Westbury (Tas.)

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

As of February 2026, the estimated population of the suburb of Westbury (Tas.) is around 2,627. This reflects a growth of 355 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 2,272. The increase is inferred from AreaSearch's estimation of the resident population at 2,499 in June 2024, based on ABS ERP data release, and an additional 142 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 28 persons per square kilometer. Westbury's growth rate of 15.6% since the 2021 census exceeds both the state average (5.3%) and the SA4 region, indicating it as a growth leader. Interstate migration contributed approximately 77.0% to overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch employs ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year, and Tasmania State Government's Regional/LGA projections for areas not covered by this data, with adjustments made using a weighted aggregation method from LGA to SA2 levels. Projected demographic shifts suggest lower quartile growth for regional areas, with Westbury expected to expand by 71 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a reduction of 3.6% in total over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential approval activity sees Westbury among the top 30% of areas assessed nationwide

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers shows Westbury recorded approximately 34 residential properties granted approval annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, around 174 homes were approved, with a further 15 approved in FY26 so far. On average, 1.6 new residents per year arrived for each new home over these five years, indicating balanced supply and demand and stable market conditions.

New homes are being built at an average expected construction cost of $403,000, suggesting developers target the premium market segment with higher-end properties. This financial year has seen $6.6 million in commercial approvals registered, reflecting the area's residential character. Compared to the Rest of Tas., Westbury shows 102.0% higher development activity per person, indicating strong developer confidence in the location. Recent building activity consists entirely of standalone homes, maintaining the area's traditional low density character and focus on family homes appealing to those seeking space. The location has approximately 78 people per dwelling approval, suggesting an expanding market.

With population expected to remain stable or decline, Westbury should see reduced pressure on housing, potentially creating opportunities for buyers.

Westbury has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 23rdth percentile nationally

No factor impacts an area's performance more than changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified zero projects that could potentially affect this region. Notable projects include West Tamar Highway Targeted Upgrades (Exeter to Launceston), Tasmanian Irrigation Schemes: Tranche 3, Burnie To Hobart Freight Corridor Improvement, and Palmerston to George Town High Voltage Transmission Lines. The following list details those most relevant.

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

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Despite maintaining a low unemployment rate of 3.9%, Westbury has experienced recent job losses, resulting in a below average employment performance ranking when compared nationally

Westbury has a skilled workforce with diverse sector representation and an unemployment rate of 3.9%, according to AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data as of September 2025. In this month, 1,086 residents were employed, with the unemployment rate in line with Rest of Tas.'s rate of 3.8%. However, workforce participation was lower at 53.9%, compared to Rest of Tas.'s 58.6%.

Census responses indicated that only 9.8% of residents worked from home, but Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. The dominant employment sectors among residents were health care & social assistance, construction, and retail trade. Westbury had a particular employment specialization in transport, postal & warehousing, with an employment share 1.4 times the regional level. Conversely, education & training employed only 6.1% of local workers, below Rest of Tas.'s 8.8%.

The area appeared to offer limited employment opportunities locally, as suggested by the count of Census working population versus resident population. During a 12-month period ending in May-25, labour force decreased by 2.3%, and employment decreased by 2.6% in Westbury, leading to an unemployment rate rise of 0.3 percentage points. In comparison, Rest of Tas. recorded employment growth of 0.7% and labour force growth of 0.5%, with a fall in unemployment of 0.2 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 projected national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Westbury's employment mix suggested local employment should increase by 6.1% over five years and 13.0% over ten years, though this was a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and did not account for localised population projections.

Income metrics place the area in the bottom 10% of locations nationally according to AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 indicates that Westbury has lower median and average incomes compared to national averages. The suburb's median income is $42,966, with an average of $48,556. This contrasts with Rest of Tas., which has a median income of $49,689 and an average of $59,358. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.6% since financial year 2023, current estimates for Westbury's median income would be approximately $47,091 by September 2025, with the average being around $53,217. Census 2021 data shows that incomes in Westbury fall between the 8th and 9th percentiles nationally across household, family, and personal levels. The income bracket of $800 - 1,499 captures 29.9% of Westbury's population (785 individuals), while the region leads with the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket at 28.5%. Despite modest housing costs allowing for 86.7% income retention, Westbury ranks at just the 12th percentile nationally for total disposable income.

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

Westbury's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, was 94.3% houses and 5.7% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). Non-Metro Tas., in comparison, had 89.9% houses and 10.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Westbury was at 46.2%, with mortgaged dwellings at 32.1% and rented ones at 21.7%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,249, below Non-Metro Tas.'s average of $1,274. The median weekly rent figure in Westbury was $260, compared to Non-Metro Tas.'s $250. Nationally, Westbury's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Westbury has a typical household mix, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households constitute 71.1% of all households, which includes 22.9% couples with children, 36.9% couples without children, and 9.5% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 28.9%, with lone person households at 26.7% and group households making up 3.1%. The median household size is 2.3 people, which matches the average for the Rest of Tas.

Westbury faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area's university qualification rate is 17.7%, significantly lower than Australia's average of 30.4%. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 12.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.2%) and graduate diplomas (1.6%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 37.7% of residents aged 15+ holding them, including advanced diplomas (9.7%) and certificates (28.0%). A total of 23.4% of the population is actively engaged in formal education, comprising 10.6% in primary, 6.6% in secondary, and 2.1% in tertiary education.

A substantial 23.4% of the population actively pursues formal education. This includes 10.6% in primary education, 6.6% in secondary education, and 2.1% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Westbury has two active public transport stops operating, serving a mix of bus routes. These stops are served by three individual routes that collectively provide 104 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility in Westbury is rated as limited, with residents typically located 829 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward, and car remains the dominant mode of transportation at 96%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.8 per dwelling, which is above the regional average. According to the 2021 Census, only 9.8% of residents work from home, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions.

Service frequency averages 14 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 52 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Westbury faces significant health challenges, as assessed by AreaSearch's analysis of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Common health conditions are somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts. Private health cover is extremely low, at approximately 46% of the total population (around 1,219 people), compared to 49.1% in Rest of Tas., and 55.7% nationally.

The most common medical conditions are arthritis and mental health issues, affecting 12.1 and 9.0% of residents respectively. About 60.0% of residents report no medical ailments, compared to 62.0% in Rest of Tas.. The working-age population faces notable health challenges due to elevated chronic condition rates. Westbury has 29.0% of residents aged 65 and over (761 people), higher than the 24.9% in Rest of Tas., with national rankings generally aligning with the general population.

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

Westbury's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 86.6% of its population born in Australia, 92.7% being citizens, and 97.8% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the main religion in Westbury, comprising 48.7% of people. However, the most apparent overrepresentation was in Other category, which comprised 0.7% of the population compared to 0.7% across Rest of Tas..

In terms of ancestry, the top three represented groups were English at 37.6%, Australian at 32.3%, and Irish at 8.7%. Notably, Dutch was overrepresented at 1.5% (vs regional 1.7%), Maltese at 0.5% (vs 0.1%), and Maori at 0.5% (vs 0.2%).

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

Westbury's median age is 49 years, which is significantly higher than the Rest of Tas. average of 45 and considerably older than the Australian median of 38. Compared to the Rest of Tas., Westbury has a notably over-represented 65 - 74 cohort (15.7%) and an under-represented 35 - 44 age group (9.9%). The 65 - 74 concentration in Westbury is well above the national average of 9.5%. Post-2021 Census data shows that the 75 to 84 age group has grown from 8.2% to 10.9%, while the 5 to 14 cohort has declined from 12.3% to 10.6% and the 55 to 64 group dropped from 15.9% to 14.3%. By 2041, Westbury is expected to see notable shifts in its age composition, with the 45 to 54 group growing by 30%, reaching 354 people from 273. The aging population dynamic is clear, with those aged 65 and above comprising 62% of projected growth. Conversely, both the 25 to 34 and 0 to 4 age groups are expected to see reduced numbers.