West Moonah

Population growth drivers in West Moonah are above average based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

West Moonah's population is around 4,338 as of Feb 2026. This reflects a decrease since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 4,398 people. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 4,272 from the ABS in June 2024 and an additional 43 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 2,423 persons per square kilometer, placing it in the upper quartile relative to national locations assessed by AreaSearch. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration, contributing approximately 58.3% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered and post-2032 growth by age group, Tasmania State Government's Regional/LGA projections are adopted, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Considering projected demographic shifts, West Moonah is expected to grow by 442 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an increase of 8.7% over the 17 years.

The level of residential development activity in West Moonah is very low in comparison to the average area assessed nationally by AreaSearch

West Moonah has annually granted approval for around 7 residential properties. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25, a total of 39 homes were approved, with an additional 7 approved so far in FY26. Despite experiencing population decline, housing supply has remained adequate relative to demand, resulting in a balanced market with good buyer choice.

New properties are constructed at an average expected construction cost value of $305,000. This financial year has seen $4.7 million in commercial approvals, reflecting the area's residential character. Compared to Greater Hobart, West Moonah shows significantly reduced construction activity, with 60% below the regional average per person. This scarcity typically strengthens demand and prices for existing properties. Nationally, this activity is also below average, indicating the area's maturity and possible planning constraints.

Recent building activity consists entirely of detached houses, preserving West Moonah's suburban nature and attracting space-seeking buyers. Developers are constructing more detached housing than previously implied (80% at Census), reflecting strong demand for family homes. The location has approximately 788 people per dwelling approval, demonstrating an established market. By 2041, West Moonah is expected to grow by 376 residents, potentially leading to increased competition among buyers and stronger price growth if current development rates continue.

West Moonah has limited levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the 8thth percentile nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified eight projects that may affect this region. Notable projects include TasWater Infrastructure Upgrades, Greater Glenorchy Plan, Ashbourne Grove Road Renewal, and Salvation Army Hopkins Street Community Housing. The following list details those likely to be most relevant.

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

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

West Moonah has seen below average employment performance when compared to national benchmarks

West Moonah has an educated workforce with prominent representation in essential services sectors and an unemployment rate of 4.3% as of September 2025. The area's unemployment rate is 0.3% higher than Greater Hobart's rate of 4.0%, while its workforce participation stands at 68.1%, slightly above Greater Hobart's 63.8%. According to Census data, a low 5.9% of residents work from home.

Employment in West Moonah is concentrated in health care & social assistance, accommodation & food, and retail trade, with notable concentration in accommodation & food at 1.3 times the regional average. Conversely, construction shows lower representation at 5.7% compared to the regional average of 8.7%. The predominantly residential area offers limited local employment opportunities, indicated by the difference between its working population and resident population. Between September 2024 and September 2025, West Moonah's labour force decreased by 1.2%, employment fell by 0.9%, leading to a reduction in unemployment of 0.3 percentage points.

Comparing this with Greater Hobart, employment fell by 0.7%, labour force contracted by 0.9%, and unemployment fell by 0.2 percentage points during the same period. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project overall employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to West Moonah's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.6% over five years and 13.8% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

According to AreaSearch's aggregation of latest postcode level ATO data released for financial year ending June 2023, West Moonah SA2 had a median income among taxpayers of $53,205 with an average level of $58,045. This is lower than the national average and compares to levels of $54,577 and $65,190 across Greater Hobart respectively. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 9.6% since financial year ending June 2023, current estimates would be approximately $58,313 (median) and $63,617 (average) as of September 2025. From the Census conducted in August 2021, household incomes rank at the 34th percentile, family incomes at the 33rd percentile, and personal incomes at the 35th percentile in West Moonah. Income analysis reveals that 34.3% of the population (1,487 individuals) fall within the $1,500 - $2,999 income range, mirroring the regional trend where 32.2% occupy this bracket. Housing affordability pressures are severe in West Moonah, with only 83.9% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 35th percentile.

West Moonah is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

In West Moonah, as per the latest Census, 80.0% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 20.0% being semi-detached, apartments, or other types. This compares to Hobart metro's figures of 85.3% houses and 14.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in West Moonah stood at 28.3%, with mortgaged dwellings at 30.0% and rented ones at 41.7%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,430, lower than Hobart metro's $1,517. Median weekly rent in West Moonah was $340, compared to Hobart metro's $350. Nationally, West Moonah's mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were less than the national figure of $375.

West Moonah features high concentrations of group households, with a higher-than-average median household size

Family households comprise 65.9% of all households, including 27.8% couples with children, 24.2% couples without children, and 12.3% single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 34.1%, consisting of 27.6% lone person households and 6.2% group households. The median household size is 2.6 people, which is larger than the Greater Hobart average of 2.4.

Educational outcomes in West Moonah fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

Educational attainment in West Moonah is notably higher than broader benchmarks. Specifically, 35.3% of residents aged 15+ hold university qualifications, compared to 23.3% in the SA3 area and 25.5% in Tasmania overall. University graduates include those with bachelor degrees (20.8%), postgraduate qualifications (11.8%), and graduate diplomas (2.7%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 28.6% of residents aged 15+ holding such qualifications.

This includes advanced diplomas (7.7%) and certificates (20.9%). Educational participation is high, with 30.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes primary education (9.4%), secondary education (5.9%), and tertiary education (5.5%).

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

West Moonah has 24 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 57 different routes that collectively facilitate 3,582 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as excellent, with residents typically living just 182 meters from the nearest stop. In this primarily residential area, most people commute outward. Cars remain the dominant mode of transport at 84%, while buses are used by 11% of residents. On average, there are 1.3 vehicles per dwelling.

According to the 2021 Census, only 5.9% of residents work from home, a figure which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Daily service frequency averages 511 trips across all routes, equating to approximately 149 weekly trips per individual stop.

West Moonah's residents are extremely healthy with prevalence of common health conditions low among the general population and nearer the nation's average across older, at risk cohorts

Analysis shows West Moonah performing strongly on health metrics, with low prevalence of common conditions among its general population. This is near the national average for older, at-risk cohorts. Private health cover stands at approximately 48% (2,090 people), compared to Greater Hobart's 51.7% and the national average of 55.7%.

Mental health issues and arthritis are the most common conditions, affecting 10.8 and 7.4% respectively. 70.5% report no medical ailments, higher than Greater Hobart's 65.5%. Working-age residents show above-average chronic condition prevalence. West Moonah has 15.6% (676 people) aged 65 and over, lower than Greater Hobart's 19.9%. Health outcomes among seniors are above average but rank lower nationally compared to the broader population.

West Moonah was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

West Moonah's population showed higher cultural diversity compared to most local areas, with 32.1% born overseas and 31.1% speaking a language other than English at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in West Moonah, accounting for 37.3%. Hinduism had a significant presence, comprising 10.5%, which is notably higher than the Greater Hobart average of 2.8%.

In terms of ancestry, the top groups were English (25.0%), Australian (23.4%), and Other (16.2%). The latter figure was substantially higher than the regional average of 7.4%. Notable differences in ethnic group representation included Polish at 1.8% (regional average: 0.8%), Croatian at 0.9% (regional average: 0.2%), and Indian at 3.3% (regional average: 1.2%).

West Moonah hosts a young demographic, positioning it in the bottom quartile nationwide

West Moonah's median age is 34 years, which is lower than the Greater Hobart average of 39 years and substantially under the Australian median of 38 years. Compared to Greater Hobart, West Moonah has a higher percentage of residents aged 35-44 (19.0%) but fewer residents aged 55-64 (8.6%). Between the 2021 Census and present, the age group of 35 to 44 has increased from 15.0% to 19.0%, while the 75 to 84 cohort has risen from 4.1% to 5.4%. Conversely, the 55 to 64 age group has decreased from 10.3% to 8.6%, and the 5 to 14 age group has dropped from 10.6% to 9.0%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests West Moonah's age profile will significantly change. The 45 to 54 cohort is projected to grow by 91%, adding 414 residents to reach 871. Meanwhile, both the 55 to 64 and 25 to 34 age groups are expected to decrease in numbers.