Somerset
A median age of 48 sets Somerset apart, sitting 8 years above the national average and giving the coastal town a more settled profile than nearby Burnie or Wynyard. Its 4,067 residents live at a low density of 151.3 people per sq km, with detached houses making up 89.9% of dwellings. The overseas-born share is only 8.5%, well below the national benchmark by 13.1 percentage points, while household income sits in the 17.5th percentile. Somerset reads as affordable, owner-heavy and slow-moving because older households and long-term residents dominate the local base.
Population
4,067
Median Age
48.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,100/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Homebuyers looking at Somerset are mostly assessing houses rather than units, because 89.9% of dwellings are separate houses and only 0.4% are apartments. The typical mortgage payment is $1,192 a month, with mortgage-to-income at 25.0%, below local stress settings, and 30.5% of homes are held with a mortgage. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 53.7%, while 4-plus bedroom dwellings make up 18.3% and 2-bedroom homes 22.2%. This suits buyers wanting space and lower carrying costs, but it gives fewer choices for those seeking compact or higher-density housing.
For Buyers
Homebuyers looking at Somerset are mostly assessing houses rather than units, because 89.9% of dwellings are separate houses and only 0.4% are apartments. The typical mortgage payment is $1,192 a month, with mortgage-to-income at 25.0%, below local stress settings, and 30.5% of homes are held with a mortgage. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 53.7%, while 4-plus bedroom dwellings make up 18.3% and 2-bedroom homes 22.2%. This suits buyers wanting space and lower carrying costs, but it gives fewer choices for those seeking compact or higher-density housing.
For Investors
Somerset's rental market is modest rather than high-pressure. Renters make up 27.9% of households, lower than the 40.8% owned outright cohort, and median weekly rent is $240. Vacancy is 5.9%, so investors should expect more tenant competition than in tighter markets. New supply pressure is limited, with 0 developments recorded over the past 12 months, while rent growth across the shift period reached 37.1%. The case is yield and affordability led, because population growth is slow at 0.26% a year rather than driven by rapid expansion.
Demographics
Somerset is older and more locally rooted than the national profile. The median age is 48, which is 8 years above the national average, and only 8.5% of residents were born overseas, 13.1 percentage points below national. University attainment is 17.4%, sitting 12.7 points below the national level. English ancestry is the largest recorded group at 1,858 people, followed by Irish at 412 and Scottish at 367. Household size averages 2.2, lower than national by 0.3, which fits the high share of couples without children at 48.6%.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
89.9%
Houses
6.7%
Townhouse
0.4%
Apartment
Tenure
Somerset's housing stock is heavily detached, with separate houses at 89.9%, semi-detached homes at 6.7% and apartments at only 0.4%. Ownership is also stronger than renting: 40.8% are owned outright, compared with 30.5% mortgaged and 27.9% rented. The bedroom mix is practical rather than dense, led by 3-bedroom dwellings at 53.7%. Weekly rent is $240 and mortgage payments are $1,192 a month, with rent-to-income at 21.8% and mortgage-to-income at 25.0%. The result is a lower-cost market shaped by established owners and family-sized homes.
Mortgage / mo
$1,192
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$240
Census 2021
HH Size
2.2
Personal Income / wk
$602
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
5.9%
Unoccupied
107
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.0%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
31.1%
Couples with children
48.6%
Couples, no children
19.1%
Single parent
1,128
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is Somerset's main employment industry at 25.4% and 260 workers, well above education at 12.0% and 123 workers. Construction follows at 7.3%, retail at 7.2% and manufacturing at 6.9%, giving the workforce a service and trade base. Professionals number 270, trades 256 and labourers 232. Labour-market depth is limited, with unemployment at 6.2% and participation at 52.5%. SEIFA scores confirm below-average advantage: IEO decile 1, IRSAD decile 1, IRSD decile 2 and IER decile 2, consistent with household income in the 17.5th percentile.
Unemployment
6.2%
Labour Force
1,793
Unemployed
112
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
55.9%
Part-time
36.1%
Participation
52.5%
Employed
1,681
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
17.4%
Postgraduate
3.6%
Born Overseas
8.5%
Dwellings
1,708
Transport to Work
Daily life in Somerset is car-oriented. Work trips by car driver account for 86.1%, higher than public transport at 1.2% and walking or cycling at 2.6%, so access to jobs and services depends heavily on private vehicles. Working from home is 5.3%, below the car commute share by a wide margin. Social advantage is limited, with IRSAD in decile 1 and IRSD in decile 2, which points to fewer high-income buffers. A local crime rate per 1k is not available, so safety should be checked at street level alongside inspections and local advice.
Drive
86.1%
Public Transport
1.2%
Walk / Cycle
2.6%
Work from Home
5.3%
Population Forecast
+0.26%/yr
(+11 people/yr)
EstablishedSomerset's growth outlook is slow and ageing. The forecast trend is 0.26% a year, and the 10-year population change is 2.3%, well below fast-growth coastal or outer-suburban markets. The trajectory is labelled Aging, with senior share up 5.5 points while younger share is down 2.4 and working-age share down 1.4. Migration is Balanced rather than dominated by one inflow source. Gentrification is not a major driver, with a score of 0 and stage of Not gentrifying, while rent growth at 37.1% has run higher than real income growth at 15.7%.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+6
Net Internal / yr
+22
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Somerset compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Somerset a good suburb to live in?
Somerset can suit buyers who want a quieter, house-based coastal town. It has 4,067 residents, a median age of 48 and 89.9% separate houses, so it feels more settled than high-density suburbs.
What is the median house price in Somerset?
A median house price is not available in these figures. Affordability is indicated by a $1,192 median monthly mortgage payment, $240 median weekly rent and mortgage-to-income at 25.0%.
What schools are in Somerset?
There are 0 schools recorded within Somerset itself. Families should check nearby options around Burnie, Cooee and Wynyard, with travel needs important because 86.1% of workers drive.
Is Somerset safe?
A suburb-level crime total and crime rate are not available for Somerset. With 4,067 residents and a low-density layout of 151.3 people per sq km, safety checks should focus on specific streets.
Is Somerset good for property investment?
Somerset is a cautious investment market. Rent is $240 a week, renters are 27.9% of households and vacancy is 5.9%, while forecast growth is slow at 0.26% a year.
How is Somerset's population changing?
Somerset is growing slowly rather than rapidly. The forecast trend is 0.26% a year, 10-year population change is 2.3%, and the trajectory is Aging with senior share up 5.5 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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