Norwood (Tas.)

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

As of February 2026, Norwood's population is approximately 3,940, reflecting a decrease of 91 people since the 2021 Census which reported a population of 4,031. This decline was inferred from the estimated resident population of 3,931 in June 2024 and an additional 6 validated new addresses since the Census date. The population density is around 987 persons per square kilometer, comparable to averages seen across locations assessed by AreaSearch. Overseas migration primarily drove recent population growth in Norwood. 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 growth by age group, Tasmania State Government's Regional/LGA projections from 2022 with a base year of 2021 are adopted, adjusted using weighted aggregation methods. Based on projected demographic shifts, non-metropolitan areas nationally are expected to have lower quartile growth, with Norwood projected to grow by 15 persons to 2041, reflecting a gain of 0.1% over the 17 years.

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

Norwood has had minimal residential development activity over the past five years, with an average of three dwelling approvals annually. This totals 18 approvals from January 2017 to December 2021. Such low development levels are characteristic of rural areas like Norwood, where housing needs are modest and construction activity is limited by local demand and infrastructure capacity.

Yearly growth figures and relativities can vary considerably with such low approval numbers, as they are based on individual projects. Compared to Rest of Tas., Norwood has much lower development activity. Its development pattern is also below national averages. Recent building activity consists entirely of standalone homes, reflecting the rural character of the area where larger properties and space are typical.

As of 2021, there are approximately 3960 people per dwelling approval in Norwood, indicating an established market. According to the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate, Norwood is expected to grow by six residents from January 2022 to December 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting population growth beyond current projections.

Norwood has emerging levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 21stth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified eight projects likely affecting the area, including key ones like Dwelling and Shed at 18 Casuarina Dr, Summerhill 7250; Residential dwelling and vegetation removal at 38 Casuarina Dr, Summerhill; Peacehaven Aged Care Redevelopment; Kings Meadows Land Release. The following list details those most relevant.

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

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While Norwood retains a healthy unemployment rate of 2.5%, recent employment declines have impacted its national performance ranking

Norwood's workforce is skilled with essential services well represented. The unemployment rate was 2.5% as of September 2025. In that month, 1,784 residents were employed while the unemployment rate was 1.3% lower than Rest of Tas.'s rate of 3.8%.

Workforce participation in Norwood was somewhat below standard at 55.5%, compared to Rest of Tas.'s 58.6%. According to Census responses, a low 8.3% of residents worked from home. Employment among residents is concentrated in health care & social assistance, education & training, and retail trade. Notably, employment levels in health care & social assistance are at 1.3 times the regional average.

Agriculture, forestry & fishing is under-represented with only 1.6% of Norwood's workforce compared to 8.4% in Rest of Tas.. The predominantly residential area appears to offer limited local employment opportunities. Between September 2024 and September 2025, the labour force decreased by 3.0%, alongside a 3.3% decline in employment, causing unemployment to rise by 0.3 percentage points. In comparison, Rest of Tas. recorded employment growth of 0.7% and labour force growth of 0.5%, with unemployment falling 0.2 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 suggest that national employment should expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Norwood's employment mix suggests local employment could increase by 6.8% over five years and 14.2% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localised population projections.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 shows that Norwood SA2 has an income below the national average. The median income is $51,602 while the average income stands at $64,267. This contrasts with Rest of Tas., which has 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, current estimates for Norwood SA2 would be approximately $56,556 (median) and $70,437 (average) as of September 2025. According to the 2021 Census figures, incomes in Norwood rank modestly, between the 28th and 33rd percentiles for household, family, and personal incomes. The income bracket of $1,500 - 2,999 dominates with 32.0% of residents (1,260 people), similar to broader trends across regional levels showing 28.5% in the same category. Housing costs are manageable with 88.2% retained, but disposable income is below average at the 38th percentile. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 5th decile.

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

Norwood's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census, consisted of 87.8% houses and 12.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Non-Metro Tas.'s 89.9% houses and 10.1% other dwellings. Home ownership in Norwood stood at 45.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 35.8% and rented dwellings at 18.6%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,372, higher than Non-Metro Tas.'s average of $1,274. The median weekly rent figure in Norwood was $320, compared to Non-Metro Tas.'s $250. Nationally, Norwood's mortgage repayments were lower at $1,863 and rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Norwood has a typical household mix, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households account for 67.7% of all households, including 25.7% couples with children, 30.4% couples without children, and 10.6% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 32.3%, with lone person households at 29.9% and group households comprising 2.2% of the total. The median household size is 2.3 people, which aligns with the average in the Rest of Tas.

Educational outcomes in Norwood fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

The area's educational profile is notable regionally, with university qualification rates of 25.8% among residents aged 15+, surpassing the Rest of Tas. average of 19.3%. This reflects the community's emphasis on higher education. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 17.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (5.7%) and graduate diplomas (2.7%).

Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 31.3% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (10.3%) and certificates (21.0%). Educational participation is high, with 26.2% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 9.1% in primary education, 8.6% in secondary education, and 3.4% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Norwood has 25 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 77 different routes that together facilitate 4,934 weekly passenger trips. The area's transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically located just 195 meters from the nearest stop. As a predominantly residential area, most Norwood residents commute outwards, with cars being the primary mode of transportation at 94%. On average, there are 1.5 vehicles per dwelling in Norwood. According to the 2021 Census, only 8.3% of residents work from home, which may be influenced by COVID-19 conditions.

Across all routes, an average of 704 trips is made daily, translating to approximately 197 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

AreaSearch's health data indicates significant issues in Norwood, with notable prevalence of common health conditions across both younger and older age groups. Private health cover stands at approximately 51% (~2,017 people), compared to 49.1% in Rest of Tas.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (11.1%) and mental health issues (8.5%). Conversely, 61.2% claim no medical ailments, slightly lower than the 62.0% in Rest of Tas. Working-age residents show higher chronic health condition prevalence. Norwood has 29.5% of residents aged 65 and over (1,160 people), exceeding Rest of Tas.'s 24.9%. Health outcomes among seniors present additional challenges, ranking higher than the general population nationally.

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

Norwood's population showed low cultural diversity, with 87.2% born in Australia, 92.3% being citizens, and 93.9% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, accounting for 51.7%. Notably, Judaism was overrepresented at 0.3%, compared to 0.1% regionally.

In terms of ancestry, Australian (34.3%), English (33.7%), and Scottish (7.7%) were the top groups. Some ethnicities showed notable differences: Dutch at 1.9% (vs regional 1.7%), Polish at 0.7% (vs 0.4%), and Australian Aboriginal at 1.9% (vs 4.1%).

Norwood hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

Norwood's median age is 47, which is higher than the Rest of Tas. figure of 45 and Australia's national average of 38 years. Compared to the Rest of Tas., Norwood has a notably over-represented 75-84 age cohort (12.1%) and an under-represented 25-34 year-old group (8.2%). The 75-84 concentration in Norwood is well above the national average of 6.1%. Between 2021 and present, the 75 to 84 age group has grown from 10.8% to 12.1%, while the 65 to 74 cohort has declined from 13.6% to 11.5% and the 25 to 34 group has dropped from 9.5% to 8.2%. By 2041, demographic projections indicate significant shifts in Norwood's age structure. The 85+ age cohort is projected to increase by 183 people (78%), from 233 to 417. Senior residents aged 65 and above will drive 68% of population growth, highlighting demographic aging trends. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 75-84 and 0-4 age cohorts.