Sandford
With 43.9% of homes owned outright and only 4.8% renting, Sandford has one of the lowest renter shares in the greater Hobart fringe, and that single fact explains much about the suburb's character. The population of 2,046 earns household income in the 80th percentile nationally, well above the state average, yet the suburb spans 49.06 km2 at a density of just 41.7 people per km2. Median age is 44, which is 4 years above the national figure. Almost all dwellings (99.6%) are separate houses, and 45.3% have four or more bedrooms, marking Sandford as a spacious, owner-occupier enclave on the Channel Highway corridor southeast of Hobart.
Population
2,046
Median Age
44.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,117/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
No formal median house price was recorded in the brief, but monthly mortgage repayments average $1,733, implying an accessible purchase price compared to national benchmarks. Mortgage-to-income sits at 18.9%, well below the 30% stress threshold, suggesting repayments remain manageable relative to local earnings that place households in the 80th income percentile nationally. The stock is almost entirely separate houses at 99.6%, with 45.3% of dwellings having four or more bedrooms and 43.4% having three bedrooms. Large-block living at 41.7 people per km2 is the defining trade-off: buyers get space and low financial stress, but the area relies entirely on private transport, with 92.9% of residents commuting by car.
For Buyers
No formal median house price was recorded in the brief, but monthly mortgage repayments average $1,733, implying an accessible purchase price compared to national benchmarks. Mortgage-to-income sits at 18.9%, well below the 30% stress threshold, suggesting repayments remain manageable relative to local earnings that place households in the 80th income percentile nationally. The stock is almost entirely separate houses at 99.6%, with 45.3% of dwellings having four or more bedrooms and 43.4% having three bedrooms. Large-block living at 41.7 people per km2 is the defining trade-off: buyers get space and low financial stress, but the area relies entirely on private transport, with 92.9% of residents commuting by car.
For Investors
The rental market in Sandford is thin by design: only 4.8% of dwellings are rented, compared to the national average of around 30%, which limits tenant pool depth for investors. Weekly rent is $400, affordable relative to the 80th-percentile household income in the area, and the vacancy rate is 4.7%, indicating limited competition among those few rental properties. No development applications were recorded in the past 12 months, signalling stable rather than expanding supply. Resident stability is high, with 84.8% of residents having not moved in the prior year, a turnover rate of just 15.2%. For investors, yield and tenant choice are constrained, but the low-churn, income-stable demographic provides security for long-term holds.
Demographics
Sandford's median age of 44 is 4 years above the national figure, reflecting an established, family-settled population rather than a transient one. Overseas-born residents make up 10.0%, which is 11.6 percentage points below the national average, and ancestry is strongly Anglo-Celtic: English (1,021), Irish (241) and Scottish (240) are the top three. University qualifications reach 31.4%, about 1.3 percentage points above national, modest but positive. Average household size is 2.8, marginally above the national figure by 0.3. Couples with children (704 families) outnumber couples without children (557), pointing to an active family formation phase, and volunteering at 19.2% indicates strong community engagement.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
99.6%
Houses
N/A
Townhouse
0.4%
Apartment
Tenure
The housing stock is as close to a pure detached-house suburb as exists in TAS: 99.6% of dwellings are separate houses and just 0.4% are apartments. Tenure strongly favours ownership, with 43.9% owning outright and 51.3% on a mortgage, leaving only 4.8% renting. That tenure split is far more owner-heavy than the national average, where renting typically accounts for close to 30%. Bedroom size skews large, with 45.3% of homes having four or more bedrooms and 43.4% having three, meaning two-bedroom or smaller properties are unusual here. Monthly mortgage repayments of $1,733 and a mortgage-to-income ratio of 18.9% position Sandford well below mortgage stress thresholds, benefiting from incomes in the 80th household percentile nationally.
Mortgage / mo
$1,733
Rent / wk
$400
HH Size
2.8
Personal Income / wk
$941
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.7%
Unoccupied
35
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.9%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
18.9%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
31.5%
Couples, no children
1,767
Total families
Economy & Employment
Construction leads local employment at 17.0% of workers (131 people), followed closely by Healthcare at 16.0% (123) and Education at 13.1% (101). Public Administration accounts for 10.3% (79 workers) and Professional/Technical services for 7.9% (61). By occupation, Professionals are the largest group (247), ahead of Managers (149), Community/Personal workers (141) and Clerical/Admin staff (136). The unemployment rate of 2.7% is low, and the full-time employment rate reaches 59.4%, with a participation rate of 63.2%. The concentration in construction and healthcare partly explains the 80th-percentile household income: both sectors pay above state median wages, and the absence of low-wage retail or hospitality as a dominant employer keeps the income floor elevated.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
59.4%
Part-time
37.9%
Participation
63.2%
Employed
1,026
Occupations
Top Industries
University
31.4%
Postgraduate
9.0%
Born Overseas
10.0%
Dwellings
714
Transport to Work
Transport is almost entirely car-dependent: 92.9% of residents drive to work, public transport accounts for just 1.6% of commutes, and walking or cycling reaches only 1.2%. This is lower public transport use than the state and national averages, reflecting the suburb's low-density spread across 49.06 km2. No schools are recorded inside the suburb boundary in this dataset, so families rely on nearby schools in the Clarence and Kingborough council areas. Crime data was not available for the brief. Rent-to-income at 18.9% is comfortable for the 4.8% of residents who rent, and mortgage-to-income at 18.9% is similarly below stress levels. The 3.9% needing assistance (79 people) is modest relative to the 2,046 population.
Drive
92.9%
Public Transport
1.6%
Walk / Cycle
1.2%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Sandford compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sandford a good suburb to live in?
Sandford suits owner-occupier families who want space and low financial stress. Household income sits in the 80th percentile nationally, mortgage-to-income is just 18.9%, and 99.6% of homes are separate houses. The main trade-off is near-total car dependence, with 92.9% of residents driving to work and public transport at only 1.6%.
What is the median house price in Sandford?
A formal median house price was not recorded for Sandford in the current dataset. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,733 and the mortgage-to-income ratio is 18.9%, suggesting purchase prices are accessible relative to local incomes in the 80th percentile nationally. Weekly rent averages $400 for the small rental stock.
What schools are in Sandford?
No schools are recorded inside the Sandford boundary in this dataset. Families typically use schools in the adjacent Clarence and Kingborough council areas. Locally, 31.4% of residents hold university qualifications, marginally above the national average, suggesting education is valued in the community.
Is Sandford safe?
Detailed crime statistics were not available for Sandford in this dataset. As indirect indicators, unemployment is low at 2.7%, only 3.9% of residents (79 people) need daily assistance, and 84.8% of residents have lived in the area for at least a year, reflecting a stable, settled community rather than a transient one.
Is Sandford good for property investment?
Investment conditions are constrained by a very thin rental market: only 4.8% of the 2,046-person suburb rents, far below the national average. Weekly rent is $400 with a 4.7% vacancy rate among the small rental pool. No development applications were lodged in the past 12 months. Stability and income strength support long-term holds, but yield and tenant choice are limited.
How is Sandford's population changing?
No formal population forecast was available for Sandford. Current population is 2,046 across 49.06 km2 at a density of 41.7 people per km2. Resident stability is high at 84.8% not moving in the prior year, and 51.3% of homes are under mortgage, indicating ongoing household formation in an otherwise settled suburb.
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 Valuer-General (house prices), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), ACARA (school ICSEA), 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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