West Hobart
With 31.1% of workers walking or cycling and only 2.8% using public transport, West Hobart behaves unlike many inner suburbs: proximity matters more than transit. Its 6,525 residents sit in postcode 7000, with university attainment at 61.2%, 31.1 percentage points above the national level, and household income in the 74.7th percentile nationally. Compared with North Hobart and South Hobart, the clearest housing signal is still detached stock, because separate houses make up 76.1% of dwellings.
Population
6,525
Median Age
38.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,996/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
20
Homebuyers are paying for inner access without losing the house-led pattern: 76.1% of dwellings are separate houses, compared with 17.3% apartments and 6.5% semi-detached stock. The typical mortgage payment is $1,950 a month, and mortgage-to-income sits at 22.6%, helped by household income ranking at the 74.7th percentile nationally. Family-sized homes dominate because 38.4% have 3 bedrooms and 24.3% have 4 or more, while 34.4% are owned outright and 29.6% have a mortgage.
For Buyers
Homebuyers are paying for inner access without losing the house-led pattern: 76.1% of dwellings are separate houses, compared with 17.3% apartments and 6.5% semi-detached stock. The typical mortgage payment is $1,950 a month, and mortgage-to-income sits at 22.6%, helped by household income ranking at the 74.7th percentile nationally. Family-sized homes dominate because 38.4% have 3 bedrooms and 24.3% have 4 or more, while 34.4% are owned outright and 29.6% have a mortgage.
For Investors
Investor demand is supported by a sizeable rental base, with 34.6% of homes rented and a median rent of $400 a week. The risk is vacancy: 8.2% is higher than a tight-market setting, so tenant selection and presentation matter more than headline scarcity. Development activity is moderate at 19 applications over 12 months, below the optional high-activity trigger of 20. Growth helps the case because the forecast trend is 1.27% a year, driven by overseas migration, while rent growth has already been 43.1%.
Development Activity
Total DAs
20
Last 12 Months
20
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
West Hobart is highly educated, relatively local in ancestry, and slightly younger than Australia overall. The median age is 38, which is 2.0 years below the national comparison, while 61.2% have a university qualification, 31.1 percentage points above national. Overseas-born residents are 23.6%, only 2.0 points above national, so migration is present but not dominant. English ancestry leads at 2,826 people, followed by Irish at 1,016 and Scottish at 848; Mandarin is the largest listed non-English language at 83 speakers.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
76.1%
Houses
6.5%
Townhouse
17.3%
Apartment
Tenure
The tenure mix is unusually even for an inner suburb: 34.4% owned outright, 29.6% mortgaged and 34.6% rented. That balance matters because long-held homes sit alongside a meaningful tenant pool, rather than one group dominating. Detached houses remain the main format at 76.1%, higher than apartments at 17.3%, which supports families and downsizers wanting space. Housing stress indicators look contained, with rent-to-income at 20.0% and mortgage-to-income at 22.6%, compared with household income in the 74.7th national percentile.
Mortgage / mo
$1,950
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$400
Census 2021
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$998
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
8.2%
Unoccupied
239
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.6%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
38.9%
Couples with children
45.9%
Couples, no children
13.8%
Single parent
1,685
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local workforce is anchored in public-facing knowledge jobs. Healthcare employs 605 workers, or 20.6%, followed by education at 462, public admin at 392, professional and tech at 353, and hospitality at 207. Professionals are the largest occupation group at 1,497, much higher than managers at 557. SEIFA shows a clear split: education and occupation rank in decile 9, IRSAD also decile 9 and IRSD decile 8, but economic resources are lower at decile 4 because renters, retirees and smaller households dilute income and asset measures.
Unemployment
5.1%
Labour Force
3,865
Unemployed
197
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
54.2%
Part-time
40.2%
Participation
68.7%
Employed
3,668
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
61.2%
Postgraduate
21.8%
Born Overseas
23.6%
Dwellings
2,666
Transport to Work
West Hobart's livability is shaped by short trips and hillside proximity. Walking and cycling account for 31.1% of journeys to work, higher than public transport at 2.8%, while 45.8% drive and 13.1% work from home. That mix works because the suburb covers 4.08 sq km at a density of 1,599.5 people per sq km, keeping many daily trips local. Advantage indicators are strong, with IRSAD in decile 9, but car access can still matter because public transport use is comparatively low.
Drive
45.8%
Public Transport
2.8%
Walk / Cycle
31.1%
Work from Home
13.1%
Population Forecast
+1.27%/yr
(+118 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is steady rather than speculative. The forecast trend is 1.27% a year, driven primarily by overseas migration, which is higher than a flat-growth setting but not a fringe boom pattern. The longer shift is an Aging trajectory: seniors have risen by 4.1 percentage points while the young share is down 2.2 points. Population change over 10 years is 21.3%, and affordability has worsened from 43.2 to 49.1. Gentrification is flagged as Early signs with a score of 32, below the separate shift score of 53 marked Active.
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 West Hobart compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is West Hobart a good suburb to live in?
Yes for households prioritising walkability, inner access and established housing. Walking and cycling account for 31.1% of work trips, household income ranks in the 74.7th national percentile, and 76.1% of dwellings are separate houses.
What is the median house price in West Hobart?
A current house price benchmark should be checked against recent settled sales before bidding. The cost indicators available here are a $1,950 median monthly mortgage, $400 weekly rent and a 22.6% mortgage-to-income ratio.
What schools are in West Hobart?
For West Hobart addresses in postcode 7000, school choice should be checked by catchment, year level and sector because access can vary by street. Families commonly compare nearby Hobart options by commute time and enrolment fit.
Is West Hobart safe?
Safety should be assessed at street level before signing a lease or contract. The strongest local context indicators are non-crime measures: 31.1% walk or cycle to work and the suburb sits in IRSAD decile 9.
Is West Hobart good for property investment?
It suits selective investors rather than yield-only buyers. Renters make up 34.6% of households and median rent is $400 a week, but vacancy is 8.2%, so pricing, presentation and tenant demand need close checking.
How is West Hobart's population changing?
West Hobart has 6,525 residents today, and the forecast trend is 1.27% annual growth driven by overseas migration. The age mix is shifting older, with seniors up 4.1 percentage points and the young share down 2.2 points.
What is commuting like in West Hobart?
Commuting is unusually active for an inner residential suburb: 31.1% walk or cycle, 45.8% drive, 13.1% work from home and only 2.8% use public transport. That favours people with central Hobart routines.
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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