suburb.guide

TAS · Kingborough Council

Birchs Bay, 7162

Est. population · Jun 2025

126

Growth (1 yr)

0.0%

Growth (5 yr)

+5.9%

Median age

56

Median income

$1,187/wk

Employment rate

39.2%

University qualified

36.4%

Work from home

19%

Languages at home

11.8%non-English

Mostly English at home

2021 Census · usual residence

  • Rural living
What Birchs Bay is known for: Rural living

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Birchs Bay, TAS suburb snapshot — Suburb Guide

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Suburb Guide, “Birchs Bay, TAS Suburb Guide”, updated 2 October 2026, https://suburb.guide/tas/birchs-bay

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Suburb profile

Birchs Bay is a semi-rural locality near Hobart, in Kingborough Council. Notable landmarks include Birchs Bay Convict Sawing Station.

The suburb is highly walkable compared with similar places, placing it among the highest-ranked semi-rural and lifestyle localities. Dining and cafés are a relative strength. University qualifications are among the highest in the peer group, and recorded road-crash rates are lower than in comparable places, with recorded road crashes 50% below the peer median. The main trade-offs are weaker employment and thinner heritage listings, with employment 24% below the peer median.

Overall, Birchs Bay suits people prioritising walkability and dining over employment.

Generated from the official metrics on this page. It can omit nuance or contain errors — check the tables and source notes before relying on it.

Strengths and weaknesses

Semi-rural locality · compared with semi-rural and lifestyle localities in Tasmania (119)

Strengths

  • The suburb is highly walkable compared with similar places
  • Dining and cafés are a relative strength
  • University qualifications are among the highest in the peer group
  • Recorded road-crash rates are lower than in comparable places

Weaknesses

  • Employment rates sit below those of comparable places
  • Heritage listings are a relative weakness

What stands out

  • Birchs Bay Convict Sawing Station

Who it suits

  • StudentsInsufficient data

Housing, growth and risk

How Birchs Bay compares

A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk

Median house price

—

No data available

Median rent (Census)

$200/wk

2021 Census median weekly rent

Population (ERP)

126

0.0% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

13.6%

Census unoccupied dwellings

How it compares

Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles

Pop. growth

12th

percentile in TAS

Rented dwellings

0%

2021 Census tenure

Advantage (IRSAD)

8/10

national SEIFA decile

Population growth

Recent ERP change over 1 and 5 years

Housing mix

Dwelling types from the 2021 Census

Risks & flags

Quick scan — open a section below for full context

Living here

Population

Estimated resident population

126(June 2025)

0.0% annual · +5.9% over 5 years · 12th percentile in TAS

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
0.0%
5-year growth
+5.9%
Change in 1 year
0
Change in 5 years
+7
Growth rank in TAS
12th percentile

ABS Estimated Resident Population allocated to this suburb from SA2-level data. Not an official ABS suburb count.

Methodology

Figures are allocated from ABS Estimated Resident Population at Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2), using 2021 Census share within overlapping SA2 regions. Where Census data is unavailable, area overlap is used instead.

The dashed chart line is a simple growth-trend estimate to June 2030 (~150), extrapolated at +1.4% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
116
Median age
56
Median household income / week
$1,187
Dwelling vacancy
13.6%
Unoccupied private dwellings
8 of 59
Median monthly mortgage
$1,733
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$200
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
60.9% / 39.1% / 0%
Employment rate
39.2%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
19% / 0% / 38.1%
Walked or cycled to work
7.1%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
45 / 0 / 0

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%) · Accessibility (12%) · Future Growth (6%)

Employment, household income and owned-outright tenure (2021 Census) Work-from-home and public-transport commute shares (2021 Census) Five-year population change as a healthy-growth band, not a boom bonus

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

  • Estimated Resident Population — Australian Bureau of Statistics · 2025 · Updated · SA2 ERP allocated to suburb boundaries

Qualifications

36.4% of adults have a university degree, compared with 21.9% across Tasmania. 15.2% have a trade or vocational qualification.

  • University qualified36.4% · 21.9% TAS
  • Diploma qualified13.1% · 7.9% TAS
  • Trade / vocational15.2% · 18.5% TAS
  • Year 12 or below35.4% · 51.8% TAS

Highest qualification field

Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).

  • Management and commerce29.1%
  • Society and culture20%
  • Engineering and related technologies12.7%
  • Health12.7%
  • Natural and physical sciences12.7%
  • Food, hospitality and personal services7.3%
How these groups are defined
MeasureDefinition
University qualifiedBachelor degree or higher
Diploma qualifiedAdvanced Diploma / Diploma
Trade / vocationalCertificate III + IV
Year 12Year 12 as highest attainment
Below Year 12Year 11 / 10 / 9 or below

People aged 15 years and over, 2021 Census. University, diploma and trade shares match ABS highest educational attainment (HEAP). Year 12 and below Year 12 are combined in the chart because the General Community Profile reports school-only attainment as a residual.

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)

University qualifications from the 2021 Census

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Tax & income

Median taxable income (2023–24)
$43,508

11th percentile in TAS · -26% vs Australia

Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$52,458

19th percentile in TAS · -19% vs Australia

Residents with rental investments
15.0%

86th percentile in TAS · +9% vs Australia

Median super balance (2023–24)
$119,810

92nd percentile in TAS · +89% vs Australia

Residents with business income
15.0%

93rd percentile in TAS · +44% vs Australia

Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 7162 — not a suburb-level official statistic. Rental investment is the share of local taxpayers reporting rental income or loss, not the share of local properties owned by investors.

Counts, net rent & state comparison
Taxpayers in this postcode
429
Taxpayers reporting net rent
65
Median net rent
$2,608
Taxpayers reporting business income
65
Taxable income vs state median
-18%
Salary / wages vs state median
-9%
Rental investment vs state median
+36%
Super vs state median
+59%
Business income vs state median
+36%

Percentiles rank this postcode among unique postcodes in TAS, so suburbs that share a postcode are not counted twice. Dollar figures are compared with Australia-wide ATO medians from the same release. Median net rent is among taxpayers who reported the rent label and can be negative.

Data sources & freshness

  • Taxation Statistics 2023–24 — individuals by postcode (Table 25) — Australian Taxation Office · Updated · Annual release; taxpayer residential postcode, not suburb boundary

Community & culture

11.8% speak a language other than English at home; 31.1% born overseas

Language at home
105 English only · 14 other
Non-English at home
11.8%
Born overseas
37 (31.1%)
Australian citizens
111

Religion

70.7%No religion

No religion is the most common response at 70.7%, while Christianity accounts for 24.1%.

MeasureSuburbState
No religion70.7%49.6%
Christianity24.1%38.4%
Other / not stated5.2%12.1%
Christian denominations
DenominationSuburbState
Catholic11.2%12.7%

2021 Census — languages spoken at home, birthplace, Indigenous status, and religious affiliation (usual residence). Religion is optional on the Census form.

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Crime & safety

Figures are for the Kingston Police Division, not this suburb alone.

Reported offences decreased compared with the previous period.

Offence counts & rates
Total offences (2024–25)
1,405
Against the person
246
Against property
1,110
Rate per 1,000 residents (area)
22.8
State crime-rate percentile
24.8th (higher = more crime)
Decrease (daily rate)
-16.5%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
18
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
142.86

Most common offence types

  • Offences Against Property
  • Offences Against The Person
  • Total Offences

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)

Crime rate, offences against the person, year-on-year trend and recorded road crash rates

Data sources & freshness

Family & Lifestyle

Public transport

2 public transport stops in this suburb

  • Channel Hwy/Gumpits Rd
  • Channel Hwy/Gumpits Rd

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Public transport stops per 1,000 residents and walkability

Data sources & freshness

Amenities

8 mapped amenities

1 cafes · 1 swimming pools

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • Limited walkable amenities nearby
Walkability proxy
5/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
8.62
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
8.62
Parks per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink(1)
  • Grandvewe - Certified Organic Sheep Dairy and Sheep Whey LiqueurCafe

    59 Devlyns Road, Birchs Bay

Sport & outdoors(4)
  • Birchs Bay Conservation CovenantNature reserve
  • Devlyns Rd Birchs Bay Conservation CovenantNature reserve
  • Sports field
  • Swimming pool
Transport(2)

2 bus stops

Other(1)
  • Parking

Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually. Campgrounds, beaches, wineries and local trails are included when they sit inside the suburb boundary.

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)

Food, shopping, recreation and sport per 1,000 residents (OpenStreetMap)

Data sources & freshness

  • Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
  • OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated

Green cover

Green cover of suburb area
0.8%
Woodland / forest cover
0.8%
Parks & woodland features (OSM)
1
Parks (OSM)
0
Typical summer maximum
19°C

Green cover is the share of this suburb's boundary overlapping OpenStreetMap parks, woodland and forest polygons — not a satellite tree-canopy product. Summer maximum is the WorldClim / Open-Meteo seasonal normal already collected for Weather.

Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)

Tree canopy first, then green-cover area and parks per 1,000

Data sources & freshness

  • OpenStreetMap green cover and tree canopy — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated · Park/woodland polygons intersected with suburb boundaries

Health access

Nearest hospital
Huon Regional Care (20.4 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department
GP clinics in suburb
0

GP clinic counts from OpenStreetMap. Bulk-billing figures only include clinics tagged in OSM (sparse and unofficial — not a Medicare list).

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Hospitals, GPs and aged care

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
3
Participants per 1,000 residents
23.8

Active NDIS participants allocated from NDIA Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2, ASGS 2016) counts to this suburb boundary. Not an official suburb-level NDIS figure · as at 31 March 2026.

For NDIS spend and service-demand exploration by SA2 or postcode, see the Care Sector Demand Map.

Data sources & freshness

Weather

Typical conditions by season for suburbs in the same ~44 km climate area. Rainfall totals are summed from monthly WorldClim layers; rainy-day counts are approximate.

Summer (Dec–Feb)

Usual max / min
19° / 9°
Rainfall
221 mm · ~28 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
16° / 7°
Rainfall
221 mm · ~28 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
10° / 3°
Rainfall
289 mm · ~36 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
15° / 6°
Rainfall
285 mm · ~36 rainy days

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)

Temperature and humidity comfort

Data sources & freshness

  • Seasonal climate normals — WorldClim 2.1 · Updated

Future & Planning

Heritage

1 heritage place

  • Birchs Bay Convict Sawing StationCOASTAL RESERVE ADJOING JETTY RD, BIRCHS BAY, 7162Permanently Registered

Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)

Heritage listings as established streetscape

Data sources & freshness

  • State heritage register — State heritage authority · current · Updated

Hazards

Bushfire planning zone
Overlay applies
Flood / inundation overlay
No mapped inundation on suburb boundary

Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via LIST bushfire impact area mapping. Flood cover uses Tasmanian Planning Scheme flood-prone area overlays against the suburb boundary.

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)

Bushfire and flood hazard overlays

Data sources & freshness

  • Bushfire and flood planning overlays — State government hazard layers · current · Updated

Politics & representation

Federal electorate
Franklin
Member of Parliament
Julie COLLINS (Australian Labor Party)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
83,693
Turnout (2025)
94.2%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
+5.7 pp toward Labor

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 30.6%Labor 69.4%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 17.7 km away).

Coalition 25.4%Labor 74.5%

5.1 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +3.3 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • WoodbridgeLabor 77.5% · Coalition 22.5% TPP (2025)3.1 km away
  • MiddletonLabor 71.8% · Coalition 28.2% TPP (2025)5.6 km away
  • KetteringLabor 67.1% · Coalition 32.9% TPP (2025)6.9 km away
  • CygnetLabor 72.7% · Coalition 27.3% TPP (2025)12.2 km away
  • SnugLabor 72.2% · Coalition 27.8% TPP (2025)13.6 km away

Federal electorate from AEC federal division boundaries (2025 redistribution). Division-level results are official AEC figures from the latest general election, with by-election updates where applicable. The estimated suburb profile blends up to eight nearest ordinary polling booths in the same electorate using inverse-distance weighting from the suburb centroid — an approximation, not official AEC data. Nearest polling places are shown for reference.

Data sources & freshness

Socio-economic

IRSAD decile (2021)
8/10
IRSD decile (2021)
9/10

ABS Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), 2021 release — the latest available, derived from the 2021 Census. Deciles rank suburbs nationally from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).

What do IRSAD and IRSD measure?

IRSAD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage. Combines indicators of advantage (e.g. high income, skilled occupations) and disadvantage. Higher decile = more advantaged relative to other Australian areas.

IRSD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage. Focuses on disadvantage only (e.g. low income, unemployment, limited education). Higher decile = less disadvantage nationally.

A new SEIFA edition typically follows each census; the ABS has not announced a release date beyond 2021.

Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)

Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD and IRSD deciles)

Data sources & freshness

More in Kingborough Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Tasmania.