Hillcrest
At just 0.7 sq km, Hillcrest is one of Burnie's more compact residential pockets, with 1,088 people and density of 1,546.3 per sq km. Compared with nearby Montello and Shorewell Park, its identity is strongly house-based: 87.6% separate houses and only 5.4% apartments. The median age of 36 sits 4.0 years below the national figure, yet the forecast trajectory is Aging, so demand is likely to lean toward modest, low-maintenance family housing rather than rapid high-rise change.
Local council: Burnie
Population
1,088
Median Age
36.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,142/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Homebuyers get a low entry-cost housing pattern, with weekly rent at $230 and median monthly mortgage payments of $953 rather than an apartment-heavy market. Separate houses make up 87.6% of dwellings, while 3-bedroom homes dominate at 65.6% and 4-plus bedrooms are only 8.8%. Mortgage costs equal 19.3% of household income, below common stress thresholds, because prices are moderated by a household income profile in the 21.3 percentile nationally.
For Buyers
Homebuyers get a low entry-cost housing pattern, with weekly rent at $230 and median monthly mortgage payments of $953 rather than an apartment-heavy market. Separate houses make up 87.6% of dwellings, while 3-bedroom homes dominate at 65.6% and 4-plus bedrooms are only 8.8%. Mortgage costs equal 19.3% of household income, below common stress thresholds, because prices are moderated by a household income profile in the 21.3 percentile nationally.
For Investors
Investors are looking at a renter-heavy base: 41.0% of homes are rented, higher than the 26.1% owned outright share and the 31.8% with a mortgage. Median rent is $230 a week, with rent-to-income at 20.1%, so cash-flow pressure is lower than in high-rent markets but rent levels are modest. Vacancy is 7.2% and development approvals were 0 over 12 months, which points to leasing risk rather than new-supply pressure.
Demographics
Hillcrest's 1,088 residents skew younger than Australia on age, with a median age of 36, 4.0 years below the national benchmark. The population is less migrant-driven: 10.5% were born overseas, 11.1 percentage points below national, and university attainment is 16.3%, 13.8 points lower. English ancestry counts 455 people, compared with 103 Scottish and 90 Irish, because long-standing local households dominate the suburb's cultural mix.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
87.6%
Houses
6.9%
Townhouse
5.4%
Apartment
Tenure
Detached stock sets the housing character: 87.6% separate houses compared with 6.9% semi-detached homes and 5.4% apartments. Tenure is more mixed than a settled owner-occupier suburb, with 41.0% renting, 31.8% buying with a mortgage and 26.1% owned outright. The bedroom profile is narrow, because 65.6% are 3-bedroom dwellings while only 8.8% have 4 or more bedrooms, keeping Hillcrest oriented to small and mid-sized households.
Mortgage / mo
$953
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$230
Census 2021
HH Size
2.2
Personal Income / wk
$588
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
7.2%
Unoccupied
36
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.1%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.3%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
35.0%
Couples with children
34.7%
Couples, no children
29.3%
Single parent
294
Total families
Economy & Employment
Hillcrest's worker base is service and blue-collar leaning rather than university-professional. Healthcare leads at 22.4% of employed residents, above Retail at 11.8%, with Mining and Other Services both at 7.5% and Education at 7.1%. Occupations reinforce that pattern: 75 Labourers, 69 Community and Personal workers and 68 Trades. Unemployment is 9.3% and participation is 57.6%, while IRSAD decile 4 and IER decile 6 show resources are moderate but uneven.
Unemployment
9.3%
Labour Force
503
Unemployed
47
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
54.8%
Part-time
40.6%
Participation
57.6%
Employed
456
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
16.3%
Postgraduate
3.6%
Born Overseas
10.5%
Dwellings
461
Transport to Work
Hillcrest is practical for car-based living more than transit commuting. Car drivers account for 80.8% of journeys, far above public transport at 3.0%, walking or cycling at 2.5% and working from home at 4.8%. There are 0 schools within the suburb boundary, so families need to use nearby Burnie options and plan travel. SEIFA disadvantage and advantage both sit at decile 4, below the strongest national bands, which fits a functional but not high-resource setting.
Drive
80.8%
Public Transport
3.0%
Walk / Cycle
2.5%
Work from Home
4.8%
Growth Outlook
Hillcrest is growing steadily rather than transforming quickly. The forecast trend is 1.34% a year, with a 14.0% population change over 10 years and a Balanced migration driver, so growth is not reliant on a single inflow. The shift trajectory is Aging: senior share is up 5.0 points while young share is down 1.5 points. Gentrification is only at Early signs with score 39, compared with the older shift score of 15 marked Not gentrifying.
Population trend: Burnie council area
Hillcrest sits in the Burnie council area. These are the council area's residents, not Hillcrest's.
Residents 2025
20,420
Growth, 5 yr average
+0.2%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+0.2%
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 Hillcrest compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hillcrest a good suburb to live in?
Hillcrest can suit buyers wanting a compact Burnie pocket with 87.6% separate houses and a median age of 36, below the national benchmark. It is more car-reliant than transit-focused, with 80.8% driving to work.
What is the median house price in Hillcrest?
No reliable median house price figure is available for Hillcrest, so buyers should check recent settled sales. Local cost clues include $230 median weekly rent, $953 median monthly mortgage payments and 87.6% separate houses.
What schools are in Hillcrest?
There are 0 schools recorded within Hillcrest, so families usually look to nearby Burnie suburbs for primary and secondary options. With public transport commuting at 3.0% compared with 80.8% car driving, school travel planning matters.
Is Hillcrest safe?
A suburb-level crime rate is not available for Hillcrest, so safety should be checked against current Tasmania Police and local advice. For context, the suburb has 1,088 residents and SEIFA IRSAD decile 4, below the strongest national advantage bands.
Is Hillcrest good for property investment?
Hillcrest has investor relevance because 41.0% of homes are rented, higher than the 26.1% owned outright share. Median rent is $230 a week, vacancy is 7.2%, and there were 0 development approvals over 12 months.
How is Hillcrest's population changing?
Hillcrest has 1,088 residents today, and the forecast trend runs at 1.34% a year with a 14.0% population change over 10 years. The trajectory is Aging, with senior share up 5.0 points and young share down 1.5 points.
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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