Sandy Bay

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

As of November 2025, the estimated population of Sandy Bay is around 12,587. This reflects an increase of 272 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 12,315. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of the resident population at 12,559 following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024, and an additional 28 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 1,816 persons per square kilometer, above the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Sandy Bay's growth rate of 2.2% since the census positions it within 0.1 percentage points of the SA3 area's growth rate of 2.3%. Population growth for the suburb was primarily driven by overseas migration during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. 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 with adjustments made employing a method of weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Considering projected demographic shifts, the suburb is expected to increase its population just below the median of national areas, expanding by 1,635 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting an increase of 12.8% in total over the 17 years.

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

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers allocated from statistical area data indicates Sandy Bay averaged around 15 new dwelling approvals annually. Between FY-21 and FY-25, approximately 79 homes were approved, with 9 more in FY-26 as of current figures. Population decline suggests new supply has likely kept pace with demand, offering buyers good choice, while new properties are constructed at an average expected cost of $493,000.

This financial year, $6.4 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded, suggesting limited commercial development focus. Compared to Greater Hobart, Sandy Bay shows substantially reduced construction levels (55.0% below regional average per person), which generally supports stronger demand and values for established dwellings. This level is also lower than the national average, reflecting market maturity and possible development constraints. New development consists of 93.0% detached dwellings and 7.0% attached dwellings, sustaining Sandy Bay's suburban identity with a concentration of family homes suited to buyers seeking space. Detached housing favours new construction more than current patterns suggest (69.0% at Census), indicating ongoing robust demand for family homes despite increasing density pressures.

With around 695 people per approval, Sandy Bay shows a mature, established area. Future projections estimate Sandy Bay adding 1,605 residents by 2041. If current construction levels persist, housing supply could lag population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and underpinning price growth.

Sandy Bay has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 21stth percentile nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 13 projects that could impact this region. Notable ones include Sandy Bay Ferry Terminal, Fragrance Group Conservatorium Development, University of Tasmania Sandy Bay Campus Redevelopment, and Queenborough Oval Redevelopment. The following list details those most likely to be relevant.

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

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The labour market strength in Sandy Bay positions it well ahead of most Australian regions

Sandy Bay has a highly educated workforce with essential services sectors well represented. Its unemployment rate was 1.4% as of June 2025, based on AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data.

In this month, 6,957 residents were employed while the unemployment rate was 2.7 percentage points lower than Greater Hobart's rate of 4.1%. Workforce participation in Sandy Bay was at par with Greater Hobart's 61.6%. Leading employment industries among residents included health care and social assistance, education and training, and accommodation and food. The area had a particular employment specialization in accommodation and food, with an employment share 1.6 times the regional level.

Conversely, construction was under-represented, with only 4.3% of Sandy Bay's workforce compared to Greater Hobart's 8.7%. While local employment opportunities existed, many residents commuted elsewhere for work based on the count of Census working population to local population. Over the 12 months to June 2025, labour force levels decreased by 1.6%, alongside a 1.7% employment decline, with unemployment remaining essentially unchanged in Sandy Bay, according to AreaSearch's analysis of SALM and ABS data for the wider area aggregated from wider statistical area data. This contrasted with Greater Hobart where employment contracted by 1.5%, the labour force fell by 1.6%, and unemployment fell by 0.2 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from Sep-22 offered further insight into potential future demand within Sandy Bay. These projections, covering five and ten-year periods, were mapped against the local employment profile to estimate growth patterns. National employment was forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these industry-specific projections to Sandy Bay's employment mix suggested local employment should increase by 6.9% over five years and 14.2% over ten years, noting this was a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and did not take into account localised population projections.

Income levels align closely with national averages, indicating typical economic conditions for Australian communities according to AreaSearch analysis

Sandy Bay had a median taxpayer income of $48,701 and an average of $90,459 according to postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for the financial year 2022. This is higher than Greater Hobart's median income of $51,272 and average income of $63,777. By September 2025, estimates based on Wage Price Index growth suggest a median income of approximately $55,436 and an average income of $102,969. According to Census 2021 data, incomes in Sandy Bay cluster around the 62nd percentile nationally. Income analysis shows that 29.8% of locals (3,750 people) fall into the $1,500 - 2,999 income category. After housing costs, 86.5% of income remains for other expenses. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

Sandy Bay displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Sandy Bay's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 68.7% houses and 31.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Hobart metro had 69.2% houses and 30.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Sandy Bay was at 42.8%, with mortgaged dwellings at 22.0% and rented ones at 35.3%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,167, higher than Hobart metro's average of $1,800. Median weekly rent in Sandy Bay was $418, compared to Hobart metro's $390. Nationally, Sandy Bay's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 63.0% of all households, consisting of 23.4% couples with children, 32.6% couples without children, and 5.9% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 37.0%, with lone person households at 28.1% and group households comprising 8.8%. The median household size is 2.4 people, larger than the Greater Hobart average of 2.3.

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

Sandy Bay's educational attainment is notably higher than broader benchmarks. Among residents aged 15+, 58.5% hold university qualifications, compared to 25.5% in Tasmania (TAS) and 30.4% nationally in Australia. This educational advantage positions Sandy Bay favourably for knowledge-based opportunities. Bachelor degrees are the most prevalent at 31.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 22.2% and graduate diplomas at 4.4%.

Vocational pathways account for 17.6% of qualifications among those aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 9.2% and certificates at 8.4%. Educational participation is high, with 32.5% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 12.4% in tertiary education, 6.9% in primary education, and 6.4% pursuing secondary education. Sandy Bay has a robust network of 6 schools educating approximately 2,775 students. The area demonstrates significant socio-educational advantages and academic achievement, with an ICSEA score of 1128. The educational mix includes 3 primary and 3 K-12 schools.

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

Sandy Bay's public transport analysis shows 80 active stops operating within the area, all serving buses. These stops are covered by 99 different routes that together facilitate 13,498 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of transport is rated as excellent, with residents on average located just 163 meters from their nearest stop.

On a daily basis, service frequency averages 1,928 trips across all routes, which amounts to approximately 168 weekly trips per individual stop.

Sandy Bay's residents are extremely healthy with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

Analysis of health metrics shows strong performance throughout Sandy Bay. Both young and old age cohorts have low prevalence of common health conditions. The rate of private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 63% of the total population (7,928 people), compared to 58.9% across Greater Hobart and a national average of 55.3%.

The most common medical conditions in the area are arthritis and mental health issues, impacting 7.8 and 6.6% of residents respectively. 73.0% of residents declare themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 69.8% across Greater Hobart. Sandy Bay has 22.4% of residents aged 65 and over (2,819 people), which is higher than the 18.8% in Greater Hobart. Health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, performing even better than the general population in health metrics.

Sandy Bay is among the most culturally diverse areas in the country based on AreaSearch assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Sandy Bay has a high level of cultural diversity, with 28.4% of its population speaking a language other than English at home and 37.4% born overseas. Christianity is the main religion in Sandy Bay, comprising 37.4% of the population. Judaism is overrepresented in Sandy Bay compared to Greater Hobart, making up 0.3% versus 0.2%.

The top three ancestry groups are English (27.7%), Australian (20.5%), and Chinese (11.0%). Korean (0.6%) and Polish (0.8%) are notably overrepresented in Sandy Bay compared to regional figures of 0.4% and 1.0%, respectively.

Sandy Bay's population is slightly older than the national pattern

Sandy Bay's median age is 39 years, aligning with Greater Hobart's average of 39 and closely matching Australia's median of 38. The 25-34 cohort is notably over-represented in Sandy Bay at 19.3%, compared to the Greater Hobart average, while the 5-14 age group is under-represented at 8.4%. Post the 2021 Census, the 15-24 age group grew from 12.7% to 14.5%, and the 35-44 cohort increased from 10.9% to 12.0%. Conversely, the 45-54 cohort declined from 10.5% to 9.4%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in Sandy Bay's age profile, with the 45-54 cohort projected to grow by 59%, adding 696 residents to reach 1,880. Meanwhile, both the 25-34 and 35-44 age groups are expected to decrease in number.