Bridgewater - Gagebrook
Statistical Area - sa2

Population growth drivers in Bridgewater - Gagebrook are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Bridgewater - Gagebrook's population is 8,804 as of Aug 2025. This represents an increase of 654 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 8,150. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 8,669 in Jun 2024 and an additional 282 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 157 persons per square kilometer. Bridgewater - Gagebrook's growth rate of 8.0% since the 2021 census exceeds the SA4 region (4.2%) and the metropolitan area, indicating it is a growth leader. Natural growth contributed approximately 53.4% to overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data, Tasmania State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year are adopted and adjusted using a method of weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Projecting forward, an above median population growth is expected for the area, with a projected increase of 2,017 persons by 2041 based on the latest population numbers, resulting in a total increase of 21.4% over the 17 years.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Bridgewater - Gagebrook when compared nationally

Bridgewater-Gagebrook has recorded approximately 57 residential properties granted approval annually. Development approval data is sourced from the ABS on a financial year basis: 287 homes over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, with 2 approved so far in FY-26. This averages out to around 3.2 new residents per dwelling constructed annually between FY-21 and FY-25. Supply is lagging demand, leading to heightened buyer competition and pricing pressures, with new homes being built at an average expected construction cost of $381,000, consistent with regional patterns.

This financial year has seen $26.8 million in commercial development approvals, indicating balanced commercial development activity. Compared to Greater Hobart, Bridgewater-Gagebrook has about three-quarters the rate of new dwelling approvals per person and ranks among the 45th percentile nationally, offering limited choices for buyers and supporting demand for existing homes. New development consists primarily of standalone homes (94.0%) with a smaller proportion of townhouses or apartments (6.0%), preserving the area's low density nature and attracting space-seeking buyers.

The estimated population per dwelling approval is 1183 people, reflecting its quiet development environment. Population forecasts indicate Bridgewater-Gagebrook will gain approximately 1,882 residents by 2041. Development is keeping pace with projected growth, though increasing competition among buyers is expected as the population expands.

Bridgewater - Gagebrook has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 7thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 17 projects likely to impact the area. Key projects include New Bridgewater Bridge, Boyer Road Precinct Plan, New Bridgewater Bridge, and Main Road Granton Shared Path Extension. The following list details those likely to be most relevant.

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

Employment conditions in Bridgewater - Gagebrook face significant challenges, ranking among the bottom 10% of areas assessed nationally

Bridgewater - Gagebrook has a balanced workforce with both white and blue collar jobs. Key sectors include health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction.

As of June 2025, employment stands at 2,656 residents with an unemployment rate of 19.6%. This is 15.5% higher than Greater Hobart's rate of 4.1%. Workforce participation is lower at 46.9%, compared to Greater Hobart's 61.6%. Retail trade employment is particularly high, at 1.5 times the regional average.

However, education & training employs only 5.6% of local workers, below Greater Hobart's 10.8%. Over the year ending June 2025, employment increased by 0.6%, while labour force decreased by 1.6%, reducing the unemployment rate by 1.8 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Hobart saw an employment decline of 1.5% and a 0.2 percentage point drop in unemployment. State-wide, Tasmania's employment grew by 0.77% year-on-year to Sep-25, with an unemployment rate of 4.3%. Nationally, the unemployment rate was 4.5%, with Tasmania outpacing national employment growth average of 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia forecasts national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Bridgewater - Gagebrook's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.2% over five years and 13.1% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

The area's income levels rank in the lower 15% nationally based on AreaSearch comparative data

Bridgewater - Gagebrook's median income among taxpayers was $48,671 in financial year 2022. The average income stood at $53,540 during the same period. These figures compare to Greater Hobart's median and average incomes of $51,272 and $63,777 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 11.94% since financial year 2022, estimated current incomes would be approximately $54,482 (median) and $59,933 (average) as of March 2025. According to the 2021 Census, household, family and personal incomes in Bridgewater - Gagebrook all fall between the 3rd and 5th percentiles nationally. The data shows that 31.8% of the community earns between $400 and $799 per week (2,799 individuals). This differs from patterns across the surrounding region where earnings between $1,500 and $2,999 dominate with 32.2%. The prevalence of lower-income residents (41.8% under $800/week) indicates constrained household budgets across much of this suburb. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 79.0% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 4th percentile nationally.

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

Bridgewater - Gagebrook's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 90.9% houses and 9.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This is compared to Hobart metro's 89.1% houses and 10.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Bridgewater - Gagebrook stood at 18.3%, with mortgaged dwellings at 24.0% and rented ones at 57.7%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,083, lower than Hobart metro's average of $1,400. The median weekly rent in Bridgewater - Gagebrook was $250, compared to Hobart metro's $280. Nationally, Bridgewater - Gagebrook's mortgage repayments were significantly lower at $1,083 versus Australia's average of $1,863, while rents were substantially below the national figure of $375 at $250.

Bridgewater - Gagebrook has a typical household mix, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households account for 71.0% of all households, including 22.6% couples with children, 16.7% couples without children, and 29.7% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 29.0%, with lone person households at 25.9% and group households comprising 3.3%. The median household size is 2.6 people, aligning with the Greater Hobart average.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 7.8%, significantly lower than the SA4 region average of 32.8%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 5.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.0%) and graduate diplomas (0.8%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 36.1% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas (5.4%) and certificates (30.7%). Educational participation is high at 34.8%, including primary education (17.0%), secondary education (9.4%), and tertiary education (1.7%).

Six schools operate in Bridgewater-Gagebrook, educating approximately 1,281 students. The area has five primary and one secondary school, serving distinct age groups. It functions as an educational hub with 14.6 school places per 100 residents, higher than the regional average of 8.4, attracting students from surrounding communities.

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

Transport analysis indicates 85 active transport stops in Bridgewater - Gagebrook area, all of which are bus services. These stops are served by 110 unique routes, collectively facilitating 9,434 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as moderate, with residents on average located 404 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 1,347 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 110 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Bridgewater - Gagebrook faces significant health challenges, with various health conditions affecting both younger and older residents. Private health cover is low in the area, at approximately 47% of the total population (~4,137 people), compared to the national average of 55.3%.

Mental health issues and asthma are the most common medical conditions, impacting 13.5 and 11.3% of residents respectively. However, 59.2% of residents claim to be completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 63.0% across Greater Hobart. The area has 12.8% of residents aged 65 and over (1,123 people), which is lower than the 15.7% in Greater Hobart. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, broadly in line with the general population's health profile.

The latest Census data sees Bridgewater - Gagebrook placing among the least culturally diverse areas in the country when compared across a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Bridgewater-Gagebrook was found to have low cultural diversity, with 88.1% citizens, 94.3% born in Australia, and 96.4% speaking English only at home. Christianity is the dominant religion, accounting for 35.5%. The 'Other' religious category is slightly overrepresented at 0.8%, compared to Greater Hobart's 0.6%.

In terms of ancestry, Australians make up 35.3%, followed by English (33.8%) and Australian Aboriginal (12.0%).

Bridgewater - Gagebrook hosts a very young demographic, ranking in the bottom 10% of areas nationwide

The median age in Bridgewater - Gagebrook is 31, which is younger than Greater Hobart's figure of 39 and Australia's average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Hobart, Bridgewater - Gagebrook has a higher proportion of residents aged 5-14 (17.1%) but fewer residents aged 75-84 (3.9%). Between the 2021 Census and the present day, the population aged 25-34 has grown from 14.6% to 16.1%, while those aged 15-24 increased from 14.3% to 15.3%. Conversely, the proportion of residents aged 45-54 has declined from 11.0% to 9.7%. Population forecasts for Bridgewater - Gagebrook indicate substantial demographic changes by 2041. The 35-44 age group is projected to grow strongly at a rate of 36%, adding 371 residents to reach a total of 1,402. Meanwhile, the 55-64 age group is forecast to decrease by 31 residents.