TAS · Meander Valley Council

Meander, 7304

Est. population · Jun 2025

351

Growth (1 yr)

+0.9%

Growth (5 yr)

+5.4%

Median age

52

Median income

$1,138/wk

Employment rate

49.7%

Languages at home

1.6%non-English

Mostly English at home

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

31.8/100
Below average

228th in TAS

Verified 58% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Green suburb
  • National parks
  • Heritage area
  • High desirability
What Meander is known for: Green suburb, National parks, Heritage area, High desirability

Suburb profile

Meander offers a slower smaller community life in Meander Valley Council, with open surrounds and a close-knit community feel. Retirees and empty-nesters are well represented here, with multiple generations sharing the same neighbourhood. Life here is grounded in local routine rather than big-city choice.

Green space punches above what many regional towns offer, with parks and playgrounds woven through the suburb. Day-to-day life is more car-oriented here than in denser, more walkable pockets. Homes are relatively cheap compared with the wider market, which keeps entry costs lower.

Crime reports are up on the previous period. Tree-lined streets and established homes set the tone, with little pressure to reinvent the neighbourhood.

Versus similar regional towns, the suburb reads below average on desirability, chiefly because local dining and lifestyle amenities, plus community and employment trail behind. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.

At a glance

Meander snapshot

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

Median house price

No data available

Median rent

No data available

Population (ERP)

351

+0.9% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

8.1%

Census unoccupied dwellings

Livability profile

Desirability pillars vs the peer median (50th percentile)

How it compares

Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles

Desirability

#53

among Country & regional · Mature

Safety

29th

percentile in state (higher = safer)

Pop. growth

74th

percentile in TAS

Advantage (IRSAD)

3/10

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

Desirability

Ranks & confidence
Desirability score
31.8/100 — Below average
National rank
5289th in Australia
State rank
228th in TAS
Peer rank
#53 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
Cohort rank
#136 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
58%

Data sources & freshness

  • Suburb Guide desirability indexSuburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated

Population

Estimated resident population

351(June 2025)

+0.9% annual · +5.4% over 5 years · 74th percentile in TAS

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+0.9%
5-year growth
+5.4%
Change in 1 year
+3
Change in 5 years
+18
Growth rank in TAS
74th 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 (~350), extrapolated at +0.7% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
337
Median age
52
Median household income / week
$1,138
Dwelling vacancy
8.1%
Unoccupied private dwellings
12 of 149
Median monthly mortgage
$1,193
Employment rate
49.7%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
130 / 0 / 0

Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)

Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community ProfileAustralian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

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

  • Estimated Resident PopulationAustralian Bureau of Statistics · 2025 · Updated · SA2 ERP allocated to suburb boundaries

Community & culture

No 2021 Census cultural diversity data for this suburb yet.

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community ProfileAustralian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

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

Crime & safety

Reported offences increased compared with the previous period.

Offence counts & rates
Total offences (2024–25)
1,221
Against the person
232
Against property
953
Rate per 1,000 residents
3,478.6
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 1 residents
State safety percentile
29.3th (lower crime is better)
Increase (daily rate)
+19.2%

Most common offence types

  • Offences Against Property953
  • Offences Against The Person232
  • Total Offences1221

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)

Crime rate and year-on-year trend

Data sources & freshness

Family & Lifestyle

Amenities

2 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • Limited walkable amenities nearby
  • Great for outdoor family life1 parks mapped in suburb
Walkability proxy
0/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0
Parks per 1,000 residents
2.97
Other(2)
  • Hamptons Rd - Meander Conservation CovenantNature Reserve
  • Huntsman Road Conservation CovenantNature Reserve

Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually.

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)

Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)

Data sources & freshness

  • Local amenity insightsSuburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
  • OpenStreetMap amenitiesOpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated

Parks & reserves

2 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Hamptons Rd - Meander Conservation CovenantNature reserve
  • Huntsman Road Conservation CovenantNature reserve

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Parks & woodland (OSM)
12
Parks (OSM)
1

OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.

Contributes to desirability score · Environment (10%)

Parks and green cover (OpenStreetMap)

Data sources & freshness

Health access

Nearest hospital
Deloraine District Hospital (17.1 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)

Hospitals and GP clinics

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
8
Participants per 1,000 residents
22.8

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
17° / 5°
Rainfall
348 mm · ~44 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
12° / 3°
Rainfall
457 mm · ~57 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
6° / -0°
Rainfall
598 mm · ~75 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
11° / 2°
Rainfall
540 mm · ~68 rainy days

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)

Temperature and humidity comfort

Data sources & freshness

  • Seasonal climate normalsWorldClim 2.1 · Updated

Future & Planning

Heritage

2 heritage places

  • Cheshunt290 CHESHUNT RD, MEANDER, 7304Permanently Registered
  • St Saviour's Church and Sunday School and Cemetery143 MAIN RD, MEANDER, 7304Permanently Registered

Data sources & freshness

  • State heritage registerState heritage authority · current · Updated

Hazards

Bushfire planning zone
Overlay applies

Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via state planning hazard mapping.

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)

Bushfire hazard overlays

Data sources & freshness

  • Hazard planning overlaysState government hazard layers · current · Updated

Politics & representation

Federal electorate
Lyons
Member of Parliament
Rebecca WHITE (Australian Labor Party)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
88,977
Turnout (2025)
92.8%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
+10.7 pp toward Labor

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 38.4%Labor 61.6%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 31.1 km away).

Coalition 44.6%Labor 55.4%

6.1 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +8.8 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • MeanderLabor 56.0% · Coalition 44.0% TPP (2025)2.7 km away
  • ChudleighLabor 48.3% · Coalition 51.7% TPP (2025)15.0 km away
  • DeloraineLabor 57.7% · Coalition 42.3% TPP (2025)16.6 km away
  • Mole CreekLabor 45.6% · Coalition 54.4% TPP (2025)19.3 km away
  • WestburyLabor 60.6% · Coalition 39.4% TPP (2025)25.6 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)
3/10
IRSD decile (2021)
2/10

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 (5%)

Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)

Data sources & freshness

Compare with

Similar suburbs to weigh up side by side — scores, safety, schools, and lifestyle.

More in Meander Valley Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

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