Upper Burnie
Only 1.19 sq km yet home to 1,891 people, Upper Burnie is a compact Burnie-fringe suburb with a strongly detached housing base. The median age is 42, sitting 2.0 years above national, while university attainment at 17.0% is 13.1 points lower than national. Compared with nearby central Burnie and Park Grove, the local decision is more about affordability and tenure: 80.9% of dwellings are separate houses, but 40.4% are rented. Household income sits at the 9.1 percentile, so price sensitivity shapes demand.
Local council: Burnie
Population
1,891
Median Age
42.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$912/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Homebuyers get a house-led market, with 80.9% separate houses and 19.1% semi-detached dwellings, higher than the apartment-style mix found in denser centres. The typical stock suits smaller households because 52.9% of homes have 3 bedrooms, 27.7% have 2, and average household size is 2.0. Affordability is the main draw: the median mortgage is $1,057 a month and mortgage-to-income is 26.8%, below common stress thresholds, but the low 9.1 income percentile means buyers still need repayment buffers.
For Buyers
Homebuyers get a house-led market, with 80.9% separate houses and 19.1% semi-detached dwellings, higher than the apartment-style mix found in denser centres. The typical stock suits smaller households because 52.9% of homes have 3 bedrooms, 27.7% have 2, and average household size is 2.0. Affordability is the main draw: the median mortgage is $1,057 a month and mortgage-to-income is 26.8%, below common stress thresholds, but the low 9.1 income percentile means buyers still need repayment buffers.
For Investors
For investors, demand is rental-led: 40.4% of homes are rented, higher than the 25.4% under mortgage and the 33.4% owned outright. The median rent is $230 a week, but the 7.3% vacancy rate points to leasing risk because empty stock can blunt pricing power. With 0 developments in the past 12 months and rent growth sitting at 36.0%, returns depend more on careful existing-home management than new-supply uplift.
Demographics
Upper Burnie leans older and more locally rooted than the national profile. The median age is 42, which is 2.0 years above national, and 76.5% of residents stayed at the same address, compared with 23.5% turnover. Overseas-born residents make up 11.6%, 10.0 points lower than national, while English ancestry is the largest group at 810 people. University attainment is 17.0%, lower than national by 13.1 points, shaping a workforce weighted to practical and service roles.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
80.9%
Houses
19.1%
Townhouse
0.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing is dominated by established low-density stock: 80.9% separate houses sit alongside 19.1% semi-detached dwellings, with no apartment share stated. Tenure is split unusually toward renting, with 40.4% rented compared with 33.4% owned outright and 25.4% mortgaged. Bedroom mix supports affordability because 2 and 3 bedroom homes together account for 80.6% of dwellings. The median mortgage of $1,057 a month and rent-to-income at 25.2% indicate lower carrying costs than many higher-income markets.
Mortgage / mo
$1,057
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$230
Census 2021
HH Size
2.0
Personal Income / wk
$572
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
7.3%
Unoccupied
69
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.2%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.8%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
34.4%
Couples with children
43.0%
Couples, no children
21.5%
Single parent
465
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local economy is service-heavy but income-advantage scores sit below state and national norms. Healthcare is the largest industry at 28.7% and 117 workers, followed by Education at 10.8% and 44, Retail at 8.6% and 35, Public Admin at 6.9% and 28, and Hospitality at 6.6% and 27. Occupations are led by Trades with 109 people, Labourers with 108, and Community/Personal roles with 107. All 4 SEIFA measures sit in decile 1, with IEO 837, IER 863, IRSD 866 and IRSAD 842, because participation is 49.4% and unemployment is 7.8%.
Unemployment
7.8%
Labour Force
772
Unemployed
60
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
57.4%
Part-time
36.7%
Participation
49.4%
Employed
712
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
17.0%
Postgraduate
2.9%
Born Overseas
11.6%
Dwellings
878
Transport to Work
Daily livability is car-oriented. Car driving accounts for 80.7% of work trips, far higher than public transport at 2.8%, walking or cycling at 2.3%, and working from home at 4.2%. The compact 1.19 sq km footprint helps short local errands, but the low public transport share means access is easier for households with reliable vehicles. IRSAD decile 1 sits below advantaged areas, so buyers should assess services, street condition and current safety information carefully because a suburb-level crime rate is not available.
Drive
80.7%
Public Transport
2.8%
Walk / Cycle
2.3%
Work from Home
4.2%
Growth Outlook
Growth is flat compared with expansion suburbs: the annual trend is 0.0%, the migration driver is Balanced, and the 10-year population change is -1.1%. The shift trajectory is Aging, with senior share up 3.1 points while working-age share is down 0.3, so demand is more likely to come from replacement buyers and renters than rapid household formation. The gentrification score is 0 and the stage is Not gentrifying, although real income growth of 16.7% and rent growth of 36.0% show some cost pressure within a slow-growth setting.
Population trend: Burnie council area
Upper Burnie sits in the Burnie council area. These are the council area's residents, not Upper Burnie'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 Upper Burnie compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Upper Burnie a good suburb to live in?
Upper Burnie can suit buyers seeking lower holding costs and established housing. It has 80.9% separate houses, a $1,057 median monthly mortgage and a median age of 42, but car access matters because 80.7% of workers drive.
What is the median house price in Upper Burnie?
A reliable median house price is not quoted for Upper Burnie. The measurable affordability markers are a $1,057 median monthly mortgage, $230 weekly rent, 26.8% mortgage-to-income and 25.2% rent-to-income.
What schools are in Upper Burnie?
School choice should be checked by individual address across the Burnie area, especially in a compact 1.19 sq km suburb with 1,891 residents. Confirm current catchments, transport and enrolment policies before treating a nearby campus as accessible.
Is Upper Burnie safe?
A suburb-level crime rate is not available, so safety should be checked with current police updates and street-level inspection. Local context is settled in one respect: 76.5% of residents stayed at the same address.
Is Upper Burnie good for property investment?
Upper Burnie has investor appeal through its 40.4% rental share and $230 weekly median rent, but the 7.3% vacancy rate raises leasing risk. With 0 developments in 12 months, performance depends on existing stock selection.
How is Upper Burnie's population changing?
Population momentum is subdued. The forecast annual trend is 0.0%, the 10-year population change is -1.1%, and the trajectory is Aging, with senior share up 3.1 points and migration described as Balanced.
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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