Acton - Upper Burnie

Acton - Upper Burnie is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

Acton - Upper Burnie's population is approximately 3,411 as of November 2025. Between the 2021 Census and June 2024, the population increased by around 141 people (4.3%), from 3,270 to an estimated resident population of 3,395. This increase includes 27 validated new addresses since the Census date. The population density is approximately 1,586 persons per square kilometer, higher than the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Acton - Upper Burnie's growth rate exceeded that of its SA3 area (4.1%), making it a growth leader in the region. Natural growth contributed approximately 61.9% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch uses 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 post-2032 growth by age group, Tasmania State Government's Regional/LGA projections are adopted with adjustments made using a weighted aggregation method from LGA to SA2 levels. Projections indicate an overall population decline in the area, with a decrease of 18 persons expected by 2041. However, specific age cohorts are projected to grow, notably the 85 and over age group, which is anticipated to increase by 44 people.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Acton - Upper Burnie according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Acton - Upper Burnie has seen minimal construction activity with two new dwellings approved annually on average over the past five years, totalling twelve. This low level of development is typical in rural areas due to modest housing needs and limited construction activity influenced by local demand and infrastructure capacity. It's important to note that with such low approval numbers, yearly growth figures can fluctuate significantly based on individual projects.

Compared to other regions in Tasmania and nationally, Acton - Upper Burnie has notably lower development activity. All approved constructions have been detached houses, aligning with rural living preferences for space and privacy. The area has approximately 850 people per dwelling approval, indicating an established market. Given stable or declining population projections, housing demand pressures are expected to remain low in Acton - Upper Burnie, potentially benefiting buyers.

With population projections showing stability or decline, Acton - Upper Burnie should see reduced housing demand pressures, benefiting potential buyers.

Acton - Upper Burnie has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 39thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 0 projects that could impact this region. Key projects include Homes Tasmania - Park Grove Subdivision, Burnie City Centre Urban Plan, Burnie Cultural Precinct Redevelopment, and Marinus Link, with the following list detailing those most relevant.

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

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Employment drivers in Acton - Upper Burnie are experiencing difficulties, placing it among the bottom 20% of areas assessed across Australia

Acton - Upper Burnie has a balanced workforce with both white and blue collar jobs, with essential services well represented. As of September 2025, the unemployment rate is 7.2%, showing room for improvement compared to Rest of Tas.'s rate of 3.8%.

The area has seen an estimated employment growth of 6.8% over the past year. There are currently 1,461 residents employed, with workforce participation at 51.5%, lower than Rest of Tas.'s 55.7%. Dominant employment sectors include health care & social assistance, retail trade, and accommodation & food. Retail trade is notably concentrated with levels at 1.5 times the regional average.

Agriculture, forestry & fishing has limited presence at 3.0% compared to 8.4% regionally. The area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities based on Census data comparison. Over a 12-month period, employment increased by 6.8% and labour force by 5.7%, causing the unemployment rate to fall by 0.9 percentage points. State-level data as of 25-Nov shows TAS employment contracted by 0.35%, with an unemployment rate of 4.1%. National forecasts from May-25 suggest national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but growth rates differ significantly between sectors. Applying these projections to Acton - Upper Burnie's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.2% over five years and 13.4% over ten years.

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

The median taxpayer income in Acton - Upper Burnie SA2 was $44,928 according to postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for the financial year 2022. The average income was $54,593. This is lower than the national average of $47,358 median and $57,384 average in Rest of Tas. By September 2025, estimated median and average incomes would be approximately $51,142 and $62,143 respectively, based on Wage Price Index growth of 13.83% since financial year 2022. According to the 2021 Census, household, family and personal incomes in Acton - Upper Burnie fall between the 2nd and 10th percentiles nationally. The predominant income cohort spans 32.9% of locals (1,122 people) with earnings between $400 and $799 weekly, differing from regional patterns where the $1,500 to $2,999 category dominates at 28.5%. Economic circumstances indicate widespread financial pressure, with 41.7% of households having modest weekly budgets below $800. Housing affordability is severely strained, with only 83.1% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 4th percentile nationally.

Acton - Upper Burnie is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

In Acton - Upper Burnie, as per the latest Census evaluation, 85.1% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 14.9% comprising semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types. This is compared to Non-Metro Tas., where 90.3% of dwellings were houses, and 9.7% were other dwellings. Home ownership in Acton - Upper Burnie stood at 30.0%, with mortgaged dwellings at 29.5% and rented ones at 40.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $989, lower than Non-Metro Tas.'s average of $1,200. The median weekly rent figure was recorded at $238, compared to Non-Metro Tas.'s $240. Nationally, Acton - Upper Burnie's median monthly mortgage repayment of $989 is significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and its median weekly rent of $238 is substantially below the national figure of $375.

Acton - Upper Burnie features high concentrations of lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 57.7% of all households, including 19.8% couples with children, 22.8% couples without children, and 13.8% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 42.3%, with lone person households at 40.3% and group households comprising 2.3% of the total. The median household size is 2.1 people, smaller than the Rest of Tas average of 2.3.

Acton - Upper Burnie faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area's university qualification rate is 10.9%, significantly lower than Australia's average of 30.4%. Bachelor degrees are the most common, at 7.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications and graduate diplomas, both at 1.5%. Vocational credentials are prevalent among residents aged 15+, with 37.4% holding such qualifications, including advanced diplomas (6.3%) and certificates (31.1%). Educational participation is high, with 26.4% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including primary (11.9%), secondary (7.3%), and tertiary (2.0%) levels.

Educational participation is notably high, with 26.4% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 11.9% in primary education, 7.3% in secondary education, and 2.0% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Transport analysis shows 20 active stops in Acton - Upper Burnie served by buses. These stops are covered by 45 routes offering 6741 weekly passenger trips. Residents' average distance to nearest stop is 198 meters.

Service frequency averages 963 daily trips, equating to approximately 337 weekly trips per stop.

Health performance in Acton - Upper Burnie is a key challenge with a range of health conditions having marked impacts on both younger and older age cohorts

Acton - Upper Burnie faces significant health challenges, with various conditions affecting both younger and older age groups. Only approximately 1,609 people, about 47%, have private health cover, compared to the national average of 55.3%.

Mental health issues and asthma are the most prevalent conditions, impacting 12.3% and 10.7% of residents respectively. However, 56.8% of residents report no medical ailments, slightly lower than the 60.3% in Rest of Tas.. The area has a lower proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 20.5%, or 699 people, compared to 24.7% in Rest of Tas.. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors are challenging but perform better than the general population in health metrics.

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

Acton-Uralla was found to have a lower than average cultural diversity, with 91.6% of its residents being citizens born in Australia who primarily speak English at home (90.6%, 96.1%). Christianity is the predominant religion in Acton-Uralla, accounting for 36.8% of the population. Notably, Hinduism is slightly overrepresented compared to the rest of Tasmania, with 0.9% of the population identifying as Hindu versus 0.6%.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups are Australian (37.6%), English (32.7%), and Australian Aboriginal (6.7%).

Acton - Upper Burnie's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

The median age in Acton - Upper Burnie is 38 years, which is notably lower than the Rest of Tasmania's average of 45 but equal to Australia's median age of 38. Compared to the Rest of Tasmania average, the 15-24 age cohort is notably over-represented at 13.6% in Acton - Upper Burnie, while the 55-64 year-olds are under-represented at 11.1%. Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses, the proportion of the population aged 15 to 24 increased from 12.4% to 13.6%, while the proportion aged 5 to 14 decreased from 12.7% to 11.1%. The proportion of those aged 55 to 64 also dropped, from 12.5% to 11.1%. Population forecasts for Acton - Upper Burnie indicate significant demographic changes by 2041. The 85+ age cohort is projected to expand by 42 people (from 98 to 141), an increase of 44%. Those aged 65 and above are expected to comprise 54% of the population growth, indicating a clear aging population trend. Conversely, the 0 to 4 and 35 to 44 age cohorts are projected to experience population declines.