Sheffield - Railton

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

Sheffield - Railton's population is approximately 6,943 as of November 2025. This figure represents an increase of 324 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 6,619. The growth is inferred from the estimated resident population of 6,905 in June 2024 and an additional 79 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 6.0 persons per square kilometer. Sheffield - Railton's population grew by 4.9% between the 2021 Census and November 2025, exceeding the SA4 region's growth rate of 4.7%. Overseas migration contributed approximately 96.0% of overall population gains during this period.

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 growth by age group post-2032, Tasmania State Government's Regional/LGA projections are adopted, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021, using weighted aggregation from LGA to SA2 levels. Projected demographic shifts indicate lower quartile growth for non-metropolitan areas nationally. Based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, Sheffield - Railton is expected to grow by 84 persons to 2041, reflecting a total gain of 0.7% over the 17-year period.

Residential development activity is slightly higher than average within Sheffield - Railton when compared nationally

Sheffield - Railton has seen approximately 29 new homes approved annually over the past five financial years, with a total of 147 homes approved between FY-21 and FY-25. Additionally, 2 homes have been approved so far in FY-26. On average, around 2.9 people per year have moved to the area for each new home constructed during this period, indicating healthy demand that supports property values.

The average construction cost value of these new homes is $248,000. In terms of commercial development, $19.2 million in approvals have been registered this financial year. Compared to other areas in Tasmania and nationally, Sheffield - Railton has around three-quarters the rate of new dwelling approvals per person and ranks among the 50th percentile of areas assessed.

All newly constructed dwellings have been detached homes, maintaining the area's traditional low-density character with a focus on family homes. The location currently has approximately 340 people per dwelling approval, indicating a low-density market. Population forecasts suggest Sheffield - Railton will gain 46 residents by 2041. With current construction levels, housing supply should meet demand adequately, creating favorable conditions for buyers and potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Sheffield - Railton has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 10thth percentile nationally

Changes in local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified 11 projects potentially impacting this region. Notable ones are Don Irrigation Scheme, North West Hospitals Masterplan - Mersey Community Hospital, Bass Highway Cool Storage Development, and Latrobe Flood Levees Project. 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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Employment performance in Sheffield - Railton has been broadly consistent with national averages

Sheffield - Railton has a diverse workforce with both white and blue collar jobs. The unemployment rate is 3.4%.

Over the past year, employment grew by 6.5%. As of September 2025, 3,372 residents are employed. The unemployment rate in Sheffield - Railton is 0.4% lower than Rest of Tas.'s rate of 3.8%, but workforce participation is slightly below the state average at 53.1%. Key industries include health care & social assistance, agriculture, forestry & fishing, and accommodation & food.

The area has a strong focus on agriculture, forestry & fishing, with an employment share 1.4 times the regional level. However, health care & social assistance is less represented, with only 13.0% of the workforce compared to 16.5% in Rest of Tas. Employment opportunities locally may be limited, indicated by the Census working population count versus resident population. Between September 2024 and September 2025, employment levels increased by 6.5%, labour force grew by 5.9%, leading to a fall in unemployment by 0.5 percentage points. In comparison, Rest of Tas. had employment growth of 0.7% and unemployment falling by 0.2 percentage points. State-level data from 25-Nov-25 shows TAS employment contracted by 0.35%, with an unemployment rate of 4.1%. National comparisons show a slight lag in employment growth but a lower unemployment rate. Jobs and Skills Australia's forecasts indicate national employment will grow by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Sheffield - Railton's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by approximately 5.5% over five years and 12.1% over ten years, assuming constant population projections.

The area's income levels rank in the lower 15% nationally based on AreaSearch comparative data

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows that in Sheffield - Railton SA2, median income is $43,798 and average income is $50,331. This is lower than the national averages of $47,358 (median) and $57,384 (average) for Rest of Tas. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 13.83% since financial year 2022, estimated median income in Sheffield - Railton as of September 2025 would be approximately $49,855 and average income would be around $57,292. Census data indicates that household, family, and personal incomes in Sheffield - Railton fall between the 12th and 13th percentiles nationally. In this area, 28.7% of the population (1,992 individuals) have incomes ranging from $800 to $1,499, unlike metropolitan regions where the $1,500 - $2,999 category is predominant at 28.5%. Despite modest housing costs allowing for 88.5% income retention, total disposable income in Sheffield - Railton ranks at just the 19th percentile nationally.

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

Sheffield - Railton's dwelling structure, as per the latest Census evaluation, comprised 96.4% houses and 3.6% other dwellings such as semi-detached properties, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. This is compared to Non-Metro Tas.'s 90.3% houses and 9.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Sheffield - Railton stood at 49.3%, with the remaining dwellings either mortgaged (37.8%) or rented (12.9%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,253, lower than Non-Metro Tas.'s average of $1,300. The median weekly rent figure in Sheffield - Railton was $230, compared to Non-Metro Tas.'s $250. Nationally, Sheffield - Railton's mortgage repayments were significantly lower at $1,253 than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially below the national figure of $375.

Sheffield - Railton has a typical household mix, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 72.2% of all households, including 26.6% couples with children, 36.6% couples without children, and 8.5% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 27.8%, with lone person households at 25.1% and group households at 2.5%. The median household size is 2.4 people, larger than the Rest of Tas. average of 2.3.

Sheffield - Railton faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area's university qualification rate is 15.5%, significantly lower than Australia's average of 30.4%. This disparity presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are the most common at 10.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.8%) and graduate diplomas (1.9%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 42.2% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials – advanced diplomas at 10.0% and certificates at 32.2%.

Educational participation is high, with 26.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education, including 10.3% in primary, 7.7% in secondary, and 2.4% in tertiary education.

No public transport data available for this catchment area.

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

Sheffield - Railton faces significant health challenges, with common conditions prevalent among both younger and older age groups. Private health coverage is low at approximately 46%, covering around 3,207 people, compared to 48.3% in the rest of Tasmania and a national average of 55.3%. The most frequent medical conditions are arthritis (11.7%) and mental health issues (9.0%).

About 62.7% report no medical ailments, slightly higher than the 61.1% across the rest of Tasmania. The area has 24.8% residents aged 65 and over, numbering around 1,718 people.

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

Sheffield-Railton had a cultural diversity index below the average, with 88.5% of its population being citizens, 86.9% born in Australia, and 95.7% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Sheffield-Railton, making up 39.8% of the population as of June 2016. Judaism, comprising 0.1%, showed an overrepresentation compared to the rest of Tasmania's 0.1%.

The top three ancestry groups were English (33.6%), Australian (33.5%), and Scottish (7.7%). Notably, Dutch (1.7%) was overrepresented in Sheffield-Railton compared to the regional average of 1.4%, while Australian Aboriginal showed a slight underrepresentation at 4.4% versus 4.7%. Hungarian ancestry was also notably present at 0.3%, higher than the regional average of 0.1%.

Sheffield - Railton hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

Sheffield-Railton's median age at 49 years is significantly higher than the Rest of Tasmania average of 45 and considerably older than Australia's median age of 38. Compared to the Rest of Tasmania, the 55-64 cohort is notably over-represented in Sheffield-Railton (18.0%), while the 25-34 age group is under-represented (9.4%). This concentration of the 55-64 age group is well above the national average of 11.2%. Post-2021 Census data shows that the 75 to 84 age group grew from 6.5% to 8.3%, while the 45 to 54 cohort declined from 14.1% to 12.2% and the 5 to 14 age group dropped from 11.1% to 10.1%. By 2041, Sheffield-Railton is expected to see notable shifts in its age composition. The 75 to 84 age group is projected to grow by 40%, reaching 813 people from the previous count of 579. This growth is part of a larger aging population trend, with those aged 65 and above comprising 56% of the projected growth. Conversely, both the 0 to 4 and 65 to 74 age groups are expected to see reduced numbers.