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This analysis uses Suburbs and Localities (SAL) boundaries, which can materially differ from Statistical Areas (SA2) even when sharing the same name.
SAL boundaries are defined by Australia Post and the Australian Bureau of Statistics to represent commonly-known suburb names used in postal addresses.
Statistical Areas (SA2) are designed for census data collection and may combine multiple suburbs or use different geographic boundaries. For comprehensive analysis, consider reviewing both boundary types if available.
est. as @ -- *
2021 Census | -- people
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Sheffield has an estimated 1,665 residents, up from 1,602 at the 2021 Census — a change of 63 people, or 3.9%. Growth has averaged 0.7% a year over five years. Density is about 27 people per square kilometre. Population is estimated from ABS Estimated Resident Population releases and GNAF address data, re-based from the 2021 Census and updated annually.
Detail
According to AreaSearch evaluations combining broader ABS demographic updates with post-Census address validations, the suburb of Sheffield reaches an estimated 1,665 residents as of Aug 2026. This marks an addition of 63 people (3.9%) compared to the 1,602 individuals recorded in the 2021 Census. This calculation builds upon an estimated resident population of 1,652 determined after reviewing the ABS ERP release from June 2025, alongside 39 validated new addresses confirmed following the census benchmark. With 27 persons per square kilometer, the locality offers an expansive environment with substantial space per resident.
Furthermore, the 3.9% expansion rate recorded in the suburb of Sheffield since census trails the broader SA4 region (4.0%) by only 0.1 percentage points, indicating resilient expansion fundamentals. Inbound overseas migration served as the primary growth catalyst, generating roughly 96.0% of recent population additions. Projections compiled by Geoscience Australia and the ABS from 2024, utilizing 2022 as their foundation year, are applied by AreaSearch across SA2 geographies. Wherever coverage is absent, and when assessing age-specific trajectories beyond post-2032, figures rely on 2022 LGA and regional forecasts from the Tasmanian State Government grounded in 2021, converted to SA2 scales via weighted growth models. Demographic modeling points toward an expansion trajectory sitting marginally below the median for regional Australia, anticipating that the suburb of Sheffield will expand by 111 persons by 2041 under consolidated SA2 calculations, representing an overall rise of 5.9% across the 16 years.
Frequently Asked Questions - Population
57 new dwellings have been approved in Sheffield over the past five years, an average of 11 a year. That is 4.6 approvals per 1,000 residents. Approvals are currently running at an annualised 5, well below that longer-run average. Figures come from ABS building approvals aggregated to this Suburb (SAL) boundary and are updated monthly as the ABS releases them.
Detail
ABS building approval statistics examined by AreaSearch across local statistical divisions indicate that Sheffield records approximately 11 dwellings granted planning permission annually. Across the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25), an estimated 57 homes received approval, including 5 so far in FY-25. Construction rates have generated an average of 1.5 new residents per year per dwelling constructed over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25), balancing local demand with incoming supply while maintaining stable conditions. Newly built residential structures exhibit an average value of $364,000 in expected construction cost, alongside $3.5 million in commercial approvals authorized during the current financial year that reinforce the district's predominantly residential landscape.
Per-capita building rates in Sheffield align closely with Rest of Tas., sustaining steady equilibrium across regional sectors. Furthermore, recent development activity has focused entirely on standalone houses, preserving a spacious low-density setting that caters to purchasers seeking detached family living. A metric of 330 people per approved dwelling highlights the tranquil, measured nature of local construction activity. Demographic outlooks project an influx of 98 residents into Sheffield up to 2041 relative to the newest AreaSearch quarterly figures. Existing construction velocity indicates that future residential stock will comfortably accommodate incoming requirements, fostering positive market environments for buyers and creating scope for growth exceeding baseline forecasts.
Frequently Asked Questions - Development
Development applications around Sheffield
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| Lodged | Address | Description | Type | Distance | Status |
|---|
SOURCE: Planning portals and council registers, compiled by AreaSearch. Distance & bearing measured from the suburb midpoint.
AreaSearch tracks 42 current infrastructure and development projects close to Sheffield, worth an estimated $1.62 billion. 10 are already under construction and 13 are due for completion within three years. The pipeline spans residential development, environmental & disaster management and sports & recreation. Records are compiled from Infrastructure Australia, state agencies, council planning portals and public announcements, reviewed and updated daily, then ranked by proximity, construction stage, completion horizon and project scale.
Detail
Strategic planning and major infrastructure programs play a decisive role in shaping community development. AreaSearch has identified no major projects expected to deliver direct local impact. Key regional undertakings include the Don Irrigation Scheme, North West Hospitals Masterplan - Mersey Community Hospital Redevelopment, Cethana Pumped Hydro Energy Storage Project, and Sassafras Wesley Vale Irrigation Scheme Augmentation, which are outlined below based on their regional relevance.
Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.
INFRASTRUCTURE SEARCH
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.
Frequently Asked Questions - Infrastructure
Bass Highway Cool Storage Development
Development approved cool storage and chiller facility on 6.39 hectare site located within 300 metres of Bass Highway. The site, accessible from Forth Street via Henry Street, has planning approval for construction of approximately 5,167 square metres of gross building area for temperature-controlled storage. The land is currently for sale with vacant possession and includes all necessary development approvals in place for the cool storage facility construction.
Latrobe Flood Levees Project
Award-winning flood protection system comprising 1.5km of earth and concrete levees (1-3m high), large box culvert diversion structure, pumps, gates and infrastructure to protect Latrobe's CBD and residential areas from Mersey River and Kings Creek flooding. The innovative project redirects flood flows from Kings Creek through underground channels beneath Gilbert Street and Cotton Street. Main construction completed mid-2023 with final works ongoing. Winner of Engineers Australia Excellence Award 2024 Project of the Year Tasmania and Civil Contractors Federation Earth Awards.
North West Hospitals Masterplan - Mersey Community Hospital Redevelopment
A 20-year masterplan to transform healthcare in Tasmania's North West. Following the early 2025 completion of the $41 million Outpatients and Theatres redevelopment, the project has transitioned into Stage 1 of the broader $1.4 billion long-term vision. Current works include the delivery of a new sub-acute building for medical oncology services and a dedicated inpatient unit for geriatric evaluation and management. This phase also focuses on expanded palliative care services and infrastructure upgrades to support community health needs through 2045.
North West Support School Devonport
The Tasmanian Government is undertaking a $62.15 million redevelopment of the North West Support School Devonport campus on a new site. The redevelopment will provide new purpose-built learning facilities for students and staff.
Devonport to Cradle Mountain Corridor - Planning
This project involves planning for safety upgrades to the corridor between the outskirts of Devonport (which includes Miandetta) and Cradle Mountain. The Australian Government has committed $6.3 million to support further planning and concept design work for improvements along the corridor, as well as expanding the scope to include integration of transportation options at the ends of the corridor, such as planning for the Cradle Valley cableway.
Devonport Mental Health Hub
A purpose-built mental health facility for the North West region featuring a Safe Haven, Recovery College, and Integration Hub. Being developed by Fairbrother as part of the Living City transformation, the $40 million facility centralizes community mental health services with completion targeted for late 2027.
Edward Street Mixed-Use Development
Four-storey mixed-use building on the former Edward Street Council car park, delivering 35 apartments over three levels above 7 ground-floor commercial tenancies. Council approved sale of part of the car park to Small Is The New Big (SITNB) Unit Trust and subsequently granted development approval in May 2025. The project supports the Living City CBD renewal, adds medium-density housing, and activates Edward Street with new retail.
11 Fenton Street Social Housing Development
A social housing development at 11 Fenton Street in Devonport's city centre, delivering 30 x two-bedroom social homes. The project is being delivered by Housing Choices Tasmania as part of the Australian Government's Housing Australia Future Fund (HAFF) Round 2, with Homes Tasmania providing up-front construction funding. HAFF Round 2 requires construction contracts to be in place by 30 June 2026, with delivery completed by June 2029.
669 residents of Sheffield are employed, from a labour force of 707. Unemployment sits at 5.4%, with participation at 47.8%. Weighted for its industry mix, the area's sectors are forecast to grow about 5.8% nationally over five years. That reflects industry composition only and makes no allowance for local population growth. The working-day population is estimated at 1,369, about 82% of the resident population, so more people leave the area for work than travel in. Unemployment and labour force come from ABS Small Area Labour Markets, updated quarterly; the industry and occupation profile is from the 2021 Census.
Detail
Sheffield maintains a diverse occupational base encompassing both blue and white collar positions across multiple sectors, registering an unemployment rate of 5.4% and an estimated 1.8% annual rise in job counts according to AreaSearch statistical modeling. March 2026 records show 669 employed residents, though the local jobless rate exceeds Regional Tas.'s 3.9% benchmark by 1.4%, and local participation of 47.8% sits well below the 58.7% recorded across Regional Tas.. Additionally, 14.3% of workers indicated working from home during Census collection, a figure framed by prevailing Covid-19 restrictions. Key industries employing residents comprise accommodation & food, agriculture, forestry & fishing, as well as health care & social assistance.
Workforce concentration is particularly pronounced in accommodation & food, where participation reaches 1.5 times the regional level. Conversely, health care & social assistance accounts for 13.9% of employment versus 16.5% regionally. Discrepancies between resident numbers and working census counts suggest a modest volume of jobs situated directly within the immediate community. Synthesized ABS and SALM figures evaluated by AreaSearch show local employment climbing 1.8% over the past 12-month period as the labor pool grew by 1.7%, keeping joblessness essentially flat. Across Regional Tas., employment advanced by 1.8% and the workforce rose 1.7%, accompanied by a slight drop in unemployment. National outlooks published by Jobs and Skills Australia in Mar-26 provide further context regarding prospective labor needs in Sheffield over five and ten-year horizons. Nationally, employment is anticipated to increase by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, with performance varying widely across sectors. Applying these industry trends to Sheffield's baseline industry distribution points to local gains of 5.8% over five years and 12.4% over ten years (representing an illustrative weighting model that excludes distinct local population forecasts).
Frequently Asked Questions - Employment
Median household income in Sheffield is $970 a week (about $50,000 a year), with median personal income at $515 a week. ATO records put median taxable income at $37,344 a year against an average of $42,914. Household income is from the 2021 Census; taxable income is from ATO Taxation Statistics for the latest financial year available, indexed forward using the ABS Wage Price Index.
Detail
Aggregated ATO postcode statistics compiled by AreaSearch for financial year 2023 place Sheffield's median taxable earnings at $37,344 and average compensation at $42,914. These figures sit below the national benchmarks and trail Regional Tas. figures of $49,689 and $59,358 respectively. Factoring in Wage Price Index appreciation of 10.95% since financial year 2023, modeled figures reach roughly $41,433 (median) and $47,613 (average) as of March 2026. Data from the 2021 Census situates personal, family, and household earnings between the 2nd and 4th percentiles nationally. A substantial cohort of 31.3% of locals (521 people) reports earnings in the $400 - 799 bracket, contrasting with Regional Tas.
where 28.5% fall into the $1,500 - 2,999 category. With 40.9% receiving under $800 weekly, local disposable spending capacity remains constrained, even though low housing commitments allow residents to retain 88.9% of their income, leaving net spendable funds at the 5th percentile across Australia.
Frequently Asked Questions - Income
Sheffield had 657 occupied dwellings at the 2021 Census, 92% detached houses and 0% apartments. 26% are owned with a mortgage, 24% rented and 50% owned outright. At that Census the median rent was $200 a week and the median mortgage repayment $1,000 a month. Rent absorbs 20.6% of household income here and mortgage repayments 23.8%. Dwelling stock, tenure and housing costs are 2021 Census measures — the only source that counts dwellings at this boundary size.
Detail
Census assessments show Sheffield's residential landscape consists of 92.4% separate houses and 7.6% alternative configurations like flats and semi-detached units, compared to 89.9% houses and 10.1% other formats across Regional Tas.. Outright homeownership is notable at 50.0%, substantially exceeding regional proportions, while 26.2% carry mortgages and 23.8% rent. Typical monthly mortgage payments stand at $1,000 alongside a median weekly rent of $200, both considerably lower than the Regional Tas. metrics of $1,274 and $250. Compared against nationwide benchmarks, local mortgage commitments sit well below the Australian figure of $1,863, and rents remain substantially under the national standard of $375.
Frequently Asked Questions - Housing
Sheffield counted 657 households at the 2021 Census, averaging 2.1 people each. 19% are couples with children, fewer than in 89% of areas nationally, against 36% couples without children. 32% of households are people living alone, and families average 2.1 children. Household and family composition is measured only by the Census, so these are 2021 figures.
Detail
Couples and single parents form 65.8% of all households, consisting of 36.4% couples without children, 19.2% couples with children, and 8.8% single parent arrangements. Non-family living situations represent 34.2% of the total, driven by 31.8% lone person dwellings alongside 2.0% group homes. Average occupancy rests at 2.1 people per household, below the Regional Tas. level of 2.3.
Frequently Asked Questions - Households
14.5% of adults in Sheffield hold a university qualification, including 9.4% with a bachelor degree and 2.7% with postgraduate qualifications, lower than 89% of areas nationally. A further 29.3% hold a vocational qualification. 1 school serves the area, with 385 enrolment places and an average ICSEA of 929 against a national benchmark of 1,000. Qualifications come from the 2021 Census; school enrolments, ICSEA and results come from ACARA's current release.
Detail
Higher education qualifications present a clear development area, with university completion rates at 14.5% compared to the 30.4% national standard. Among tertiary qualifications, bachelor degrees represent 9.4%, postgraduate degrees comprise 2.7%, and graduate diplomas account for 2.4%. Meanwhile, technical and vocational training forms a strong foundation, with 37.5% of individuals aged 15+ holding trade credentials, divided between certificates (29.3%) and advanced diplomas (8.2%). Educational institutions enroll 23.2% of the local population. Within this cohort, primary schooling accounts for 10.7%, secondary schools engage 5.8%, and tertiary programs comprise 1.5%.
Frequently Asked Questions - Education
Schools Detail
Getting around Sheffield means driving: households keep an average of 1.6 vehicles, and no scheduled public transport appears in the current timetable feeds. Service data is built from operators' published GTFS timetables; vehicle ownership is from the 2021 Census.
Frequently Asked Questions - Transport
Transport Stops Detail
55.4% of residents in Sheffield report no long-term health condition, a less healthy profile than 86% of areas nationally. 10.7% need daily assistance with core activities, and 44.2% hold private health cover. The standardised death rate runs at 6.9 per 1,000 residents. Health conditions, assistance needs and insurance are 2021 Census measures; the death rate comes from current ABS releases.
Detail
Assessment of chronic illnesses and mortality records by AreaSearch highlights substantial health pressures in Sheffield across both younger and older cohorts, accompanied by notably subdued private health insurance uptake at approximately 44% of the population (~735 people). This participation level trails both the 49.1% recorded in Regional Tas. and the 55.7% national baseline. Prominent health diagnoses include arthritis (13.2%) and mental health concerns (9.4%), with 55.4% of residents indicating no long-term medical conditions compared to 62.0% across Regional Tas.. Significant chronic illness rates affect working-age adults, while 37.6% of residents (626 people) are aged 65 and over, outpacing the 25.1% proportion seen across Regional Tas.
and generating elevated health management needs among older cohorts relative to nationwide benchmarks.
Frequently Asked Questions - Health
Sheffield is largely Australian-born, at 85.4% of residents, with 3.4% speaking a language other than English at home. The largest reported ancestries are English (34.7%) and Australian (32.7%). 3.9% of residents identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. Ancestry, language and country of birth are counted only by the Census, so these are 2021 figures.
Detail
Sheffield exhibits lower cultural diversity relative to broader benchmarks, with Australian citizenship at 87.9%, Australian-born residents at 85.4%, and 96.6% of households speaking English exclusively at home. Christianity constitutes the primary religious affiliation at 44.0%. In contrast, no individuals identified with Judaism, compared with 0.1% throughout Regional Tas.. Ancestry records show the leading heritage backgrounds in Sheffield are English (34.7%), Australian (32.7%), and Scottish (8.7%). Notable variations in other backgrounds include Welsh representation at 0.9% (versus 0.4% regionally), Russian ancestry at 0.5% (versus 0.1%), and Australian Aboriginal heritage at 3.9% (versus 4.1%).
Frequently Asked Questions - Diversity
The median resident of Sheffield is 54, older than 96% of areas nationally. 16.5% of residents are aged 15 to 34. Age cohorts are not raw Census counts: the Census split is re-based to the latest ABS population estimates and state projections.
Detail
The age distribution in the suburb of Sheffield leans heavily toward older residents when evaluated against the broader region. Updated modeling to August 2026 shows 37.6% of locals in retiree and elderly brackets (65+), surpassing the 25.1% proportion in Regional Tas., whereas youth and children (0 - 24) constitute 20.5% compared to 26.3% regionally. The estimated median age reaches 54, remaining identical to the 2021 Census figure and tracking 9 years above the Regional Tas. level of 45, while the national figure at that census stood at 38. Retirees and senior age groups have expanded from 32.5% at census time to an estimated 37.6%.
Looking ahead to 2041, senior demographics will drive primary expansion by adding 133 residents (21%) to reach 759, while youth, child, and middle-aged cohorts are forecasted to diminish.
Frequently Asked Questions - Age
Data & MethodBoundaries, Sources & Method for Sheffield
9 of 14 data sections on this page were updated within the last 12 months — the newest current to Sep 2026.
Everything is aggregated to the Suburb (SAL) boundary shown above, on a 2021 Census baseline. Only 3 sections — housing, households and cultural diversity — still wait on the 2026 Census.
The ledger — source, cycle and currency by section
| Section | Source & update cycle | Currency |
|---|---|---|
| Updated within the last 12 months 9 sections | ||
| Population | ABS, GNAF, Geoscience Australia Annual (ABS ERP) | Aug 2026 last month headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Re-based to the ABS Estimated Resident Population (June 2025 release) and updated with new dwellings from GNAF address data. Current to Aug 2026, with the 2021 Census supplying the small-area baseline. | ||
| Age profile | ABS, Geoscience Australia, State governments Annual | Aug 2026 last month headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Age cohorts are re-based to the latest ABS population estimates and state projections, current to Aug 2026. Each cohort is held as a Census baseline and a current estimate. | ||
| Development & approvals | ABS, GNAF Monthly (ABS approvals) | Aug 2026 last month headline measures · Jul 2026 baseline |
| Property sales & rents | Valuer General, Rental Board, ABS Weekly sales, quarterly rents | Sep 2026 this month all 21 measures |
| Sales from the state Valuer General register, refreshed weekly, and rents from quarterly rental bond lodgements. Both are read live each time this page loads, current to Sep 2026. | ||
| Infrastructure projects | Infrastructure Australia, Local governments Daily | May 2026 4 months ago all 2 projects tracked here |
| Project pipeline maintained continuously from Infrastructure Australia, state agencies, local government and public announcements. Records are added and revised daily; this area was last updated May 2026. | ||
| Employment | ABS, DEWR, JSA Quarterly (ABS SALM) | Mar 2026 6 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Unemployment and labour force from ABS Small Area Labour Markets, current to Mar 2026. The growth outlook applies Department of Employment (now Jobs and Skills Australia) forecasts for all 19 industry divisions to the local industry mix, so it measures sector composition rather than local expansion and makes no allowance for population growth. Job demand comes from the same agency via its Internet Vacancy Index; industry and occupation structure from the 2021 Census. | ||
| Education | ABS, ACARA Annual (ACARA) | Aug 2026 last month headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Transport | ABS, State Transport Departments Each timetable release | Jul 2026 2 months ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Services & amenities | Provider directories, ACECQA Continuous | Jul 2026 2 months ago all 14 measures |
| Annual and financial-year sources 2 sections | ||
| Income | ABS, ATO Annual (ATO) | FY 2023 3 years ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| ATO taxable income statistics for FY 2023, indexed forward using the Wage Price Index. Census household income provides the distribution detail. | ||
| Health | ABS, ATO Annual | 2024 2 years ago headline measures · 2021 Census baseline |
| Census-measured — next update: 2026 Census 3 sections No more current small-area source exists for these, so they are labelled as Census-measured rather than implied to be current. | ||
| Housing | ABS 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 30 measures |
| Households | ABS 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 18 measures |
| Cultural diversity | ABS, Geoscience Australia 5-yearly (Census) | 2021 Census next update 2026 all 44 measures |
"Currency" is the most recent release feeding that section. Where the Census supplies the structural baseline underneath a current headline figure, the row says so.
How the numbers are built
Population
The Census provides the small-area baseline, aggregated from mesh blocks to this boundary. It is then re-based to the ABS Estimated Resident Population (June 2025 release), and new dwellings built since Census night are counted from address data — 39 validated new addresses here. The headline figure is therefore a current estimate for Aug 2026, not a 2021 count (1,602 at the 2021 Census → 1,665 now). Annual growth rates are compound (CAGR), not simple averages.
Age profile
Cohort shares are not raw Census counts. Every cohort is held as a pair — the Census baseline and a current estimate — and the split is re-based using ERP and state population projections, current to Aug 2026. Median age is the Census median plus modelled change since. Charts that show both are labelled "2021 Census vs Current Estimate".
Property sales
Sourced from the state valuation authority's sales register — current, not Census, and refreshed weekly. Medians are calculated from settled transactions in the period shown; periods with very low transaction counts are flagged or suppressed, because a handful of sales can move a median substantially.
Rents
Derived from state rental bond lodgement data, by dwelling type and bedroom count. Bonds are lodged at the start of a new tenancy, so this reflects new lettings, not the whole rented stock.
Development & infrastructure
Building approvals come from current ABS releases; development applications are collected from council and state planning portals; the infrastructure pipeline is compiled from Infrastructure Australia and local government sources. Applications are matched to this boundary by address or coordinates, so very recent lodgements may not yet appear.
Employment & income
Industry and occupation structure comes from the Census, but the headline labour-market indicators do not. Unemployment and labour force are derived from ABS Small Area Labour Markets (quarterly). The employment outlook applies Department of Employment forecasts for all 19 industry divisions to this area's own industry mix (the agency is now Jobs and Skills Australia), as does the Internet Vacancy Index used for job demand. Because it is weighted on industry composition alone, that outlook carries no allowance for local population growth — in fast-growing areas the real rise in local jobs will typically be higher. Income combines Census household income with ATO taxable-income statistics for FY 2023, indexed forward using the Wage Price Index.
Education, transport & amenities
School enrolments, ICSEA and performance come from ACARA's current release, not the Census. Public transport stops and service frequency are derived from GTFS timetable feeds published by state transport departments. Services and amenities are proximity and count scores built from provider directories, refreshed on their own cycle. The Census contributes only the travel-to-work and qualification measures.
Rankings and benchmarks. Where we rank this area, the comparison set is every area of the same boundary type — suburbs against suburbs, SA2s against SA2s. Benchmarks compare this area against its greater capital city region and the national figure for the same measure and period.
Limits worth knowing. Small areas carry larger error margins, and the ABS introduces small random adjustments to Census counts to protect confidentiality — so totals may not sum exactly. Estimates re-based from regional data describe the area's expected trajectory, not a direct count of it. Figures are indicative for research and are not financial, planning or valuation advice.
Cross-check us. The Census baseline for this boundary is at ABS 2021 Census QuickStats (SAL60599). QuickStats reports 2021 only — the figures on this page are more current wherever the ledger shows a later date.