Latrobe, TAS
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Latrobe is a town in north-western Tasmania, on the Mersey River about eight kilometres south-east of Devonport along the Bass Highway — not to be confused with the Latrobe Valley (Gippsland, Victoria) or La Trobe University in Melbourne. The district was first settled by B. B. Thomas in 1826 and named in 1861 after Charles Joseph La Trobe, a colonial administrator. Population: 5,030 at the 2021 Census (ABS 2021 Census QuickStats, SAL60320, Suburbs and Localities). The broader Latrobe Council LGA (LGA63810) had a population of around 12,420; figures of 10,000–13,000 seen elsewhere generally refer to the LGA rather than the town. The town is about 197 kilometres north-north-west of Hobart and 43 kilometres west of Deloraine. The Spirit of Tasmania ferry terminal at Devonport is nearby. The largest single industry employer is road freight transport (4.1% of workforce — four times the national share of 1.1%), reflecting the town's Bass Highway position and proximity to Devonport's port. The Australian Axeman's Hall of Fame on Bells Parade celebrates competitive woodchopping, and the Big Platypus outside it is one of Australia's big things. The Henley-on-Mersey Regatta on Australia Day draws visitors for woodchopping, ferret racing and riverside festivities.
Among Australia's less advantaged suburbs
Latrobe is more socio-economically advantaged than about 10% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 893, 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.
Is Latrobe a good place to live?
There’s no single answer — it depends on what matters to you. So instead of one mystery number, we break it down: a transparent score on each part of life we can back with public data, and an honest “not yet” on the parts we can’t.
Lower on the data we score
A weighted blend of the 2 components we can score for Latrobe from public data. It sits alongside — and reconciles with — the socio-economic Suburb Score above; it is a transparent read, not a complete verdict.
Socio-economic advantage
10/100Among Australia's less advantaged suburbs
Among Australia's less advantaged suburbs — the same ABS SEIFA-based Suburb Score (10/100) shown above. Income, education and occupation, as published by the ABS. · ABS SEIFA 2021
Housing affordability
63/100More affordable than the national median
Median weekly rent was $250 at the 2021 Census — more affordable than about 63% of suburbs we can compare. Housing data only, no valuations. · ABS Census 2021
Not yet scored
We’d rather leave these open than publish a number we can’t stand behind. Here’s where each one stands.
- Amenities & accessNot scored yet — our OpenStreetMap amenity mapping is still rolling out across suburbs.
- Green spaceNot scored yet — our OpenStreetMap green-space mapping is still rolling out across suburbs.
- TransportNot scored yet — our OpenStreetMap public-transport mapping is still rolling out across suburbs.
- SchoolsNot scored yet — school performance (ACARA / ICSEA) needs a data-reuse licence cleared before we can publish it.
- SafetyNot scored yet — Australia has no single open crime dataset and safety data carries defamation and legal care, so it is gated pending a go/no-go and will be data-only when added.
- CommunityNot scored yet — we won't reduce community to a number from a proxy. We'd rather leave it open than publish an invented value judgement.
A transparent read on public data, not a verdict — and not a measure of any person or community. See our methodology for how each component is worked out and why some aren’t scored yet.
Latrobe at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 5,030
- Median age
- 43
- Median weekly household income
- $1,173
- SEIFA score
- 893
- Local government area
- Latrobe (Tas.)
- Coordinates
- -41.2477, 146.4285
Map of Latrobe
© OpenStreetMap contributors · View larger map
Housing & property in Latrobe
What it costs to live in Latrobe and how residents hold their homes, from the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census.
- Median rent
- $250
- per week
- Median mortgage
- $1,300
- per month
- Owner-occupied
- 70%
- of dwellings
- Rented
- 28%
- of dwellings
The full tenure and dwelling-type breakdown is in the Latrobe demographics section below.
Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2021. © Australian Bureau of Statistics, released under CC BY 4.0. See our methodology.
Latrobe demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Latrobe 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 seniors (65+) at 25% and 10% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 841 | 17% |
| Youth (15–24) | 530 | 11% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 1,196 | 24% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 1,222 | 24% |
| Seniors (65+) | 1,233 | 25% |
Share of the 5,022 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 717 | 36% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 683 | 34% |
| Rented | 553 | 28% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 1,874 | 93% |
| Townhouses & semis | 119 | 6% |
| Flats & apartments | 3 | 0% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 2,012 occupied private dwellings in Latrobe.
- Average household size
- 2.3 people
- Median weekly family income
- $1,476
- Median weekly personal income
- $628
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 471 (10%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 239 (5%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 392 (8%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 1,213 (30%)
- Labour-force participation
- 54.8%
- Unemployment rate
- 5.6%
- Employed full-time
- 1,263
- Employed part-time
- 761
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 Latrobe
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Latrobe is January (average daytime high around 23°C) and the coolest is July (around 11.8°C). The area receives roughly 898 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 23°C | 12.4°C | 62 mm |
| Feb | 21.9°C | 11.9°C | 51 mm |
| Mar | 20.2°C | 10.9°C | 69 mm |
| Apr | 17.3°C | 8.2°C | 62 mm |
| May | 14.2°C | 6.2°C | 86 mm |
| Jun | 12.4°C | 4.7°C | 85 mm |
| Jul | 11.8°C | 4.3°C | 108 mm |
| Aug | 12.4°C | 3.8°C | 84 mm |
| Sep | 14.3°C | 5°C | 73 mm |
| Oct | 16.4°C | 6.7°C | 99 mm |
| Nov | 18.6°C | 8.8°C | 55 mm |
| Dec | 20.8°C | 10.4°C | 64 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Share your local knowledge of Latrobe
Lived here or spent time in Latrobe? Add a review or a quick tip. Reviews and tips are moderated before they appear.
Common questions about Latrobe
Is Latrobe a good place to live?
There's no single answer, so we score what the public data can back. On socio-economic advantage and housing affordability, Latrobe rates 28/100 overall (Lower on the data we score). Public transport, schools and safety aren't scored yet — see our methodology for why.
What is the median rent in Latrobe?
At the 2021 Census, the median weekly rent in Latrobe was $250, and the median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,300. These are official ABS Census figures — StreetScout publishes housing data only, with no property valuations or agent referrals.
Where is Latrobe?
Latrobe is a suburb of Tasmania, Australia, in the Latrobe (Tas.) local government area.
What is the population of Latrobe?
At the 2021 Census, Latrobe had a population of about 5,030.
Is Latrobe an advantaged area?
Latrobe has an ABS SEIFA score of 893, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 10 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 10% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Latrobe?
Latrobe has average daytime highs of about 16.9°C and overnight lows of about 7.8°C, with roughly 898 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
How big is Latrobe?
Latrobe is one of the most populous suburbs in Tasmania — the 21st-largest by usual resident population at the 2021 Census (about 5,030 usual residents).
Where Latrobe ranks
Latrobe appears in these data-driven guides — each a transparent sort on a single ABS figure shown on this page.
- Largest suburbs in Tasmania#21 of 25
Nearby suburbs in Tasmania
More suburb guides in Tasmania
Other hand-written, cited guides — browse all guides.