Kingston Beach
At 47 years, Kingston Beach skews older than the national norm by 7 years, and its 2,305 residents live in a compact 1.48 sq km coastal pocket south of Hobart. Against nearby Kingston's service-centre role and Blackmans Bay's longer suburban frontage, Kingston Beach's distinctive point is its settled beachside scale. That shows in 45.4% outright ownership and a 77.4% five-year stay rate. Education is also high, with 47.4% university qualified, above the national share by 17.3 points, while 82.5% separate houses keep the suburb strongly detached.
Local council: Kingborough
Population
2,305
Median Age
47.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,526/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
6
For buyers, the available affordability signals point to moderate carrying costs rather than a low-entry market: median mortgage payments are $1,577 a month and equal 23.9% of household income, below common stress levels. Stock is strongly house-led, with 82.5% separate homes vs 9.6% apartments, so downsizers and first-home buyers have fewer small-dwelling choices. The 40.6% share of 3-bedroom homes and 32.2% with 4+ bedrooms suits established households because the built form is larger than a typical unit market.
For Buyers
For buyers, the available affordability signals point to moderate carrying costs rather than a low-entry market: median mortgage payments are $1,577 a month and equal 23.9% of household income, below common stress levels. Stock is strongly house-led, with 82.5% separate homes vs 9.6% apartments, so downsizers and first-home buyers have fewer small-dwelling choices. The 40.6% share of 3-bedroom homes and 32.2% with 4+ bedrooms suits established households because the built form is larger than a typical unit market.
For Investors
Investors face a smaller renter pool than the owner group: 24.9% of dwellings are rented, while 45.4% are owned outright. Median weekly rent is $380 and rent-to-income is 24.9%, below a stress setting, which helps tenant capacity. The 7.0% vacancy rate and only 6 development applications in 12 months point to measured leasing pressure, because limited new stock supports stability but a higher vacant share can lengthen reletting. Overseas migration is the primary growth driver, so demand may be selective rather than broad-based.
Development Activity
Total DAs
6
Last 12 Months
6
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
Demographically, Kingston Beach is older, educated and relatively settled. Median age is 47, 7 years above national, while the university qualification rate is 47.4%, 17.3 points above national. Overseas-born residents are 25.1%, 3.5 points above national, but English, Scottish and Irish ancestry counts of 1,089, 294 and 271 still dominate the local mix. Households average 2.3 people, 0.2 below national, because couples without children are 48.0% of families and one-parent families are 15.4%.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
82.5%
Houses
7.9%
Townhouse
9.6%
Apartment
Tenure
Kingston Beach's housing base is heavily owner-occupied, with 45.4% owned outright, 27.4% mortgaged and 24.9% rented. That ownership profile is higher than the renter share, which helps explain the 77.4% five-year stay rate and slower turnover. Separate houses make up 82.5% of dwellings, compared with 9.6% apartments and 7.9% semi-detached homes. Affordability looks steady at the household level: the median mortgage is $1,577 a month, mortgage-to-income is 23.9%, and household income sits at the 47.9th percentile.
Mortgage / mo
$1,577
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
$826
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
7.0%
Unoccupied
72
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.9%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.9%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
35.8%
Couples with children
48.0%
Couples, no children
15.4%
Single parent
625
Total families
Economy & Employment
Kingston Beach's workforce leans toward service and knowledge sectors, with healthcare at 18.4%, education 14.7%, professional/tech 12.1%, public admin 10.1% and construction 9.3%. Professionals are the largest occupation group at 355 workers, above managers at 170. Unemployment is 4.5% and participation is 59.2%, partly because 749 residents are not in the labour force in an older suburb. SEIFA is consistently above average: IEO decile 8, IER 7, IRSD 8 and IRSAD 7, with the lower IRSAD than IRSD suggesting resources are solid but not uniformly advantaged.
Unemployment
4.5%
Labour Force
1,182
Unemployed
53
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
51.8%
Part-time
42.3%
Participation
59.2%
Employed
1,129
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
47.4%
Postgraduate
14.2%
Born Overseas
25.1%
Dwellings
955
Transport to Work
Daily life is car-oriented: 66.6% drive to work, compared with 9.8% using public transport and 3.8% walking or cycling. The 13.5% work-from-home share adds flexibility because some commutes can be avoided from this coastal pocket. Livability also rests on social stability, with 77.4% of residents at the same address five years earlier and 29.0% volunteering. IRSAD decile 7 and IRSD decile 8 sit above the national midpoint, supporting access to resources even though household income is near the 47.9th percentile.
Drive
66.6%
Public Transport
9.8%
Walk / Cycle
3.8%
Work from Home
13.5%
Growth Outlook
Kingston Beach is on a slow-growth path rather than a boom cycle. The forecast trend is 0.82% a year, while the 10-year population change sits at 13.4%, and the primary driver is overseas migration. The shift trajectory is Aging: senior share is up 5.9 points, young share is down 1.9 points and working share is down 1.7 points. That matters because demand is more likely to favour low-maintenance established homes than heavy subdivision. Gentrification signals are mixed: the shift score is 33 with Early signs, but the separate score is 5 and Not gentrifying.
Population trend: Kingborough council area
Kingston Beach sits in the Kingborough council area. These are the council area's residents, not Kingston Beach's.
Residents 2025
41,628
Growth, 5 yr average
+0.8%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+0.4%
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 Kingston Beach compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kingston Beach a good suburb to live in?
Yes for people wanting a settled coastal base: 77.4% stayed at the same address for 5 years, 45.4% own outright and median age is 47, above national by 7 years. It is more car-based, with 66.6% driving to work.
What is the median house price in Kingston Beach?
A current sale median house price is not available for Kingston Beach. Affordability context is still useful: median mortgage payments are $1,577 a month, mortgage-to-income is 23.9% and 82.5% of homes are separate houses, higher than the 9.6% apartment share.
What schools are in Kingston Beach?
There are 0 schools recorded within Kingston Beach itself, so families commonly compare nearby Kingston, Blackmans Bay and wider Kingborough options. The suburb's household mix still includes 35.8% couples with children and 15.4% one-parent families.
Is Kingston Beach safe?
A suburb-level crime rate is not available for Kingston Beach, so safety is better checked against current local police and street-level context. Stability indicators are strong: 77.4% of residents stayed 5 years and IRSD decile 8 is above the national midpoint.
Is Kingston Beach good for property investment?
Kingston Beach can work for selective investors, but it is not a high-renter suburb: 24.9% of dwellings are rented compared with 45.4% owned outright. Median rent is $380 a week, vacancy is 7.0% and recent development is modest at 6 applications in 12 months.
How is Kingston Beach's population changing?
Kingston Beach is growing slowly and aging. The forecast trend is 0.82% a year, while 10-year population change is 13.4%. Growth is primarily driven by overseas migration, and the senior share has risen 5.9 points compared with a 1.9-point fall in young share.
How do people commute in Kingston Beach?
Commuting is mostly by car: 66.6% drive to work, compared with 9.8% using public transport and 3.8% walking or cycling. The 13.5% work-from-home share gives some households flexibility, especially in a suburb with an average household size of 2.3.
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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