Rokeby
A young, fast-growing edge of Clarence, Rokeby has 4,211 residents with a median age of 32, 8.0 years below the national benchmark. Detached housing dominates at 94.4%, far higher than apartment living at 0.2%, and mortgage holders account for 40.5% of households. Compared with nearby Oakdowns and Howrah, Rokeby reads more entry-level and more socio-economically constrained, with household income in the 29.3 percentile and IRSAD decile 1. Growth is the standout: the 10-year shift records 43.3% population change, because internal migration has been moving households into lower-cost eastern-shore housing.
Population
4,211
Median Age
32.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,279/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
For buyers, Rokeby is a detached-house market: 94.4% are separate houses, 0.2% are apartments and 72.0% have 3 bedrooms. The median monthly mortgage is $1,300, with mortgage costs at 23.5% of income, below the 30% stress marker; that helps first-home budgets compared with higher-cost eastern-shore suburbs such as Howrah and Tranmere. The trade-off is household income in the 29.3 percentile and IRSAD decile 1, so buyers should allow for resale sensitivity. Mortgage ownership at 40.5% is higher than outright ownership at 20.3%, giving the area a clear borrower-led profile.
For Buyers
For buyers, Rokeby is a detached-house market: 94.4% are separate houses, 0.2% are apartments and 72.0% have 3 bedrooms. The median monthly mortgage is $1,300, with mortgage costs at 23.5% of income, below the 30% stress marker; that helps first-home budgets compared with higher-cost eastern-shore suburbs such as Howrah and Tranmere. The trade-off is household income in the 29.3 percentile and IRSAD decile 1, so buyers should allow for resale sensitivity. Mortgage ownership at 40.5% is higher than outright ownership at 20.3%, giving the area a clear borrower-led profile.
For Investors
Investor interest in Rokeby is about yield-side demand rather than scarcity. Renters make up 38.4% of households, with a median rent of $330 a week, and rent-to-income at 25.8% below the 30% stress line. Vacancy is 4.3%, higher than a tight rental market, so leasing assumptions need conservatism. There were 0 recorded development samples in the last 12 months, which limits near-term new stock competition. Growth is running at 2.64% annually, driven by Internal migration, so tenant demand has a local-move base rather than relying only on interstate inflows.
Demographics
Rokeby's 4,211 residents are notably young, with a median age of 32, which is 8.0 years below the national benchmark. Overseas-born residents make up 14.2%, 7.4 points below national levels, while university attainment is 28.2%, 1.9 points lower than national. English ancestry is the largest group at 1,789 people, followed by Irish at 370 and Scottish at 299, so the suburb leans Anglo compared with more migrant-heavy parts of Hobart. Nepali at 70 speakers, Mandarin at 36 and Punjabi at 31 add smaller language clusters. Household size is 2.5, matching the national comparison.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
94.4%
Houses
5.4%
Townhouse
0.2%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing in Rokeby is unusually uniform by dwelling type, because 94.4% of homes are separate houses and only 5.4% are semi-detached. Apartments are just 0.2%, well below inner-urban norms, so buyers seeking units have limited choice. The bedroom mix reinforces the family-house pattern: 72.0% are 3-bedroom homes, 11.2% have 4 or more bedrooms and 11.9% have 2 bedrooms. Tenure is split between 20.3% owned outright, 40.5% with a mortgage and 38.4% renting. Costs remain below stress thresholds, with rent-to-income at 25.8% and mortgage-to-income at 23.5%, which supports affordability but also reflects lower household incomes.
Mortgage / mo
$1,300
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$330
Census 2021
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$719
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.3%
Unoccupied
73
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.5%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
35.9%
Couples with children
32.2%
Couples, no children
29.5%
Single parent
1,138
Total families
Economy & Employment
Rokeby's work profile leans to essential services, with Healthcare at 22.0% of local workers, Public Admin at 11.2%, Retail at 9.6%, Education at 9.3% and Construction at 9.2%. Occupations are mixed: Community and personal roles count 307 workers, professionals 287, trades 283 and labourers 268. Unemployment is 8.3% with participation at 61.1%, which helps explain why household income sits at the 29.3 percentile below average. SEIFA is consistently low rather than uneven: IEO score 884 decile 1, IER 894 decile 1, IRSD 882 decile 1 and IRSAD 871 decile 1. That means disadvantage is broad across education, resources and relative advantage.
Unemployment
8.3%
Labour Force
2,042
Unemployed
169
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
57.8%
Part-time
36.0%
Participation
61.1%
Employed
1,873
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
28.2%
Postgraduate
9.8%
Born Overseas
14.2%
Dwellings
1,617
Transport to Work
Daily life in Rokeby is car-led: 78.0% drive to work, compared with 6.0% using public transport and 2.2% walking or cycling. That matters because the 12.0 sq km suburb has a relatively low density of 350.9 people per sq km, so trips are more dispersed than in inner Hobart. Working from home is 5.8%, below car commuting as the main convenience lever. Published crime-rate figures are not available at suburb level, so street checks are important. The IRSAD decile 1 setting signals lower advantage nationally, which affects service needs as much as lifestyle.
Drive
78.0%
Public Transport
6.0%
Walk / Cycle
2.2%
Work from Home
5.8%
Population Forecast
+2.64%/yr
(+244 people/yr)
EstablishedRokeby's growth story is active rather than mature: the forecast trend is 2.64% a year, while the 10-year shift records 43.3% population change. The trajectory is labelled Declining young, with the young share down 3.6 points and seniors up 2.3, so demand may tilt gradually from starter households toward services and accessible homes. Migration is led by Internal migration, and gentrification is scored 36 at Early signs. Rent growth of 65.8% sits above the stable affordability reading, because affordability moved only from 43.9 in 2011 to 44.6 in 2021.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Internal Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+21
Net Internal / yr
+168
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Net internal migration +168/yr, Accelerating: 11% → 50%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Rokeby compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Rokeby a good suburb to live in?
Rokeby can suit buyers wanting detached homes and lower entry costs, with 94.4% separate houses and a median age of 32. It is more car-dependent than inner Hobart, with 78.0% driving to work, and household income sits at the 29.3 percentile.
What is the median house price in Rokeby?
A reliable median house price is not available for Rokeby, so recent settled sales matter. Affordability signals are a $1,300 median monthly mortgage, $330 weekly rent and mortgage-to-income of 23.5%, below the 30% stress marker.
What schools are in Rokeby?
Families should check current Clarence enrolment zones and nearby campuses before choosing an address, as school access can vary by year level. Rokeby has 4,211 residents and 35.9% of families are couples with children, so education planning is part of local due diligence.
Is Rokeby safe?
Street-level safety can vary, and a suburb-level crime rate is not available for Rokeby. With 4,211 residents, 78.0% car commuting and IRSAD decile 1, inspect lighting, bus stops and nearby streets at different times before buying or renting.
Is Rokeby good for property investment?
Rokeby has investment appeal through rental depth, with 38.4% of households renting and a $330 median weekly rent. Vacancy at 4.3% is higher than a tight market, so conservative leasing assumptions are important despite 2.64% annual growth.
How is Rokeby's population changing?
Rokeby is growing, with a forecast trend of 2.64% a year and a 10-year population-change marker of 43.3%. The main driver is Internal migration, while the trajectory is Declining young, with the young share down 3.6 points.
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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