Kingston
Kingston stands out for rapid growth inside a mostly detached housing market: 12,288 residents, 89.1% separate houses and a 3.81% annual growth trend. Compared with nearby Blackmans Bay and Huntingfield, it reads more like the Kingborough service hub than a small coastal pocket, with healthcare, education and public administration employment clustered nearby. The median age is 36, which is 4.0 years below the national benchmark, while 45.5% university attainment sits 15.4 points above national, so demand is broad rather than purely retiree-led.
Population
12,288
Median Age
36.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,517/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
25
Homebuyers are mostly buying space rather than density: 89.1% of dwellings are separate houses, 10.0% are semi-detached and only 0.8% are apartments. The stock skews practical, with 49.7% 3-bedroom homes and 24.2% with 4 or more bedrooms. Monthly mortgage costs of $1,625 absorb 24.7% of income, slightly lower than the 25.0% rent-to-income figure, so ownership pressure looks contained because household incomes are near the middle at the 47.4 percentile.
For Buyers
Homebuyers are mostly buying space rather than density: 89.1% of dwellings are separate houses, 10.0% are semi-detached and only 0.8% are apartments. The stock skews practical, with 49.7% 3-bedroom homes and 24.2% with 4 or more bedrooms. Monthly mortgage costs of $1,625 absorb 24.7% of income, slightly lower than the 25.0% rent-to-income figure, so ownership pressure looks contained because household incomes are near the middle at the 47.4 percentile.
For Investors
Investors get a rental base without the extreme churn of an inner-city market: 29.2% of homes rent, median rent is $380 a week and vacancy is 4.7%. The 23 development applications in 12 months sit above the 20-project activity marker, so supply is still evolving. Demand is supported because forecast growth is driven by overseas migration, while 13.3% rent growth in the shift indicators points to pressure stronger than a flat rental cycle.
Development Activity
Total DAs
25
Last 12 Months
25
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
Kingston is younger and more educated than the national pattern, with a median age of 36, 4.0 years below national, and 45.5% university attainment, 15.4 points above national. Overseas-born residents make up 27.4%, 5.8 points above national, with Chinese ancestry at 1,141 people and Mandarin at 432 speakers. The age profile is supported by family housing because average household size is 2.5, while No religion at 6,073 sits ahead of Christianity at 4,888.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
89.1%
Houses
10.0%
Townhouse
0.8%
Apartment
Tenure
Kingston's housing is detached-dominant compared with denser Hobart-side suburbs: 89.1% separate houses, 10.0% semi-detached and 0.8% apartments. Tenure is balanced, with 33.3% owned outright, 35.4% mortgaged and 29.2% rented. The 49.7% share of 3-bedroom homes and 24.2% share of 4-plus bedrooms explain why families and downsizers can compete for the same streets. Mortgage-to-income at 24.7% is lower than rent-to-income at 25.0%, a small but useful affordability edge.
Mortgage / mo
$1,625
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$380
Census 2021
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$751
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.7%
Unoccupied
234
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.7%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
40.9%
Couples with children
39.9%
Couples, no children
18.0%
Single parent
3,332
Total families
Economy & Employment
Kingston's job base is service-heavy, with healthcare at 18.6% or 815 workers, education at 13.0% or 569, public admin at 11.9% or 521, professional and tech at 8.8% or 386, and construction at 7.7% or 337. Professionals are the largest occupation group at 1,457, above clerical/admin at 847 and community/personal at 776. Unemployment is 6.7% and participation is 63.1%. SEIFA is mixed: IEO decile 6 is above IER decile 4, while IRSD and IRSAD both sit at decile 5, suggesting education is stronger than broader resources.
Unemployment
6.7%
Labour Force
6,391
Unemployed
429
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
55.2%
Part-time
39.2%
Participation
63.1%
Employed
5,962
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
45.5%
Postgraduate
15.8%
Born Overseas
27.4%
Dwellings
4,754
Transport to Work
Daily life is car-led compared with inner Hobart: 73.5% drive to work, 6.7% use public transport, 2.7% walk or cycle and 10.1% work from home. Density is 330.2 people per sq km, so trips are more spread out than in compact suburbs. IRSAD decile 5 and IRSD decile 5 place Kingston near the middle nationally, which fits a practical service-centre lifestyle because amenity is accessible but not built around high-frequency transit.
Drive
73.5%
Public Transport
6.7%
Walk / Cycle
2.7%
Work from Home
10.1%
Population Forecast
+3.81%/yr
(+285 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is the strongest signal: the annual trend is 3.81%, above a flat established-suburb path, and the 10-year population-change indicator is 121.2%. The primary driver is overseas migration, so demand depends on settlement flows as much as local moves from Hobart. The shift trajectory is Aging, with senior share up 3.8 points and working-age share down 4.3 points. Gentrification is scored 0, with the stage marked New development, meaning change is coming through added stock rather than price-led reinvention.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+121
Net Internal / yr
+55
Gentrification Signal
New development
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Kingston compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kingston a good suburb to live in?
Yes for buyers wanting space and services, especially because 89.1% of dwellings are separate houses and the median age is 36. It is more car-oriented than inner Hobart, with 73.5% driving to work.
What is the median house price in Kingston?
A reliable current median house price is not available for Kingston, so use settled 7050 sales as the price check. Affordability can still be read through $380 median weekly rent and $1,625 median monthly mortgage costs.
What schools are in Kingston?
School choices should be checked address by address for the 7050 intake area and nearby Kingborough campuses. Because catchments change, confirm primary and secondary pathways before buying; 12,288 residents means family-service demand is meaningful.
Is Kingston safe?
Comparable crime-rate figures are not available for Kingston, so check current Tas Police updates and inspect specific streets. Practical livability is shaped by 73.5% car commuting and 10.1% working from home.
Is Kingston good for property investment?
Kingston has a usable investor base, with 29.2% of homes rented, $380 median weekly rent and 4.7% vacancy. The 23 development applications in 12 months suggest supply is active, so asset selection matters.
How is Kingston's population changing?
Kingston is growing quickly, with a 3.81% annual trend and a 121.2% 10-year population-change indicator. The main driver is overseas migration, while the shift trajectory is Aging rather than youth-led reinvention.
What development is happening in Kingston?
There were 23 development applications in the past 12 months, above the 20-application activity marker. Recent examples include 2026 applications for a massage business, bottle shop use, and an ancillary dwelling.
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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