Penguin - Sulphur Creek

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

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Penguin - Sulphur Creek's population is around 5,657 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 240 people (4.4%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 5,417 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 5,605 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 134 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 88 persons per square kilometer, providing significant space per person and potential room for further development. Over the past decade, Penguin - Sulphur Creek has demonstrated resilient growth patterns with a 0.9% compound annual growth rate, outpacing the SA3 area. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by interstate migration, which contributed approximately 58.7% of overall population gains during recent periods, although all drivers including overseas migration and natural growth were positive factors.

AreaSearch adopts 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. Looking at population projections moving forward, projections indicate a decline in overall population, with the area's population expected to contract by 307 persons by 2041 according to this methodology. However, growth across specific age cohorts is anticipated, led by the 75 to 84 age group, which is projected to increase by 149 people. See the age section for more details.

Residential development activity is slightly higher than average within Penguin - Sulphur Creek when compared nationally

Penguin - Sulphur Creek has recorded around 25 residential properties granted approval each year, totalling 128 homes over the past 5 financial years. So far in FY-26, 11 approvals have been recorded. With an average of 2.4 people per year moving to the area per new home constructed over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25), indicating healthy demand that should support property values, new homes are being built at an average value of $299,000. Additionally, $21.3 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded this financial year, demonstrating moderate levels of commercial development.

Relative to the Rest of Tas., Penguin - Sulphur Creek shows moderately higher building activity (20.0% above regional average per person over the 5 year period), preserving reasonable buyer options while sustaining existing property demand. Meanwhile, new construction has been completely comprised of detached dwellings, preserving the area's low density nature with an emphasis on detached housing attracting space-seeking buyers. The location has approximately 229 people per dwelling approval, indicating a low density market.

With population projections showing stability or decline, Penguin - Sulphur Creek should see reduced housing demand pressures, benefiting potential buyers.

Penguin - Sulphur Creek has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 41stth percentile nationally

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total 9 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include Dial Regional Sports Complex Infrastructure Upgrades, Ironcliffe Road Upgrade Project, Penguin Town Centre Masterplan, and Penguin Jetty Maintenance, 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 analysis indicates Penguin - Sulphur Creek maintains employment conditions that align with national benchmarks

Penguin - Sulphur Creek has a skilled workforce, with essential services sectors well represented, an unemployment rate of only 3.4%, and 5.5% estimated employment growth over the past year. As of December 2025, 2,812 residents are in work, while the unemployment rate is 0.5% below Regional Tas.'s rate of 3.8%, and workforce participation is fairly standard (61.7% compared to Regional Tas.'s 58.9%). Based on Census responses, a low 8.4% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

Leading employment industries among residents comprise health care & social assistance, education & training, and construction. The area demonstrates a particularly notable concentration in education & training, with employment levels at 1.3 times the regional average. In contrast, agriculture, forestry & fishing employs just 4.7% of local workers, below Regional Tas.'s 8.4%. The area appears to offer limited employment opportunities locally, as indicated by the count of the Census working population versus the resident population.

Based on AreaSearch analysis of SALM and ABS data, during the year to December 2025, employment levels increased by 5.5% and the labour force increased by 5.6%, resulting in an unemployment rise of 0.1 percentage points. In contrast, Regional Tas. experienced employment growth of 1.8% and labour force growth of 1.5%, with a 0.3 percentage point drop. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 can offer further insight into potential future demand within Penguin - Sulphur Creek. 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 Penguin - Sulphur Creek's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.3% over five years and 13.4% over ten years (please note this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not take into account localised population projections).

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of the latest postcode level ATO data released for FY-23, the Penguin - Sulphur Creek SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $51,926 with the average level standing at $61,851. This is lower than average on a national basis and compares to levels of $49,689 and $59,358 across Regional Tas. respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.6% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $56,911 (median) and $67,789 (average) as of September 2025. According to 2021 Census figures, household, family and personal incomes in Penguin - Sulphur Creek all fall between the 23rd and 23rd percentiles nationally. The data shows the $1,500 - 2,999 earnings band captures 29.6% of the community (1,674 individuals), reflecting patterns seen at regional levels where 28.5% similarly occupy this range. While housing costs are modest with 87.7% of income retained, the total disposable income ranks at just the 29th percentile nationally.

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

Dwelling structure within Penguin - Sulphur Creek, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 92.2% houses and 7.8% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), in comparison to Regional Tas.'s 89.9% houses and 10.1% other dwellings. Meanwhile, the level of home ownership within Penguin - Sulphur Creek was in line with that of Regional Tas., at 42.3%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (38.0%) or rented (19.7%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was above the Regional Tas. average at $1,300, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $260, compared to Regional Tas.'s $1,274 and $250. Nationally, Penguin - Sulphur Creek's mortgage repayments are significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are substantially below the national figure of $375.

Penguin - Sulphur Creek has a typical household mix, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households dominate at 70.1% of all households, comprising 25.7% couples with children, 34.3% couples without children, and 9.8% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 29.9%, with lone person households at 28.1% and group households comprising 1.8% of the total. The median household size of 2.3 people matches the Regional Tas. average.

Educational outcomes in Penguin - Sulphur Creek fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

The area faces educational challenges, with university qualification rates (19.0%) substantially below the Australian average of 30.4%. This represents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees lead at 13.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.2%) and graduate diplomas (2.4%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 40.9% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials, including advanced diplomas (9.3%) and certificates (31.6%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 25.4% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.5% in primary education, 7.1% in secondary education, and 3.3% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Public transport analysis reveals 28 active transport stops operating within Penguin - Sulphur Creek, comprising a mix of buses. These stops are serviced by 69 individual routes, collectively providing 4,706 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents typically located 382 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward; the car remains the dominant mode at 96%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.7 per dwelling, which is above the regional average. A relatively low 8.4% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 672 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 168 weekly trips per individual stop.

Health performance in Penguin - Sulphur Creek is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts

Penguin - Sulphur Creek faces significant health challenges, based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Common health conditions are somewhat prevalent across both younger and older age cohorts, and the rate of private health cover is relatively low at approximately 50% of the total population (~2,817 people). The national average is 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions in the area are arthritis and mental health issues, impacting 11.3% and 9.1% of residents, respectively, while 62.5% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 62.0% across Regional Tas. The working-age population faces notable health challenges with elevated chronic condition rates. The area has 25.2% of residents aged 65 and over (1,427 people), with national rankings even higher than the general population.

The latest Census data sees Penguin - Sulphur Creek placing among the least culturally diverse areas in the country when compared across a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Penguin - Sulphur Creek was found to be below average in terms of cultural diversity, with 89.3% of its population born in Australia, 92.4% being citizens, and 97.6% speaking English only at home. The main religion in Penguin - Sulphur Creek is Christianity, which makes up 42.3% of people in Penguin - Sulphur Creek. This compares to 43.0% across Regional Tas..

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Penguin - Sulphur Creek are Australian, comprising 34.8% of the population, English, comprising 33.5% of the population, and Scottish, comprising 7.0% of the population. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: Dutch is notably overrepresented at 2.1% of Penguin - Sulphur Creek (vs 1.7% regionally), Australian Aboriginal at 5.5% (vs 4.1%) and French at 0.4% (vs 0.3%).

Penguin - Sulphur Creek hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

With a median age of 47, Penguin - Sulphur Creek is modestly exceeding the Regional Tas. figure of 45 and is well above Australia's 38 years. Compared to the Regional Tas. average, the 55 - 64 cohort is notably over-represented (15.2% locally), while 25 - 34 year-olds are under-represented (10.4%). In the period since 2021, the 35 to 44 age group has grown from 10.2% to 11.7% of the population. Conversely, the 45 to 54 cohort has declined from 13.6% to 12.3%. Looking ahead to 2041, demographic projections reveal significant shifts in Penguin - Sulphur Creek's age structure. The 75 to 84 age cohort is projected to experience strong growth, expanding by 134 people (29%) from 459 to 594. Senior residents (65+) will drive 70% of population growth, underscoring demographic aging trends. In contrast, population declines are projected for the 25 to 34 and 0 to 4 cohorts.