South Hobart
South Hobart's standout feature is an unusually educated, house-heavy inner Hobart profile: 60.8% of adults hold a university qualification, 30.7 percentage points above national, while 71.1% of dwellings are separate houses and only 13.2% are apartments. With 5,886 residents, median age 38 and density of 645.0 people per sq km, it feels lower rise than many inner areas. Compared with nearby West Hobart and Sandy Bay, its draw is more foothill family housing and walking access than high-density living, because buyers get inner access without an apartment-dominant dwelling base.
Population
5,886
Median Age
38.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,787/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
19
Homebuyers should read South Hobart as a detached-house market with manageable carrying costs. Separate houses make up 71.1% of dwellings, and the bedroom profile is practical: 40.0% have 3 bedrooms and 21.2% have 4 or more. The $1,648 median monthly mortgage equates to 21.3% of income, while household income sits at the 63.2 percentile, above the national midpoint. Because 34.5% of homes are owned outright and 29.7% are mortgaged, competition can include established owners rather than only first-home buyers.
For Buyers
Homebuyers should read South Hobart as a detached-house market with manageable carrying costs. Separate houses make up 71.1% of dwellings, and the bedroom profile is practical: 40.0% have 3 bedrooms and 21.2% have 4 or more. The $1,648 median monthly mortgage equates to 21.3% of income, while household income sits at the 63.2 percentile, above the national midpoint. Because 34.5% of homes are owned outright and 29.7% are mortgaged, competition can include established owners rather than only first-home buyers.
For Investors
Investors get a rental base but not a pure renter market: 32.3% of homes rent, lower than the 64.2% combined owned outright or mortgaged share. Median rent is $378 a week and vacancy is 7.3%, so leasing risk needs sharper pricing than in a tighter vacancy setting. Development activity is moderate at 16 applications in 12 months, compared with stronger infill suburbs. Because growth is established rather than greenfield, returns are more likely to depend on scarcity, condition and rental appeal than large new supply.
Development Activity
Total DAs
19
Last 12 Months
19
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
—
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
South Hobart's 5,886 residents are slightly younger than the national profile, with median age 38, 2.0 years below national. Education is the clear outlier: 60.8% hold a university qualification, 30.7 percentage points above national, which helps explain the large professional workforce. Overseas-born residents are 25.1%, 3.5 points above national, but English, Scottish and Irish ancestries still dominate, with 2,516, 776 and 748 mentions. Households average 2.3 people, 0.2 below national.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
71.1%
Houses
15.2%
Townhouse
13.2%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing is stable and owner-influenced. Outright owners account for 34.5%, mortgage holders 29.7% and renters 32.3%, so tenure is more balanced than a student-heavy inner rental suburb. Separate houses dominate at 71.1%, with 15.2% semi-detached and 13.2% apartments; that matters because detached stock usually changes slowly. Bedroom supply is family-leaning, with 40.0% 3-bedroom homes, while 0 to 1 bedroom dwellings sit lower at 11.5%. Rent-to-income is 21.2% and mortgage-to-income is 21.3%.
Mortgage / mo
$1,648
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$378
Census 2021
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$891
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
7.3%
Unoccupied
182
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.2%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.3%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
37.3%
Couples with children
44.9%
Couples, no children
16.0%
Single parent
1,447
Total families
Economy & Employment
South Hobart's economy skews toward public-service and knowledge work. Healthcare employs 508 people or 20.5%, education 434 or 17.5%, public admin 319 or 12.9%, professional and tech 315 or 12.7%, and hospitality 148 or 6.0%. Professionals are the largest occupation at 1,302, well above managers at 401. SEIFA shows the split: education and occupation ranks in decile 10, while economic resources are decile 4, with IRSD and IRSAD both decile 8. That gap likely reflects high skill levels alongside mixed incomes and tenure.
Unemployment
6.8%
Labour Force
3,319
Unemployed
225
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
49.5%
Part-time
44.7%
Participation
66.4%
Employed
3,094
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
60.8%
Postgraduate
21.6%
Born Overseas
25.1%
Dwellings
2,296
Transport to Work
Livability is strongest for people who value walking access and foothill amenity over car-only convenience. Work trips show 24.0% walked or cycled, far above the 5.8% using public transport, while 49.7% drove and 14.7% worked from home. The suburb covers 9.13 sq km at 645.0 people per sq km, so density is lower than many inner-city settings. IRSAD decile 8 ranks above the median for advantage and disadvantage. A crime rate per 1,000 is not available, so street-level checks remain important.
Drive
49.7%
Public Transport
5.8%
Walk / Cycle
24.0%
Work from Home
14.7%
Population Forecast
+1.27%/yr
(+118 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is steady rather than explosive. The annual trend is 1.27%, and the 10-year population change is 21.3%, with overseas migration named as the primary driver. The shift trajectory is Aging: seniors gained 4.1 percentage points while the young share fell 2.2 points, so demand may tilt toward established households and downsizers. Affordability worsened from 43.2 in 2011 to 49.1 in 2021, and rent growth of 43.1% sits higher than real income growth of 2.2%. Gentrification reads as early signs, score 32.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+252
Net Internal / yr
-187
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +20% since 2011, Net internal outflow -187/yr, Strong overseas inflow +252/yr, Accelerating: 4% → 15%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How South Hobart compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is South Hobart a good suburb to live in?
Yes, South Hobart suits many households that want inner Hobart access with a lower-rise feel. It has 71.1% separate houses, 24.0% walking or cycling to work, and a university-qualified share of 60.8%, well above national.
What is the median house price in South Hobart?
A current median house price is not available for South Hobart. Use recent settled sales alongside the available cost markers: $1,648 median monthly mortgage, $378 median weekly rent and 21.3% mortgage-to-income.
What schools are in South Hobart?
There are 0 schools recorded within South Hobart's suburb boundary, so families usually need to check options in nearby Hobart suburbs. Commute planning matters because 5.8% use public transport and 24.0% walk or cycle to work.
Is South Hobart safe?
A suburb-level crime rate per 1,000 people is not available, so safety cannot be benchmarked cleanly. Practical checks should focus on the exact street, with 5,886 residents and 645.0 people per sq km creating varied local conditions.
Is South Hobart good for property investment?
It can suit investors seeking established inner-Hobart stock rather than large new supply. Renters make up 32.3% of households, median rent is $378 a week, vacancy is 7.3%, and there were 16 development applications in 12 months.
How is South Hobart's population changing?
South Hobart has 5,886 residents today, while the forecast trend runs at 1.27% annual growth and 21.3% change over 10 years. Growth is driven primarily by overseas migration, with an Aging trajectory shaping demand.
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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