New Town
Statistical Area - sa2

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

AreaSearch's analysis indicates New Town's population was around 6,521 as of Aug 2025. This marks a decrease of 85 people since the 2021 Census, which reported 6,606 residents. The change is inferred from ABS' June 2024 estimate of 6,519 and validated new addresses totalling 19 since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 1,707 persons per square kilometer, higher than national averages assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration primarily drove population growth during recent periods.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered and post-2032 estimates, Tasmania's Regional/LGA projections from 2022 using a 2021 base year are adopted with adjustments made employing weighted aggregation methods. Future trends project an above median population growth for statistical areas nationwide, with New Town expected to expand by 1,288 persons to 2041 based on latest numbers, reflecting a 19.7% increase over the 17-year period.

Residential development activity is lower than average in New Town according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

New Town has averaged approximately 23 new dwelling approvals annually. Development approval data, compiled by the ABS on a financial year basis, shows 119 homes approved over the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, with an additional 24 approved so far in FY-26. On average, only 0.1 person per year has moved to the area for each dwelling built during these years. This indicates that new supply is keeping pace with or exceeding demand, providing ample buyer choice and creating capacity for population growth beyond current forecasts.

The average construction cost value of new properties is $469,000. In FY-26, commercial development approvals totaled $9.7 million, suggesting balanced commercial development activity. Compared to Greater Hobart, New Town has moderately higher new home approvals, at 30.0% above the regional average per person over the past five years. This balances buyer choice while supporting current property values. However, this activity is below the national average, reflecting the area's maturity and possible planning constraints. Recent construction comprises 33.0% detached houses and 67.0% townhouses or apartments, marking a significant shift from the existing housing pattern of 69.0% houses.

This focus on higher-density living creates more affordable entry points, suiting downsizers, investors, and first-home buyers. New Town has around 299 people per dwelling approval, indicating characteristics of a low density area. Looking ahead, it is expected that New Town will grow by 1,286 residents through to 2041. If current development rates continue, housing supply may not keep pace with population growth, potentially increasing competition among buyers and supporting stronger price growth.

New Town has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 5thth percentile nationally

Local infrastructure changes significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 12 projects likely impacting the region. Notable initiatives include Queens Walk Housing Expansion, Hobart City High School redevelopment, New Town Sporting Precinct Upgrades, and New Town Rivulet Restoration. Below is a list of relevant projects.

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

While New Town retains a healthy unemployment rate of 3.8%, recent employment declines have impacted its national performance ranking

New Town has a highly educated workforce with essential services sectors well represented, resulting in an unemployment rate of 3.8% as of June 2025. At this time, 3,584 residents are employed, which is 0.3% below Greater Hobart's unemployment rate of 4.1%, and the workforce participation rate is broadly similar to Greater Hobart's 61.6%.

The dominant employment sectors among New Town residents include health care & social assistance, education & training, and public administration & safety. Notably, accommodation & food services have a higher representation with an employment share of 1.3 times the regional level, while construction shows lower representation at 5.1% compared to the regional average of 8.7%. The ratio of 0.6 workers per resident, as recorded in the Census, indicates a high level of local employment opportunities. In the 12-month period preceding June 2025, New Town's labour force decreased by 1.6%, while employment declined by 1.4%, leading to a fall in unemployment of 0.2 percentage points.

In comparison, Greater Hobart experienced an employment decline of 1.5% and a labour force decline of 1.6%, with a corresponding drop in unemployment of 0.2 percentage points. As of Sep-25, state-level data shows that Tasmania's employment grew by 0.77% year-on-year, adding 1,170 jobs, with the state unemployment rate at 4.3%. This compares favourably to the national unemployment rate of 4.5%, with Tasmania's employment growth outpacing the national average of 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 suggest that New Town's employment could grow by approximately 6.8% over five years and 14.1% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation of industry-specific projections.

Income levels align closely with national averages, indicating typical economic conditions for Australian communities according to AreaSearch analysis

New Town has a median taxpayer income of $54,457 and an average income of $67,520 based on postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2022. This is higher than the national average, compared to Greater Hobart's median income of $51,272 and average income of $63,777. Projecting forward using a Wage Price Index growth rate of 11.94% from financial year 2022 to March 2025, estimated incomes would be approximately $60,959 (median) and $75,582 (average). According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in New Town rank modestly, between the 43rd and 49th percentiles. The largest income segment comprises 30.9% of residents earning $1,500 - $2,999 weekly (2,014 individuals), which is also the region's largest cohort at 32.2%. Housing affordability pressures are severe in New Town, with only 84.5% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 44th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 6th decile.

New Town displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

New Town's dwellings, as per the latest Census report, consisted of 68.9% houses and 31.1% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). In comparison, Hobart metro had 69.2% houses and 30.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in New Town stood at 31.6%, with the rest being mortgaged (27.0%) or rented (41.4%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,772, lower than Hobart metro's $1,800. The median weekly rent was $340, compared to Hobart metro's $390. Nationally, New Town's mortgage repayments were below the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were less than the national figure of $375.

New Town features high concentrations of group households and lone person households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households constitute 60.5% of all households, including 22.7% couples with children, 27.7% couples without children, and 9.1% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 39.5%, with lone person households at 33.4% and group households making up 6.0% of the total. The median household size is 2.3 people, which aligns with the Greater Hobart average.

Educational attainment in New Town aligns closely with national averages, showing typical qualification patterns and performance metrics

Educational attainment in New Town is notably higher than regional and national averages. 46.9% of residents aged 15 and above hold university qualifications, compared to 25.5% in Tasmania (TAS) and 30.4% nationally. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 27.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 15.6% and graduate diplomas at 4.2%. Vocational pathways account for 23.1% of qualifications, with advanced diplomas at 8.6% and certificates at 14.5%.

Educational participation is high, with 30.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.4% in tertiary education, 7.9% in primary education, and 6.2% pursuing secondary education. New Town's four schools have a combined enrollment of 2,168 students as of the reported date. The area has typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 1013) with balanced educational opportunities. The educational mix includes one primary, two secondary, and one K-12 school. School capacity exceeds residential needs at 33.2 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 22.8, indicating that New Town serves as an educational center for the broader region.

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

The transport analysis indicates 54 active stops operating within New Town, serving a mix of bus routes. These stops are served by 88 individual routes, collectively facilitating 7,435 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility rating is excellent, with residents typically located 131 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 1,062 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 137 weekly trips per stop.

Health performance in New Town is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across the board, though to a considerably higher degree among older age cohorts

New Town faces significant health challenges. Common health conditions are somewhat prevalent across all age groups but to a considerably higher degree among older cohorts.

Approximately 53% of New Town's total population (~3,482 people) have private health cover, compared to 58.9% in Greater Hobart. The most common medical conditions are mental health issues and arthritis, affecting 11.1 and 9.0% of residents respectively. However, 65.8% of residents report being completely clear of medical ailments, compared to 69.8% in Greater Hobart. As of 2021, 18.4% of New Town's population is aged 65 and over (1,198 people). Health outcomes among seniors present challenges requiring more attention than the broader population.

New Town was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

New Town's population showed high cultural diversity, with 29.1% born overseas and 22.7% speaking languages other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in New Town, comprising 34.8%. Hinduism had higher representation in New Town at 6.6%, compared to Greater Hobart's 3.5%.

The top three ancestry groups were English (27.6%), Australian (23.4%), and Other (11.7%). Notably, Polish (0.9%) was slightly overrepresented compared to regional figures (1.0%), while Indian (2.7%) and Chinese (4.1%) had lower representation than the Greater Hobart average of 1.7% and 6.2%, respectively.

New Town's population is slightly younger than the national pattern

New Town's median age is 38, closely aligning with Greater Hobart's figure of 39 and Australia's median of 38 years. The 25-34 age cohort in New Town is notably higher at 18.4% compared to Greater Hobart's average. Conversely, the 5-14 age group is under-represented at 8.9%. Between 2021 and present, the 15-24 age group has increased from 11.2% to 11.9%, while the 25-34 cohort has decreased from 19.7% to 18.4%. By 2041, demographic modeling projects significant changes in New Town's age profile. The 45-54 age group is projected to grow by 433 people (56%), from 768 to 1,202. Conversely, the 35-44 age group is expected to decrease by 148 residents.