Newstead
Newstead sits 3 km east of central Launceston and reads as an established Tasmanian house suburb that is quietly aging. The median house price reached $765,000 in 2026, a fresh peak after a dip to $650,000 in 2025, and detached houses make up 76.2% of the stock. Household income lands in the 45.5th percentile nationally, below the midpoint, yet university qualifications hit 44.1%, which is 14.0 points above the national figure, a gap that comes from the suburb's heavy Healthcare and Education workforce. The median age of 43 runs 3.0 years above national, and the young-adult share has fallen 3.1 points over the decade, so the headline story is a well-qualified but slow-growing population.
Population
5,617
Median Age
43.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,470/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$765K
YTD 2026
Buyers face a $765,000 median house price that climbed back from a $650,000 trough in 2025, a 17.7% rebound in a single year after the earlier slide from $715,000 in 2024. The stock suits families: 76.2% are separate houses and only 10.4% are apartments, with three-bedroom homes at 45.7% and four-plus-bedroom homes at 25.6%. Affordability is the redeeming feature. Average monthly mortgage repayments of $1,417 produce a mortgage-to-income ratio of 22.3%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold, because Launceston prices stay well under mainland capital levels even though local incomes sit only in the 45.5th percentile. Owner-occupiers dominate, with 39.7% owning outright and 31.3% carrying a mortgage, so most homes change hands between settled households rather than investors.
For Buyers
Buyers face a $765,000 median house price that climbed back from a $650,000 trough in 2025, a 17.7% rebound in a single year after the earlier slide from $715,000 in 2024. The stock suits families: 76.2% are separate houses and only 10.4% are apartments, with three-bedroom homes at 45.7% and four-plus-bedroom homes at 25.6%. Affordability is the redeeming feature. Average monthly mortgage repayments of $1,417 produce a mortgage-to-income ratio of 22.3%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold, because Launceston prices stay well under mainland capital levels even though local incomes sit only in the 45.5th percentile. Owner-occupiers dominate, with 39.7% owning outright and 31.3% carrying a mortgage, so most homes change hands between settled households rather than investors.
For Investors
Renters make up 29.1% of households and weekly rent averages $310, which against the $765,000 median implies a gross yield near 2.1%, modest but stronger than premium mainland suburbs. The 8.5% vacancy rate is higher than a tight rental market would show, a sign that tenant demand is not outpacing supply. Rent has still grown 40.9% over the measurement period, so income returns are rising faster than headline yield suggests. Demand support is thin: net overseas migration adds 43 residents a year while internal migration removes 48, leaving the suburb dependent on migration to offset local outflow. With annual population growth at just 0.46% and zero development applications in the past 12 months, the investment case rests on steady rent escalation and the area's 7.4% 30-year price CAGR rather than rapid capital gains or new supply.
Schools in Newstead iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Scotch Oakburn College
Prep-12 · 1164 students
Newstead Christian School
Prep-10 · 93 students
St Thomas More's Catholic School
Prep-6 · 315 students
Punchbowl Primary School
K-6 · 317 students
Newstead College
11-12 · 422 students
Demographics
The median age of 43 is 3.0 years above the national figure, and the trajectory is aging: the senior share rose 2.9 points while the young-adult share fell 3.1 points over the decade. University qualifications reach 44.1%, which is 14.0 points above national, unusually high for a market in the 45.5th income percentile and a direct result of the Healthcare and Education jobs that anchor the workforce. Overseas-born residents sit at 17.0%, which is 4.6 points below national, so the population is more Australian-born than the country as a whole. Ancestry is strongly Anglo-Celtic, led by English (2,523), Scottish (656) and Irish (631), and the leading non-English languages are Nepali (36 speakers) and Mandarin (28). Average household size is 2.3, which is 0.2 below national, consistent with couples without children making up 30.1% of families.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
76.2%
Houses
13.4%
Townhouse
10.4%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is owner-weighted: 39.7% own outright, 31.3% carry a mortgage and 29.1% rent, so outright owners alone outnumber both other groups. That points to long-held, debt-free homes rather than a churn of recent buyers. The stock is 76.2% separate houses against just 10.4% apartments and 13.4% semi-detached, and three-bedroom dwellings dominate at 45.7% with four-plus-bedroom homes at 25.6%. The median house price moved from $715,000 in 2024 down to $650,000 in 2025 and back up to $765,000 in 2026, a volatile run that still leaves the suburb at a fresh peak and reflects a 7.4% annual growth rate over 30 years. Mortgage-to-income at 22.3% and rent-to-income at 21.1% both stay below the 30% stress line, a comfort that holds because Launceston pricing remains low relative even to the suburb's modest 45.5th-percentile incomes.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,417
Rent / wk
$310
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$787
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
8.5%
Unoccupied
209
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.1%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.3%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
30.1%
Couples, no children
3,990
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce concentrates in two health-and-education pillars: Healthcare leads at 26.4% (474 workers) and Education follows at 16.6% (298), well ahead of Construction at 7.2%, Professional/Tech at 6.7% and Retail at 6.5%. By occupation, Professionals (759) and Managers (395) form the largest groups, which explains why university qualifications run 14.0 points above national despite incomes in the 45.5th percentile. Unemployment is 4.5% and the full-time employment rate is 59.5%, but participation reads a low 54.7% because the aging profile leaves 1,773 residents not in the labour force. The SEIFA picture is mixed: IEO sits at decile 7 on education and occupation, yet IRSD and IRSAD both land at decile 5 and IER drops to decile 4, a divergence that shows qualified residents earning Tasmanian wages rather than mainland-level incomes. Real incomes grew 16.8% over the decade.
Unemployment
2.0%
Labour Force
2,780
Unemployed
56
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
59.5%
Part-time
36.0%
Participation
54.7%
Employed
2,452
Occupations
Top Industries
University
44.1%
Postgraduate
11.5%
Born Overseas
17.0%
Dwellings
2,252
Transport to Work
Newstead is car-dependent: 84.5% drive to work while only 1.1% use public transport and 6.5% walk or cycle, well below the national reliance on active and public transport, a function of its low-density Launceston-fringe layout at 1,489 residents per km2. Community ties are solid, with volunteering at 20.9%, above many urban areas, and 8.2% of residents (440 people) needing daily assistance, consistent with the older median age of 43. The suburb scores decile 5 on both IRSD and IRSAD, sitting at the national midpoint for advantage and disadvantage rather than at an extreme. No schools are recorded inside the 3.77 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in surrounding Launceston suburbs, a practical trade-off offset by short drives across the compact urban area.
Drive
84.5%
Public Transport
1.1%
Walk / Cycle
6.5%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.46%/yr
(+25 people/yr)
EstablishedNewstead is effectively flat, with annual population growth of 0.46%, well below the national rate, and a 10-year change of 9.7%, classifying it as an established, slow-growth suburb. The recent record is a mild decline, from 5,558 residents in 2023 to 5,476 in 2025, before medium forecasts project a slow recovery to 5,735 by 2031. Overseas migration of 43 a year is the only positive driver, offset by net internal outflow of 48, so without arrivals from abroad the population would shrink. The gentrification reading is early-stage at a score of 37, supported by 40.9% rent growth and 16.8% real income growth, but the young-adult share is contracting 3.1 points while seniors gain 2.9, so demographic aging dominates the outlook.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+43
Net Internal / yr
-48
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Newstead compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Newstead a good suburb to live in?
Newstead scores decile 5 on both the IRSD and IRSAD indexes, the national midpoint for advantage, with university qualifications at 44.1%, which is 14.0 points above national. Housing costs are manageable, with a mortgage-to-income ratio of 22.3%, well below the 30% stress threshold. The main trade-offs are heavy car dependence at 84.5% and an aging population.
What is the median house price in Newstead?
The median house price is $765,000 in 2026, a fresh peak that rebounded 17.7% from a $650,000 dip in 2025 and the earlier $715,000 in 2024. Over 30 years prices have grown at a 7.4% annual rate. Weekly rent averages $310 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,417.
What schools are in Newstead?
No schools are recorded inside the 3.77 km2 Newstead boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools across the surrounding Launceston area. The local population is highly educated, with university qualifications at 44.1%, which is 14.0 points above the national figure.
Is Newstead safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Newstead in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 5 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, the national midpoint, and 8.2% of its residents need daily assistance, both consistent with a stable, mid-range Tasmanian area.
Is Newstead good for property investment?
Rent of $310 a week against a $765,000 median gives a gross yield near 2.1%, modest but above premium mainland suburbs. The 8.5% vacancy rate signals soft tenant demand, and population growth of just 0.46% a year means returns depend on the suburb's 40.9% rent growth and 7.4% long-run price growth rather than rapid capital gains.
How is Newstead's population changing?
Population growth is 0.46% annually, about 25 people a year, with a 9.7% rise over 10 years. Numbers actually dipped from 5,558 in 2023 to 5,476 in 2025. The profile is aging, with the senior share up 2.9 points and the young-adult share down 3.1 points over the decade.
What jobs do people in Newstead work in?
Healthcare is the largest sector at 26.4% (474 workers), followed by Education at 16.6% (298), well above Construction at 7.2%. Professionals (759) and Managers (395) are the biggest occupation groups, which lifts university qualifications to 44.1%, some 14.0 points above national.
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 Valuer-General (house prices), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), ACARA (school ICSEA), 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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