West Moonah

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

As of May 2026, the estimated population of the suburb of West Moonah is around 4,366 people. This figure reflects a decrease of 156 individuals since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 4,522. 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, along with an additional 47 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 2,398 persons per square kilometer, placing West Moonah in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration contributed approximately 60.0% of overall population gains 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 used, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021, adjusted employing a method of weighted aggregation from LGA to SA2 levels. Future population trends suggest an increase just below the median of national statistical areas. By 2041, the suburb is expected to have increased by 417 persons, reflecting an overall increase of 9.6% over the 16-year period based on aggregated SA2-level projections.

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

Based on AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers from statistical area data, West Moonah has averaged around 9 new dwelling approvals annually over the past 5 financial years ending June 2021. This totals an estimated 46 homes approved during this period. As of July 2021 in FY-26, 15 approvals have been recorded. West Moonah's population has declined in recent years, yet housing supply has remained adequate relative to demand, resulting in a balanced market with good buyer choice.

New properties are constructed at an average expected cost value of $410,000, indicating developers target the premium market segment with higher-end properties. This financial year has seen $16.9 million in commercial approvals, suggesting balanced commercial development activity. Compared to Greater Hobart, West Moonah shows substantially reduced construction, with 54.0% fewer approvals per person than the regional average. This scarcity of new homes typically strengthens demand and prices for existing properties. Additionally, this level is below the national average, indicating the area's established nature and suggesting potential planning limitations.

Recent construction comprises 90.0% detached dwellings and 10.0% townhouses or apartments, maintaining West Moonah's traditional suburban character focused on family homes appealing to those seeking space. With approximately 738 people per approval, West Moonah shows a mature, established area. According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, West Moonah is expected to grow by 404 residents through to 2041. At current development rates, housing supply may struggle to match population growth, potentially heightening buyer competition and supporting price increases.

West Moonah has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 41stth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified eight projects likely affecting the region. Notable ones are TasWater Infrastructure Upgrades, Medical Centre Redevelopment - Cadbury Road (Claremont), Greater Glenorchy Plan, and YMCA Glenorchy Redevelopment. The following list details those 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 employment landscape in West Moonah shows performance that lags behind national averages across key labour market indicators

West Moonah has an educated workforce with significant representation in essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate is 4.3%, showing relative stability over the past year according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data. As of December 2025, 2,458 residents are employed while the unemployment rate is 0.3% higher than Greater Hobart's rate of 4.0%.

Workforce participation in West Moonah is high at 69.0%, compared to Greater Hobart's 63.7%. Census responses indicate that only 6.1% of residents work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. The key industries for employment among residents are health care & social assistance, accommodation & food, and retail trade. West Moonah has a particular specialization in accommodation & food, with an employment share 1.4 times the regional level.

Conversely, construction employs only 5.9% of local workers, below Greater Hobart's 8.7%. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities, as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. Between December 2024 and December 2025, the labour force decreased by 0.2%, with a simultaneous 0.0% employment decline, resulting in a 0.1 percentage point drop in unemployment rate. In contrast, Greater Hobart experienced employment growth of 0.1% and labour force decline of 0.1%, with a 0.2 percentage point decrease in unemployment rate. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia, released in May-25, project national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to West Moonah's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.6% over five years and 13.8% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localized population projections.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

The median taxpayer income in West Moonah was $48,792 and the average was $53,997 according to postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for the financial year 2023. This is below the national average of $65,190 in Greater Hobart which had a median income of $54,577. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.95% since financial year 2023, current estimates for West Moonah would be approximately $54,135 (median) and $59,910 (average) as of March 2026. According to the 2021 Census figures, household, family and personal incomes in West Moonah rank modestly between the 34th and 35th percentiles. The predominant income cohort spans 34.0% of locals (1,484 people) in the $1,500 - 2,999 category, consistent with broader trends across the metropolitan region showing 32.2% in the same category. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 84.0% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 35th percentile.

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

In West Moonah, as per the latest Census evaluation, houses constituted 80.1% of dwellings, with the remaining 19.9% being semi-detached, apartments, and other types. In contrast, Hobart metro had 85.3% houses and 14.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in West Moonah stood at 28.9%, with mortgaged dwellings at 29.6% and rented ones at 41.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,430, lower than Hobart metro's $1,517. The median weekly rent in West Moonah was $340, compared to Hobart metro's $350. Nationally, West Moonah's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were less than the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 66.4% of all households, including 27.8% that are couples with children, 24.3% that are couples without children, and 12.1% that are single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 33.6%, with lone person households at 27.8% and group households comprising 6.3% of the total. The median household size is 2.6 people, which is larger than the Greater Hobart average of 2.4.

Educational outcomes in West Moonah fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

In West Moonah, residents aged 15 years and above have a notably higher level of educational attainment compared to broader statistics. Specifically, 35.1% of residents hold university qualifications, surpassing the SA3 area's 23.3% and Tasmania's state average of 25.5%. This high proportion indicates a significant advantage in terms of knowledge-based opportunities for the area. Bachelor degrees are most common at 20.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (11.7%) and graduate diplomas (2.6%).

Vocational credentials are also prominent, with 28.6% of residents holding such qualifications, including advanced diplomas (8.0%) and certificates (20.6%). Educational participation is notably high in West Moonah, with 29.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.2% in primary education, 6.0% in secondary education, and 5.4% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Public transport analysis shows 24 active transport stops in West Moonah, served by a mix of bus routes. These stops facilitate 57 individual routes, providing a total of 3,582 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents typically located 185 meters from the nearest stop. In this primarily residential area, most commuters travel outward. Car remains the dominant mode at 84%, while bus accounts for 11%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.3 per dwelling.

According to the 2021 Census, a relatively low 6.1% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Service frequency averages 511 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 149 weekly trips per stop.

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

West Moonah faces significant health challenges based on AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence were high, with common health conditions prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts. Private health cover was found to be very low at approximately 49% of the total population (~2,120 people), compared to 51.7% across Greater Hobart and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions were mental health issues (impacting 10.7%) and arthritis (7.6%). However, 70.4% declared themselves completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 65.5% in Greater Hobart. Working-age residents showed an above-average prevalence of chronic health conditions. The area had 16.2% of residents aged 65 and over (707 people), lower than the 20.0% in Greater Hobart. Health outcomes among seniors were above average, with national rankings even higher than the general population.

West Moonah was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

West Moonah's population showed high cultural diversity, with 32.3% born overseas and 31.3% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, accounting for 37.3%. Hinduism had a substantial presence of 10.7%, compared to Greater Hobart's average of 2.8%.

The top three ancestral groups were English (25.0%), Australian (23.5%), and Other (16.4%). Notably, Polish (1.7%) Croatian (0.9%), and Indian (3.4%) ethnicities were overrepresented compared to regional averages of 0.8%, 0.2%, and 1.2% respectively.

West Moonah hosts a young demographic, positioning it in the bottom quartile nationwide

West Moonah's median age is 34 years, which is lower than the Greater Hobart average of 39 and significantly below the Australian median of 38. Compared to Greater Hobart, West Moonah has a higher proportion of residents aged 35-44 (19.5%) but fewer residents aged 55-64 (8.7%). This concentration of 35-44 year-olds is notably above the national average of 14.3%. Between the 2021 Census and the present, the proportion of residents aged 35 to 44 has increased from 14.9% to 19.5%, while those aged 75 to 84 have risen from 4.3% to 5.6%. Conversely, the proportion of residents aged 15 to 24 has decreased from 11.9% to 10.1%, and those aged 55 to 64 have dropped from 10.3% to 8.7%. Demographic projections indicate significant changes in West Moonah's age profile by 2041, with the strongest growth expected in the 45 to 54 cohort, projected to grow by 90%, adding 424 residents to reach a total of 896. In contrast, both the 55 to 64 and 25 to 34 age groups are expected to see reduced numbers.