Old Beach

Old Beach lies within the top quartile of areas nationally for population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of recent, and medium to long-term trends

As of November 2025, the estimated population of Old Beach is around 4,794. This represents an increase of 400 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 4,394. The latest estimate from AreaSearch, based on examination of the ABS's ERP data release in June 2024 and additional validated new addresses, shows a resident population of 4,684. This results in a population density ratio of approximately 190 persons per square kilometer. Old Beach's growth rate since the 2021 Census was 9.1%, exceeding both the SA4 region (4.3%) and the metropolitan area. Natural growth contributed about 45% to this increase, with other factors such as interstate migration also playing a positive role.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by these data, Tasmania State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2022 with a base year of 2021 are adopted and adjusted using weighted aggregation methods. Based on aggregated SA2-level projections, Old Beach is expected to experience above median population growth, increasing by 951 persons to reach 5,745 by 2041, reflecting a total gain of 16% over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Old Beach among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

Old Beach recorded approximately 63 residential properties granted approval annually. Between financial years FY-21 and FY-25, around 315 homes were approved, with an additional 13 approved so far in FY-26. On average, 1.1 new residents arrived per new home over the past five financial years.

The average construction cost value of new dwellings was $404,000. In FY-26, $75,000 in commercial approvals have been registered. Old Beach had 56.0% more new home approvals per person compared to Greater Hobart, indicating greater choice for buyers and strong developer confidence. All new constructions were detached houses, preserving the area's low density nature and attracting space-seeking buyers. With approximately 57 people per dwelling approval, Old Beach shows characteristics of a growth area.

According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Old Beach is projected to add 767 residents by 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Old Beach has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 18thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified seven projects expected to influence the region. Notable initiatives include Chocolate Experience at Cadbury Tasmania, Windermere Bay Precinct, Cadbury Experience, and Glenorchy Sports Centre. The following list details projects deemed most relevant.

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

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Old Beach ranks among the top 25% of areas assessed nationally for overall employment performance

Old Beach has a skilled workforce with essential services sectors well represented. Its unemployment rate is 1.8%, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data.

As of June 2025, 2,536 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 2.3% lower than Greater Hobart's rate of 4.1%. Workforce participation in Old Beach stands at 68.3%, compared to Greater Hobart's 61.6%. The leading employment industries among residents include health care & social assistance, public administration & safety, and construction. Notably, construction has a higher employment share in Old Beach than the regional level, with an employment share of 1.3 times the regional level.

Conversely, accommodation & food services have limited presence, with only 4.8% employment compared to the regional figure of 8.0%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities, as suggested by the count of Census working population versus resident population. Between June 2024 and June 2025, Old Beach's labour force decreased by 1.5%, while employment declined by 1.6%, with unemployment remaining essentially unchanged. In contrast, Greater Hobart experienced a similar employment decline of 1.5% and labour force decline of 1.6%, with a drop in unemployment of 0.2 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 provide insight into potential future demand within Old Beach. These projections estimate that national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Old Beach's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.5% over five years and 13.5% over ten years, although this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections.

Income analysis reveals strong economic positioning, with the area outperforming 60% of locations assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Old Beach had a median taxpayer income of $56,582 and an average of $62,878 in financial year 2022, according to postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. This was slightly lower than the national average, contrasting with Greater Hobart's median income of $51,272 and average income of $63,777 in the same period. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 13.83% since financial year 2022, estimated incomes for September 2025 would be approximately $64,407 (median) and $71,574 (average). According to 2021 Census figures, household, family and personal incomes in Old Beach clustered around the 61st percentile nationally. Income analysis showed that the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket dominated with 39.5% of residents (1,893 people), aligning with regional levels where this cohort also represented 32.2%. After housing costs, residents retained 87.6% of their income, reflecting strong purchasing power and the area's SEIFA income ranking placed it in the 5th decile.

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

Old Beach's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 90.5% houses and 9.5% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Hobart metro's 89.1% houses and 10.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Old Beach was at 35.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 52.4% and rented ones at 12.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,517, higher than Hobart metro's average of $1,400. Median weekly rent in Old Beach was $400, compared to Hobart metro's $280. Nationally, Old Beach's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents exceeded the national figure of $375.

Old Beach features high concentrations of family households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households account for 79.1% of all households, including 34.8% couples with children, 33.6% couples without children, and 10.0% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 20.9%, with lone person households at 18.7% and group households comprising 2.4%. The median household size is 2.6 people, aligning with the Greater Hobart average.

Old Beach shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

The area's university qualification rate is 17.9%, significantly lower than the SA4 region average of 32.8%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 12.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.7%) and graduate diplomas (1.8%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 41.3% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (10.8%) and certificates (30.5%). Educational participation is high at 25.8%, comprising primary education (10.8%), secondary education (5.9%), and tertiary education (3.2%).

Schools appear to be located outside the immediate catchment area, requiring students to access them in neighboring regions.

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

Old Beach has 20 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by a total of 51 different routes that together facilitate 4,428 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these services is rated as moderate, with residents on average being located 431 meters away from the nearest stop.

On a daily basis, there are an average of 632 trips across all routes, which amounts to approximately 221 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Old Beach is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts

Old Beach faces significant health challenges, with common health conditions prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts. The rate of private health cover is approximately 52% of the total population (~2,497 people), leading that of the average SA2 area but slightly lower than Greater Hobart's 48.1%.

The most common medical conditions are arthritis (impacting 11.3% of residents) and mental health issues (affecting 9.6%). About 64.1% of residents declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 63.0% across Greater Hobart. As of 2016, 20.9% of residents are aged 65 and over (1,001 people), higher than Greater Hobart's 15.7%. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

Old Beach is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics

Old Beach's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 89.0% of its population born in Australia, 93.5% being citizens, and 94.6% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the main religion in Old Beach, comprising 50.3% of people, compared to 42.9% across Greater Hobart. The top three ancestry groups were English (34.5%), Australian (33.4%), and Irish (7.2%).

Notably, Polish ethnicity was overrepresented at 1.0%, compared to the regional average of 0.7%. Hungarian ethnicity was also overrepresented at 0.3%, compared to 0.2% regionally, as was Russian ethnicity at 0.3%, compared to 0.1%.

Old Beach's median age exceeds the national pattern

The median age in Old Beach is 40 years, similar to Greater Hobart's average of 39 years, but somewhat older than Australia's median age of 38 years. The 0-4 age group comprises 6.9% of the population in Old Beach, higher than Greater Hobart's percentage. However, the 25-34 age cohort makes up 13.2%, which is lower compared to Greater Hobart. According to post-2021 Census data, the 75-84 age group has increased from 5.5% to 8.1%. Conversely, the 55-64 age group has decreased from 12.8% to 10.7%, and the 5-14 age group has dropped from 12.8% to 11.5%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate significant demographic changes in Old Beach, with the 75-84 age group expected to grow by 67% (260 people), reaching 649 from 388. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 56% of total population growth, reflecting Old Beach's aging demographic profile. In contrast, the 25-34 and 55-64 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.