Glenorchy (Tas.)

Population growth drivers in Glenorchy are above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

As of May 2026, the population of the suburb of Glenorchy (Tas.) is estimated at around 11,936 people. This figure reflects a decrease since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 12,013 people. The current estimate is based on AreaSearch's validation of new addresses and examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2025. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 1,151 persons per square kilometer. Over the past decade, Glenorchy has shown resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 1.0%. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered, Tasmania State Government's Regional/LGA projections are adopted with adjustments made employing a method of weighted aggregation. Looking at population projections moving forward, the suburb is expected to expand by 926 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a gain of 7.7% in total over the 16 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Glenorchy, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

Glenorchy has seen approximately 30 new homes approved annually based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, around 152 homes were approved, with a further 26 approved in FY26 as of this date. The average population increase per dwelling built over these years was 0.5 people annually.

This pace suggests that new construction is meeting or exceeding demand, providing more housing options and enabling population growth. The average expected construction cost value for new homes was $310,000. In FY26, commercial approvals totaled $91.7 million, indicating strong local business investment in Glenorchy. Compared to Greater Hobart, Glenorchy has approximately 56% of the construction activity per person.

Nationally, it ranks at the 16th percentile for areas assessed, which results in relatively limited buyer choice and supports interest in existing properties. This level reflects market maturity and possible development constraints. Recent construction in Glenorchy comprised 75.0% standalone homes and 25.0% attached dwellings, maintaining the area's suburban identity with a focus on family homes suitable for buyers seeking space. With around 967 people per approval, Glenorchy is considered a mature, established area. Future projections estimate that Glenorchy will add approximately 924 residents by 2041, according to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate. Development appears to be keeping pace with projected growth, although buyers may face increasing competition as the population expands.

Glenorchy has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 39thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 29 projects likely to impact the area. Key projects include Homes Tasmania Social Housing Program, MONA Hotel Development, Glenorchy War Memorial Pool Redevelopment, and Hobart Heritage Rail Project. The following list details those likely to be 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.

The labour market performance in Glenorchy lags significantly behind most other regions nationally

Glenorchy has a well-educated workforce with essential services sectors well represented. The unemployment rate is 6.8%, with relative employment stability over the past year, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data. As of December 2025, 5756 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 2.8% higher than Greater Hobart's rate of 4.0%.

Workforce participation in Glenorchy is lower at 60.5%, compared to Greater Hobart's 63.7%. Census responses show that only 4.6% of residents work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. The leading employment industries among residents are health care & social assistance, retail trade, and accommodation & food services. Retail trade has a notable concentration in Glenorchy with employment levels at 1.3 times the regional average.

Conversely, education & training shows lower representation at 6.7% compared to the regional average of 10.8%. Many residents commute elsewhere for work based on the count of Census working population to local population. In the 12-month period ending May-25, labour force decreased by 0.2% and employment declined by 0.1%, with unemployment remaining essentially unchanged in Glenorchy. This contrasts with Greater Hobart where employment grew by 0.1%, labour force contracted by 0.1%, and unemployment fell by 0.2 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years for national employment. Applying these projections to Glenorchy's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.5% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localised population projections.

The area's income levels rank in the lower 15% nationally based on AreaSearch comparative data

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 shows Glenorchy's median income among taxpayers is $47,093. The average income in the suburb was $51,109 during this period. Nationally, these figures are lower than average. In Greater Hobart, the median income was $54,577 with an average of $65,190. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.95% from financial year 2023 to March 2026, current estimates for Glenorchy would be approximately $52,250 (median) and $56,705 (average). The 2021 Census data indicates that incomes in Glenorchy fall between the 9th and 13th percentiles nationally. In terms of income distribution, 27.4% of Glenorchy residents earn between $1,500 and $2,999, reflecting a pattern seen in other metropolitan regions where 32.2% occupy this earnings band. Housing affordability pressures are severe in Glenorchy, with only 80.0% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 8th percentile nationally.

Glenorchy is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Glenorchy's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 78.2% houses and 21.9% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This is compared to Hobart metro's 85.3% houses and 14.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Glenorchy stood at 26.8%, with the rest being mortgaged (27.9%) or rented (45.3%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,300, lower than Hobart metro's average of $1,517. Median weekly rent in Glenorchy was $320, compared to Hobart metro's $350. Nationally, Glenorchy's mortgage repayments were significantly lower at $1,300 against the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Glenorchy features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 59.8% of all households, including 20.9% couples with children, 22.2% couples without children, and 15.1% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 40.2%, with lone person households at 35.6% and group households making up 4.4%. The median household size is 2.3 people, which is smaller than the Greater Hobart average of 2.4.

Glenorchy faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

Glenorchy's residents aged 15+ have 27.0% university degrees, compared to SA4 region's 32.8%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 14.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (10.6%) and graduate diplomas (1.5%). Vocational credentials are held by 30.2%, with advanced diplomas at 8.1% and certificates at 22.1%. Current educational participation is high, with 28.9% enrolled in formal education: primary (8.1%), secondary (6.2%), tertiary (5.1%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 28.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.1% in primary education, 6.2% in secondary education, and 5.1% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Glenorchy has 90 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 179 different routes, together providing 12,256 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 178 meters from the nearest stop. As a primarily residential area, most commuting is outward-bound. Cars remain the dominant mode of transportation at 83%, while bus use stands at 11%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.1 per dwelling, below the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census, only 4.6% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency across all routes averages 1,750 trips per day, equating to approximately 136 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Glenorchy is well below average with a range of health conditions having marked impacts on both younger and older age cohorts

Glenorchy faces significant health challenges, as indicated by AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence across various age groups. The rate of private health cover is notably low at approximately 47% (around 5,661 people), compared to Greater Hobart's 51.7% and the national average of 55.7%. Mental health issues and arthritis are the most prevalent conditions, affecting 10.9% and 10.3% of residents respectively.

However, 64.2% of residents claim to be free from medical ailments, compared to Greater Hobart's 65.5%. The working-age population in Glenorchy faces substantial health challenges with higher chronic condition rates. The area has 18.4% (2,196 people) of residents aged 65 and over, lower than Greater Hobart's 20.0%. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, generally aligning with national rankings for the general population.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Glenorchy was found to be above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Glenorchy, as per the 2016 Census, had a higher cultural diversity than most local areas with 29.4% of its population born overseas and 27.2% speaking languages other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Glenorchy, accounting for 39.8% of the population. Notably, Hinduism was overrepresented at 11.0%, compared to the Greater Hobart average of 2.8%.

Regarding ancestry, the top groups were English (27.2%), Australian (25.5%), and Other (17.0%), which was significantly higher than the regional average of 7.4%. Some ethnic groups showed notable differences: Polish at 0.8% in Glenorchy versus 0.8% regionally, Australian Aboriginal at 4.2% compared to 3.0%, and Indian at 2.7% against a regional average of 1.2%.

Glenorchy's population is younger than the national pattern

Glenorchy's median age is 34 years, which is lower than the Greater Hobart average of 39 years and substantially under the Australian median of 38 years. Compared to Greater Hobart, Glenorchy has a higher percentage of residents aged 25-34 (21.0%) but fewer residents aged 45-54 (9.4%). This concentration of residents aged 25-34 is well above the national average of 14.6%. According to the 2021 Census, the population aged 35-44 has grown from 12.2% to 16.0%, while the population aged 55-64 has declined from 10.8% to 9.6%. Demographic modeling suggests that Glenorchy's age profile will significantly change by 2041. The 45-54 cohort is projected to grow by 62%, adding 691 residents to reach a total of 1,813. In contrast, both the 55-64 and 65-74 age groups are expected to decrease in numbers.