financial pressure to move.
For Buyers
For buyers, Grindelwald is mainly a space and stability market because 100.0% of dwellings are separate houses and 48.9% have 4 or more bedrooms. A further 35.9% have 3 bedrooms, higher than the 13.9% with 2 bedrooms, so downsizer choice is thinner than family-sized stock. Mortgage repayments average $1625 a month and mortgage-to-income is 23.1%, below the local stress flag. With 56.5% owned outright and only 4.0% renting, listings may be limited because many households have little financial pressure to move.
For Investors
Grindelwald is a selective rental market rather than a volume investor suburb. Only 4.0% of homes are rented, far below the 56.5% owned outright share, so tenant demand may be hard to read from turnover. Rent is $405 a week and rent-to-income is 24.9%, close to the 23.1% mortgage-to-income measure, which points to manageable holding costs. Vacancy is 7.0% and development over the last 12 months is 0, so supply pressure is lower than in active building areas. The 30.2% rent growth signal suggests upside, but liquidity is the constraint.
Demographics
Grindelwald skews older and Anglo-leaning. The median age is 50, 10 years above the national figure, and 80.4% of residents stayed at the same address, which helps explain the settled feel. University attainment is 31.2%, 1.1 percentage points above national, while the overseas-born share is 24.3%, 2.7 points below national. English ancestry leads with 432 people, followed by Scottish at 126, Irish at 91 and Dutch at 57. Christianity counts 490 residents and no religion 436, a narrower mix than migrant-majority suburbs.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
100.0%
Houses
0.0%
Townhouse
0.0%
Apartment
Tenure
A median sale price is not available for Grindelwald, so housing affordability is best read through tenure and carrying costs. The stock is 100.0% separate houses, with no apartment or semi-detached share recorded, and 48.9% of homes have 4 or more bedrooms. Ownership is unusually strong: 56.5% are owned outright, 38.4% have a mortgage and only 4.0% rent. Mortgage-to-income is 23.1%, below the stress flag, while rent-to-income is 24.9%. Compared with apartment-heavy markets, price discovery is likely to rely on fewer detached-house sales.
Mortgage / mo
$1,625
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$405
Census 2021
HH Size
2.6
Personal Income / wk
$661
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
7.0%
Unoccupied
28
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.9%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.1%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
42.1%
Couples with children
48.7%
Couples, no children
6.9%
Single parent
304
Total families
Economy & Employment
Local workers are concentrated in services that suit Launceston and West Tamar commuting patterns. Healthcare employs 56 people or 19.7%, education 46 or 16.2%, construction 29 or 10.2%, professional and tech 22 or 7.7%, and public admin 21 or 7.4%. Professionals lead occupations with 106 people, above managers at 58 and clerical or admin at 56. Unemployment is 5.8% and participation is 49.6%, partly because the median age is 50 and 392 residents are not in the labour force. SEIFA is middle-ranked: IEO decile 5, IER decile 6, IRSD decile 6 and IRSAD decile 5.
Unemployment
5.8%
Labour Force
428
Unemployed
25
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
51.1%
Part-time
43.2%
Participation
49.6%
Employed
403
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
31.2%
Postgraduate
7.5%
Born Overseas
24.3%
Dwellings
363
Transport to Work
Daily life in Grindelwald is car-first because 78.2% of workers drive and 17.4% work from home. The suburb covers 5.92 sq km at 175.3 people per sq km, lower-density than inner urban settings, which aligns with its 100.0% separate-house stock. IRSAD decile 5 and IRSD decile 6 place it around the middle to slightly above the middle on broad socio-economic measures. A 23.0% volunteering rate adds local participation, while the 4.0% renting share means social networks may be more stable than in high-turnover areas.
Drive
78.2%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
N/A
Work from Home
17.4%
Growth Outlook
Grindelwald's growth outlook is steady and age-led rather than boom-driven. The annual trend is 0.81%, with migration classified as Balanced, so demand is not dominated by one inflow source. The 10 year population change is 10.3%, while the shift trajectory is Aging: senior share rose 7.5, young share fell 4.2 and working share fell 4.7. That matters because future housing demand is more likely to favour low-maintenance detached living than high-density rental stock. Gentrification is scored 19 and labelled Not gentrifying, below the 24 early-signs shift score.
Population trend: West Tamar council area
Grindelwald sits in the West Tamar council area. These are the council area's residents, not Grindelwald's.
Residents 2025
26,136
Growth, 5 yr average
+0.8%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+0.3%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Grindelwald compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Grindelwald a good suburb to live in?
Grindelwald suits buyers wanting space and stability, with 100.0% separate houses and 56.5% owned outright. It is older than the national benchmark, with a median age of 50, so it may feel quieter compared with higher-turnover rental suburbs.
What is the median house price in Grindelwald?
A reliable median house price is not available for Grindelwald. The housing base is 100.0% separate houses, with 48.9% at 4 or more bedrooms, so buyers should compare recent detached-house sales rather than read it like an apartment-heavy market.
What schools are in Grindelwald?
0 schools are located within Grindelwald itself. Families should compare options in surrounding West Tamar and Launceston areas, and the 78.2% car-driver share suggests school access is likely to depend more on driving than walking from within the suburb.
Is Grindelwald safe?
Grindelwald cannot be ranked against other suburbs on crime because a suburb-specific crime rate per 1k residents is not available. Practical context is a small 1037-person community with 56.5% owned outright, but street-level checks are still important.
Is Grindelwald good for property investment?
Grindelwald is more of a low-turnover hold than a high-volume rental play. Only 4.0% of homes are rented, below the 56.5% owned outright share, while rent is $405 a week and vacancy is 7.0%, so tenant depth needs careful checking.
How is Grindelwald's population changing?
Growth is steady rather than rapid, with a 0.81% annual trend and 10.3% population change over 10 years. The trajectory is Aging, with senior share up 7.5 and young share down 4.2, so demand may tilt more toward established owner-occupiers than young renters.
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).
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