Bruny Island - Kettering
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Bruny Island - Kettering's population is around 3,653 as of Aug 2025. This reflects an increase of 206 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 3,447 people. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 3,607 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 90 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 8.2 persons per square kilometer. Bruny Island - Kettering's growth rate of 6.0% since the 2021 census exceeded the state (4.5%) and the non-metro area, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration contributing approximately 68.7% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered, Tasmania State Government's Regional/LGA projections are adopted with adjustments made employing a method of weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Moving forward, based on demographic trends and latest population numbers, the area is expected to increase by 440 persons to 2041, reflecting an increase of 10.8% in total over the 17 years.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Bruny Island - Kettering when compared nationally

Bruny Island - Kettering has seen approximately 22 new home approvals per year over the past five financial years, totalling 113 homes. As of FY-26, there have been 8 recorded approvals. On average, around 2.6 people have moved to the area annually for each new home constructed between FY-21 and FY-25, indicating strong demand that supports property values. The average construction cost value of these new homes is $389,000.

This financial year has also seen $154,000 in commercial approvals, reflecting the area's residential nature. Compared to the Rest of Tas., Bruny Island - Kettering has 12.0% less new development per person but ranks among the 77th percentile nationally. All recent developments have been detached dwellings, maintaining the area's traditional low-density character with a focus on family homes.

With around 166 people per approval, Bruny Island - Kettering is considered a developing area. Population forecasts indicate it will gain 394 residents by 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing favorable conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Bruny Island - Kettering has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 6thth percentile nationally

No changes were identified by AreaSearch that could significantly impact the region's performance. Key projects include Hobart City Deal, Tasmanian Irrigation Schemes: Tranche 3, Cethana Pumped Hydro Energy Storage Project, and Marinus Link.

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

While Bruny Island - Kettering retains a healthy unemployment rate of 2.6%, recent employment declines have impacted its national performance ranking

Bruny Island - Kettering has an educated workforce with significant representation in essential services sectors. As of June 2025, the unemployment rate is 2.6%.

The area's unemployment rate is 1.3% lower than Rest of Tas.'s rate of 3.9%, but workforce participation lags behind at 50.6% compared to Rest of Tas.'s 55.7%. Key industries employing residents are health care & social assistance, education & training, and construction. The area notably concentrates professional & technical jobs, with employment levels at 1.9 times the regional average. However, retail trade employs only 6.2% of local workers, below Rest of Tas.'s 10.1%.

Census data indicates limited local employment opportunities as fewer residents work locally than live there. Between June 2024 and June 2025, the labour force decreased by 5.1%, with a 5.8% employment decline, leading to an unemployment rate rise of 0.8 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of Tas. experienced a 0.5% employment decline and a 0.6% labour force decline. State-level data from Sep-25 shows TAS employment grew by 0.77%, adding 1,170 jobs, with the state unemployment rate at 4.3%. Nationally, employment growth was 0.26% year-on-year to Sep-25, and the national unemployment rate was 4.5%. Jobs and Skills Australia's forecasts from May 2025 suggest national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Bruny Island - Kettering's employment mix indicates potential local growth of approximately 6.2%% over five years and 13.0% over ten years, although this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not consider localised population projections.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year 2022 shows Bruny Island - Kettering had a median income among taxpayers of $43,905 and an average of $59,964. This is lower than the national average, with Rest of Tas.'s median being $47,358 and average being $57,384. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 11.94% from financial year 2022 to March 2025, estimated incomes would be approximately $49,147 (median) and $67,124 (average). According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in Bruny Island - Kettering fall between the 19th and 20th percentiles nationally. Income distribution shows that 29.2% of locals (1,066 people) earn between $1,500 and $2,999, similar to regional levels where 28.5% are in this bracket. Housing costs allow for retention of 89.3% of income, but total disposable income ranks at the 27th percentile nationally, with the area's SEIFA income ranking placing it in the 5th decile.

Bruny Island - Kettering is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Bruny Island - Kettering's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 96.9% houses and 3.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This is similar to Non-Metro Tas., which had 96.8% houses and 3.2% other dwellings. Home ownership in Bruny Island - Kettering stood at 57.4%, with mortgaged dwellings at 32.2% and rented ones at 10.4%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,450, higher than Non-Metro Tas.'s average of $1,300. The median weekly rent was $300, compared to Non-Metro Tas.'s $290. Nationally, Bruny Island - Kettering's mortgage repayments were lower at $1,450 versus Australia's average of $1,863, and rents were also lower at $300 compared to the national figure of $375.

Bruny Island - Kettering has a typical household mix, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 72.1% of all households, including 22.0% that are couples with children, 42.5% that are couples without children, and 7.1% that are single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 27.9%, with lone person households at 26.7% and group households comprising 1.1% of the total. The median household size is 2.2 people, which is smaller than the Rest of Tas. average of 2.4.

The educational profile of Bruny Island - Kettering exceeds national averages, with above-average qualification levels and academic performance metrics

Educational attainment in Bruny Island - Kettering shows that 33.8% of residents aged 15 and above have university qualifications, which is higher than the Rest of Tas. (19.3%) and SA4 region (21.0%). Bachelor degrees are most common at 21.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 8.9% and graduate diplomas at 3.9%. Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 36.7% of residents aged 15 and above holding them. This includes advanced diplomas (12.9%) and certificates (23.8%).

Currently, 24.5% of the population is actively pursuing formal education, including 9.6% in primary, 7.0% in secondary, and 3.2% in tertiary education. Woodbridge School and Bruny Island District School serve a total of 395 students, with the area having typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 1022). There is one primary and one K-12 school, with a capacity exceeding residential needs at 10.8 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 8.7, indicating it serves as an educational center for the broader region.

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

Bruny Island - Kettering has 29 active public transport stops. These are served by a total of 46 bus routes, which together facilitate 5049 weekly passenger trips. Residents' access to transport is limited; they typically live 6351 meters away from the nearest stop.

Across all routes, there are an average of 721 daily trips and approximately 174 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Bruny Island - Kettering is well below average with prevalence of common health conditions notable across both younger and older age cohorts

Bruny Island - Kettering faces significant health challenges, with common conditions prevalent across both younger and older age groups. Approximately half (50%) of its total population (~1,808 people) has private health cover, compared to 47.1% in the rest of Tasmania and a national average of 55.3%. The most frequent medical conditions are arthritis (affecting 12.2% of residents) and mental health issues (8.8%).

About two-thirds (63.7%) of residents report no medical ailments, slightly higher than the rest of Tasmania at 62.7%. The area has a larger proportion of seniors aged 65 and over, with 33.0% (1,206 people) compared to 25.4% in the rest of Tasmania. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors are above average and outperform those of the general population.

Bruny Island - Kettering ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Bruny Island-Kettering had a cultural diversity score below average, with 79.3% of its population born in Australia, 89.1% being citizens, and 94.9% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the dominant religion, comprising 33.3% of people in Bruny Island-Kettering. The most notable overrepresentation was in Judaism, with 0.1% of the population compared to 0.1% across Rest of Tas.

In terms of ancestry, the top groups were English at 34.9%, Australian at 26.1%, and Scottish at 10.2%. Some ethnic groups showed notable differences: Dutch at 1.9% (vs regional 1.7%), French at 0.8% (vs 0.5%), and Welsh at 0.7% (vs 0.6%).

Bruny Island - Kettering ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide

The median age in Bruny Island - Kettering is 54 years, which is notably higher than Rest of Tas.'s average of 45 years and significantly exceeds Australia's median age of 38 years. The 65-74 age group comprises 19.1% of the population, higher than Rest of Tas., while the 25-34 cohort makes up 5.6%, which is less prevalent compared to Rest of Tas. This concentration in the 65-74 age group is well above the national average of 9.4%. According to the 2021 Census, the 75 to 84 age group has grown from 8.5% to 11.6%, while the 55 to 64 cohort has declined from 18.3% to 16.3% and the 65 to 74 group has dropped from 20.4% to 19.1%. Looking ahead to 2041, demographic projections reveal significant shifts in Bruny Island - Kettering's age structure, with the strongest projected growth in the 45-54 cohort at 43%, adding 201 residents to reach 668. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 0-4 and 65-74 cohorts.