Sorell - Richmond

Sorell - Richmond lies within the top quartile of areas nationally for population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, Sorell - Richmond's population is around 11,078 as of Feb 2026. This reflects an increase of 1,085 people (10.9%) since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 9,993 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 10,742 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 601 validated new addresses since the Census date. This population level equates to a density ratio of 29 persons per square kilometer, providing ample space per person. Sorell - Richmond's 10.9% growth since the 2021 census exceeded the SA4 region (4.9%) and Greater Hobart, marking it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by interstate migration, which contributed approximately 65.9% 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. Regarding demographic trends, above-median population growth compared to national areas is projected, with the area expected to grow by 2,548 persons by 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting a gain of 20.0% in total over the 17 years.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development activity positions Sorell - Richmond among the top 25% of areas assessed nationwide

Sorell - Richmond has seen around 131 new homes approved each year, totalling 659 homes over the past 5 financial years. So far in FY-26, 54 approvals have been recorded. Given an average of 1.8 new residents per year per dwelling constructed over the past 5 financial years (between FY-21 and FY-25), the market shows a good balance between supply and demand, supporting stable conditions, while new homes are being built at an average value of $281,000. There have also been $22.6 million in commercial approvals this financial year, indicating steady commercial investment activity.

When measured against Greater Hobart, Sorell - Richmond shows moderately higher new home approvals (28.0% above regional average per person over the 5 year period), preserving reasonable buyer options while sustaining existing property demand. This activity is significantly above the national average, indicating robust developer interest in the area. Recent construction comprises 98.0% standalone homes and 2.0% townhouses or apartments, maintaining the area's traditional low density character with a focus on family homes appealing to those seeking space. The location has approximately 86 people per dwelling approval, indicating an expanding market.

Population forecasts indicate Sorell - Richmond will gain 2,212 residents through to 2041 (from the latest AreaSearch quarterly estimate). With current construction levels, housing supply should adequately meet demand, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling growth that exceeds current forecasts.

Sorell - Richmond has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 5thth percentile nationally

Nothing can influence an area's performance as much as changes to local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. In total, 4 projects have been identified by AreaSearch that are likely to have an impact on the area. Key projects include the Sorell School Redevelopment, the Brighton to Cambridge Freight Route Study, the Tasman Highway Duplication Project, and the Cambridge-Clarence Recycled Water Interconnector, 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.

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Despite maintaining a low unemployment rate of 3.4%, Sorell - Richmond has experienced recent job losses, resulting in a below average employment performance ranking when compared nationally

Sorell - Richmond possesses a skilled workforce, with essential services sectors well represented, an unemployment rate of only 3.4%, and relative employment stability over the past year. As of December 2025, 5,378 residents are in work while the unemployment rate is 0.6% below Greater Hobart's rate of 4.0%, and workforce participation is broadly similar to Greater Hobart's 64.0%. Based on Census responses, a low 10.0% of residents were found to work from home, though Covid-19 lockdown impacts should be considered.

The dominant employment sectors among residents include health care & social assistance, construction, and retail trade. The area shows particularly strong specialization in construction, with an employment share of 1.4 times the regional level. Meanwhile, health care & social assistance has a limited presence with 14.4% employment compared to 17.3% regionally. 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, the labour force decreased by 0.0% while employment declined by 0.5%, causing unemployment to rise by 0.5 percentage points. By comparison, Greater Hobart recorded employment growth of 0.1%, a labour force decline of 0.1%, with unemployment falling 0.2 percentage points. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 can offer further insight into potential future demand within Sorell - Richmond. 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 Sorell - Richmond's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.1% over five years and 12.9% 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

The Sorell - Richmond SA2's income level is below the national average according to the latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for FY-23. The Sorell - Richmond SA2's median income among taxpayers is $54,113 and the average income stands at $60,004, which compares to figures for Greater Hobart's of $54,577 and $65,190 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.6% since FY-23, current estimates would be approximately $59,308 (median) and $65,764 (average) as of September 2025. Census data reveals household, family and personal incomes all rank modestly in Sorell - Richmond, between the 31st and 36th percentiles. Income brackets indicate the $1,500 - 2,999 earnings band captures 33.8% of the community (3,744 individuals), consistent with broader trends across the metropolitan region showing 32.2% in the same category. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 84.4% of income remaining, ranking at the 32nd percentile.

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

Dwelling structure within Sorell - Richmond, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 96.4% houses and 3.6% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), in comparison to Hobart metro's 85.3% houses and 14.7% other dwellings. Meanwhile, the level of home ownership within Sorell - Richmond was in line with that of Hobart metro, at 36.1%, with the remainder of dwellings either mortgaged (41.8%) or rented (22.1%). The median monthly mortgage repayment in the area was below the Hobart metro average at $1,506, while the median weekly rent figure was recorded at $355, compared to Hobart metro's $1,517 and $350. Nationally, Sorell - Richmond's mortgage repayments are significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents are less than the national figure of $375.

Sorell - Richmond has a typical household mix, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households dominate at 72.4% of all households, comprising 27.2% couples with children, 31.4% couples without children, and 12.6% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 27.6%, with lone person households at 25.9% and group households comprising 1.9% of the total. The median household size of 2.4 people matches the Greater Hobart average.

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

The area faces educational challenges, with university qualification rates (18.8%) substantially below the SA4 region average of 32.8%. This represents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees lead at 12.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (4.0%) and graduate diplomas (2.0%). Trade and technical skills feature prominently, with 41.3% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials, including advanced diplomas (10.3%) and certificates (31.0%).

Educational participation is notably high, with 25.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.8% in primary education, 6.6% in secondary education, and 2.9% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Public transport analysis reveals 2 active transport stops operating within Sorell - Richmond, comprising a mix of buses. These stops are serviced by 5 individual routes, collectively providing 1,244 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as limited, with residents typically located 3851 meters from the nearest transport stop. As a primarily residential area, most residents commute outward, and the car remains the dominant mode at 94%. Vehicle ownership averages 1.7 per dwelling, which is above the regional average. A relatively low 10.0% of residents work from home (2021 Census; may reflect COVID-19 conditions).

Service frequency averages 177 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 622 weekly trips per individual stop.

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

Health data reveals substantial challenges facing Sorell - Richmond, based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. The prevalence of common health conditions is notable across both younger and older age cohorts, and the rate of private health cover is very low at approximately 49% of the total population (~5,417 people). This compares to 51.7% across Greater Hobart and a national average of 55.7%.

The most common medical conditions in the area are arthritis and mental health issues, impacting 11.8 and 10.1% of residents, respectively, while 61.4% declared themselves as completely clear of medical ailments compared to 65.5% across Greater Hobart. The working-age population faces notable health challenges with elevated chronic condition rates. The area has 23.6% of residents aged 65 and over (2,615 people), which is higher than the 19.9% in Greater Hobart. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, with national rankings broadly in line with the general population.

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

Sorell - Richmond was found to be below average in terms of cultural diversity, with 87.6% of its population born in Australia, 91.0% being citizens, and 94.8% speaking English only at home. The main religion in Sorell - Richmond is Christianity, which makes up 46.3% of the population. However, the most apparent overrepresentation was in Other, which comprises 0.8% of the population, compared to 1.1% across Greater Hobart.

In terms of ancestry (country of birth of parents), the top three represented groups in Sorell - Richmond are English, comprising 35.6% of the population, Australian, comprising 32.4% of the population, and Irish, comprising 8.2% of the population. Additionally, there are notable divergences in the representation of certain other ethnic groups: Australian Aboriginal is represented at 2.7% of Sorell - Richmond (vs 3.0% regionally), Welsh at 0.5% (vs 0.5%) and Dutch at 1.2% (vs 1.5%).

Sorell - Richmond's median age exceeds the national pattern

With a median age of 42, Sorell - Richmond modestly exceeds the Greater Hobart figure of 39 and substantially exceeds the national norm of 38. The 55 - 64 age group shows strong representation at 13.1% compared to Greater Hobart, whereas the 25 - 34 cohort is less prevalent at 12.8%. Following the 2021 Census, the 35 to 44 age group has grown from 12.2% to 13.9% of the population, while the 75 to 84 cohort increased from 7.0% to 8.6%. Conversely, the 5 to 14 cohort has declined from 12.0% to 10.9%. Demographic modeling suggests Sorell - Richmond's age profile will evolve significantly by 2041. Leading the demographic shift, the 45 to 54 group will grow by 54% (634 people), reaching 1,820 from 1,185. The aging population dynamic is clear, with those 65+ comprising 51% of projected growth. Meanwhile, the 35 to 44 cohort is projected to decline by 225 people.