Devonport, TAS
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Devonport stands at the mouth of the Mersey River on Tasmania's north-west coast, about 98 kilometres north of Launceston. For many visitors it is the gateway to the island: the Spirit of Tasmania ferries dock here after crossing Bass Strait, and the port handles a large share of the state's freight. The Mersey Bluff, with its 1889 lighthouse and headland reserve, guards the river mouth, while the fertile red-soil country inland grows vegetables such as potatoes, onions and peas. The modern city was formed in 1893 by joining the older settlements of Torquay and Formby. It lies on the traditional Country of Tasmanian Aboriginal (palawa / pakana) people, recorded in the palawa kani language as Limilinaturi.
Among Australia's less advantaged suburbs
Devonport is more socio-economically advantaged than about 8% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 876, where about 1000 is the national average).
A socio-economic measure from ABS Census data — not a measure of how good a suburb is to live in or visit. How we calculate this.
Devonport at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 14,481
- Median age
- 43
- Median weekly household income
- $1,093
- SEIFA score
- 876
- Coordinates
- -41.1754, 146.3430
Devonport demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Devonport using the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census; every percentage is a share of a clearly stated Census count, so each one traces back to the source. At a glance, the largest age group is young adults (25–44) at 24%, 36% of homes are rented, and 12% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 2,377 | 16% |
| Youth (15–24) | 1,599 | 11% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 3,523 | 24% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 3,546 | 24% |
| Seniors (65+) | 3,437 | 24% |
Share of the 14,482 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 2,038 | 33% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 1,729 | 28% |
| Rented | 2,205 | 36% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 5,140 | 83% |
| Townhouses & semis | 997 | 16% |
| Flats & apartments | 18 | 0% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 6,174 occupied private dwellings in Devonport.
- Median weekly rent
- $250
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,192
- Average household size
- 2.2 people
- Median weekly family income
- $1,455
- Median weekly personal income
- $619
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 1,646 (12%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 898 (6%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 1,016 (7%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 4,268 (37%)
- Labour-force participation
- 53.9%
- Unemployment rate
- 7%
- Employed full-time
- 3,279
- Employed part-time
- 2,416
Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2021 (General Community Profile, by Suburb and Locality). © Australian Bureau of Statistics, released under CC BY 4.0. How we group bands and derive each share is set out on our methodology page.
Weather and climate in Devonport
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Devonport is January (average daytime high around 23.1°C) and the coolest is July (around 11.9°C). The area receives roughly 984 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 23.1°C | 12.9°C | 68 mm |
| Feb | 21.9°C | 12.5°C | 58 mm |
| Mar | 20.2°C | 11.5°C | 77 mm |
| Apr | 17.3°C | 8.9°C | 68 mm |
| May | 14.3°C | 7.1°C | 96 mm |
| Jun | 12.6°C | 5.9°C | 97 mm |
| Jul | 11.9°C | 5.3°C | 120 mm |
| Aug | 12.5°C | 4.7°C | 93 mm |
| Sep | 14.4°C | 5.8°C | 78 mm |
| Oct | 16.6°C | 7.4°C | 109 mm |
| Nov | 18.7°C | 9.4°C | 56 mm |
| Dec | 20.9°C | 10.9°C | 64 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Devonport
Where is Devonport?
Devonport is a suburb of Tasmania, Australia.
What is the population of Devonport?
At the 2021 Census, Devonport had a population of about 14,481.
Is Devonport an advantaged area?
Devonport has an ABS SEIFA score of 876, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 8 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 8% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Devonport?
Devonport has average daytime highs of about 17°C and overnight lows of about 8.5°C, with roughly 984 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
How big is Devonport?
Devonport is the most populous suburb in Tasmania at the 2021 Census (about 14,481 usual residents).
Where Devonport ranks
Devonport appears in these data-driven guides — each a transparent sort on a single ABS figure shown on this page.
- Largest suburbs in Tasmania#1 of 25
Nearby suburbs in Tasmania
More suburb guides in Tasmania
Other hand-written, cited guides — browse all guides.