Waverley
Household income at the 12.9th percentile nationally tells the core story of Waverley, a predominantly detached-house suburb on the outskirts of Launceston where 84% of dwellings are separate houses yet median weekly household income sits at $1,007, well below the national average. The suburb scores decile 1 on both IRSAD and IEO, placing it in the bottom 10% for socioeconomic advantage nationally. With 1,583 residents across 10.89 square kilometres and a median age of 35, five years below the national figure, Waverley draws a younger-than-average population that leans heavily toward Anglo-Celtic ancestry and blue-collar employment.
Population
1,583
Median Age
35.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,007/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
No median sale price data is available for Waverley in this period, likely reflecting low transaction volumes in a suburb of 1,583 people. What the data does show is that monthly mortgage repayments average $867, which produces a mortgage-to-income ratio of 19.9%, below the 30% stress threshold, suggesting existing owners are not overstretched relative to their incomes. Separate houses dominate at 84% of dwellings, and the three-bedroom configuration accounts for 72% of stock, so buyers get predominantly family-sized detached homes. Only 2% of dwellings are apartments. With 27.5% of residents owning outright and 33% carrying a mortgage, there is a reasonable base of long-term holders, though the 39.5% renting share is higher than typical owner-occupier suburbs.
For Buyers
No median sale price data is available for Waverley in this period, likely reflecting low transaction volumes in a suburb of 1,583 people. What the data does show is that monthly mortgage repayments average $867, which produces a mortgage-to-income ratio of 19.9%, below the 30% stress threshold, suggesting existing owners are not overstretched relative to their incomes. Separate houses dominate at 84% of dwellings, and the three-bedroom configuration accounts for 72% of stock, so buyers get predominantly family-sized detached homes. Only 2% of dwellings are apartments. With 27.5% of residents owning outright and 33% carrying a mortgage, there is a reasonable base of long-term holders, though the 39.5% renting share is higher than typical owner-occupier suburbs.
For Investors
A 39.5% renter share provides landlords with a solid tenant base, and weekly rent of $237 reflects the suburb's low-income profile rather than weak demand. The vacancy rate of 6.7% is elevated compared to healthy rental markets, which typically sit below 3%, indicating some softness in absorption. Development activity recorded zero applications in the past 12 months, pointing to a stable, low-growth stock environment. The combination of low incomes at the 12.9th percentile nationally, high unemployment at 13.4%, and no recorded price growth data suggests investor appeal is limited to cash-flow strategies rather than capital growth, with rent stress remaining low at 23.5% of income.
Schools in Waverley iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Waverley Primary School
K-6 · 122 students
Demographics
The median age of 35 sits five years below the national figure, giving Waverley a younger profile than the Australian average. Overseas-born residents make up just 5.1% of the population, which is 16.5 percentage points below the national share, reflecting a strongly locally-born community. Ancestry is predominantly Anglo-Celtic, with English (732 residents), Irish (120) and Scottish (120) the three leading groups. University qualifications reach only 12.4%, a gap of 17.7 percentage points below national, consistent with the suburb's SEIFA IEO decile 1 ranking for education and occupation disadvantage. Average household size of 2.3 is slightly below the national figure. The community is stable, with 84.9% of residents remaining in the same address over the census period.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
84.0%
Houses
14.0%
Townhouse
2.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Waverley's housing stock is almost entirely detached: 84% separate houses, 14% semi-detached and just 2% apartments. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 72% of dwellings, with two-bedroom at 15.2% and four-plus bedroom at 6.2%. Tenure splits across 27.5% owning outright, 33% with a mortgage and 39.5% renting. Monthly mortgage costs of $867 represent 19.9% of income, below the stress threshold, while rent at $237 a week amounts to 23.5% of income, also below the 30% threshold. No median sale price data is recorded, which is consistent with thin transaction volumes in a small suburb. The SEIFA IER score sits at decile 2, indicating low economic resources relative to housing costs nationally, so affordability is structural rather than cyclical.
Mortgage / mo
$867
Rent / wk
$237
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$569
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.7%
Unoccupied
46
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.5%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.9%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
23.0%
Couples, no children
1,186
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the largest employing industry at 23.3% of local workers (67 people), followed by Construction at 17.4% (50) and Retail at 10.8% (31). By occupation, Labourers are the most common group at 150 workers, followed by Community and Personal service workers at 87 and Sales at 74. The unemployment rate of 13.4% is significantly above the national average, and the participation rate of 50.9% is low, with 486 residents not in the labour force at all. Full-time workers make up 58.2% of the employed base (327 people), with 235 in part-time roles. Personal weekly income of $569 and household income at the 12.9th percentile nationally reflect a workforce concentrated in lower-wage sectors rather than professional or knowledge-based industries.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
58.2%
Part-time
28.4%
Participation
50.9%
Employed
562
Occupations
Top Industries
University
12.4%
Postgraduate
3.6%
Born Overseas
5.1%
Dwellings
644
Transport to Work
Car dependency is very high at 87.4% of residents commuting by private vehicle, with only 1.6% using public transport, reflecting Waverley's suburban position and the limited transit options typical of outer Launceston. Walking and cycling account for 2.2% of trips. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary. The IRSAD decile 1 score places Waverley in the most disadvantaged tier nationally for relative socioeconomic advantage and disadvantage. Volunteering participation stands at 11.3%, and 8.1% of residents (119 people) need daily assistance. Rent and mortgage stress are both below the 30% threshold at 23.5% and 19.9% respectively, so while incomes are low, housing costs remain proportionate, offering a degree of day-to-day financial stability relative to higher-cost markets.
Drive
87.4%
Public Transport
1.6%
Walk / Cycle
2.2%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Waverley compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Waverley a good suburb to live in?
Waverley suits buyers and renters seeking affordable detached housing on the outskirts of Launceston. Median household income sits at the 12.9th percentile nationally and the suburb ranks decile 1 on IRSAD, the lowest tier, so amenity and services are limited compared to higher-advantage areas. Housing stress is low with mortgage costs at 19.9% of income and rent at 23.5%, offering day-to-day financial stability despite low wages.
What is the median house price in Waverley?
No median sale price data is available for Waverley in this dataset, reflecting very low transaction volumes in a suburb of 1,583 people. As a reference, monthly mortgage repayments average $867, which implies entry-level pricing well below state and national medians. Weekly rent averages $237, which is among the lower end of Tasmanian suburban markets.
What schools are in Waverley?
No schools are recorded within the Waverley suburb boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in neighbouring Launceston suburbs. The suburb's university qualification rate of 12.4% is 17.7 percentage points below the national figure, consistent with its decile 1 IEO score for education and occupation outcomes.
Is Waverley safe?
Crime statistics are not available for Waverley in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 2 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, placing it in the lower 20% nationally, which can be associated with higher-than-average social stress. The unemployment rate of 13.4% is elevated compared to the national average, a factor commonly linked to higher crime risk.
Is Waverley good for property investment?
The 39.5% renter share provides a large tenant pool and weekly rent of $237 keeps housing costs below stress thresholds for tenants. However, a vacancy rate of 6.7% indicates softer demand than ideal, and zero development applications in 12 months suggests little growth momentum. Household income in the 12.9th percentile nationally limits rental yield upside, making Waverley a low-cost entry point rather than a capital growth play.
How is Waverley's population changing?
No ABS population forecast data is available for Waverley specifically. The current population is 1,583 across 10.89 square kilometres, giving a low density of 145.4 people per km2. Stability is the dominant signal: 84.9% of residents stayed at the same address in the census period, and zero development approvals in 12 months suggest no near-term population increase from new housing.
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.
Explore Waverley on the Map
View parcels, zoning overlays, DA applications, schools and more.
Open Interactive Map