West Moonah
At 2,479.4 residents per sq km on 1.82 sq km, West Moonah is compact but still house-led, with 80.1% separate houses and 12.2% apartments. Its median age of 34 is 6.0 years below the national benchmark, while 32.3% born overseas is 10.7 points above national. Compared with nearby Moonah and Glenorchy, the appeal is a smaller residential pocket with a younger, more migrant-influenced profile, though household income sits at the 46.6 percentile, below the national middle.
Population
4,522
Median Age
34.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,491/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Homebuyers get a mainly detached market: 80.1% of dwellings are separate houses, 43.6% have 3 bedrooms and 23.7% have 4 or more. The $1,430 median monthly mortgage absorbs 22.1% of household income, below common stress thresholds, because repayments remain modest against a $1,491 median weekly household income. Buyers should still budget carefully, as income sits at the 46.6 percentile and 41.3% of households rent, indicating competition from investors and first-home buyers.
For Buyers
Homebuyers get a mainly detached market: 80.1% of dwellings are separate houses, 43.6% have 3 bedrooms and 23.7% have 4 or more. The $1,430 median monthly mortgage absorbs 22.1% of household income, below common stress thresholds, because repayments remain modest against a $1,491 median weekly household income. Buyers should still budget carefully, as income sits at the 46.6 percentile and 41.3% of households rent, indicating competition from investors and first-home buyers.
For Investors
West Moonah has a renter base of 41.3%, higher than both owned-outright households at 28.4% and mortgaged households at 29.4%. Median rent is $340 a week, while vacancy is 4.9%, so leasing risk is more about pricing and presentation than sheer lack of tenants. The 0 residential approvals over 12 months point to limited new supply, and overseas migration is the primary growth driver, supporting demand for affordable rentals close to Hobart employment.
Demographics
West Moonah is younger and more educated than the national average: the median age is 34, 6.0 years below national, and 45.4% hold a university qualification, 15.3 points above national. Overseas-born residents make up 32.3%, which is 10.7 points higher than national, with Nepali at 192 speakers, Punjabi 63 and Mandarin 53. English ancestry remains the largest count at 1,464, so the suburb mixes older Tasmanian roots with newer migrant households.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
80.1%
Houses
7.7%
Townhouse
12.2%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing is dominated by detached stock, with separate houses at 80.1% vs apartments at 12.2% and semi-detached homes at 7.7%. Tenure is more balanced than a pure owner market: 28.4% own outright, 29.4% have a mortgage and 41.3% rent. Affordability pressure is moderated because rent takes 22.8% of income and mortgages take 22.1%, both below stress flags. The bedroom mix, led by 43.6% 3-bedroom homes, suits couples, families and shared rentals.
Mortgage / mo
$1,430
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$340
Census 2021
HH Size
2.6
Personal Income / wk
$727
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.9%
Unoccupied
89
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
22.1%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
41.6%
Couples with children
37.8%
Couples, no children
18.4%
Single parent
1,174
Total families
Economy & Employment
The job base leans to services: Healthcare employs 368 residents or 21.9%, followed by Education at 170, Hospitality at 162, Public Admin at 159 and Retail at 122. Occupations are broad, led by 459 professionals, 410 community and personal workers and 304 trades. SEIFA shows mixed standing: IEO decile 4 is higher than IER decile 2, while IRSD and IRSAD are both decile 3. That gap suggests education and job skills sit above household resources, with unemployment at 7.9%.
Unemployment
7.9%
Labour Force
2,512
Unemployed
199
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
54.0%
Part-time
40.7%
Participation
66.5%
Employed
2,313
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
45.4%
Postgraduate
16.3%
Born Overseas
32.3%
Dwellings
1,720
Transport to Work
Daily life is car-oriented: 73.7% drive to work, far higher than 7.0% using public transport, 2.9% walking or cycling and 6.6% working from home. The small 1.82 sq km footprint and 2,479.4 residents per sq km can make local trips short, but commuting still depends heavily on road access. IRSAD decile 3 places socio-economic advantage below the national middle, which matters for services and household resilience. Safety should be assessed street by street because a suburb crime rate is not published.
Drive
73.7%
Public Transport
7.0%
Walk / Cycle
2.9%
Work from Home
6.6%
Population Forecast
+0.62%/yr
(+26 people/yr)
EstablishedWest Moonah's growth outlook is steady rather than fast, with the trend running at 0.62% a year and a Mixed trajectory. The 10-year population change indicator is 16.5%, while overseas migration is the primary driver, so demand is likely to come from new arrivals as much as local household formation. Rent growth of 51.1% and affordability moving from 43.7 to 46.8 show conditions have worsened. The separate gentrification reading is 0, Not gentrifying, below the shift score of 64 marked Active.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+55
Net Internal / yr
-160
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Net internal outflow -160/yr
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How West Moonah compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is West Moonah a good suburb to live in?
West Moonah can suit buyers wanting a compact Hobart-side suburb with 80.1% separate houses, a median age of 34 and 7.0% public transport use. It sits below the national middle on IRSAD at decile 3, so value depends on the street, commute and housing condition.
What is the median house price in West Moonah?
A reliable current median house price is not available. Affordability can still be benchmarked through the $1,430 median monthly mortgage, $340 median weekly rent and 22.1% mortgage-to-income ratio, which is below common stress levels.
What schools are in West Moonah?
School choice around West Moonah should be checked by address with Tasmanian catchment tools and individual schools. The suburb has 4,522 residents in 1.82 sq km, so nearby options can vary over short distances compared with larger suburbs.
Is West Moonah safe?
A suburb-level crime rate is not published, so safety should be checked at street level and against current police updates. West Moonah has 4,522 residents and density of 2,479.4 per sq km, meaning conditions can vary more block by block than in lower density areas.
Is West Moonah good for property investment?
West Moonah has investor appeal because 41.3% of households rent, higher than the 29.4% with mortgages and 28.4% owned outright. Median rent is $340 a week, vacancy is 4.9%, and 0 new approvals over 12 months point to limited immediate supply.
How is West Moonah's population changing?
West Moonah has 4,522 residents today, with the growth trend running at 0.62% a year. The 10-year population change indicator is 16.5%, and overseas migration is the primary driver, above local churn as the key source of change.
What languages are spoken in West Moonah?
West Moonah has a larger migrant profile than average, with 32.3% born overseas, 10.7 points above national. Nepali is the largest listed non-English language at 192 speakers, followed by Punjabi 63, Mandarin 53, Hindi 39 and Greek 29.
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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