Sorell - Richmond
Statistical Area - sa2

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 10,864 as of Aug 2025. This reflects an increase of 871 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 9,993 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 10,744 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 552 validated new addresses since the Census date. Sorell - Richmond's population density is 28 persons per square kilometer. The area's growth of 8.7% since the 2021 census exceeded the SA4 region's growth of 4.2%, indicating it as a growth leader in the region. Population growth was primarily driven by interstate migration, contributing approximately 65.9% of overall population gains.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered, Tasmania State Government's Regional/LGA projections are adopted with adjustments made using a method of weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Based on demographic trends and latest population numbers, Sorell - Richmond is projected to grow by 2,548 persons to 2041, recording a gain of 22.3% 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 approximately 131 new home approvals each year. The Australian Bureau of Statistics produces development approval data on a financial year basis, totalling 659 approvals across the past five financial years from FY-21 to FY-25, with 14 recorded so far in FY-26. On average, 1.8 new residents arrive per new home annually over these five years, indicating balanced supply and demand and stable market conditions. The average construction cost of new dwellings is $461,000.

This financial year has seen $22.6 million in commercial development approvals, suggesting balanced commercial activity. Compared to Greater Hobart, Sorell-Richmond shows moderately higher new home approvals, with 28.0% above the regional average per person over the past five years, offering reasonable buyer options while sustaining property demand. This level of activity is significantly above the national average, reflecting strong 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 focused on family homes.

The location has approximately 86 people per dwelling approval, suggesting an expanding market. Population forecasts indicate Sorell-Richmond will gain 2,426 residents by 2041. With current construction levels, housing supply should meet demand adequately, creating favourable conditions for buyers and potentially enabling growth exceeding current forecasts.

Sorell - Richmond has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 6thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified four projects that could affect the area: Sorell School Redevelopment, Brighton to Cambridge Freight Route Study, Tasman Highway Duplication Project, and Cambridge-Clarence Recycled Water Interconnector. The following list details those most relevant.

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

Despite maintaining a low unemployment rate of 3.1%, Sorell - Richmond has experienced recent job losses, resulting in a below average employment performance ranking when compared nationally

Sorell - Richmond has a skilled workforce with well-represented essential services sectors. Its unemployment rate as of June 2025 is 3.1%.

There are 5,297 residents employed while the unemployment rate is 1.0% lower than Greater Hobart's rate of 4.1%. Workforce participation is similar to Greater Hobart's at 61.6%. The dominant employment sectors include health care & social assistance, construction, and retail trade. Construction has a particularly strong presence with an employment share of 1.4 times the regional level, while health care & social assistance has limited presence at 14.4% compared to the regional figure of 17.3%.

The area may have limited local employment opportunities as indicated by Census data. In the year to June 2025, the labour force decreased by 1.6%, and employment declined by 1.5%, leading to a fall in unemployment by 0.1 percentage points. Greater Hobart recorded similar trends with employment decline of 1.5% and labour force decline of 1.6%. State-level data shows TAS employment grew by 0.77% year-on-year as of Sep-25, adding 1,170 jobs, with the state unemployment rate at 4.3%, outpacing the national average growth of 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia's projections from May 2025 forecast national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Sorell - Richmond's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.1%% over five years and 12.9% over ten years, though this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes only.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

Sorell-Richmond's median income among taxpayers in financial year 2022 was $51,325. The average income stood at $57,271 during the same period. These figures are lower than those for Greater Hobart, which were $51,272 and $63,777 respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 11.94% since financial year 2022, estimated median income as of March 2025 would be approximately $57,453, while the average is projected to reach around $64,109. Census data indicates that household, family and personal incomes in Sorell-Richmond rank modestly, between the 32nd and 36th percentiles. The income bracket of $1,500 - 2,999 captures 33.8% of the community (3,672 individuals), which aligns 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 after housing costs, ranking at the 32nd percentile.

Sorell - Richmond is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

The dwelling structure in Sorell - Richmond, as evaluated at the latest Census, comprised 96.4% houses and 3.6% other dwellings. In comparison, Hobart metro had 97.7% houses and 2.3% other dwellings. The level of home ownership in Sorell - Richmond was 36.1%, with the remainder being mortgaged (41.8%) or rented (22.1%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,506, higher than Hobart metro's $1,408. The median weekly rent was $355, compared to Hobart metro's $350. Nationally, Sorell - Richmond's mortgage repayments were lower at $1,506 versus Australia's average of $1,863, and rents were also lower at $355 compared to the national figure of $375.

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

Family households account for 72.4% of all households, including 27.2% couples with children, 31.4% couples without children, and 12.6% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 27.6%, with lone person households at 25.9% and group households comprising 1.9%. The median household size is 2.4 people, which aligns with the Greater Hobart average.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 18.8%, significantly lower than the SA4 region average of 32.8%. Bachelor degrees are most common among qualifications, at 12.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (4.0%) and graduate diplomas (2.0%). Vocational credentials are prevalent, with 41.3% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas at 10.3% and certificates at 31.0%. Educational participation is high, with 25.7% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes 10.8% in primary, 6.6% in secondary, and 2.9% in tertiary education. Sorell - Richmond's 4 schools have a combined enrollment of 1,298 students. The ICSEA score for these schools is 985, indicating typical Australian school conditions with balanced educational opportunities. There are 2 primary, 1 secondary, and 1 K-12 school in the area. School capacity exceeds residential needs, with 11.9 places per 100 residents compared to the regional average of 9.9, suggesting the area serves as an educational center for the broader region. Note: where schools show 'n/a' for enrolments, please refer to the parent campus.

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

Sorell-Richmond has two operational public transport stops. These are served by five different bus routes, together handling 1,247 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility of these services is rated as limited, with residents typically living 3851 meters away from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 178 trips per day across all routes, which amounts to about 623 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

Sorell - Richmond faces substantial health challenges, as indicated by health data. Both younger and older age cohorts have a notable prevalence of common health conditions.

The area has approximately 58% of its total population (~5,247 people) with private health cover, significantly lower than the national average of 55.3%. The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (11.8%) and mental health issues (10.1%). A majority (61.4%) of residents report being completely clear of medical ailments, slightly lower than the Greater Hobart average of 62.3%. The area has a significant senior population, with 23% (2,498 people) aged 65 and over. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, broadly aligning with the general population's health profile.

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's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 87.6% of its population born in Australia, 91.0% being citizens, and 94.8% speaking English only at home. Christianity is the main religion in Sorell-Richmond, comprising 46.3% of people there. However, the most notable overrepresentation was seen in the 'Other' category, which makes up 0.8% of the population compared to 0.6% across Greater Hobart.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups in Sorell-Richmond are English (35.6%), Australian (32.4%), and Irish (8.2%). Notably, Australian Aboriginal people are overrepresented at 2.7%, Welsh at 0.5%, and Dutch at 1.2%.

Sorell - Richmond hosts an older demographic, ranking in the top quartile nationwide

Sorell-Richmond has a median age of 42, surpassing Greater Hobart's figure of 39 and significantly exceeding the national norm of 38. The age group of 55-64 shows strong representation at 13.2%, compared to Greater Hobart, while the 25-34 cohort is less prevalent at 13.2%. Post-2021 Census, the 75-84 age group grew from 7.0% to 8.3%, and the 35-44 cohort increased from 12.2% to 13.4%. Conversely, the 5-14 age group declined from 12.0% to 11.2%. Demographic projections indicate significant changes in Sorell-Richmond's age profile by 2041. The 45-54 group is expected to grow by 52%, reaching 1,820 people from 1,195. The aging population trend is evident, with those aged 65 and above comprising 53% of projected growth. Meanwhile, the 35-44 cohort is projected to decline by 143 people.