Hobart, TAS
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Hobart is the capital of Tasmania and, founded as a penal colony in 1804, the second-oldest capital city in Australia after Sydney. It sits on the estuary of the River Derwent beneath kunanyi / Mount Wellington, on the land of the Muwinina people, who knew the place as nipaluna — a name meaning 'saltwater country' in the reclaimed palawa kani language. It was named after Lord Hobart, a British colonial secretary of the day. From convict settlement and whaling port it grew into a small, characterful city, keeping much of its Georgian and Victorian sandstone. Today it is known for Salamanca Place and its Saturday market, the harbour, and the boundary-pushing Museum of Old and New Art (MONA).
More advantaged than the national average
Hobart is more socio-economically advantaged than about 71% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 1024, 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.
Hobart at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 3,390
- Median age
- 31
- Median weekly household income
- $1,464
- SEIFA score
- 1024
- Coordinates
- -42.8829, 147.3263
Hobart demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Hobart 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 43%, 68% of homes are rented, and 44% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 173 | 5% |
| Youth (15–24) | 745 | 22% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 1,475 | 43% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 530 | 16% |
| Seniors (65+) | 472 | 14% |
Share of the 3,395 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 169 | 16% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 123 | 12% |
| Rented | 723 | 68% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 198 | 19% |
| Townhouses & semis | 158 | 15% |
| Flats & apartments | 660 | 62% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 1,060 occupied private dwellings in Hobart.
- Median weekly rent
- $380
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,848
- Average household size
- 2 people
- Median weekly family income
- $1,946
- Median weekly personal income
- $667
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 1,326 (44%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 1,050 (35%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 87 (3%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 2,284 (72%)
- Labour-force participation
- 57.1%
- Unemployment rate
- 13%
- Employed full-time
- 804
- Employed part-time
- 707
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 Hobart
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Hobart is January (average daytime high around 21°C) and the coolest is July (around 11.6°C). The area receives roughly 823 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21°C | 12.8°C | 64 mm |
| Feb | 20.2°C | 12.4°C | 55 mm |
| Mar | 18.9°C | 11.6°C | 74 mm |
| Apr | 16.6°C | 9.9°C | 44 mm |
| May | 13.8°C | 7.8°C | 68 mm |
| Jun | 12.1°C | 6.7°C | 76 mm |
| Jul | 11.6°C | 5.9°C | 52 mm |
| Aug | 12.1°C | 5.6°C | 68 mm |
| Sep | 14°C | 6.8°C | 60 mm |
| Oct | 15.6°C | 8°C | 99 mm |
| Nov | 17.2°C | 9.6°C | 81 mm |
| Dec | 19.1°C | 11°C | 82 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Hobart
Where is Hobart?
Hobart is a suburb of Tasmania, Australia.
What is the population of Hobart?
At the 2021 Census, Hobart had a population of about 3,390.
Is Hobart an advantaged area?
Hobart has an ABS SEIFA score of 1024, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 71 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 71% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Hobart?
Hobart has average daytime highs of about 16°C and overnight lows of about 9°C, with roughly 823 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
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