North West
Statistical Area - sa2

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

North West's population is approximately 4,429 as of August 2025. This represents an increase of 241 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 4,188. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 4,402 in June 2024 and an additional 43 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 0.90 persons per square kilometer. North West's growth of 5.8% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA3 area (3.3%) and the SA4 region, making it a growth leader in the area. Natural growth contributed approximately 61.5% of overall population gains 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 by this data and to estimate post-2032 growth by age group, Tasmania State Government's Regional/LGA projections are adopted with adjustments made employing weighted aggregation from LGA to SA2 levels. Projections indicate an overall population decline of 57 persons by 2041. However, specific age cohorts are expected to grow, notably the 45 to 54 age group, projected to increase by 147 people.

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

North West has received around 10 dwelling approvals per year. The Australian Bureau of Statistics produces development approval data on a financial year basis. There were 54 approvals in total across the past five financial years, from FY-21 to FY-25, and none so far in FY-26. On average, 4.8 new residents have been added per year for every home built over these five years.

This supply lags demand, leading to buyer competition and pricing pressures. The average construction cost of new dwellings is $315,000, below the regional average, indicating more affordable housing options. In FY-26, there have been $4.5 million in commercial approvals, suggesting limited focus on commercial development. Compared to the Rest of Tas., North West has approximately 75% of construction activity per person and ranks among the 28th percentile nationally, resulting in constrained buyer choice favoring existing properties.

Recent building activity consists solely of detached houses, maintaining the area's traditional low density character with a focus on family homes. The estimated population per dwelling approval is 917 people, reflecting its quiet development environment. With stable or declining population expected, housing pressure should ease, potentially creating buying opportunities.

North West has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 0thth percentile nationally

Seven projects are anticipated to influence the area significantly, as identified by AreaSearch. These include Bass Highway Wynyard to Marrawah Corridor Strategy, Robbins Island and Jim's Plain Wind project, Woolnorth Wind Farm Repowering, and Marinus Link Stage 1. The following details those expected to be most relevant.

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

Employment performance in North West exceeds national averages across key labour market indicators

North West's workforce comprises an even mix of white and blue-collar employees, with manufacturing and industrial sectors prominently represented. Its unemployment rate stands at 2.8%, having seen a 2.3% employment growth in the past year.

As of June 2025, 2,280 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate 1.2% lower than Rest of Tas.'s 3.9%. Workforce participation is at 59.8%, compared to Rest of Tas.'s 55.7%. Dominant employment sectors include agriculture, forestry & fishing, manufacturing, and accommodation & food. Agriculture, forestry & fishing is particularly specialized, with an employment share 4.0 times the regional level.

Conversely, health care & social assistance has lower representation at 6.7% versus the regional average of 16.5%. Local employment opportunities appear limited based on Census working population vs resident population data. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 2.3%, while labour force rose by 2.4%, keeping unemployment broadly stable. In contrast, Rest of Tas. saw employment contract by 0.5% and labour force fall by 0.6%. State-level data to Sep-25 shows TAS employment grew by 0.77%, adding 1,170 jobs, with a state unemployment rate of 4.3%. This compares favourably to the national unemployment rate of 4.5% and outpaces the national average employment growth of 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project national employment expansion by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to North West's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 4.2% over five years and 10.1% over ten years, though these are simple extrapolations for illustrative purposes and do not consider localized population projections.

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

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year ended June 2022 indicates that median income in North West is $47,675, with an average income of $56,139. This contrasts with Rest of Tas., where median income is $47,358 and average income is $57,384. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 11.94% from July 2022 to March 2025, estimated current incomes would be approximately $53,367 (median) and $62,842 (average). Census data reveals that household, family, and personal incomes in North West rank modestly, between the 25th and 26th percentiles. Income brackets show that the $1,500 - $2,999 earnings band captures 33.8% of the community (1,497 individuals), similar to regional levels where this cohort represents 28.5%. Housing costs allow for 90.1% retention, but disposable income is below average at the 33rd percentile.

North West is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

North West's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, comprised 97.9% houses and 2.2% other dwellings. Non-Metro Tas., meanwhile, had 95.9% houses and 4.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in North West was 44.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 36.8% and rented ones at 18.7%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,147, while the median weekly rent was $200. Nationally, North West's mortgage repayments were lower than the Australian average of $1,863, with rents substantially below the national figure of $375.

North West has a typical household mix, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households compose 71.4% of all households, including 28.2% couples with children, 33.6% couples without children, and 9.1% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 28.6%, with lone person households at 26.0% and group households comprising 2.5%. The median household size is 2.5 people, larger than the Rest of Tas. average of 2.3.

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

In the North West area, university qualification rates are significantly lower than the national average, with 14.3% compared to Australia's 30.4%. This disparity presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives in the region. Bachelor degrees lead the way at 10.9%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.5%) and graduate diplomas (0.9%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 40.7% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas account for 8.8%, while certificates make up 31.9%.

Educational participation is notably high in North West, with 28.9% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 13.7% in primary education, 8.6% in secondary education, and 1.8% pursuing tertiary education. The four schools in North West have a combined enrollment reaching 235 students. These schools focus exclusively on primary education, with secondary options available in nearby areas. Local school capacity is limited, with only 5.3 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 11.7, leading many families to travel for schooling.

No public transport data available for this catchment area.

Health outcomes in North West are marginally below the national average with common health conditions slightly more prevalent than average across both younger and older age cohorts

North West region shows below-average health indicators. Common conditions like arthritis and asthma are more prevalent here compared to average across both younger and older age groups.

Arthritis affects 9.7% of residents, while asthma impacts 8.1%. Only 48% of the population has private health cover, lower than the national average of 55.3%. A total of 2,125 people in North West have private health cover. About 68.8% of residents report no medical ailments, slightly higher than the Rest of Tas's 65.0%. The region has 18.6% of residents aged 65 and over (826 people), lower than Rest of Tas's 22.0%. Despite this, health outcomes among seniors in North West are strong, even better than the general population in health metrics.

North West is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics

North West had lower cultural diversity, with 85.3% citizens, 87.1% born in Australia, and 95.5% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, at 43.3%. Islam was overrepresented at 2.0%, compared to 1.1% regionally.

Ancestry showed Australian at 33.6%, English at 30.5%, and Australian Aboriginal at 9.3%. Dutch were notably overrepresented at 1.9% (vs 1.6%), New Zealanders at 0.8% (vs 0.6%), and Maori at 0.5% (vs 0.4%).

North West's median age exceeds the national pattern

North West has a median age of 41, which is younger than the Rest of Tasmania's figure of 45 but slightly older than the national average of 38. The age profile shows that those aged 5-14 years make up 13.2% of the population, while those aged 75-84 are 5.1%. Since the 2021 Census, the 35 to 44 age group has increased from 11.6% to 12.2%, while the 45 to 54 cohort has decreased from 13.4% to 12.2%, and the 25 to 34 group has dropped from 12.4% to 11.3%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in North West's age structure. The 45 to 54 age group is expected to grow by 27%, reaching 690 people from 542. Notably, the combined 65+ age groups will account for 63% of total population growth, reflecting the area's aging demographic profile. Conversely, the 0 to 4 and 25 to 34 cohorts are expected to experience population declines.