East Devonport

An assessment of population growth drivers in East Devonport reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

East Devonport's population was approximately 5,391 as of February 2026. This figure represents an increase of 316 people, a 6.2% rise from the 2021 Census which reported a population of 5,075. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 5,281 in June 2024 and an additional 155 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 407 persons per square kilometer. East Devonport's growth exceeded the SA4 region (5.1%) and the state level between 2021 and February 2026, indicating it as a growth leader. Overseas migration was the primary driver for this population increase.

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 growth by age group, Tasmania State Government's Regional/LGA projections are adopted, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021, using weighted aggregation methods for estimation. Based on these projections, lower quartile growth is anticipated for non-metropolitan areas nationally, with East Devonport expected to grow by 95 persons to 2041, reflecting a total reduction of 0.3% over the 17-year period.

Recent residential development output has been above average within East Devonport when compared nationally

East Devonport has seen approximately 37 new homes approved annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, around 189 homes were approved, with an additional 16 approved so far in FY26. On average, about 1.3 people have moved to the area per dwelling built over these five years, indicating balanced supply and demand conditions. However, this has eased to 0.8 people per dwelling over the past two financial years, reflecting improved supply availability.

New properties are constructed at an average expected cost of $238,000. This year, $951,000 in commercial approvals have been registered, highlighting the area's residential focus. Compared to the rest of Tasmania, East Devonport has slightly more development activity, with 23.0% above the regional average per person over the five-year period.

This preserves reasonable buyer options while sustaining existing property demand. Recent building activity consists entirely of standalone homes, maintaining the area's traditional low-density character and appealing to those seeking family homes with space. The location has approximately 144 people per dwelling approval, indicating a low-density market. With population projections showing stability or decline, East Devonport is expected to experience reduced housing demand pressures in the future, benefiting potential buyers.

East Devonport has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 25thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 14 projects likely impacting the area. Key projects include Devonport Mental Health Hub, Spirit of Tasmania New Vessels and Port Upgrade, TasPorts QuayLink Port Development, and Devonport Oval Sports Complex. The following list details those most relevant.

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

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

The labour market performance in East Devonport lags significantly behind most other regions nationally

East Devonport has a diverse workforce with white and blue collar jobs across various sectors. The unemployment rate was 6.8% in September 2025, with an estimated employment growth of 7.3% over the past year. As of that date, 2,174 residents were employed while the unemployment rate was 3.0% higher than Rest of Tas.'s rate of 3.8%.

Workforce participation in East Devonport was at 52.6%, compared to Rest of Tas.'s 58.6%. Census responses showed that only 5.5% of residents worked from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered. Key industries of employment among residents were health care & social assistance, retail trade, and agriculture, forestry & fishing. The area had a strong specialization in transport, postal & warehousing, with an employment share 1.6 times the regional level.

However, education & training was under-represented, with only 5.1% of East Devonport's workforce compared to 8.8% in Rest of Tas.. Employment opportunities locally appeared limited, as indicated by the count of Census working population versus resident population. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment increased by 7.3% while labour force increased by 6.0%, causing a fall in unemployment rate by 1.1 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of Tas. experienced employment growth of 0.7% and labour force growth of 0.5%, with a drop in unemployment rate by 0.2 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project national employment to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but growth rates differ significantly between industry sectors. Applying these projections to East Devonport's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 5.8% over five years and 12.6% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections.

Income metrics place the area in the bottom 10% of locations nationally according to AreaSearch analysis

East Devonport SA2 had a median taxpayer income of $41,355 and an average of $48,448 in financial year 2023, according to postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. This was lower than the national average, with Rest of Tas. reporting a median income of $49,689 and an average income of $59,358. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.6% since financial year 2023, estimated incomes for September 2025 would be approximately $45,325 (median) and $53,099 (average). Census 2021 data showed that household, family, and personal incomes in East Devonport fell between the 2nd and 5th percentiles nationally. The largest income segment comprised 32.9% earning $400 - $799 weekly, with 1,773 residents, contrasting with metropolitan regions where the $1,500 - $2,999 bracket led at 28.5%. The concentration of 42.3% in sub-$800 weekly brackets highlighted economic challenges faced by a significant portion of the community. Housing affordability pressures were severe, with only 83.9% of income remaining, ranking at the 4th percentile nationally.

East Devonport is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

East Devonport's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census evaluation, consisted of 87.5% houses and 12.6% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Non-Metro Tas.'s 87.9% houses and 10.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in East Devonport stood at 36.5%, with mortgaged dwellings at 24.4% and rented ones at 39.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,083, below Non-Metro Tas.'s average of $1,274. The median weekly rent in East Devonport was $236, compared to Non-Metro Tas.'s $250. Nationally, East Devonport's mortgage repayments were lower at $1,083 than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 63.5% of all households, including 18.1% couples with children, 27.3% couples without children, and 16.8% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 36.5%, with lone person households at 32.7% and group households at 3.8%. The median household size is 2.2 people, which is smaller than the Rest of Tas. average of 2.3.

East Devonport faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area's university qualification rate is 12.3%, significantly lower than the Australian average of 30.4%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 8.6%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.2%) and graduate diplomas (1.5%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 37.9% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials - advanced diplomas (7.3%) and certificates (30.6%).

Educational participation is high, with 27.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 11.1% in primary education, 7.7% in secondary education, and 1.9% pursuing tertiary education.

No public transport data available for this catchment area.

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

East Devonport faces significant health challenges, as per AreaSearch's assessment. Mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence are substantial across both younger and older age cohorts. Private health cover is extremely low at approximately 46% of the total population (~2,485 people), compared to 49.1% in Rest of Tas., and 55.7% nationally.

Mental health issues and arthritis are the most common conditions, affecting 12.2% and 12.1% of residents respectively, while 56.0% report no medical ailments, lower than Rest of Tas.'s 62.0%. The working-age population has notably high chronic condition rates. Residents aged 65 and over comprise 25.3% (1,363 people). Health outcomes among seniors are similar to national rankings for the general population.

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

East Devonport had a cultural diversity below average, with 87.0% citizens, 86.4% born in Australia, and 93.1% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the main religion, comprising 42.8%. The 'Other' category showed overrepresentation at 0.8%, compared to 0.7% regionally.

In ancestry, Australian (33.8%), English (32.6%), and Scottish (7.0%) were the top groups. Notably, Australian Aboriginal was overrepresented at 6.8% (vs 4.1%), Samoan at 0.2% (vs 0.0%), and Korean at 0.2% (vs 0.1%).

East Devonport hosts a notably older demographic compared to the national average

East Devonport's median age in 2021 was 44 years, comparable to Rest of Tas.'s figure of 45 but higher than the national norm of 38. The 25-34 age group made up 13.4% of East Devonport's population compared to Rest of Tas., while the 45-54 cohort was less prevalent at 10.2%. Post-2021 Census data showed that the 35-44 age group grew from 9.6% to 11.5%, and the 75-84 cohort increased from 8.0% to 9.6%. Conversely, the 65-74 cohort declined from 14.2% to 12.9%, and the 45-54 group dropped from 11.4% to 10.2%. By 2041, East Devonport is expected to see notable shifts in its age composition. Leading this shift, the 75-84 group will grow by 20%, reaching 622 people from 517. The aging population trend is clear, with those aged 65 and above comprising 96% of projected growth. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 5-14 and 0-4 age cohorts.