Acton - Upper Burnie
Statistical Area - sa2

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, as of August 2025, is approximately 3,409 people. This figure represents an increase of 139 individuals since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 3,270 people. The growth is inferred from the estimated resident population of 3,395 as of June 2024 and an additional 26 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 1,585 persons per square kilometer, higher than the average seen across national locations assessed by AreaSearch. The area's population growth of 4.3% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area's growth rate of 3.7%, making Acton - Upper Burnie a growth leader in the region. Natural growth contributed approximately 61.9% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is using ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. 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, released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year, adjusted using a method of weighted aggregation from LGA to SA2 levels. Future demographic trends indicate an overall population decline of 18 persons by 2041 according to this methodology. However, specific age cohorts are projected to grow, notably the 85 and over age group, expected 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 3 new dwellings approved annually over the past five years (2017-2021), totalling 17. This low level of development is characteristic of rural areas where housing needs are modest and construction activity is limited by local demand and infrastructure capacity. It's important to note that yearly growth figures can vary considerably due to the small number of approvals.

Compared to other regions in Tasmania such as Rest of Tas., Acton - Upper Burnie has much lower development activity, which is also below national patterns. All new constructions approved during this period were detached houses, aligning with rural living preferences for space and privacy. The location currently has approximately 850 people per dwelling approval, indicating an established market. Given population projections showing stability or decline, housing demand pressures in Acton - Upper Burnie are expected to remain low, benefiting potential buyers.

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

Acton - Upper Burnie has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 19thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified zero projects anticipated to affect this region. Notable initiatives include Homes Tasmania - Park Grove Subdivision, Burnie City Centre Urban Plan, Burnie Cultural Precinct Redevelopment, and Marinus Link, with the following providing more details on those most pertinent.

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

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. Key sectors include health care & social assistance, retail trade, and accommodation & food.

Retail trade is particularly notable, with employment levels at 1.5 times the regional average. Agriculture, forestry & fishing has limited presence, at 3.0% compared to 8.4% regionally. As of June 2025, 1,438 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 7.3%, indicating room for improvement. Workforce participation is somewhat below standard, at 51.5%.

The area's unemployment rate is 3.3% higher than Rest of Tas.'s rate of 3.9%. Employment growth over the past year was estimated at 3.6%. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment increased by 3.6%, while labour force increased by 2.1%, causing a fall in unemployment rate by 1.3 percentage points. In comparison, Rest of Tas. saw employment fall by 0.5% and labour force contract by 0.6%. State-level data to Sep-25 shows TAS employment grew by 0.77% year-on-year, with the state unemployment rate at 4.3%. National unemployment rate was 4.5%, with TAS's employment growth outpacing the national average of 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 suggest Acton - Upper Burnie's employment could increase by approximately 6.2% over five years and 13.4% over ten years, based on industry-specific projections applied to the local employment mix.

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

Acton - Upper Burnie's median taxpayer income was $44,928 and average income was $54,593 in financial year 2022. This is lower than the national average of $47,358 (median) and $57,384 (average). As of March 2025, estimated median income is approximately $50,292 and average income is around $61,111 based on Wage Price Index growth. In the 2021 Census, incomes in Acton - Upper Burnie fell between the 3rd and 11th percentiles nationally. Most locals (32.9%, or 1,121 people) had incomes between $400 and $799, unlike the regional pattern where incomes predominantly fell within the $1,500 to $2,999 bracket (28.5%). Many households (41.7%) operated on modest weekly budgets below $800, reflecting financial pressure. Housing affordability was severe with only 83.1% of income remaining, ranking at the 4th percentile.

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

Acton - Upper Burnie's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 85.1% houses and 14.9% other dwellings. In comparison, Non-Metro Tas. had 90.3% houses and 9.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Acton - Upper Burnie was 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. Median weekly rent in Acton - Upper Burnie was $238, compared to Non-Metro Tas.'s $240. Nationally, mortgage repayments averaged $1,863 and rents were $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 account for the remaining 42.3%, with lone person households at 40.3% and group households comprising 2.3%. 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 has lower university qualification rates than the Australian average, with 10.9% compared to 30.4%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 7.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications and graduate diplomas, both at 1.5%. Vocational credentials are held by 37.4% of residents aged 15+, including advanced diplomas (6.3%) and certificates (31.1%). Educational participation is high with 26.4% currently enrolled in formal education: 11.9% in primary, 7.3% in secondary, and 2.0% in tertiary education.

North West Support School and its Miandetta Campus serve 130 students collectively. Both schools offer integrated K-12 education for academic continuity. Local school capacity is limited at 3.8 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 16.4, leading many families to travel nearby for schooling.

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

The analysis of public transport in Acton - Upper Burnie shows that there are currently 20 operational transport stops, all of which serve buses. These stops are covered by a total of 45 distinct routes, resulting in 6,741 weekly passenger trips combined. The accessibility to transport is deemed excellent, with residents generally living within 198 meters of the nearest stop.

On average, there are 963 trips per day across all routes, which translates to approximately 337 weekly trips per individual 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. Private health cover stands at approximately 47% of the total population (~1,609 people), lower than the national average of 55.3%.

Mental health issues and asthma are the most prevalent conditions in the area, impacting 12.3 and 10.7% of residents respectively. Conversely, 56.8% of residents report having no medical ailments, compared to 60.3% across Rest of Tas.. The region has 20.5% of residents aged 65 and over (699 people), which is lower than the 24.7% in Rest of Tas.. Health outcomes among seniors are broadly inline with the general population's health profile, presenting some challenges.

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 - Upper Burnie's cultural diversity is below average. Its population comprises 91.6% citizens, with 90.6% born in Australia, and 96.1% speaking English only at home. Christianity is the predominant religion, accounting for 36.8%.

Hinduism is overrepresented compared to the rest of Tasmania, making up 0.9% versus 0.6%. The top three ancestry 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 over-represented at 13.6% in Acton - Upper Burnie, while the 55-64 year-olds are under-represented at 11.1%. Between the 2021 Census and the present day, the percentage of the population aged 15 to 24 has increased from 12.4% to 13.6%, the percentage of those aged 5 to 14 has decreased from 12.7% to 11.1%, and the percentage of those aged 55 to 64 has also dropped from 12.5% to 11.1%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate significant demographic changes in Acton - Upper Burnie, with the 85+ age cohort projected to expand by 42 people (44%), from 98 to 141. The aging population trend is evident, as those aged 65 and above are expected to comprise 54% of the projected growth. Conversely, the 0-4 and 35-44 age cohorts are anticipated to experience population declines.