Bridgewater - Gagebrook

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

Bridgewater - Gagebrook's population is 8,713 as of February 2026. This shows an increase of 563 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 8,150. The change is inferred from ABS data showing an estimated resident population of 8,669 in June 2024 and an additional 293 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density of 156 persons per square kilometer. Bridgewater - Gagebrook's growth rate of 6.9% since the 2021 census exceeded both the SA4 region (4.9%) and Greater Hobart, indicating it as a regional growth leader. Natural growth contributed approximately 53.4% to overall population gains recently.

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 post-2032 estimates, Tasmania State Government's Regional/LGA projections are adopted with adjustments made using weighted aggregation methods. Population projections indicate above median growth, with the area expected to increase by 2,017 persons to 2041 based on latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a total increase of 22.6% over the 17 years.

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

Bridgewater - Gagebrook saw around 57 new homes approved annually over the past five financial years, totalling 287 homes. So far in FY-26, 6 approvals have been recorded. On average, 3.2 people moved to the area each year for every dwelling built between FY-21 and FY-25. This supply lagged demand, leading to buyer competition and pricing pressures.

New properties were constructed at an average value of $230,000. In FY-26, there have been $26.8 million in commercial approvals, indicating steady investment activity. Compared to Greater Hobart, Bridgewater - Gagebrook had around three-quarters the rate of new dwelling approvals per person and ranked among the 44th percentile nationally, resulting in relatively constrained buyer choice favouring existing homes.

New development consisted of 94.0% standalone homes and 6.0% townhouses or apartments, preserving the area's low density nature and attracting space-seeking buyers. The estimated population per dwelling approval was 1183 people. By 2041, Bridgewater - Gagebrook is projected to grow by 1,973 residents, with building activity keeping pace with growth projections despite potential heightened competition among buyers as the population increases.

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

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 16 projects that could impact the area. Notable ones include New Bridgewater Bridge, Boyer Road Precinct Plan, Main Road Granton Shared Path Extension, and Whitestone Point Housing Development. The following list details those likely to be most relevant.

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 had an 18.6% unemployment rate in September 2025, with estimated employment growth of 1.5% over the past year. As of that date, 2,726 residents were employed while the unemployment rate was 14.5% higher than Greater Hobart's rate of 4.0%. Workforce participation stood at 51.3%, significantly lower than Greater Hobart's 63.8%.

Just 3.3% of residents worked from home as per Census responses, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts may have influenced this figure. Leading industries for employed residents were health care & social assistance, retail trade, and construction. Retail trade stood out with employment levels at 1.5 times the regional average. Conversely, education & training employed only 5.6% of local workers, below Greater Hobart's 10.8%.

Employment increased by 1.5% while labour force decreased by 0.7% in Bridgewater-Gagebrook over the year to September 2025, leading to a 1.7 percentage point drop in unemployment rate. In contrast, Greater Hobart saw employment decline of 0.7% and labour force decline of 0.9%, with a 0.2 percentage point drop in unemployment rate. National employment forecasts from May-25 project growth rates differing significantly between industry sectors over five and ten-year periods. Applying these projections to Bridgewater-Gagebrook's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.2% over five years and 13.1% over ten years, though these are simple weighted extrapolations for illustrative purposes and do not account for localized population projections.

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

The Bridgewater - Gagebrook SA2's median income among taxpayers was $51,596 in financial year 2023. The average income stood at $56,168 during the same period. These figures are lower than those for Greater Hobart, which were $54,577 and $65,190 respectively. By September 2025, current estimates project the median income to be approximately $56,549 and the average income to reach around $61,560, based on a 9.6% growth in wages since financial year 2023. According to the 2021 Census, incomes in Bridgewater - Gagebrook fall between the 2nd and 4th percentiles nationally. The earnings band of $400 - 799 captures 31.8% of the community's individuals (2,770), unlike surrounding regions where the $1,500 - 2,999 band dominates with 32.2%. This indicates that 41.8% of residents earn less than $800 per week, suggesting constrained household budgets across much of the suburb. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 79.0% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 3rd percentile nationally.

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

The latest Census revealed that in Bridgewater - Gagebrook, 90.9% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 9.1% consisting of semi-detached homes, apartments, and other types. In contrast, Hobart metropolitan had 85.3% houses and 14.7% 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 the Hobart metro average of $1,517. Median weekly rent in Bridgewater - Gagebrook was $250, compared to $350 in Hobart metro. Nationally, Bridgewater - Gagebrook's mortgage repayments were significantly lower at $1,083 versus Australia's average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 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 comprise the remaining 29.0%, with lone person households at 25.9% and group households at 3.3%. The median household size is 2.6 people, 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'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 such qualifications, including advanced diplomas (5.4%) and certificates (30.7%). Educational participation is high at 34.8%, with 17.0% in primary education, 9.4% in secondary education, and 1.7% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Bridgewater - Gagebrook has 83 active public transport stops operating within its area, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by a total of 146 routes, collectively facilitating 11,618 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of transport in the area is moderate, with residents typically residing 407 meters from their nearest stop. As a predominantly residential region, most residents commute outward for work. Cars remain the primary mode of transportation, used by 92% of residents, while only 5% opt for public buses. On average, there are 1.2 vehicles per dwelling in Bridgewater - Gagebrook, which is lower than the regional average.

According to the 2021 Census data, a relatively low 3.3% of residents work from home, possibly due to COVID-19 conditions. The service frequency across all routes averages 1,659 trips per day, 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

Bridgewater - Gagebrook faces significant health challenges, as indicated by AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Multiple health conditions impact both younger and older age groups. Private health cover is low, at approximately 48% of the total population (~4,138 people), compared to Greater Hobart's 51.7% and the national average of 55.7%.

Mental health issues affect 13.5% of residents, while asthma impacts 11.3%. Conversely, 59.2% report no medical ailments, compared to 65.5% in Greater Hobart. Working-age residents face notable health challenges due to elevated chronic condition rates. The area has 13.1% of residents aged 65 and over (1,142 people), lower than Greater Hobart's 19.9%. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, generally aligning with national rankings.

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 showed cultural diversity below average levels. Its population was predominantly citizens (88.1%) and born in Australia (94.3%), with English spoken at home by 96.4%. Christianity was the dominant religion, comprising 35.5% of residents.

The 'Other' religious category had a lower representation than Greater Hobart's average (0.8% vs. 1.1%). In terms of ancestry, Bridgewater-Gagebrook had higher proportions of Australian (35.3%), English (33.8%), and Australian Aboriginal (12.0%) heritage compared to regional averages of 28.0%, 24.6%, and 3.0% respectively.

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

Bridgewater-Gagebrook has a median age of 31, which is younger than Greater Hobart's figure of 39 and Australia's national average of 38 years. Compared to Greater Hobart, Bridgewater-Gagebrook has a higher proportion of residents aged 5-14 (16.8%) but fewer residents aged 75-84 (4.2%). Between the 2021 Census and now, the population aged 25-34 has grown from 14.6% to 15.9%, while the 75-84 age group increased from 3.1% to 4.2%. Conversely, the 45-54 age group declined from 11.0% to 9.5%, and the 5-14 age group dropped from 18.0% to 16.8%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate significant demographic changes in Bridgewater-Gagebrook. The 35-44 age cohort is projected to grow by 35%, adding 363 residents to reach a total of 1,402. Meanwhile, the 55-64 age cohort is expected to grow by 0% (an increase of just 2 people).