Port Sorell
Port Sorell's standout feature is age and space: 2,221 residents have a median age of 52, which is 12 years above the national benchmark, and 90.3% of dwellings are separate houses. Like nearby Shearwater and Hawley Beach, it reads as a coastal lifestyle market, but Port Sorell's own numbers lean more owner occupied and settled, with 46.2% owned outright and only 20.2% renting. The 15.3% vacancy rate points to holiday homes or part time occupancy, so local demand can feel seasonal rather than purely commuter driven.
Local council: Latrobe (Tas.)
Population
2,221
Median Age
52.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,300/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Homebuyers looking for land will find a detached market: 90.3% of homes are separate houses and 55.2% have 3 bedrooms, while apartments are only 2.3%, far below an inner urban mix. Holding costs look moderate, with a $1,356 monthly mortgage equal to 24.1% of income and rent at $275 a week, because outright ownership at 46.2% reduces churn. The trade off is choice: a 15.3% vacancy rate may include holiday stock, so year round listings can be less predictable than the headline empty dwelling share suggests.
For Buyers
Homebuyers looking for land will find a detached market: 90.3% of homes are separate houses and 55.2% have 3 bedrooms, while apartments are only 2.3%, far below an inner urban mix. Holding costs look moderate, with a $1,356 monthly mortgage equal to 24.1% of income and rent at $275 a week, because outright ownership at 46.2% reduces churn. The trade off is choice: a 15.3% vacancy rate may include holiday stock, so year round listings can be less predictable than the headline empty dwelling share suggests.
For Investors
Investors face a thin rental pool rather than a high turnover market: only 20.2% of homes are rented, below many larger centres, and weekly rent is $275. The 15.3% vacancy rate is high, so yield reliability depends on whether vacant stock is seasonal, unavailable or genuinely competing for tenants. With 0 new development approvals in 12 months and 1.81% annual growth, supply pressure may be limited, but demand is balanced rather than driven by a single migration source.
Demographics
Port Sorell is older and more locally rooted than the national profile. The median age is 52, 12 years above national, while overseas born residents are 13.2%, 8.4 percentage points below national. English ancestry leads at 1,035 people, followed by Scottish 200 and Irish 198, and no non English home language group is listed. University attainment is 22.6%, 7.5 points below national, partly because many residents are retired or outside the labour force.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
90.3%
Houses
4.6%
Townhouse
2.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Port Sorell's housing base is concentrated in owned detached dwellings compared with denser Tasmanian town centres. Outright ownership is 46.2%, mortgage holders are 33.0% and renters are 20.2%, which helps explain the low turnover rate of 21.7%. The bedroom profile suits downsizers and families more than singles: 55.2% are 3 bedroom homes and 23.1% have 4 or more. Housing stress flags are not triggered, with mortgage costs at 24.1% of income and rent at 21.2%.
Mortgage / mo
$1,356
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$275
Census 2021
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$666
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
15.3%
Unoccupied
161
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.2%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.1%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
32.3%
Couples with children
53.9%
Couples, no children
12.6%
Single parent
666
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local economy leans toward services and trades rather than a CBD office base. Healthcare accounts for 22.8% of workers, construction 13.2%, education 12.7%, manufacturing 6.8% and retail 6.4%. Trades are the largest occupation group at 170 workers, just above professionals at 159. Unemployment is 4.2%, while participation is 54.2%, lower because 784 residents are not in the labour force. SEIFA is mixed: IRSD decile 5 is average, but IRSAD decile 4 and IEO decile 3 sit below the top half.
Unemployment
4.2%
Labour Force
1,026
Unemployed
43
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
55.0%
Part-time
38.4%
Participation
54.2%
Employed
983
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
22.6%
Postgraduate
4.6%
Born Overseas
13.2%
Dwellings
885
Transport to Work
Daily life is car based compared with inner area transport patterns: 85.5% of workers drive, only 0.9% use public transport and 0.8% walk or cycle. Work from home is 7.5%, which helps because the suburb is spread across 9.98 sq km at 222.6 people per sq km. Safety is harder to benchmark because no crime rate per 1,000 is available. Socioeconomic conditions sit near the middle on IRSD decile 5, while IRSAD decile 4 is below the top half.
Drive
85.5%
Public Transport
0.9%
Walk / Cycle
0.8%
Work from Home
7.5%
Growth Outlook
Growth is steady rather than speculative. Port Sorell runs at 1.81% a year, with the primary migration driver labelled Balanced, so it is not relying on one inflow channel. The longer shift is aging: senior share rose by 11.0 points, working age share fell by 7.2 points and the 10 year population change is 28.9%. Gentrification remains early, with a score of 34 and stage of Early signs, because rent growth of 27.3% has not been matched by rapid real income growth of 4.5%.
Population trend: Latrobe (Tas.) council area
Port Sorell sits in the Latrobe (Tas.) council area. These are the council area's residents, not Port Sorell's.
Residents 2025
13,264
Growth, 5 yr average
+1.5%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+0.9%
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 Port Sorell compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Port Sorell a good suburb to live in?
Yes for buyers who want a quieter coastal setting with space, because 90.3% of homes are separate houses and the median age is 52, above the national profile. It is less suited to car free living, with only 0.9% of workers using public transport.
What is the median house price in Port Sorell?
A current median house price is not available for Port Sorell. The available housing cost points are a $1,356 monthly mortgage and $275 weekly rent, with mortgage costs at 24.1% of income, below common stress thresholds.
What schools are in Port Sorell?
Port Sorell has 0 schools within the suburb boundary. Families will need to assess nearby towns for schooling and travel times, especially because 85.5% of local workers drive and public transport use is only 0.9%.
Is Port Sorell safe?
Port Sorell does not have a published suburb crime rate per 1,000, so safety should be checked against current police and insurance sources. The suburb has 2,221 residents and 78.3% stayed at the same address over the mobility period.
Is Port Sorell good for property investment?
Port Sorell can suit selective investors, but it is not a deep rental market: 20.2% of homes are rented, below larger centres, and rent is $275 a week. The 15.3% vacancy rate means tenant demand and seasonal vacancy need close checking.
How is Port Sorell's population changing?
Port Sorell is growing while aging. The 10 year population change is 28.9% and growth runs at 1.81% a year, but the trajectory is Aging, with senior share up 11.0 points and working age share down 7.2 points.
What is the rental vacancy rate in Port Sorell?
The vacancy rate is 15.3%, which is high compared with a tight rental market. Because only 20.2% of homes are rented, investors should separate seasonal vacant dwellings from properties genuinely available to tenants.
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).
Explore Port Sorell on the Map
View parcels, zoning overlays, DA applications, schools and more.
Open Interactive Map