suburb.guide

TAS · Kentish Council

Railton, 7305

Est. population · Jun 2025

1,138

Growth (1 yr)

+0.3%

Growth (5 yr)

+4.7%

Median age

45

Median income

$1,091/wk

Employment rate

45.6%

University qualified

5.7%

Work from home

5.6%

Languages at home

1.9%non-English

Most common: French

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

39.6/100
Below average

188th in TAS

Verified 83% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Green suburb
  • Agricultural
  • Holiday parks
  • Rural living
What Railton is known for: Green suburb, Agricultural, Holiday parks, Rural living

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Suburb Guide, “Railton, TAS Suburb Guide”, updated 2 October 2026, https://suburb.guide/tas/railton

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Suburb profile

Railton is a rural locality in Tasmania, in Kentish Council. Notable landmarks include St James' Catholic Church, House & Cemetery and St John's Anglican Church, Hall and Cemetery.

Local amenities are a relative strength, placing it among the highest-ranked rural localities. Open-space access is exceptionally strong. Green cover is an exceptional strength. Space is a strength, but car dependence is high. Trade-offs centre on lower socio-economic advantage and fewer university qualifications, with university qualifications 52% below the peer median.

Overall, the suburb suits people prioritising open space and local amenities over socio-economic advantage.

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

Rural locality · compared with rural localities in Tasmania (329)

Strengths

  • Open-space access is exceptionally strong
  • Local amenities are a relative strength
  • Green cover is stronger than in comparable places

Weaknesses

  • Socio-economic advantage sits below the peer median
  • University qualifications are less common than in comparable places

What stands out

  • St James' Catholic Church, House & Cemetery
  • St John's Anglican Church, Hall and Cemetery
  • Space is a strength, but car dependence is high

Who it suits

  • Families
  • Professionals
  • Retirees
  • Students
  • Budget buyers

Housing, growth and risk

How Railton compares

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

Median house price

—

No data available

Median rent

$400/wk

Population (ERP)

1,138

+0.3% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

6.6%

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

#55

among Country & regional · Mature

Pop. growth

46th

percentile in TAS

Rented dwellings

19%

2021 Census tenure

Advantage (IRSAD)

1/10

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
39.6/100 — Below average
National rank
4520th in Australia
State rank
188th in TAS
Peer rank
#55 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
Cohort rank
#119 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
83%

Data sources & freshness

  • Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated

Housing

All types (latest monthly release)
$400
Rental bonds lodged (latest monthly release)
3

Median weekly rent from Tasmanian rental data where available.

Contributes to desirability score · Housing (10%) · Future Growth (6%)

Household crowding and healthy vacancy — not cheapness Modest price change as a healthy-growth band

Data sources & freshness

Population

Estimated resident population

1,138(June 2025)

+0.3% annual · +4.7% over 5 years · 46th percentile in TAS

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+0.3%
5-year growth
+4.7%
Change in 1 year
+3
Change in 5 years
+51
Growth rank in TAS
46th 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 (~1,150), extrapolated at +0.6% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
1,079
Median age
45
Median household income / week
$1,091
Dwelling vacancy
6.6%
Unoccupied private dwellings
29 of 442
Median monthly mortgage
$975
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$255
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
44.4% / 37.2% / 18.5%
Employment rate
45.6%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
5.6% / 1% / 75.8%
Walked or cycled to work
1.2%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
400 / 0 / 0 (+ 3 other)

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

5.7% of adults have a university degree, compared with 21.9% across Tasmania. 20.9% have a trade or vocational qualification.

  • University qualified5.7% · 21.9% TAS
  • Diploma qualified5.6% · 7.9% TAS
  • Trade / vocational20.9% · 18.5% TAS
  • Year 12 or below67.7% · 51.8% TAS

Highest qualification field

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

  • Engineering and related technologies25.6%
  • Society and culture15.2%
  • Management and commerce14%
  • Food, hospitality and personal services12.2%
  • Health10.1%
  • Education7.9%
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)
$48,748

32nd percentile in TAS · -17% vs Australia

Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$55,423

37th percentile in TAS · -15% vs Australia

Residents with rental investments
8.0%

16th percentile in TAS · -42% vs Australia

Median super balance (2023–24)
$57,960

24th percentile in TAS · -8% vs Australia

Residents with business income
9.0%

29th percentile in TAS · -13% vs Australia

Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 7305 — 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
685
Taxpayers reporting net rent
54
Median net rent
$2,046
Taxpayers reporting business income
60
Taxable income vs state median
-8%
Salary / wages vs state median
-4%
Rental investment vs state median
-27%
Super vs state median
-23%
Business income vs state median
-18%

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

Seasonal & agricultural work

11.2% of employed residents work in agriculture, forestry and fishing, 4.9× the Australian share (2.3%) — compared with 5.2% across Tasmania.

Agriculture, forestry & fishing
11.2%

56th percentile in TAS · +387% vs Australia

Resident workers (2021)
46
WHM specified work
Subclass 417 / 462

Postcode 7305

Occupation mix in this industry

2021 Census G56, residents employed in agriculture, forestry and fishing. Counts below 10 are not shown.

  • Labourers23
  • Managers14
  • Technicians and trades workers10

Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021 Census General Community Profile tables G54 (industry of employment) and G56 (industry by occupation), Statistical Area Level (suburb), place of usual residence. Figures are residents’ main job in the week before Census night — not jobs located in the suburb. Agriculture, forestry and fishing is the 1-digit ANZSIC division; grape growing and other 3- and 4-digit industries are not in this datapack. The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Plant and animal cultivation in postcode 7305 (Regional Australia) may count as specified work for Working Holiday Maker visas (subclasses 417 and 462). This is a postcode rule from the Home Affairs instruments — not evidence that seasonal jobs exist here, and not a count of WHM residents. Home Affairs specified work · LIN 22/012 · LIN 22/013. Compilation used: 5 April 2025.

Region employment estimates (SA4, not this suburb)

Jobs and Skills Australia NERO modelled estimates for West and North West (SA4 604), 2026-08. These figures describe the broader region, not this suburb, and occupations are not added together.

  • Livestock Farmers ANZSCO 12131,176
  • Livestock Farm Workers ANZSCO 8415357
  • Agricultural, Forestry and Horticultural Plant Operators ANZSCO 7211284
  • Crop Farm Workers ANZSCO 8412254
  • Crop Farmers ANZSCO 1212211
  • Forestry and Logging Workers ANZSCO 8413130
  • Other Farm, Forestry and Garden Workers ANZSCO 841977
  • Mixed Crop and Livestock Farmers ANZSCO 121465
  • Aquaculture Workers ANZSCO 841132
  • Mixed Crop and Livestock Farm Workers ANZSCO 841625

West and North West is a Statistical Area Level 4. Fruit, nut and vegetable workers are not published separately in NERO (they sit under ANZSCO 8412). Jobs and Skills Australia warns not to sum occupations or geographies. NERO data. Nowcast of Employment by Region and Occupation, Jobs and Skills Australia, Commonwealth of Australia. CC BY 4.0.

Census employed residents counted in G54: 409 · AFF share +115% vs the state.

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — industry of employment (G54/G56), place of usual residence — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated · Resident main job in the week before Census night, not jobs located in the suburb

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

  • WHM specified work areas (LIN 22/012 and LIN 22/013) — Department of Home Affairs · 2025-04-05 · Updated · Postcode eligibility for plant and animal cultivation; not a count of WHM residents
  • Nowcast of Employment by Region and Occupation (NERO), SA4 × ANZSCO 4-digit — Jobs and Skills Australia · 2026-08 · Updated · Monthly modelled SA4 estimates; not suburb-level. CC BY 4.0

Community & culture

1.9% speak a language other than English at home; 8.4% born overseas

Language at home
958 English only · 19 other
Non-English at home
1.9%
Born overseas
82 (8.4%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
105 (9.7%)
Australian citizens
970
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
1

Top languages other than English

Share of residents who speak a language other than English at home (2021 Census).

  • French3 · 100%

Religion

52.7%No religion

No religion is the most common response at 52.7%, while Christianity accounts for 36%.

MeasureSuburbState
No religion52.7%49.6%
Christianity36%38.4%
Other / not stated11.3%12.1%
Christian denominations
DenominationSuburbState
Anglican15.8%14.4%
Catholic10.4%12.7%
Christian (not further defined)2.7%2.5%

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 Devonport Police Division, not this suburb alone.

Reported offences decreased compared with the previous period.

Offence counts & rates
Total offences (2024–25)
2,452
Against the person
670
Against property
1,673
Rate per 1,000 residents (area)
54
State crime-rate percentile
66.9th (higher = more crime)
Decrease (daily rate)
-13.6%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
227
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
199.47

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

  • Railton, Foster St after Esplanade
  • Railton, Foster St before Esplanade

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Public transport stops per 1,000 residents and walkability

Data sources & freshness

Amenities

8 mapped amenities

1 sports centres · 1 caravan parks · 1 campgrounds

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • Limited walkable amenities nearby
Walkability proxy
3/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0
Parks per 1,000 residents
1.85
Sport & outdoors(6)
  • Railton RattlerCycling route
  • Bonneys Tier Regional ReserveNature reserve
  • Caroline Creek Regional ReserveNature reserve
  • New Bed Rd Railton Conservation CovenantNature reserve
  • Sykes SanctuaryNature reserve
  • Railton - Wild Mersey Mountain Bike TrailsSports centre
Camping & holiday parks(2)
  • Railton Hotel Free CampsiteCampground
  • Railton Motorhome StopCaravan park

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

Parks & reserves

2 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • New Bed Rd Railton Conservation CovenantNature reserve
  • Sykes SanctuaryNature reserve

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Green cover of suburb area
23.4%
Woodland / forest cover
23.3%
Parks & woodland features (OSM)
22
Parks (OSM)
2
Typical summer maximum
21°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
Mersey Community Hospital (11.4 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)
27
Participants per 1,000 residents
23.7

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
21° / 12°
Rainfall
171 mm · ~21 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
18° / 10°
Rainfall
238 mm · ~30 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
13° / 5°
Rainfall
360 mm · ~45 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
16° / 8°
Rainfall
262 mm · ~33 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

2 heritage places

  • St James' Catholic Church, House & Cemetery120 FOSTER ST, RAILTON, 7305Permanently Registered
  • St John's Anglican Church, Hall and Cemetery92 FOSTER ST, RAILTON, 7305Permanently 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
2.5% of 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
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 25.6 km away).

Coalition 47.2%Labor 52.8%

8.8 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +4.3 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • RailtonLabor 53.3% · Coalition 46.7% TPP (2025)2.3 km away
  • SheffieldLabor 49.2% · Coalition 50.8% TPP (2025)8.7 km away
  • Lower BarringtonLabor 47.4% · Coalition 52.6% TPP (2025)11.0 km away
  • Claude RoadLabor 57.9% · Coalition 42.1% TPP (2025)16.1 km away
  • Elizabeth TownLabor 50.2% · Coalition 49.8% TPP (2025)16.5 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)
1/10
IRSD decile (2021)
1/10

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

Compare with

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

More in Kentish Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

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