Penguin - Sulphur Creek
Statistical Area - sa2

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

Penguin - Sulphur Creek's population is around 5,661 as of Aug 2025. This reflects an increase from its 2021 Census population of 5,417 people, a rise of 244 individuals (4.5%). The growth was inferred from the estimated resident population of 5,606 in June 2024 and an additional 126 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 88 persons per square kilometer. Penguin - Sulphur Creek's growth rate exceeded that of its SA3 area (3.7%), making it a growth leader in the region. Interstate migration contributed approximately 58.7% of overall population gains during recent periods, with all drivers including overseas migration and natural growth being positive factors.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 using 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data, Tasmania State Government's Regional/LGA projections released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year are used, adjusted employing a method of weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Population projections indicate an overall decline over the period, with the area's population expected to contract by 307 persons by 2041. However, specific age cohorts like the 75 to 84 age group are projected to increase, with an anticipated rise of 149 people in this cohort.

Recent residential development output has been above average within Penguin - Sulphur Creek when compared nationally

Sulphur Creek in Penguin has received approximately 25 residential property approvals annually. The Australian Bureau of Statistics provides development approval data on a financial year basis, totalling 128 approvals from FY-21 to FY-25, with 2 approvals recorded in FY-26 so far. Each dwelling built over the past five financial years has attracted an average of 2.4 new residents per year, indicating strong demand that supports property values. The average construction cost value for new homes is $422,000.

This financial year has seen $21.3 million in commercial approvals, signifying consistent commercial investment activity. Compared to the Rest of Tas., Sulphur Creek shows moderately higher new home approvals, being 20.0% above the regional average per person over the five-year period, balancing buyer choice while supporting current property values. All new construction has been detached houses, preserving the area's low density nature and attracting space-seeking buyers.

With around 229 people per approval, Sulphur Creek reflects a low-density area. Given the expected stable or declining population, housing pressure in Sulphur Creek is likely to remain relatively low, potentially presenting buying opportunities.

Penguin - Sulphur Creek has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 9thth percentile nationally

The performance of an area can significantly be influenced by changes in local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified nine such projects that are expected to impact the area. Notable among these are the Dial Regional Sports Complex Infrastructure Upgrades, Ironcliffe Road Upgrade Project, Penguin Town Centre Masterplan, and Penguin Jetty Maintenance, with the following list highlighting those most likely to be relevant.

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

The employment landscape in Penguin - Sulphur Creek shows performance that lags behind national averages across key labour market indicators

Sulphur Creek, Penguin has a skilled workforce with an unemployment rate of 3.3% as of June 2025. There was an estimated employment growth of 1.8% in the past year.

The area has 2,766 residents in work, with an unemployment rate of 0.6% lower than Rest of Tas.'s rate of 3.9%. Workforce participation is at 58.0%, slightly higher than Rest of Tas.'s 55.7%. Key employment industries include health care & social assistance, education & training, and construction. Education & training has a notable concentration, with employment levels at 1.3 times the regional average.

Agriculture, forestry & fishing employs only 4.7% of local workers, lower than Rest of Tas.'s 8.4%. Employment opportunities locally may be limited, as indicated by Census data. Between June 2024 and June 2025, employment levels increased by 1.8%, while the labour force increased by 2.2%, raising the unemployment rate by 0.3 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of Tas. experienced a decline in both employment (-0.5%) and labour force (-0.6%). State-level data from Sep-25 shows Tasmania's employment grew by 0.77% year-on-year, adding 1,170 jobs, with an unemployment rate of 4.3%, slightly lower than the national rate of 4.5%. National employment forecasts project a growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Sulphur Creek's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.3% over five years and 13.4% over ten years, though this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

AreaSearch's aggregation of ATO data released for financial year 2022 shows Penguin - Sulphur Creek had a median taxpayer income of $49,093 and an average income of $59,468. These figures are lower than the national averages of $47,358 and $57,384 for Rest of Tas. respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 11.94% since financial year 2022, estimated median and average incomes as of March 2025 are approximately $54,955 and $66,568 respectively. According to the 2021 Census, household, family, and personal incomes in Penguin - Sulphur Creek fall between the 23rd and 24th percentiles nationally. The data shows that 29.6% of individuals (1,675 people) earn between $1,500 and $2,999 annually, reflecting regional patterns where 28.5% occupy this income band. Housing costs are modest with 87.7% of income retained, but total disposable income ranks at the 29th percentile nationally.

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

In Penguin - Sulphur Creek, as per the latest Census evaluation, 92.2% of dwellings were houses with the remaining 7.8% comprising semi-detached properties, apartments and other types. This is compared to Non-Metro Tas.'s 90.3% houses and 9.7% other dwellings. The home ownership level in Penguin - Sulphur Creek was recorded at 42.3%, with mortgaged dwellings accounting for 38.0% and rented ones for 19.7%. The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area stood at $1,300, surpassing Non-Metro Tas.'s average of $1,200. Meanwhile, the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $260 compared to Non-Metro Tas.'s $240. Nationally, Penguin - Sulphur Creek's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

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

Family households constitute 70.1% of all households, including 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%. The median household size is 2.3 people, which aligns with the average for the Rest of Tas.

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

The area has educational challenges, with university qualification rates at 19.0%, significantly lower than the Australian average of 30.4%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are most common at 13.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (3.2%) and graduate diplomas (2.4%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 40.9% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas (9.3%) and certificates (31.6%).

Educational participation is high at 25.4%, including 10.5% in primary education, 7.1% in secondary education, and 3.3% pursuing tertiary education. The area has two schools: Penguin District School and North West Christian School, serving a total of 761 students. Penguin - Sulphur Creek demonstrates typical Australian school conditions (ICSEA: 986) with balanced educational opportunities. Both schools offer integrated K-12 education for academic continuity.

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

Penguin-Sulphur Creek has 28 active public transport stops. These are served by a total of 39 bus routes, offering 4,369 weekly passenger trips combined. Residents enjoy good transport accessibility, with an average distance of 383 meters to the nearest stop.

On average, there are 624 trips per day across all routes, which amounts to about 156 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Penguin-Sulphur Creek faces significant health challenges with high prevalence of common conditions across all ages. Approximately half (50%) of its total population (~2802 people) has private health cover, lower than the national average of 55.3%.

The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (11.3% of residents) and mental health issues (9.1%). Conversely, 62.5% of residents report no medical ailments, slightly higher than the Rest of Tas average of 60.3%. As of a recent date, 24.6% of residents are aged 65 and over (~1391 people), performing better in health metrics compared to 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 had a cultural diversity score below average, with 89.3% of its population born in Australia, 92.4% being citizens, and 97.6% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Penguin-Sulphur Creek, accounting for 42.3% of the population. This figure is slightly higher than the rest of Tasmania's 41.9%.

The top three ancestry groups were Australian (34.8%), English (33.5%), and Scottish (7.0%). Notably, Dutch ancestry was overrepresented at 2.1%, compared to the regional average of 1.7%. Australian Aboriginal ancestry was also higher than the regional average, at 5.5% versus 5.9%. French ancestry, however, was lower at 0.4% compared to the region's 0.2%.

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

Penguin-Sulphur Creek has a median age of 47, which is higher than the Rest of Tas. figure of 45 and Australia's average of 38 years. Compared to the Rest of Tas., the 55-64 cohort is notably over-represented at 15.5% locally, while the 15-24 age group is under-represented at 9.3%. From 2021 to present, the 35-44 age group has grown from 10.2% to 11.4%, while the 45-54 cohort has declined from 13.6% to 12.4%. By 2041, demographic projections show significant shifts in Penguin-Sulphur Creek's age structure. The 75-84 age cohort is projected to grow by 145 people (32%), from 448 to 594. Residents aged 65 and above will drive 72% of population growth, indicating demographic aging trends. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 0-4 and 65-74 age groups.