Hobart
Renter-heavy, apartment-led and young, Hobart's 7000 core is very different from nearby North Hobart and Battery Point. The suburb has 3390 residents, a median age of 31 and an age profile 9.0 years below the national median. Renting dominates at 69.0%, while apartments make up 63.6% of dwellings, so the area behaves more like an inner-city rental market than a family-house suburb. Overseas-born residents sit at 43.6%, 22.0 percentage points above national, and university attainment is 56.0%, pointing to a mobile, educated resident base.
Population
3,390
Median Age
31.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,464/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
37
Homebuyers should read Hobart as an apartment-first market. Apartments account for 63.6% of dwellings, compared with 19.1% separate houses, while 40.2% of homes have 2 bedrooms and 26.5% have 0 or 1 bedroom. That suits singles, couples and city workers more than larger households. Mortgage costs average $1848 a month and take 29.2% of income, while rent at $380 a week takes 26.0%, lower than the mortgage share. With average household size at 2.0, floorplan fit matters because the suburb is weighted to compact housing.
For Buyers
Homebuyers should read Hobart as an apartment-first market. Apartments account for 63.6% of dwellings, compared with 19.1% separate houses, while 40.2% of homes have 2 bedrooms and 26.5% have 0 or 1 bedroom. That suits singles, couples and city workers more than larger households. Mortgage costs average $1848 a month and take 29.2% of income, while rent at $380 a week takes 26.0%, lower than the mortgage share. With average household size at 2.0, floorplan fit matters because the suburb is weighted to compact housing.
For Investors
Hobart has clear rental-market depth because 69.0% of dwellings are rented, far higher than an owner-occupier suburb. Weekly rent is $380, but the vacancy rate is also 17.1%, so investors need to price for competition rather than assume tight supply. Development activity is active, with 35 applications in 12 months, and growth runs at 1.27% a year driven by overseas migration. Rent has risen 43.1% across the shift period, which supports income growth, but the high vacancy reading means asset selection and location within the CBD matter.
Development Activity
Total DAs
37
Last 12 Months
37
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
—
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
Hobart's residents are young, highly educated and internationally connected. The median age is 31, which is 9.0 years below the national median, while university attainment is 56.0%, 25.9 percentage points above national. Overseas-born residents make up 43.6%, 22.0 points above national, with English ancestry at 971 people and Chinese ancestry at 532. Mandarin is the largest non-English language at 152 speakers, followed by Nepali at 49. The 2.0 average household size is 0.5 below national, matching the apartment and rental-heavy housing mix.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
19.1%
Houses
15.2%
Townhouse
63.6%
Apartment
Tenure
The housing structure is unusually urban for Tasmania. Renting accounts for 69.0% of tenure, compared with 16.1% owned outright and 11.7% with a mortgage, so turnover and investor ownership shape the market. Apartments are 63.6% of dwellings, semi-detached homes 15.2% and separate houses 19.1%, making house supply materially lower than in outer Hobart suburbs. Bedrooms reinforce that pattern: 40.2% are 2-bedroom homes and 26.5% are 0 or 1-bedroom. Mortgage-to-income is 29.2% versus rent-to-income at 26.0%, so rental affordability sits slightly lower than ownership carrying costs.
Mortgage / mo
$1,848
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$380
Census 2021
HH Size
2.0
Personal Income / wk
$667
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
17.1%
Unoccupied
220
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
29.2%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
18.3%
Couples with children
63.6%
Couples, no children
13.6%
Single parent
470
Total families
Economy & Employment
Hobart's economy is service-led, with healthcare at 22.3% of local workers, hospitality 17.1%, education 10.7%, professional and tech 8.9% and retail 8.8%. Professionals are the largest occupation group at 499 people, above community and personal service workers at 266 and managers at 197. The SEIFA pattern is split: education and occupation are high at IEO decile 9, but economic resources are low at IER decile 1. IRSD decile 6 and IRSAD decile 8 sit higher, because skills and access are strong while household income is only at the 45.0 percentile and unemployment is 13.1%.
Unemployment
13.1%
Labour Force
1,834
Unemployed
240
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
50.4%
Part-time
44.4%
Participation
57.1%
Employed
1,594
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
56.0%
Postgraduate
22.8%
Born Overseas
43.6%
Dwellings
1,037
Transport to Work
Hobart's livability is built around proximity and short trips. In only 2.26 sqkm, density is 1501.3 people per sqkm, and 50.0% of workers walk or cycle, higher than the 31.9% who drive. Public transport use is 5.7% and working from home is 9.9%, so many residents appear to rely on CBD access rather than commuting infrastructure. The trade-off is a compact housing profile and a 17.1% vacancy rate, which can mean more rental choice. No suburb crime rate is available, so safety should be compared through current state police updates and street-level checks.
Drive
31.9%
Public Transport
5.7%
Walk / Cycle
50.0%
Work from Home
9.9%
Population Forecast
+1.27%/yr
(+118 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is moderate rather than explosive, with the forecast trend at 1.27% a year and 10-year population change at 21.3%. The primary driver is overseas migration, which fits the 43.6% overseas-born share and the strong Mandarin-speaking cohort. The shift trajectory is Aging: senior share rose 4.1 points while young share fell 2.2 points, so demand may broaden beyond students and early-career renters. Gentrification is mixed, with a score of 32 at Early signs, while the shift measure records 53 and Active. Affordability worsened from 43.2 to 49.1, above the earlier baseline.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+252
Net Internal / yr
-187
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +20% since 2011, Net internal outflow -187/yr, Strong overseas inflow +252/yr, Accelerating: 4% → 15%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Hobart compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hobart a good suburb to live in?
Hobart suits people who value central access, walking and compact homes. A high 50.0% of workers walk or cycle, compared with 31.9% who drive, while 63.6% of dwellings are apartments. Larger households may find the 2.0 average household size and smaller bedroom mix less suitable.
What is the median house price in Hobart?
A reliable suburb-level median house price is not available for Hobart, so buyers should compare recent houses and units separately. The housing mix is 63.6% apartments versus 19.1% separate houses, and median rent is $380 a week, making one blended median less useful.
What schools are in Hobart?
There are 0 schools listed within Hobart's suburb boundary, so families should compare nearby options in surrounding suburbs and the wider state system. Transport access helps: 50.0% of workers walk or cycle, but catchments and daily routes still need checking.
Is Hobart safe?
A suburb-specific crime rate is not available, so Hobart should not be ranked higher or lower for safety on that measure alone. For practical checks, compare current state police updates and individual streets. Daily activity is high, with 50.0% walking or cycling to work.
Is Hobart good for property investment?
Hobart has strong rental exposure, with 69.0% of dwellings rented and weekly rent at $380. That is above a typical owner-occupier suburb, but vacancy is also high at 17.1%, so investors need to compare buildings carefully and avoid assuming every listing leases quickly.
How is Hobart's population changing?
Hobart has 3390 residents today, and the forecast trend is 1.27% annual growth. The 10-year population change is 21.3%, above flat growth, with overseas migration as the primary driver. The shift trajectory is Aging, with senior share up 4.1 points.
What languages are spoken in Hobart?
Mandarin is the largest listed non-English language, with 152 speakers, followed by Nepali at 49 and Cantonese at 29. This matches the overseas-born share of 43.6%, which is 22.0 percentage points above national, so multilingual households are a visible part of the suburb.
Is there much development in Hobart?
Yes. Hobart recorded 35 planning applications over 12 months, including signage, partial demolition, alterations and extensions. That is higher activity than a static precinct, because central commercial and older residential buildings keep generating renewal work.
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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