Sandford (Tas.)

Sandford has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

Sandford's population, as of November 2025, is estimated at around 2,064 people. This figure reflects an increase of 18 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 2,046 people in the suburb of Sandford (Tas.). The change was inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of 2,055 residents following examination of the latest ERP data release by ABS in June 2024 and an additional 14 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population results in a density ratio of 42 persons per square kilometer. Overseas migration contributed approximately 61.0% of overall population gains during recent periods, driving primary growth for the area.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data and to estimate growth by age group post-2032, Tasmania State Government's Regional/LGA projections are adopted, released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year, adjusted employing a method of weighted aggregation from LGA to SA2 levels. Looking ahead, population projections indicate an increase just below the median of national statistical areas. The suburb is expected to gain approximately 106 persons by 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a total growth of 4.3% over the 17-year period.

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

Sandford has seen approximately 5 new homes approved annually over the past 5 financial years, totalling an estimated 28 homes. As of FY-26, 2 approvals have been recorded. On average, 0.4 new residents per year per dwelling constructed have been noted between FY-21 and FY-25, suggesting that new supply is meeting or exceeding demand, providing ample buyer choice. The average construction value for these homes is $909,000, indicating a focus on the premium segment.

This financial year has seen $146,000 in commercial development approvals, predominantly reflecting residential focus. Compared to Greater Hobart, Sandford has significantly less development activity, with 57.0% below the regional average per person. This limited new supply generally supports stronger demand and values for established properties. The area's population is forecasted to gain 88 residents by 2041, with current construction levels expected to meet this demand adequately.

Population forecasts indicate Sandford will gain 88 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). With current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Sandford has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 15thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch identified two projects likely impacting this region: Droughty Peninsula Structure Plan, completed in 2015; Lauderdale Primary School, opened on 3rd February 2020; Hobart City Deal, signed on 28th March 2019; Greater Hobart Urban Growth Boundary Extension, approved on 1st December 2020.

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

Sandford has a skilled workforce with essential services sectors well represented. Its unemployment rate is 1.9%, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data.

As of June 2025, 1,166 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 2.3% below Greater Hobart's rate of 4.1%. Workforce participation in Sandford is higher at 67.7%, compared to Greater Hobart's 61.6%. Key industries of employment among residents include construction, health care & social assistance, and education & training. Sandford has a particular employment specialization in construction, with an employment share 1.8 times the regional level.

Conversely, accommodation & food is under-represented, with only 4.6% of Sandford's workforce compared to Greater Hobart's 8.0%. The area may offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. Over the 12 months to June 2025, labour force levels decreased by 1.3%, combined with employment decreasing by 1.4%, resulting in an unemployment rate rise of 0.1 percentage points. In Greater Hobart, employment fell by 1.5%, labour force contracted by 1.6%, and unemployment fell by 0.2 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 can provide further insight into potential future demand within Sandford. These projections, covering five and ten-year periods, suggest national employment should expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. However, growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Sandford's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.4% over five years and 13.2% over ten years.

The area exhibits notably strong income performance, ranking higher than 70% of areas assessed nationally through AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch released postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022. Sandford's median income among taxpayers was $56,868, with an average of $67,783. This is higher than the national average and compares to Greater Hobart's median of $51,272 and average of $63,777. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 13.83% since financial year 2022, estimated incomes for September 2025 would be approximately $64,733 (median) and $77,157 (average). According to the 2021 Census, household, family and personal incomes in Sandford cluster around the 72nd percentile nationally. Distribution data shows that 38.7% of locals (798 people) fall into the $1,500 - 2,999 income category. After housing costs, residents retain 89.5% of their income, reflecting strong purchasing power. Sandford's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

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

In Sandford, as per the latest Census evaluation, 99.6% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 0.4% comprising semi-detached properties, apartments, and other dwelling types. This contrasts with Hobart metro's figures of 93.4% houses and 6.6% other dwellings. Home ownership in Sandford stood at 44.1%, with mortgaged dwellings accounting for 51.1% and rented dwellings making up 4.7%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was $1,733, exceeding Hobart metro's average of $1,538. Meanwhile, the median weekly rent in Sandford was recorded at $400, compared to Hobart metro's figure of $350. Nationally, Sandford's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents exceeded the national figure of $375.

Sandford features high concentrations of family households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households comprise 84.8% of all households, including 38.2% couples with children, 36.8% couples without children, and 9.3% single parent families. Non-family households account for 15.2%, with lone person households at 13.2% and group households making up 1.7%. The median household size is 2.8 people, larger than the Greater Hobart average of 2.4.

Educational achievement in Sandford places it within the top 10% nationally, reflecting strong academic performance and high qualification levels across the community

In Sandford Trail region, 25.6% of residents aged 15+ hold university degrees compared to the SA4 regional average of 32.8%. The most common qualification is bachelor's degrees at 16.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (6.4%) and graduate diplomas (3.2%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 40.8% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications, including advanced diplomas (11.2%) and certificates (29.6%). Educational participation is high, with 26.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes primary education (10.8%), secondary education (7.5%), and tertiary education (3.7%). Schools appear to be located outside the immediate catchment boundaries, requiring families to access educational facilities in neighboring areas.

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

Sandford has 35 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 53 different routes that together facilitate 9,241 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of transport in Sandford is limited, with residents on average located 921 meters from the nearest stop.

On a daily basis, there are an average of 1,320 trips across all routes, which amounts to approximately 264 weekly trips per individual stop.

Sandford's residents are relatively healthy in comparison to broader Australia with a fairly standard level of common health conditions seen across both young and old age cohorts

Sandford's health metrics closely match national benchmarks, with common health conditions evenly distributed across both younger and older age groups. Approximately 54% (~1,114 people) have private health cover, slightly higher than Greater Hobart's 51.4%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (10.3%) and mental health issues (7.4%). A majority, 67.9%, report no medical ailments, compared to 64.2% in Greater Hobart. Sandford has a lower proportion of residents aged 65 and over at 20.2% (416 people), compared to Greater Hobart's 21.8%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors are notably strong, outperforming the general population in key health metrics.

The latest Census data sees Sandford placing among the least culturally diverse areas in the country when compared across a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Sandford's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 90.0% of its population born in Australia, 95.1% being citizens, and 98.1% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Sandford, comprising 38.1% of people. Notably, Judaism was overrepresented in Sandford at 0.0%, compared to 0.1% across Greater Hobart.

The top three ancestry groups were English (36.3%), Australian (29.5%), and Irish (8.6%). Dutch, Hungarian, and Scottish groups showed notable divergences: Dutch were overrepresented at 2.1% in Sandford (vs 1.3% regionally), Hungarians at 0.3% (vs 0.2%), and Scots at 8.5% (vs 7.3%).

Sandford hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

The median age in Sandford is 44 years, which is higher than Greater Hobart's average of 39 years and also above Australia's median age of 38 years. The 55-64 age cohort makes up 15.9% of Sandford's population, a notable over-representation compared to the Greater Hobart average. Conversely, the 25-34 age group constitutes only 8.1%, indicating an under-representation in Sandford. Between the 2021 Census and the present day, the percentage of the population aged 15 to 24 has increased from 9.5% to 12.3%, while the 65-74 age group has grown from 11.5% to 13.6%. However, the 55-64 cohort has decreased from 18.2% to 15.9%, and the 5-14 age group has dropped from 14.0% to 12.2%. By 2041, population forecasts suggest significant demographic changes in Sandford. The 45-54 age cohort is projected to expand by 102 people (32%), growing from 321 to 424 individuals. Meanwhile, the 65-74 and 25-34 age cohorts are expected to experience population declines.