Westbury
Nearly 46% of Westbury homes are owned outright, a defining signal in a town of 2,272 people where the median age is 49, 9 years above the national figure. Housing is overwhelmingly detached at 94.3%, and density is only 24.2 people per sq km. Compared with nearby Hagley and Deloraine in the Meander Valley corridor, Westbury reads as more owner-settled than transient, with household income in the 18.2 percentile shaping a lower-cost, slower-turnover market.
Local council: Meander Valley
Population
2,272
Median Age
49.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,122/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Homebuyers get a housing stock that is clear-cut: 94.3% separate houses, just 0.3% apartments and 53.4% of dwellings with 3 bedrooms. The median mortgage payment is $1,249 a month, with mortgage costs at 25.7% of income, below common stress thresholds. Because 45.9% of homes are owned outright and 31.9% have a mortgage, competition is likely shaped more by established owners than by high tenant churn. The trade-off is car reliance, with 82.7% driving to work.
For Buyers
Homebuyers get a housing stock that is clear-cut: 94.3% separate houses, just 0.3% apartments and 53.4% of dwellings with 3 bedrooms. The median mortgage payment is $1,249 a month, with mortgage costs at 25.7% of income, below common stress thresholds. Because 45.9% of homes are owned outright and 31.9% have a mortgage, competition is likely shaped more by established owners than by high tenant churn. The trade-off is car reliance, with 82.7% driving to work.
For Investors
Investor appeal is selective rather than broad. Renters are 20.4% of households, below an owner base split between 45.9% owned outright and 31.9% mortgaged, so the tenant pool is modest. Weekly rent is $260 and rent takes 23.2% of income, while vacancy sits at 7.3%, a higher leasing-risk signal than in tighter markets. With 0 residential approvals in the past 12 months, supply pressure is muted; returns depend on steady demand rather than new-development uplift.
Demographics
Westbury skews older and more Australian-born than the national pattern. The median age is 49, 9 years above national, while 13.4% were born overseas, 8.2 percentage points lower than national. University attainment is 25.3%, 4.8 points below national, which matches an economy with strong trades and care work. English ancestry is the largest reported line at 1,150 people, ahead of Irish 267 and Scottish 226. Households average 2.3 people, slightly below national by 0.2.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
94.3%
Houses
4.8%
Townhouse
0.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Westbury's housing market is defined less by density and more by tenure depth. Separate houses make up 94.3% of dwellings, with semi-detached homes at 4.8% and apartments at 0.3%, far below the detached share. Bedrooms cluster around family-scale stock: 53.4% have 3 bedrooms and 22.4% have 4 or more. Outright ownership at 45.9% is higher than the mortgaged share of 31.9%, helping explain why turnover is 18.9% and many listings can be tightly held.
Mortgage / mo
$1,249
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$260
Census 2021
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$578
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
7.3%
Unoccupied
74
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.2%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.7%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
31.9%
Couples with children
53.2%
Couples, no children
13.4%
Single parent
681
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the main local work base at 21.4% of employed residents, followed by construction 12.0%, education 8.7%, manufacturing 8.2% and agriculture 7.7%. Occupations lean practical: trades count 165, ahead of professionals 138 and community/personal roles 128. Unemployment is 5.1% with participation at 52.7%, reflecting the older age mix. SEIFA sits below the national middle: IEO decile 3, IER 4, IRSD 3 and IRSAD 3, with resource scores slightly stronger because outright ownership is high at 45.9%.
Unemployment
5.1%
Labour Force
1,001
Unemployed
51
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
55.2%
Part-time
38.3%
Participation
52.7%
Employed
950
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
25.3%
Postgraduate
4.9%
Born Overseas
13.4%
Dwellings
943
Transport to Work
Everyday life is practical and car-based. Work trips are dominated by drivers at 82.7%, while public transport is 0.4%, walking or cycling 2.8% and working from home 10.2%. Low density of 24.2 people per sq km means space and quiet are strengths, but it also makes services less walkable than in compact towns. IRSAD decile 3 sits below the national middle, so residents balance affordability with fewer socio-economic advantages. Volunteering is 20.6%, a useful signal of local participation.
Drive
82.7%
Public Transport
0.4%
Walk / Cycle
2.8%
Work from Home
10.2%
Growth Outlook
Growth is steady, not explosive. The forecast trend is 0.95% a year, with migration classified as Balanced rather than led by a single driver. The shift trajectory is Aging: the senior share has risen 8.5 points, the working-age share is down 6.2 points and the young share is down 1.7 points. Ten-year population change is 9.9%, while the gentrification score is 20 at an Early signs stage, so change ranks higher than stagnation but below a redevelopment surge.
Population trend: Meander Valley council area
Westbury sits in the Meander Valley council area. These are the council area's residents, not Westbury's.
Residents 2025
21,739
Growth, 5 yr average
+1.1%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+0.8%
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 Westbury compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Westbury a good suburb to live in?
Westbury can suit buyers who want space, detached housing and a slower town setting. It has 2,272 residents, a median age of 49 and 94.3% separate houses, but daily life is car-dependent with 82.7% driving to work.
What is the median house price in Westbury?
A reliable median house price should be checked against current settled sales before making an offer. The affordability signals available locally are a $1,249 median monthly mortgage, $260 weekly rent and 94.3% separate-house stock.
What schools are in Westbury?
For school planning, check address-level Tasmanian catchments and nearby options across Westbury, Hagley and Deloraine. With 2,272 residents and 82.7% car-driver commuting, bus routes and daily drive times can matter as much as campus choice.
Is Westbury safe?
Safety is best assessed with current Tas Police incident maps and a street-by-street inspection. Westbury's low density of 24.2 people per sq km and 45.9% outright ownership point to a settled residential pattern, but check recent local reports.
Is Westbury good for property investment?
Westbury is a cautious investment market: renters are 20.4% of households, weekly rent is $260 and vacancy is 7.3%. With 0 residential approvals in the past 12 months, demand matters more than pipeline-driven uplift.
How is Westbury's population changing?
Westbury has 2,272 residents today and is changing gradually. The forecast trend is 0.95% growth a year, migration is Balanced, and the shift trajectory is Aging with the senior share up 8.5 points.
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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