Romaine
Only 9.7% of residents were born overseas, 11.9 percentage points below national, so Romaine reads more local and Anglo-leaning than many Australian suburbs. The Burnie edge setting is compact but house-heavy: 1,850 people over 7.43 sq km, with 92.4% separate houses. Compared with nearby Park Grove and Upper Burnie, the standout is not density but tenure stability, with 36.6% owned outright and 38.5% mortgaged. Household income sits at the 43.9 percentile, while growth is slow at 0.25% a year.
Local council: Burnie
Population
1,850
Median Age
40.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,449/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
For buyers, costs appear more manageable through repayments rather than purchase-price cues: the typical mortgage is $1,300 a month and rent is $280 a week. Mortgage payments take 20.7% of household income and rent takes 19.3%, both outside stress flags because weekly household income is $1,449. The stock is overwhelmingly detached, with 92.4% separate houses and 55.3% of dwellings having 3 bedrooms, so buyers face less apartment choice than in larger centres. The 38.5% mortgage share points to an owner-occupier market.
For Buyers
For buyers, costs appear more manageable through repayments rather than purchase-price cues: the typical mortgage is $1,300 a month and rent is $280 a week. Mortgage payments take 20.7% of household income and rent takes 19.3%, both outside stress flags because weekly household income is $1,449. The stock is overwhelmingly detached, with 92.4% separate houses and 55.3% of dwellings having 3 bedrooms, so buyers face less apartment choice than in larger centres. The 38.5% mortgage share points to an owner-occupier market.
For Investors
Romaine is a modest-scale rental market rather than a high-volume investor patch. Renting covers 23.2% of households, below the 36.6% owned outright share and the 38.5% mortgaged share, so tenant demand is narrower than in renter-led areas. Weekly rent is $280 and vacancy is 4.8%, which can soften pricing power because available stock is not especially tight. Development adds little new competition, with 0 approvals in the past 12 months. Forecast growth is only 0.25% a year and migration is Balanced, lower than a rapid-growth market.
Demographics
The median age is 40, exactly in line with the national average, but cultural mix is less internationally tilted: 9.7% born overseas is 11.9 points below national. University attainment is 17.8%, 12.3 points below national, which fits an employment base led by health, trades and clerical roles rather than inner-city professional concentration. English ancestry is the largest response at 812 people, followed by Irish 184 and Scottish 181. No religion records 1,001 residents compared with 684 for Christianity.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
92.4%
Houses
7.6%
Townhouse
0.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing is the main reason Romaine feels suburban: 92.4% are separate houses compared with 7.6% semi-detached dwellings, and no apartment share is recorded. The bedroom profile is family-sized but not oversized, with 55.3% at 3 bedrooms and 29.5% at 4 or more. Tenure is steadier than a renter-led area because 36.6% are owned outright and 38.5% have a mortgage, versus 23.2% renting. Costs remain moderate on income measures, with rent at 19.3% and mortgage payments at 20.7% of income.
Mortgage / mo
$1,300
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$280
Census 2021
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$734
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.8%
Unoccupied
36
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.3%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.7%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
39.3%
Couples with children
44.5%
Couples, no children
14.5%
Single parent
539
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the largest industry, employing 135 people or 23.7%, followed by Education at 62, Manufacturing 46, Retail 43 and Public Admin 42. Occupations are mixed, with Trades 151 just ahead of Professionals 125 and Clerical/Admin 123, so local earnings sit below national professional-heavy areas. Labour participation is 63.6% and unemployment is 5.1%. SEIFA shows the gap: IEO is decile 1, while IER is decile 3, and both IRSD and IRSAD are decile 2, suggesting qualifications and high-status jobs lag more than basic household resources.
Unemployment
5.1%
Labour Force
959
Unemployed
49
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
58.4%
Part-time
35.1%
Participation
63.6%
Employed
910
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
17.8%
Postgraduate
2.8%
Born Overseas
9.7%
Dwellings
720
Transport to Work
Daily life is strongly car-based: 86.0% drive to work, while 0.4% use public transport and 1.1% walk or cycle, so households should plan around parking and road access rather than station-style commuting. Working from home is 5.0%, lower than many professional inner suburbs, which aligns with trades, healthcare and service jobs. Social advantage is below average, with IRSAD in decile 2. A local crime rate per 1,000 is not available, so safety is harder to benchmark numerically.
Drive
86.0%
Public Transport
0.4%
Walk / Cycle
1.1%
Work from Home
5.0%
Growth Outlook
Growth is deliberately slow rather than expansionary: the trend is 0.25% a year and the 10-year population change signal is 1.1%, lower than a fast suburban growth corridor. Migration is Balanced, so there is no single demand engine replacing natural turnover. The trajectory is Aging, with senior share up 3.7 points and young share down 2.6 points, because established owners dominate. Gentrification is limited: the current score is 0 and stage is Not gentrifying, even though longer-run shift signals show a 27 score with Early signs.
Population trend: Burnie council area
Romaine sits in the Burnie council area. These are the council area's residents, not Romaine's.
Residents 2025
20,420
Growth, 5 yr average
+0.2%/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 Romaine compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Romaine a good suburb to live in?
Romaine can suit households wanting detached housing and a quieter Burnie fringe setting. Separate houses make up 92.4% of dwellings, but public transport use is only 0.4%, so it works best for car-reliant residents.
What is the median house price in Romaine?
A median house price is not available for Romaine. The clearest cost markers are a $1,300 monthly mortgage, $280 weekly rent and mortgage payments at 20.7% of household income.
What schools are in Romaine?
There are 0 schools recorded inside Romaine, so families generally need to look to the wider Burnie area for schooling. The suburb still has family-sized housing, with 55.3% of homes having 3 bedrooms.
Is Romaine safe?
A suburb-level crime rate per 1,000 is not available for Romaine, so safety is harder to compare numerically. Practical checks should be street-specific, especially in a car-based suburb where 86.0% drive to work.
Is Romaine good for property investment?
Romaine is more stable than fast-growing. Renting is 23.2%, vacancy is 4.8%, development approvals are 0 and forecast growth is 0.25% a year, so investors should expect measured demand.
How is Romaine's population changing?
Romaine has 1,850 residents today. Growth is slow at 0.25% a year, with a 10-year population change signal of 1.1%; the trajectory is Aging, with seniors up 3.7 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).
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