Glenorchy

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

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Glenorchy's population is around 12,389 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 102 people (0.8%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 12,287 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 12,341 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 93 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 1,184 persons per square kilometer, which is relatively in line with averages seen across locations assessed by AreaSearch. Over the past decade, Glenorchy has demonstrated resilient growth patterns with a 1.2% compound annual growth rate, outpacing the SA3 area. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration, which was essentially the sole driver of 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. As we examine future population trends, a population increase just below the median of Australian statistical areas is expected, with the area expected to grow by 1,039 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an increase of 8.0% in total over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Glenorchy, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

Glenorchy has experienced around 32 dwellings receiving development approval per year, totalling 161 homes over the past 5 financial years. So far in FY-26, 26 approvals have been recorded. With an average of only 0.6 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 meeting or surpassing demand, providing greater buyer choice and supporting potential for population growth above projections. New properties are constructed at an average value of $212,000—below regional norms—reflecting more affordable housing options for purchasers. Additionally, $110.1 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded this financial year, demonstrating high levels of local commercial activity.

When measured against Greater Hobart, Glenorchy has around two-thirds the rate of new dwelling approvals per person and places among the 15th percentile of areas assessed nationally, resulting in relatively constrained buyer choice and supporting interest in existing dwellings. This is likewise lower than the national average, reflecting market maturity and pointing to possible development constraints. New development consists of 76.0% detached houses and 24.0% townhouses or apartments, sustaining the area's suburban identity with a concentration of family homes suited to buyers seeking space. With around 1050 people per dwelling approval, Glenorchy reflects a highly mature market.

Looking ahead, Glenorchy is expected to grow by 991 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.

Glenorchy has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 15thth percentile nationally

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total 30 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include the Homes Tasmania Social Housing Program, MONA Hotel Development, Homes Tasmania Affordable Housing Units - Glenorchy, and Glenorchy War Memorial Pool Redevelopment, 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.

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.

AreaSearch assessment indicates Glenorchy faces employment challenges relative to the majority of Australian markets

Glenorchy features a well-educated workforce, with essential services sectors well represented, an unemployment rate of 6.7%, and relative employment stability over the past year. As of December 2025, 5,927 residents are in work, while the unemployment rate is 2.7% above Greater Hobart's rate of 4.0%, and workforce participation is somewhat below standard (60.6% compared to Greater Hobart's 64.0%). Based on Census responses, a low 4.8% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

Employment among residents is concentrated in health care & social assistance, retail trade, and accommodation & food. The area has a particular employment specialization in retail trade, with an employment share of 1.3 times the regional level. Conversely, education & training shows lower representation at 6.9% versus the regional average of 10.8%. While local employment opportunities exist in the area, it appears many residents commute elsewhere for work, based on the count of Census working population to local population.

Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data, during the year to December 2025, the labour force decreased by 0.1% combined with employment decreasing by 0.1%, with unemployment remaining essentially unchanged. This contrasts with Greater Hobart, where employment rose by 0.1%, the labour force fell by 0.1%, and unemployment fell 0.2 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 can offer further insight into potential future demand within Glenorchy. 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 Glenorchy's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.5% over five years and 13.7% over ten years (please note this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections).

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

As per AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data released for FY-23, the Glenorchy SA2's median income among taxpayers is $50,695, with an average of $54,279. This is below the national average, and compares to Greater Hobart's median of $54,577 and average of $65,190. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.6% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $55,562 (median) and $59,490 (average) as of September 2025. Census data reveals household, family and personal incomes in Glenorchy all fall between the 10th and 13th percentiles nationally. Distribution data shows the $800 - 1,499 earnings band captures 27.3% of the community (3,382 individuals), contrasting with regional levels where the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket leads at 32.2%. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 80.1% of income remaining, ranking at the 9th percentile.

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

Dwelling structure within Glenorchy, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 78.6% houses and 21.4% 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 Glenorchy lagged that of Hobart metro, at 26.8%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (28.0%) or rented (45.2%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was well below the Hobart metro average at $1,300, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $320, compared to Hobart metro's $1,517 and $350. Nationally, Glenorchy's mortgage repayments are significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are substantially below the national figure of $375.

Glenorchy features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households dominate at 60.1% of all households, comprising 21.0% couples with children, 22.4% couples without children, and 15.2% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 39.9%, with lone person households at 35.3% and group households comprising 4.5% of the total. The median household size of 2.3 people is smaller than the Greater Hobart average of 2.4.

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

Educational qualifications in Glenorchy trail regional benchmarks, with 27.3% of residents aged 15+ holding university degrees compared to 32.8% in the SA4 region. This gap highlights the potential for educational development and skills enhancement. Bachelor degrees lead at 15.0%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (10.7%) and graduate diplomas (1.6%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 30.1% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials, including advanced diplomas (8.1%) and certificates (22.0%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 28.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.1% in primary education, 6.2% in secondary education, and 5.0% 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 90 active transport stops operating within Glenorchy, comprising a mix of buses. These stops are serviced by 179 individual routes, collectively providing 12,256 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located 183 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward; the car remains the dominant mode at 82%, with 11% by bus. Vehicle ownership averages 1.1 per dwelling, which is below the regional average. A relatively low 4.8% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 1,750 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 136 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Glenorchy 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 Glenorchy, 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 47% of the total population (~5,798 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 arthritis, impacting 10.9% and 10.3% of residents, respectively, while 64.3% 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 18.4% of residents aged 65 and over (2,277 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 level of cultural diversity witnessed in Glenorchy was found to be above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Glenorchy was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets, with 29.4% of its population born overseas and 27.3% speaking a language other than English at home. The main religion in Glenorchy is Christianity, which makes up 39.6% of the population. However, the most apparent overrepresentation is in Hinduism, which comprises 11.1% of the population, substantially higher than the Greater Hobart average of 2.8%.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Glenorchy are English, comprising 27.1% of the population, Australian, comprising 25.5% of the population, and Other, comprising 17.0% of the population, which is substantially higher than the regional average of 7.4%. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: Australian Aboriginal is notably overrepresented at 4.2% of Glenorchy (vs 3.0% regionally), Polish at 0.8% (vs 0.8%) and Indian at 2.7% (vs 1.2%).

Glenorchy's population is younger than the national pattern

At 34 years, Glenorchy's median age is considerably lower than the Greater Hobart average of 39 and similarly substantially under the Australian median of 38. Relative to Greater Hobart, Glenorchy has a higher concentration of 25 - 34 residents (21.1%) but fewer 45 - 54 year-olds (9.0%). This 25 - 34 concentration is well above the national 14.4%. Since the 2021 Census, the 35 to 44 age group has grown from 12.2% to 15.8% of the population. Conversely, the 55 to 64 cohort has declined from 10.8% to 9.4% and the 45 to 54 group dropped from 10.2% to 9.0%. Demographic modeling suggests Glenorchy's age profile will evolve significantly by 2041. The 45 to 54 cohort shows the strongest projected growth at 63%, adding 698 residents to reach 1,816. In contrast, both 55 to 64 and 65 to 74 age groups will see reduced numbers.