Burnie - Wivenhoe
Statistical Area - sa2

Burnie - Wivenhoe is positioned among the lower quartile of areas assessed nationally for population growth based on AreaSearch's assessment of recent, and medium term trends

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Burnie - Wivenhoe's population is around 3681 as of Aug 2025. This reflects a decrease of 98 people (2.6%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 3779 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 3677 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 19 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 321 persons per square kilometer, providing significant space per person and potential room for further development. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration that contributed approximately 60% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting 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. Moving forward with demographic trends, Over this period, projections indicate a decline in overall population, with the area's population expected to shrink by 24 persons by 2041 according to this methodology. However, growth across specific age cohorts is anticipated, led by the 65 to 74 age group, which is projected to expand by 70 people.

The level of residential development activity in Burnie - Wivenhoe is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

Burnie-Wivenhoe had 1 new dwelling approved annually over the past five years, totalling 9. This low development reflects its rural nature, where housing needs drive construction rather than market demand. Yearly growth figures vary due to low approval numbers.

Compared to Rest of Tas., Burnie-Wivenhoe has much lower activity, below national averages. Recent developments were all detached houses, reflecting the area's rural character and strong demand for family homes (85.0% at Census). With an estimated 2770 people per dwelling approval, the quiet development environment is expected to see stable or declining housing demand due to population projections, benefiting potential buyers.

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

Burnie - Wivenhoe has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 11thth percentile nationally

"Infrastructure changes significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch identified nine projects likely impacting the area, including key initiatives such as the Burnie City Centre Urban Plan, Burnie Cultural Precinct Redevelopment, Parklands High School Redevelopment, and Port of Burnie - Burnie Gateway Project. The following list details those most relevant.".

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

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

Wivenhoe's workforce is skilled with well-represented essential services sectors. The unemployment rate was 9.2% in the past year.

Employment growth was estimated at 2.6%. As of June 2025, 1,633 residents were employed while the unemployment rate was 5.2%, higher than Rest of Tas.'s 3.9%. Workforce participation was similar to Rest of Tas.'s 55.7%. Key industries included health care & social assistance, retail trade, and accommodation & food, with retail trade showing strong specialization at 1.3 times the regional level.

Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing had lower representation at 3.5% compared to the regional average of 8.4%. The area functioned as an employment hub with 1.7 workers per resident. In the past year, employment increased by 2.6%, labour force by 2.2%, and unemployment fell by 0.4 percentage points. By comparison, Rest of Tas. saw employment decline of 0.5% and labour force decline of 0.6%. State-level data to Sep-25 showed TAS employment grew by 0.77%, with the state unemployment rate at 4.3%. National employment forecasts from May 2025 projected national growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but local growth was estimated at approximately 6.1% over five years and 13.2% over ten years based on Burnie - Wivenhoe's employment mix.

Income figures position the area below 75% of locations analysed nationally by AreaSearch

Burnie - Wivenhoe's median taxpayer income was $49,068 and average income was $59,642 in financial year 2022. This is lower than the national average, with Rest of Tas.'s median income being $47,358 and average income $57,384. By March 2025, estimated incomes would be approximately $54,927 (median) and $66,763 (average), based on Wage Price Index growth of 11.94%. According to the 2021 Census, Burnie - Wivenhoe's household, family, and personal incomes rank between the 7th and 16th percentiles nationally. The $400 - 799 earnings band captures 28.7% of the community (1,056 individuals), contrasting with the surrounding region where the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket leads at 28.5%. After housing costs, 85.4% of income remains, ranking at the 9th percentile nationally.

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

Burnie-Wivenhoe's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, were 84.6% houses and 15.4% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Non-Metro Tas.'s figures of 90.3% houses and 9.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Burnie-Wivenhoe was at 31.5%, with mortgaged dwellings at 28.9% and rented ones at 39.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $961, below Non-Metro Tas.'s average of $1,200. The median weekly rent figure was recorded as $240, matching Non-Metro Tas.'s figure. Nationally, Burnie-Wivenhoe's mortgage repayments were significantly lower at $961 compared to Australia's average of $1,863, while rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Burnie - Wivenhoe features high concentrations of lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households comprise 60.2% of all households, including 18.7% couples with children, 24.9% couples without children, and 15.0% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 39.8%, with lone person households at 36.4% and group households comprising 3.7%. The median household size is 2.1 people, which is smaller than the Rest of Tas. average of 2.3.

Burnie - Wivenhoe 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 at 17.6%, significantly below the Australian average of 30.4%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most prevalent at 11.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 3.9% and graduate diplomas at 1.8%. Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 39.2% of residents aged 15 and above holding vocational credentials - advanced diplomas at 8.7% and certificates at 30.5%.

Educational participation is high, with 27.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.6% in primary education, 7.3% in secondary education, and 3.1% pursuing tertiary education. Burnie-Wivenhoe's three schools have a combined enrolment of 282 students. Education provision is balanced with two primary and one secondary school serving distinct age groups. Local school capacity is limited at 7.7 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 16.3, leading many families to travel for schooling. Note: where schools show 'n/a' for enrolments, please refer to the parent campus.

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

Burnie-Wivenhoe has 36 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 56 different routes that together facilitate 5720 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents on average living just 216 meters from the nearest stop.

On an average day, there are 817 trips across all routes, which equates to around 158 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Health data for Burnie - Wivenhoe shows significant health challenges, with common conditions prevalent across both younger and older age groups. Approximately 50% (~1,822 people) have private health cover, lower than the national average of 55.3%.

Mental health issues affect 11.3% of residents, while arthritis impacts 10.4%. About 59.9% report no medical ailments, slightly below the Rest of Tas. average of 60.3%. The area has 19.6% (721 people) aged 65 and over, lower than Rest of Tas.'s 24.7%. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges but perform better than the general population in health metrics.

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

Burnie-Wivenhoe was found to have below average cultural diversity, with 88.5% of its population being Australian citizens, born in Australia (86.7%), and speaking English only at home (93.4%). The dominant religion in Burnie-Wivenhoe is Christianity, comprising 36.5% of the population. Notably, the 'Other' religious category is overrepresented compared to the Rest of Tas., with 1.1% of Burnie-Wivenhoe's population, compared to 0.4%.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups in Burnie-Wivenhoe are Australian (32.4%), English (32.3%), and Irish (7.7%). There are notable differences in the representation of certain ethnic groups: Australian Aboriginal is overrepresented at 5.5% in Burnie-Wivenhoe compared to 5.9% regionally, Dutch at 1.4% vs 1.7%, and Sri Lankan at 0.2% vs 0.1%.

Burnie - Wivenhoe's population is slightly older than the national pattern

Burnie-Wivenhoe's median age is 40 years, which is significantly below the Rest of Tasmania average of 45 but somewhat older than Australia's median age of 38 years. The age profile shows that those aged 25-34 years are particularly prominent, making up 14.8% of the population, while those aged 75-84 years comprise only 5.5%. Between 2021 and present, the proportion of residents aged 5 to 14 years has increased from 11.5% to 12.5%, whereas the 45 to 54 age group has declined from 12.4% to 10.8%. By 2041, population forecasts indicate substantial demographic changes in Burnie-Wivenhoe. The 65 to 74 age cohort is projected to grow by 13%, adding 57 residents and reaching a total of 485. Senior residents aged 65 years and above will account for all population growth, highlighting trends towards an aging population. Conversely, population declines are projected for those aged 15-24 years and 5-14 years.