South Hobart - Fern Tree

Population growth drivers in South Hobart - Fern Tree are above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Based on AreaSearch's analysis, South Hobart - Fern Tree's population is around 6,807 as of Nov 2025. This reflects an increase of 80 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 6,727 people. The change is inferred from the estimated resident population of 6,809 from the ABS as of June 2024 and an additional 23 validated new addresses since the Census date. Over the past decade, South Hobart - Fern Tree has demonstrated resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 1.0%, outpacing the SA3 area. Population growth for the area was primarily driven by overseas migration. AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, as 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 employing a method of weighted aggregation of population growth from LGA to SA2 levels. Considering projected demographic shifts, South Hobart - Fern Tree is expected to increase by 915 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an increase of 13.5% in total over the 17 years.

Residential development activity is lower than average in South Hobart - Fern Tree according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

South Hobart - Fern Tree has recorded approximately 17 residential properties granted approval annually over the past five financial years, totalling 87 homes. As of FY26, three approvals have been recorded. On average, 1.8 people moved to the area per dwelling built between FY21 and FY25, indicating a balanced supply-demand dynamic which has moderated to -0.7 people per dwelling over the past two financial years. The average construction value of new properties is $212,000, below the regional average, suggesting more affordable housing options. This year, $2.4 million in commercial approvals have been registered, reflecting the area's predominantly residential nature.

Compared to Greater Hobart, South Hobart - Fern Tree maintains similar construction rates per person, preserving market equilibrium consistent with surrounding areas, which is below average nationally, possibly due to planning constraints. Recent development has consisted entirely of detached dwellings, maintaining the area's low-density character and attracting space-seeking buyers. Notably, developers are building more traditional houses than the current mix suggests, indicating strong demand for family homes despite density pressures. The estimated population per dwelling approval is 652 people, reflecting its quiet development environment.

According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, South Hobart - Fern Tree is projected to gain 917 residents by 2041. If current development rates continue, housing supply may struggle to keep pace with population growth, potentially intensifying buyer competition and supporting price increases.

South Hobart - Fern Tree has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 1stth percentile nationally

Influence on performance: 21 infrastructure projects identified by AreaSearch for potential impact. Key projects include South Arm Highway Upgrade (Acton Road and South Arm Road intersection), Roches Beach Living, Royal Hobart Hospital Emergency Department Expansion, Greater Hobart Urban Growth Boundary Extension.

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

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The employment environment in South Hobart - Fern Tree shows above-average strength when compared nationally

South Hobart - Fern Tree has a highly educated workforce with significant representation in professional services. Its unemployment rate is 2.7%.

As of September 2025, the area had 3900 residents employed with an unemployment rate of 1.3%, below Greater Hobart's rate of 4.0%. Workforce participation was at 66.1%, slightly higher than Greater Hobart's 61.6%. Employment is concentrated in health care & social assistance, education & training, and professional & technical services, with a particularly strong specialization in education & training (1.5 times the regional level). The construction sector has limited presence, with only 4.6% employment compared to 8.7% regionally.

The predominantly residential area may offer limited local employment opportunities. In the 12-month period ending September 2025, labour force decreased by 1.0% and employment declined by 0.6%, leading to a fall in unemployment rate by 0.4 percentage points. Greater Hobart recorded an employment decline of 0.7% and a labour force decline of 0.9%, with unemployment falling by 0.2 percentage points during the same period. As of 25-Nov-25, Tasmania's employment had contracted by 0.35% (losing 2010 jobs), with an unemployment rate of 4.1%. Nationally, the unemployment rate was 4.3%, and employment grew by 0.14%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project a 6.6% increase over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to South Hobart - Fern Tree's employment mix suggests local employment could increase by 7.1% over five years and 14.6% over ten years, though this is a simple extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localized population projections.

The economic profile demonstrates above-average performance, with income metrics exceeding national benchmarks based on AreaSearch comparative assessment

AreaSearch's aggregation of ATO data for financial year 2022 shows South Hobart - Fern Tree SA2 had a median taxpayer income of $52,804 and an average income of $80,131. These figures are among the highest in Australia, compared to Greater Hobart's median of $51,272 and average of $63,777. As of September 2025, estimated median and average incomes would be approximately $60,107 and $91,213 respectively, based on Wage Price Index growth of 13.83% since financial year 2022. Census data indicates household, family, and personal incomes in South Hobart - Fern Tree cluster around the 60th percentile nationally. Income distribution shows that 32.4% of residents (2,205 people) fall into the $1,500 - 2,999 bracket, similar to regional levels at 32.2%. After housing costs, residents retain 87.1% of their income, reflecting strong purchasing power. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 8th decile.

South Hobart - Fern Tree is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In South Hobart - Fern Tree, as per the latest Census evaluation, 75.3% of dwellings were houses, with 24.6% being other types such as semi-detached homes, apartments, and 'other' dwellings. This compares to Hobart metropolitan's 69.2% houses and 30.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in South Hobart - Fern Tree stood at 37.4%, similar to Hobart metro, with mortgaged dwellings at 33.4% and rented ones at 29.2%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,625, below the Hobart metro average of $1,800. The median weekly rent was $380, compared to Hobart metro's $390. Nationally, South Hobart - Fern Tree's mortgage repayments were lower at $1,625 than the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were higher at $380 than the national figure of $375.

South Hobart - Fern Tree features high concentrations of group households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households constitute 64.2% of all households, including 25.2% couples with children, 28.4% couples without children, and 9.3% single parent families. Non-family households comprise the remaining 35.8%, with lone person households at 28.7% and group households making up 7.1%. The median household size is 2.4 people, larger than the Greater Hobart average of 2.3.

Educational achievement in South Hobart - Fern Tree places it within the top 10% nationally, reflecting strong academic performance and high qualification levels across the community

South Hobart - Fern Tree has an educational attainment level that exceeds broader benchmarks. Among residents aged 15 and above, 57.2% have university qualifications, compared to 25.5% in Tasmania and 30.4% across Australia. This high level of educational attainment is particularly notable for bachelor degrees, with 32.7%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 18.5% and graduate diplomas at 6.0%. Vocational pathways account for 19.7% of qualifications in this age group, with advanced diplomas at 8.1% and certificates at 11.6%.

Educational participation is high, with 34.0% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 11.1% in tertiary education, 9.9% in primary education, and 7.5% pursuing secondary education.

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

South Hobart-Fern Tree has 90 active public transport stops servicing a mix of bus routes. These stops are covered by 41 individual routes, facilitating 6,548 weekly passenger trips in total. The area's transport accessibility is rated good, with residents on average located 208 meters from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 935 trips per day across all routes, translating to approximately 72 weekly trips per individual stop.

The level of general health in South Hobart - Fern Tree is notably higher than the national average with both young and old age cohorts seeing low prevalence of common health conditions

South Hobart - Fern Tree shows superior health outcomes for both youth and elderly populations, with low occurrences of common health issues.

Private health coverage stands at approximately 60%, covering about 4,070 individuals. Mental health problems and arthritis are the prevalent conditions, affecting 9.8% and 8.4% respectively. About 69.7% report no medical ailments, slightly higher than Greater Hobart's 69.8%. The area has a lower proportion of seniors (17.5%, or 1,188 people) compared to Greater Hobart (18.8%). Senior health outcomes align with the general population's profile, indicating above-average overall health.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in South Hobart - Fern Tree was found to be slightly above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

South Hobart-Fern Tree exhibited above-average cultural diversity, with 24.4% of its population born overseas and 14.3% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in South Hobart-Fern Tree as of 25.5%. Buddhism's representation stood out at 2.3%, compared to the regional average of 2.3%.

The top three ancestral groups were English (30.6%), Australian (24.6%), and Scottish (9.3%). Notably, Dutch (2.1%) was overrepresented compared to the regional figure of 1.6%, as were Welsh (0.8% vs 0.6%) and French (0.8% vs 0.5%).

South Hobart - Fern Tree's population aligns closely with national norms in age terms

South Hobart - Fern Tree's median age is 39 years, matching the Greater Hobart average of 39 and closely aligned with Australia's median age of 38. The 15-24 cohort is over-represented at 14.3%, while those aged 65-74 are under-represented at 8.9%. According to the 2021 Census, the 15-24 group has increased from 12.2% to 14.3%, whereas the 25-34 cohort has decreased from 15.7% to 14.6%. By 2041, South Hobart - Fern Tree's age profile is projected to change significantly. The 45-54 group is expected to grow by 45%, adding 406 residents to reach 1,316. Conversely, the 35-44 cohort is predicted to decrease by 183 residents.