Risdon Vale
Detached housing and modest incomes define Risdon Vale, a 3,171-person suburb where 94.1% of dwellings are separate houses and household income sits at the 23.8 percentile. Compared with nearby Lindisfarne and Geilston Bay, the appeal is less waterfront polish and more entry-level family housing. The median age is 34, which is 6.0 years below the national figure, while only 7.7% were born overseas, 13.9 percentage points below the national rate.
Population
3,171
Median Age
34.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,187/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Homebuyers get a very house-heavy market: 94.1% separate houses, 5.9% semi-detached dwellings and no apartment share recorded. The typical dwelling is practical rather than large, with 80.7% having 3 bedrooms and only 9.6% having 4 or more. Holding costs look contained because median mortgage payments are $1,083 a month and mortgage-to-income is 21.1%, lower than the 27.0% rent-to-income measure. The trade-off is limited stock diversity and strong car reliance.
For Buyers
Homebuyers get a very house-heavy market: 94.1% separate houses, 5.9% semi-detached dwellings and no apartment share recorded. The typical dwelling is practical rather than large, with 80.7% having 3 bedrooms and only 9.6% having 4 or more. Holding costs look contained because median mortgage payments are $1,083 a month and mortgage-to-income is 21.1%, lower than the 27.0% rent-to-income measure. The trade-off is limited stock diversity and strong car reliance.
For Investors
Investor demand is supported by a sizeable rental base, with 34.6% of homes rented and median rent at $320 a week. That rental share is lower than the 41.9% mortgaged share, so owner-occupiers still set much of the tone. A 5.5% vacancy rate points to more leasing competition than a very tight market, and 0 approvals in the past 12 months limit new-supply pressure. Returns depend on tenant depth because participation is 43.6% and unemployment is 7.9%.
Demographics
Risdon Vale is younger and more locally born than the national norm. The median age is 34, 6.0 years below national, and overseas-born residents are 7.7%, 13.9 percentage points lower than national. University attainment is 17.5%, also 12.6 points below national, which fits a workforce tilted toward trades, care and service roles. English ancestry is the largest named group at 1,233 people, while No religion accounts for 1,511 and Christianity 824. Average household size is 2.5, matching the national benchmark.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
94.1%
Houses
5.9%
Townhouse
0.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Risdon Vale's housing pattern is unusually concentrated: 94.1% separate houses compared with 5.9% semi-detached stock. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 80.7%, far higher than the 9.6% share with 4 or more bedrooms and the 8.8% share with 2. Tenure is mixed, with 22.4% owned outright, 41.9% mortgaged and 34.6% rented. Affordability is clearest in repayments because median mortgage costs are $1,083 a month, while rent is $320 a week and rent-to-income is 27.0%.
Mortgage / mo
$1,083
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$320
Census 2021
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$612
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.5%
Unoccupied
56
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
27.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.1%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
35.8%
Couples with children
29.8%
Couples, no children
32.0%
Single parent
688
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the clear employment anchor at 25.5% of local workers, higher than construction at 10.9%, education at 10.2%, public admin at 8.3% and retail at 8.2%. Occupations are hands-on and service-heavy, led by 188 labourers, 180 community and personal service workers and 177 trades workers. The challenge is work access: unemployment is 7.9% and participation is 43.6%. All 4 SEIFA measures sit in decile 1, so income, resources and education rank well below the state average.
Unemployment
7.9%
Labour Force
1,123
Unemployed
89
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
55.8%
Part-time
36.5%
Participation
43.6%
Employed
1,034
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
17.5%
Postgraduate
3.5%
Born Overseas
7.7%
Dwellings
972
Transport to Work
Daily life is car-oriented. Car driving accounts for 82.3% of commuting, far higher than public transport at 4.6%, working from home at 4.7% or walking and cycling at 0.6%. That pattern matters because errands and jobs are less likely to be handled on foot than in denser suburbs. Social infrastructure should be assessed street by street: no suburb crime rate is available, while IRSAD decile 1 and household income at the 23.8 percentile point to fewer local resources than the state average.
Drive
82.3%
Public Transport
4.6%
Walk / Cycle
0.6%
Work from Home
4.7%
Population Forecast
+1.29%/yr
(+49 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is steady but not one-directional. The forecast trend is 1.29% a year, the migration driver is Balanced and the shift trajectory is Mixed, so demand is not reliant on a single inflow. The 10-year population change is 20.5%, while rent growth of 60.0% has been much higher than real income growth of 17.1%, explaining the worsening affordability reading. Gentrification is at early signs with a score of 24, lower than the shift gentrification score of 60.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+5
Net Internal / yr
+38
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +28% since 2011, Accelerating: 6% → 21%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Risdon Vale compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Risdon Vale a good suburb to live in?
Risdon Vale can suit buyers who want detached housing and lower holding costs: 94.1% of dwellings are separate houses and median mortgage payments are $1,083 a month. It is less suited to car-free living, with 82.3% commuting by car.
What is the median house price in Risdon Vale?
No reliable current median house price is stated for Risdon Vale. The available cost markers are $1,083 median monthly mortgage payments and $320 weekly rent, with mortgage-to-income at 21.1%.
What schools are in Risdon Vale?
There are 0 schools recorded inside Risdon Vale, so families usually need to check nearby Clarence and Hobart options and current intake areas. The suburb has 3,171 residents and 35.8% of families are couples with children.
Is Risdon Vale safe?
A suburb-level crime rate is not available for Risdon Vale, so safety should be checked through recent police updates and inspections. Practical indicators to consider include 82.3% car commuting and 80.9% residential stability.
Is Risdon Vale good for property investment?
Risdon Vale has investor basics: 34.6% of homes are rented, median rent is $320 a week and vacancy is 5.5%. The caution is demand depth, with participation at 43.6% and unemployment at 7.9%.
How is Risdon Vale's population changing?
Population momentum is positive but moderate: the 10-year change is 20.5% and the annual trend is 1.29%. The migration driver is Balanced, while the shift trajectory is Mixed rather than a one-way 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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