Ulverstone, TAS
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Ulverstone is a coastal town on the north-west coast of Tasmania, set at the mouth of the River Leven about 21 kilometres west of Devonport and a short distance east of Penguin. It takes its name from Ulverston in England, which likewise stands at the estuary of a River Leven. European settlement began in 1848 when Andrew Risby and his family arrived from Gloucestershire to take up farmland; the name Ulverstone came into use in 1854 with the opening of a store, and the town was formally declared in 1861. Timber-getting, carried by rail to Burnie, and farming shaped its early growth. Landmarks include the Leven River bridge and a war-memorial clock tower, and the town has developed a waterfront precinct as a coastal destination.
Among Australia's less advantaged suburbs
Ulverstone is more socio-economically advantaged than about 11% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 894, 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.
Ulverstone at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 6,653
- Median age
- 49
- Median weekly household income
- $1,012
- SEIFA score
- 894
- Coordinates
- -41.1780, 146.1853
Ulverstone demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Ulverstone 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 28%, 26% of homes are rented, and 9% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 993 | 15% |
| Youth (15–24) | 713 | 11% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 1,300 | 20% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 1,745 | 26% |
| Seniors (65+) | 1,887 | 28% |
Share of the 6,638 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 1,266 | 43% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 791 | 27% |
| Rented | 776 | 26% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 2,494 | 85% |
| Townhouses & semis | 388 | 13% |
| Flats & apartments | 24 | 1% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 2,934 occupied private dwellings in Ulverstone.
- Median weekly rent
- $250
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,100
- Average household size
- 2.1 people
- Median weekly family income
- $1,427
- Median weekly personal income
- $599
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 588 (9%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 181 (3%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 573 (9%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 1,755 (32%)
- Labour-force participation
- 49.4%
- Unemployment rate
- 5.8%
- Employed full-time
- 1,397
- Employed part-time
- 1,045
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 Ulverstone
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Ulverstone 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 Ulverstone
Where is Ulverstone?
Ulverstone is a suburb of Tasmania, Australia.
What is the population of Ulverstone?
At the 2021 Census, Ulverstone had a population of about 6,653.
Is Ulverstone an advantaged area?
Ulverstone has an ABS SEIFA score of 894, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 11 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 11% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Ulverstone?
Ulverstone 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 Ulverstone?
Ulverstone is one of the most populous suburbs in Tasmania — the 11th-largest by usual resident population at the 2021 Census (about 6,653 usual residents).
Where Ulverstone ranks
Ulverstone appears in these data-driven guides — each a transparent sort on a single ABS figure shown on this page.
- Largest suburbs in Tasmania#11 of 25
Nearby suburbs in Tasmania
More suburb guides in Tasmania
Other hand-written, cited guides — browse all guides.