Mount Stuart
Mount Stuart packs 2,444 residents into 1.01 sq km yet still reads as low-density Hobart hillside housing: 81.8% of dwellings are separate houses and only 16.8% are apartments. The income profile is above average, with household income in the 73.8 percentile and university attainment 28.7 percentage points above national. Compared with nearby North Hobart and West Hobart, it looks more owner-heavy and detached, because 43.2% own outright and turnover is modest at 20.5%.
Local council: Hobart
Population
2,444
Median Age
41.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,960/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
3
Homebuyers should treat Mount Stuart as an established, house-led market rather than a unit-first inner area. Separate houses make up 81.8% of stock, 3-bedroom homes are 40.5%, and 4-plus bedroom homes are 30.0%, so family-sized dwellings dominate choice. Holding costs look below stress settings: mortgage payments are $1,789 a month and mortgage to income is 21.1%. That matters because household income sits at the 73.8 percentile, giving many owner occupiers more buffer than a lower-income suburb.
For Buyers
Homebuyers should treat Mount Stuart as an established, house-led market rather than a unit-first inner area. Separate houses make up 81.8% of stock, 3-bedroom homes are 40.5%, and 4-plus bedroom homes are 30.0%, so family-sized dwellings dominate choice. Holding costs look below stress settings: mortgage payments are $1,789 a month and mortgage to income is 21.1%. That matters because household income sits at the 73.8 percentile, giving many owner occupiers more buffer than a lower-income suburb.
For Investors
Investors see a small but not especially renter-led market. Renters are 24.9% of households, weekly rent is $380, and vacancy is 7.4%, so cash-flow assumptions need more caution than in tighter Hobart rental pockets. Only 3 development applications in 12 months point to limited new-supply pressure, while 15.0% working from home supports demand for flexible homes. The 73.8 household-income percentile is a useful tenant-quality anchor because professional incomes are common.
Development Activity
Total DAs
3
Last 12 Months
3
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
Mount Stuart skews educated and settled. The median age is 41, which is 1.0 year above national, and 58.8% hold university qualifications, 28.7 percentage points above national. Overseas-born residents sit at 22.2%, just 0.6 points above national, so migration is present without dominating identity. English ancestry is the largest count at 1,095, followed by Irish at 355 and Scottish at 295. Stability is reinforced because 79.5% stayed at the same address.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
81.8%
Houses
1.4%
Townhouse
16.8%
Apartment
Tenure
Mount Stuart's housing base is tilted to owners: 43.2% own outright, 31.0% have a mortgage and 24.9% rent. That is important for price resilience because owners with long tenure generally sell less often, especially in a 1.01 sq km suburb. Detached dwellings are 81.8% compared with apartments at 16.8%, while 3-bedroom and 4-plus bedroom homes account for 70.5% combined. Affordability is relatively supported by rent-to-income at 19.4% and mortgage-to-income at 21.1%.
Mortgage / mo
$1,789
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$380
Census 2021
HH Size
2.4
Personal Income / wk
$956
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
7.4%
Unoccupied
78
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.4%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.1%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
41.8%
Couples with children
43.5%
Couples, no children
13.2%
Single parent
660
Total families
Economy & Employment
Mount Stuart's workforce is weighted to knowledge and care roles. Healthcare employs 222 people or 20.1%, education 170 or 15.4%, professional and tech 137 or 12.4%, and public admin 132 or 12.0%. Professionals are the largest occupation group at 528, well above managers at 205. This mix helps explain the income result: household income is in the 73.8 percentile and the education SEIFA score ranks decile 9, while economic resources sit mid-table at decile 5.
Unemployment
5.4%
Labour Force
1,413
Unemployed
76
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
54.2%
Part-time
41.4%
Participation
67.6%
Employed
1,337
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
58.8%
Postgraduate
19.6%
Born Overseas
22.2%
Dwellings
972
Transport to Work
Daily life leans car-supported but close-in. Car driving accounts for 58.8% of commuting, public transport only 4.0%, while 15.5% walk or cycle and 15.0% work from home. That split makes sense because the suburb covers just 1.01 sq km on the Hobart fringe, where short local trips can replace some transit use. Social advantage is above average, with IRSAD decile 8 and IRSD decile 8, and 26.4% volunteering adds a practical community signal.
Drive
58.8%
Public Transport
4.0%
Walk / Cycle
15.5%
Work from Home
15.0%
Growth Outlook
Growth is steady rather than speculative. The trend runs at 0.51% a year, with overseas migration named as the primary driver, so demand is more incremental than estate-led. The 10-year population change is 10.2%, while rent growth has been 48.0% and affordability worsened from 37.1 to 39.3. Gentrification signals are mixed: the shift score is 57 at Active stage, while the separate gentrification setting is Not gentrifying at score 0, so treat change as selective rather than suburb-wide.
Population trend: Hobart council area
Mount Stuart sits in the Hobart council area. These are the council area's residents, not Mount Stuart's.
Residents 2025
55,859
Growth, 5 yr average
-0.1%/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 Mount Stuart compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mount Stuart a good suburb to live in?
For many buyers, yes, especially if they value established housing close to Hobart. It has 2,444 residents, 81.8% separate houses, household income in the 73.8 percentile, and 15.5% walking or cycling to work. The trade-off is public transport use at only 4.0%.
What is the median house price in Mount Stuart?
A reliable suburb median house price is not stated, so use recent settled sales before bidding. The affordability anchors are $1,789 monthly mortgage payments, 21.1% mortgage-to-income and 43.2% outright ownership, which suggest many households have solid holding capacity.
What schools are in Mount Stuart?
For 2026 enrolments, check Tasmanian catchment tools and school offices. The school listing attached to the Mount Stuart boundary has 0 named campus entries, so it should be treated as a mapping limit, not as proof of what families can access nearby.
Is Mount Stuart safe?
A suburb-level crime rate per 1,000 is not published, so check current Tasmania Police information and inspect streets at the times you will travel. Practical safety signals include compact 1.01 sq km geography and 15.5% walking or cycling to work, but they are not substitutes for crime figures.
Is Mount Stuart good for property investment?
It can suit investors seeking stable, established stock rather than rapid new supply. Renters make up 24.9% of households, weekly rent is $380, vacancy is 7.4%, and only 3 development applications were lodged in 12 months, so due diligence on leasing demand matters.
How is Mount Stuart's population changing?
Population change is steady rather than high-growth. The 10-year change is 10.2% and the forward trend is 0.51% a year, with overseas migration the primary driver. The shift trajectory is Mixed, so change is gradual rather than a broad redevelopment wave.
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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