East Launceston

An assessment of population growth drivers in East Launceston reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

As of November 2025, East Launceston's population is estimated at around 2,244 people. This reflects a decrease of 26 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 2,270 people. The current estimate is inferred from AreaSearch's validation of resident population data based on the latest ERP release by ABS (June 2024) and additional six validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 2,221 persons per square kilometer, higher than the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration contributed approximately 88% of overall population gains during recent periods.

ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022, are adopted by AreaSearch. For areas not covered, Tasmania State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2022 with a base year of 2021 are used, adjusted employing weighted aggregation methods. Considering projected demographic shifts, lower quartile growth is anticipated for national regional areas, with East Launceston expected to increase by 40 persons to 2041, reflecting an increase of 3.2% over the 17 years.

The level of residential development activity in East Launceston is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

East Launceston has had minimal residential development activity in recent years. Specifically, there have been less than 1 dwelling approval annually over the past five years, totalling 4 approvals during this period. This low level of development reflects the rural nature of East Launceston, where housing developments are typically driven by specific local needs rather than broader market demand.

It is important to note that due to the small number of approvals, individual projects can significantly impact annual growth and relativity statistics in this area. Compared to other regions, East Launceston shows significantly less construction activity than the Rest of Tasmania, with its activity levels also notably below national patterns.

East Launceston has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 38thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 4 projects likely to impact the area. Key projects are: Launceston General Hospital Northern Integrated Mental Health Precinct, Launceston General Hospital Redevelopment, Princess Theatre and Earl Arts Centre Redevelopment, and Launceston Hospice. The following list details those most relevant.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

Employment conditions in East Launceston remain below the national average according to AreaSearch analysis

East Launceston has an unemployment rate of 4.1%, as per AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data. As of June 2025, 1,281 residents are employed with an unemployment rate of 4.3%, compared to Rest of Tas.'s 3.9%.

Workforce participation is high at 66.0% versus Rest of Tas.'s 55.7%. Key industries include health care & social assistance (employing 1.4 times the regional level), accommodation & food, and education & training. Agriculture, forestry & fishing employs only 2.2% locally, compared to Rest of Tas.'s 8.4%. Many residents may commute elsewhere for work based on Census data.

Between June 2024 and June 2025, labour force levels decreased by 1.3%, employment declined by 1.0%, causing unemployment to fall by 0.3 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of Tas.'s employment contracted by 0.5% with a marginal decrease in unemployment. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 project national employment growth at 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to East Launceston's employment mix suggests local employment could increase by 7.1% over five years and 14.8% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

The economic profile demonstrates above-average performance, with income metrics exceeding national benchmarks based on AreaSearch comparative assessment

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows that East Launceston has an average income of $67,053 and a median income of $53,353. This is higher than the rest of Tasmania, which has an average income of $57,384 and a median income of $47,358. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 13.83% since financial year 2022, current estimates for East Launceston would be approximately $60,732 (median) and $76,326 (average) as of September 2025. Census 2021 income data indicates that incomes in East Launceston cluster around the 64th percentile nationally. Income analysis reveals that 31.1% of the population falls within the $1,500 - $2,999 income range, which is similar to the surrounding region where this cohort represents 28.5%. After housing costs, residents retain 88.7% of their income, reflecting strong purchasing power in the area. East Launceston's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

East Launceston is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In East Launceston, as per the latest Census evaluation, 76.2% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 23.8% comprising semi-detached properties, apartments, and other types. This is compared to Non-Metro Tas., which had 82.1% houses and 17.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in East Launceston stood at 39.1%, with mortgaged dwellings at 29.2% and rented ones at 31.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,600, exceeding the Non-Metro Tas. average of $1,300. The median weekly rent in East Launceston was $330, compared to Non-Metro Tas.'s $280. Nationally, East Launceston's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were below the national figure of $375.

East Launceston features high concentrations of group households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 66.0% of all households, including 28.1% couples with children, 29.0% couples without children, and 8.5% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 34.0%, with lone person households at 29.7% and group households comprising 4.3%. The median household size is 2.4 people, which is larger than the Rest of Tas. average of 2.3.

The educational profile of East Launceston exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

Educational attainment in East Launceston is higher than broader averages. 44.0% of residents aged 15 and above have university qualifications, compared to 19.3% in the rest of Tasmania and 21.7% in the SA4 region. Bachelor degrees are most common at 27.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (11.7%) and graduate diplomas (4.6%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 25.3% of residents holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas (10.4%) and certificates (14.9%). Educational participation is high, with 30.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 10.1% in secondary education, 9.8% in primary education, and 5.2% pursuing tertiary education. East Launceston Primary School and Launceston Church Grammar School - Junior Campus serve the area, with a total of 474 students. The area has balanced educational opportunities, typical of Australian schools (ICSEA: 1046). Both schools focus on primary education, with secondary options available in nearby areas. Note: for schools marked 'n/a' regarding enrolments, please refer to the main campus.

Transport servicing is high compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

East Launceston has 21 active public transport stops operating within its boundaries. These stops serve a mix of bus routes, totalling 86 individual routes. Together, these routes facilitate 5,670 weekly passenger trips.

The accessibility of transport in East Launceston is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 136 meters from the nearest transport stop. On average, there are 810 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately 270 weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in East Launceston is notably higher than the national average with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

East Launceston shows higher-than-average health outcomes for both younger and older age groups, with low prevalence rates for common health conditions. Approximately 54% of its total population (~1,205 people) has private health cover, compared to the Rest of Tas.'s 50.6%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are asthma (8.2%) and mental health issues (8.1%). About 70.0% of residents report being completely free from medical ailments, higher than the Rest of Tas.'s 63.9%. As of 2021, about 20.4% of residents are aged 65 and over (457 people). The health outcomes among seniors in East Launceston are particularly strong, outperforming those of the general population in various health metrics.

In terms of cultural diversity, East Launceston records figures broadly comparable to the national average, as found in AreaSearch's assessment of a number of language and cultural background related metrics

East Launceston's cultural diversity aligns with the broader region, with 84.9% being citizens, 80.8% born in Australia, and 89.6% speaking English only at home. Christianity is the predominant religion, comprising 42.5%. Judaism, however, is slightly overrepresented at 0.2%, compared to 0.1% regionally.

The top three ancestry groups are English (32.1%), Australian (27.9%), and Scottish (9.8%). Notably, Hungarian (0.3%) and Welsh (0.6%) are overrepresented, while Sri Lankan (0.3%) is also present in higher numbers than the regional average of 0.1%.

East Launceston hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

East Launceston's median age is 40 years, which is significantly below the Rest of Tas. average of 45 but somewhat older than Australia's median age of 38 years. The age profile shows that the 35-44 year-olds are particularly prominent, making up 13.9% of the population, while the 55-64 group is comparatively smaller at 10.6%, compared to the Rest of Tas.. Between 2021 and now, the 35-44 age group has grown from 12.2% to 13.9%, and the 75-84 cohort has increased from 6.2% to 7.4%. Conversely, the 55-64 cohort has declined from 12.2% to 10.6%, and the 15-24 group has dropped from 13.0% to 11.7%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes for East Launceston, with the 75-84 cohort projected to grow by 59%, adding 97 residents to reach 264. Senior residents aged 65 and above will drive 69% of population growth, highlighting demographic aging trends. However, population declines are projected for the 15-24 and 0-4 age cohorts.