Moonah
At just 2.84 sq km, Moonah packs 5,884 residents into a compact inner Glenorchy location while still being 84.8% separate houses. That is the key tension compared with nearby Glenorchy and New Town: it feels more urban in density, but the housing stock remains detached-dominant. Education levels sit 16.7 percentage points above the national rate at 46.8%, while household income is only at the 41.8th percentile, so demand is broad rather than purely affluent.
Population
5,884
Median Age
35.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,421/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Moonah suits buyers who want detached stock close to Hobart without paying only for large blocks, because 84.8% of dwellings are separate houses and just 5.4% are apartments. The main affordability anchors are a $1,387 monthly mortgage and mortgage costs at 22.5% of income, below the usual stress threshold. Household income is at the 41.8th percentile, below the median, so buyers should compare repayments carefully against nearby New Town or West Moonah.
For Buyers
Moonah suits buyers who want detached stock close to Hobart without paying only for large blocks, because 84.8% of dwellings are separate houses and just 5.4% are apartments. The main affordability anchors are a $1,387 monthly mortgage and mortgage costs at 22.5% of income, below the usual stress threshold. Household income is at the 41.8th percentile, below the median, so buyers should compare repayments carefully against nearby New Town or West Moonah.
For Investors
Rental exposure is high, with 39.7% of homes rented, a share higher than outright ownership at 27.7%. Weekly rent is $330 and vacancy sits at 6.8%, so near-term pricing power is softer than in tighter markets because tenants have more choice. With 0 recorded developments in the past 12 months and growth driven by overseas migration, investor demand is more about established stock and tenant depth than new-supply uplift.
Demographics
Moonah is younger and more educated than the national profile: the median age is 35, which is 5 years below the national benchmark, and 46.8% hold university qualifications, 16.7 percentage points above national. Overseas-born residents make up 28.7%, 7.1 points above national, with Nepali at 201 speakers, Punjabi at 69 and Mandarin at 61. English ancestry remains the largest count at 2,104, so the suburb mixes older Hobart roots with newer migration.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
84.8%
Houses
8.9%
Townhouse
5.4%
Apartment
Tenure
The housing mix is still low-rise by form, with 84.8% separate houses compared with 8.9% semi-detached homes and 5.4% apartments. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 47.7%, while 2-bedroom dwellings add 30.3%, which supports both small households and renters. Tenure is split between 27.7% owned outright, 31.3% with a mortgage and 39.7% renting, so turnover is higher than in suburbs led by long-held owner-occupier stock.
Mortgage / mo
$1,387
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$330
Census 2021
HH Size
2.4
Personal Income / wk
$733
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.8%
Unoccupied
170
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.2%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.5%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
37.3%
Couples with children
38.9%
Couples, no children
21.4%
Single parent
1,474
Total families
Economy & Employment
Moonah's workforce is service-heavy, led by healthcare at 19.4%, education at 11.9%, hospitality at 10.0%, public admin at 9.9% and retail at 8.3%. Professionals are the largest occupation group at 679, above community and personal service workers at 509. SEIFA shows a split profile: IEO decile 5 is near average for education and occupation, but IER decile 1, IRSD decile 2 and IRSAD decile 3 sit lower because household resources lag the skills base.
Unemployment
7.4%
Labour Force
3,278
Unemployed
242
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
53.4%
Part-time
40.8%
Participation
65.8%
Employed
3,036
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
46.8%
Postgraduate
18.3%
Born Overseas
28.7%
Dwellings
2,343
Transport to Work
Moonah's compact 2.84 sq km footprint and density of 2,068.3 residents per sq km help explain why 10.1% use public transport and 8.0% walk or cycle, both meaningful shares compared with car driving at 65.8%. Work from home is 7.5%, so weekday movement still leans outward. No crime rate per 1,000 residents is available, and IRSAD decile 3 sits below the national middle, so livability is practical and accessible rather than high-status.
Drive
65.8%
Public Transport
10.1%
Walk / Cycle
8.0%
Work from Home
7.5%
Population Forecast
+0.62%/yr
(+26 people/yr)
EstablishedMoonah's growth outlook is steady rather than surging, with the forecast trend at 0.62% a year and the primary driver labelled Overseas migration. The 10-year population change measure is 16.5%, while the trajectory is Mixed, so growth is present but uneven. Shift indicators show rent growth of 51.1% and an Active gentrification score of 64, yet the separate gentrification setting is 0 and Not gentrifying, pointing to price pressure without a full prestige reset.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+55
Net Internal / yr
-160
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Net internal outflow -160/yr
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Moonah compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Moonah a good suburb to live in?
Moonah can work well for people wanting a compact Hobart-side suburb with 5,884 residents, 10.1% public transport use and 84.8% separate houses. It is below the national middle on IRSAD at decile 3, so the appeal is practical access and housing choice rather than prestige.
What is the median house price in Moonah?
A current median house price is not available. The clearest affordability markers are a $1,387 monthly mortgage, $330 weekly rent and mortgage costs at 22.5% of income, which sits below the usual stress threshold for local households.
What schools are in Moonah?
Moonah has 0 schools within its suburb boundary. Because the suburb covers only 2.84 sq km and sits close to Glenorchy and New Town, households should compare nearby primary and secondary options outside Moonah before choosing an address.
Is Moonah safe?
No local crime rate per 1,000 residents is available for Moonah. For context, the suburb has 5,884 residents in 2.84 sq km, so street-by-street conditions can vary; checking current police maps and inspecting at different times is sensible.
Is Moonah good for property investment?
Moonah has investor appeal through a 39.7% rental share and $330 weekly rent, both supported by overseas migration as the main growth driver. The 6.8% vacancy rate is higher than a very tight market, so investors should be selective on dwelling quality.
How is Moonah's population changing?
Moonah's forecast trend is 0.62% annual growth, with Overseas migration named as the primary driver. The 10-year population change measure is 16.5% and the trajectory is Mixed, so growth is steady but not a rapid boom.
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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