Bridgewater - Gagebrook

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

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Bridgewater - Gagebrook's population is around 8,713 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 563 people (6.9%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 8,150 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 8,669 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 293 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 156 persons per square kilometer, providing significant space per person and potential room for further development. Bridgewater - Gagebrook's 6.9% growth since the 2021 census exceeded the SA4 region (4.9%) and Greater Hobart, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by natural growth, which contributed approximately 53.4% of overall population gains during recent periods, although all drivers, including interstate and overseas migration, were positive factors.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For any SA2 areas not covered by this data, and to estimate growth by age group in the years post-2032, the Tasmania State Government's Regional/LGA projections, released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year, are adopted with adjustments made employing a method of weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Looking at population projections moving forward, an above-median population growth of statistical areas across the nation is projected, with the area expected to increase by 2,017 persons by 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an increase of 22.6% in total over the 17 years.

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

Bridgewater - Gagebrook has seen around 57 new homes approved annually, totalling 287 homes over the past 5 financial years. So far in FY-26, 7 approvals have been recorded. With an average of 3.2 people per year moving to the area for each dwelling built over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25), supply is substantially lagging demand, which generally means heightened buyer competition, leading to pricing pressures, while new properties are constructed at an average value of $230,000. There have also been $26.8 million in commercial approvals this financial year, indicating steady commercial investment activity.

Compared to Greater Hobart, Bridgewater - Gagebrook has around three-quarters the rate of new dwelling approvals per person while it places among the 44th percentile of areas assessed nationally, resulting in relatively constrained buyer choice, supporting interest in existing homes. New development consists of 94.0% standalone homes and 6.0% townhouses or apartments, preserving the area's low density nature with an emphasis on detached housing attracting space-seeking buyers. The estimated count of 1183 people in the area per dwelling approval reflects its quiet, low activity development environment.

Looking ahead, Bridgewater - Gagebrook is expected to grow by 1,973 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). Building activity is keeping pace with growth projections, though buyers may experience heightened competition as the population grows.

Bridgewater - Gagebrook has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 14thth percentile nationally

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total 16 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include New Bridgewater Bridge, Boyer Road Precinct Plan, Main Road Granton Shared Path Extension, and Whitestone Point Housing Development, with the list below detailing those likely to be of most relevance.

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

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

Bridgewater - Gagebrook has a balanced workforce spanning white and blue collar employment, with essential services sectors well represented, an unemployment rate of 18.6%, and 1.9% in estimated employment growth over the past year. As of December 2025, 2,732 residents are in work while the unemployment rate is 14.6% above Greater Hobart's rate of 4.0%, showing room for improvement, and workforce participation lags significantly (51.5% compared to Greater Hobart's 64.0%). Based on Census responses, a low 3.3% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

Leading employment industries among residents comprise health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction. The area demonstrates a particularly notable concentration in retail trade, with employment levels at 1.5 times the regional average. In contrast, education & training employs just 5.6% of local workers, below Greater Hobart's 10.8%. The area appears to offer limited employment opportunities locally, as indicated by the count of the Census working population versus the resident population.

Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data, over the 12 months to December 2025, employment increased by 1.9% while the labour force decreased by 0.1%, causing the unemployment rate to fall by 1.6 percentage points. In contrast, Greater Hobart experienced employment growth of 0.1% and a labour force decline of 0.1%, with a 0.2 percentage point drop. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 can offer further insight into potential future demand within Bridgewater - Gagebrook. These projections, covering five and ten-year periods, have been mapped against the local employment profile to estimate growth patterns. While national employment is forecast to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these industry-specific projections to Bridgewater - Gagebrook's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.2% over five years and 13.1% over ten years (please note this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections).

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

The Bridgewater - Gagebrook SA2's income level is lower than average on a national basis according to the latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for FY-23. The Bridgewater - Gagebrook SA2's median income among taxpayers is $51,596 and the average income stands at $56,168, which compares to figures for Greater Hobart's of $54,577 and $65,190 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.6% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $56,549 (median) and $61,560 (average) as of September 2025. According to 2021 Census figures, household, family and personal incomes in Bridgewater - Gagebrook all fall between the 2nd and 4th percentiles nationally. The data shows the $400 - 799 earnings band captures 31.8% of the community (2,770 individuals), differing from patterns across the surrounding region where $1,500 - 2,999 dominates 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, ranking at the 3rd percentile.

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

Dwelling structure within Bridgewater - Gagebrook, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 90.9% houses and 9.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), in comparison to Hobart metro's 85.3% houses and 14.7% other dwellings. Meanwhile, the level of home ownership within Bridgewater - Gagebrook was lagging that of Hobart metro, at 18.3%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (24.0%) or rented (57.7%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was well below the Hobart metro average at $1,083, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $250, compared to Hobart metro's $1,517 and $350. Nationally, Bridgewater - Gagebrook's mortgage repayments are significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are substantially below the national figure of $375.

Bridgewater - Gagebrook has a typical household mix, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households dominate at 71.0% of all households, comprising 22.6% couples with children, 16.7% couples without children, and 29.7% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 29.0%, with lone person households at 25.9% and group households comprising 3.3% of the total. The median household size of 2.6 people is larger than the Greater Hobart average of 2.4.

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

The area faces educational challenges, with university qualification rates (7.8%) substantially below the SA4 region average of 32.8%. This represents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees lead at 5.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.0%) and graduate diplomas (0.8%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 36.1% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials, including advanced diplomas (5.4%) and certificates (30.7%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 34.8% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 17.0% in primary education, 9.4% in secondary education, and 1.7% 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 reveals 83 active transport stops operating within Bridgewater - Gagebrook, comprising a mix of buses. These stops are serviced by 146 individual routes, collectively providing 11,618 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as moderate, with residents typically located 407 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward; the car remains the dominant mode at 92%, with 5% by bus. Vehicle ownership averages 1.2 per dwelling, below the regional average. A relatively low 3.3% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 1,659 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 139 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

Critical health challenges are evident across Bridgewater-Gagebrook, based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. A range of health conditions have marked impacts on both younger and older age cohorts, and the rate of private health cover is very low at approximately 48% of the total population (~4,138 people). This compares to 51.7% across Greater Hobart and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions in the area are mental health issues and asthma, impacting 13.5% and 11.3% of residents, respectively, while 59.2% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 65.5% across Greater Hobart. The working-age population faces notable health challenges with elevated chronic condition rates. The area has 13.1% of residents aged 65 and over (1,142 people), which is lower than the 19.9% in Greater Hobart. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

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 be below average in terms of cultural diversity, with 88.1% of its population being citizens, 94.3% born in Australia, and 96.4% speaking English only at home. The main religion in Bridgewater - Gagebrook is Christianity, which makes up 35.5% of people. However, the most apparent overrepresentation was in Other, which comprises 0.8% of the population, compared to 1.1% across Greater Hobart.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Bridgewater - Gagebrook are Australian, comprising 35.3% of the population, which is substantially higher than the regional average of 28.0%, English, comprising 33.8% of the population, and Australian Aboriginal, comprising 12.0% of the population, which is substantially higher than the regional average of 3.0%.

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

With a median age of 31, Bridgewater - Gagebrook is materially younger than the Greater Hobart figure of 39 and is substantially under Australia's 38 years. Relative to Greater Hobart, Bridgewater - Gagebrook has a higher concentration of 5 - 14 residents (16.8%) but fewer 75 - 84 year-olds (4.2%). Since the 2021 Census, the 25 to 34 age group has grown from 14.6% to 15.9% of the population, while the 75 to 84 cohort increased from 3.1% to 4.2%. Conversely, the 45 to 54 cohort has declined from 11.0% to 9.5% and the 5 to 14 group dropped from 18.0% to 16.8%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate substantial demographic changes for Bridgewater - Gagebrook. The 35 to 44 cohort shows the strongest projected growth at 35%, adding 363 residents to reach 1,402. Meanwhile, the 55 to 64 cohort grows by a modest 0% (2 people).