Rose Bay
At 1,188 residents on just 0.66 sq km, Rose Bay is a compact eastern shore pocket with an older, owner-heavy pattern: median age 49 is 9 years above the national benchmark and 47.6% of homes are owned outright. Detached housing dominates at 89.5%, far higher than apartments at 4.3%, so it reads differently from denser Hobart-side suburbs and even nearby Bellerive. Household income sits at the 61.7 percentile, while overseas-born residents are 17.3%, 4.3 points below national.
Local council: Clarence
Population
1,188
Median Age
49.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,757/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Homebuyers are mainly buying scarcity and stability rather than density. Separate houses account for 89.5% of dwellings, with 47.2% having 3 bedrooms and 28.1% having 4 or more, so family-sized stock is more common than apartments at 4.3%. Carrying costs look contained: the $1,717 median monthly mortgage equals 22.6% of income, below common stress thresholds, and outright ownership of 47.6% is higher than the renting share of 22.8%. Compared with Lindisfarne or Montagu Bay, the appeal is a small, settled waterfront-side pocket.
For Buyers
Homebuyers are mainly buying scarcity and stability rather than density. Separate houses account for 89.5% of dwellings, with 47.2% having 3 bedrooms and 28.1% having 4 or more, so family-sized stock is more common than apartments at 4.3%. Carrying costs look contained: the $1,717 median monthly mortgage equals 22.6% of income, below common stress thresholds, and outright ownership of 47.6% is higher than the renting share of 22.8%. Compared with Lindisfarne or Montagu Bay, the appeal is a small, settled waterfront-side pocket.
For Investors
Investors face a small rental pool rather than a high-churn market. Renters are 22.8% of households, lower than the 47.6% owned outright share, and median rent is $420 a week. Vacancy is 8.0%, so leasing risk may be higher than in tighter inner-Hobart markets, especially with 0 development approvals in the past 12 months limiting new stock but not adding fresh tenant volume. The 48.1% rent growth signal points to past pressure, yet the older tenure mix means demand is selective.
Demographics
Rose Bay skews older and more locally rooted than the national pattern. The median age is 49, which is 9 years above national, and 80.0% of residents stayed at the same address over the mobility period. University attainment is 45.2%, 15.1 points above national, supporting the high share of professionals and managers. Overseas-born residents are 17.3%, 4.3 points below national; English ancestry leads with 565 people, followed by Irish at 144 and Scottish at 118.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
89.5%
Houses
6.2%
Townhouse
4.3%
Apartment
Tenure
The housing base is low-density and owner-weighted: 89.5% separate houses, 6.2% semi-detached homes and 4.3% apartments. Tenure reinforces that pattern, with 47.6% owned outright and 28.8% mortgaged compared with 22.8% renting. The $1,717 median monthly mortgage equals 22.6% of household income, below stress settings, while rent takes 23.9%. Bedroom mix is practical rather than compact, led by 3-bedroom homes at 47.2% and 4-plus at 28.1%.
Mortgage / mo
$1,717
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$420
Census 2021
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$862
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
8.0%
Unoccupied
42
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.9%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.6%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
33.1%
Couples with children
54.2%
Couples, no children
12.7%
Single parent
347
Total families
Economy & Employment
Workforce indicators sit above average for skills but with an older participation shape. Unemployment is 4.6% and participation is 55.1%, partly because 420 residents are not in the labour force. Education employs 18.5%, Healthcare 16.8%, Public Admin 13.7%, Professional/Tech 8.2% and Construction 7.4%. Professionals number 169 and managers 84. SEIFA is mixed but comfortable: IRSAD decile 6, IRSD decile 7, IEO decile 7 and IER decile 5, suggesting education advantage is higher than economic resources.
Unemployment
4.6%
Labour Force
568
Unemployed
26
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
53.9%
Part-time
39.9%
Participation
55.1%
Employed
542
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
45.2%
Postgraduate
13.3%
Born Overseas
17.3%
Dwellings
484
Transport to Work
Daily life is car-oriented but close to Hobart and Eastern Shore services. Car driving accounts for 69.8% of commutes, higher than public transport at 7.3%, while 10.2% work from home and 4.1% walk or cycle. The small 0.66 sq km footprint supports short local trips, but the age profile, 49 median, points to quieter demand patterns. IRSAD decile 6 and IRSD decile 7 place amenity and advantage above the lowest state bands, while the 24.1% volunteering rate adds local social depth.
Drive
69.8%
Public Transport
7.3%
Walk / Cycle
4.1%
Work from Home
10.2%
Growth Outlook
Growth is steady rather than rapid. The forecast trend is 0.76% a year, with migration marked Balanced, so change is not reliant on a single inflow. The shift trajectory is Aging: senior share is up 6.3 points, working-age share is down 3.1 points and young share is down 0.9 points. Over 10 years, population change is 16.6%, above a flat established-suburb baseline, but the gentrification measure is score 4 and Not gentrifying, which fits an owner-held market rather than a redevelopment cycle.
Population trend: Clarence council area
Rose Bay sits in the Clarence council area. These are the council area's residents, not Rose Bay's.
Residents 2025
64,119
Growth, 5 yr average
+1.1%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+0.4%
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 Rose Bay compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Rose Bay a good suburb to live in?
Rose Bay suits buyers who value a settled, low-density setting close to Hobart. It has 1,188 residents, a median age of 49 and 89.5% separate houses, with 47.6% owned outright, so it is quieter and more owner-led than many higher-turnover suburbs.
What is the median house price in Rose Bay?
A current median house price is not listed for Rose Bay. Use the $1,717 median monthly mortgage, $420 median weekly rent and 22.6% mortgage-to-income ratio as affordability guides, then compare recent 7015 sales before making an offer.
What schools are in Rose Bay?
For school planning, use a 7015 Rose Bay address to check Tasmanian catchments and nearby Eastern Shore campuses. School entries are not populated for this suburb, so compare options by travel time, sector and enrolment rules before buying.
Is Rose Bay safe?
Rose Bay has a settled tenure profile, with 47.6% of homes owned outright and 80.0% of residents staying put over the mobility period. A suburb-level crime rate is not available, so compare current Tasmania Police updates and inspect streets at different times.
Is Rose Bay good for property investment?
Rose Bay is more a selective rental market than a broad investor suburb. Renters make up 22.8% of households, median rent is $420 a week and vacancy is 8.0%, higher than a tight market. With 0 recent development approvals, supply change is limited.
How is Rose Bay's population changing?
Rose Bay has 1,188 residents today and is growing slowly, with the forecast trend at 0.76% a year. The 10-year population change is 16.6%, but the trajectory is Aging, with senior share up 6.3 points and working-age share down 3.1 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).
Explore Rose Bay on the Map
View parcels, zoning overlays, DA applications, schools and more.
Open Interactive Map