TAS · Break O'Day Council

Scamander, 7215

Est. population · Jun 2025

848

Growth (1 yr)

+1.1%

Growth (5 yr)

+8.6%

Median age

51

Median income

$910/wk

Employment rate

44.6%

University qualified

11.7%

Work from home

11.2%

Languages at home

2%non-English

Mostly English at home

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

40.7/100
Average

167th in TAS

Verified 81% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Beach
  • Agricultural
  • Golf
  • Holiday parks
What Scamander is known for: Beach, Agricultural, Golf, Holiday parks

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

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Suburb profile

Scamander is a coastal town in Tasmania, in Break O'Day Council. The Scamander River is part of the surrounding geography.

Local amenities is an exceptional strength, well above typical levels for coastal towns. Population growth is stronger than in comparable places, with population growth 24% above the peer median, and recorded road-crash rates are lower than in comparable places, with recorded road crashes 53% below the peer median. The main trade-offs are more mapped flood cover and fewer university qualifications, with university qualifications 46% below the peer median.

Overall, the suburb suits people prioritising local amenities over university qualifications.

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

Coastal town · compared with coastal towns in Tasmania (23)

Strengths

  • Population growth is a relative strength
  • Local amenity access is stronger than in most comparable places
  • Recorded road-crash rates are lower than in comparable places

Weaknesses

  • Mapped flood cover is a relative weakness
  • University qualifications are less common than in comparable places

What stands out

  • Steels Beach
  • Wrinklers Beach
  • Scamander River

Who it suits

  • Families
  • Professionals
  • Retirees
  • Students
  • Budget buyers

Housing, growth and risk

How Scamander compares

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

Median house price

—

No data available

Median rent

$395/wk

Population (ERP)

848

+1.1% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

30.3%

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

#12

among Coastal & beach · Mature

Pop. growth

83rd

percentile in TAS

Rented dwellings

23%

2021 Census tenure

Advantage (IRSAD)

2/10

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
40.7/100 — Average
National rank
4257th in Australia
State rank
167th in TAS
Peer rank
#12 among Coastal & beach · Mature suburbs
Cohort rank
#16 among Coastal & beach suburbs
Data confidence
81%

Data sources & freshness

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

Housing

All types (latest monthly release)
$395
Rental bonds lodged (latest monthly release)
7

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

848(June 2025)

+1.1% annual · +8.6% over 5 years · 83th percentile in TAS

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+1.1%
5-year growth
+8.6%
Change in 1 year
+9
Change in 5 years
+67
Growth rank in TAS
83th 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 (~900), extrapolated at +0.8% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
803
Median age
51
Median household income / week
$910
Dwelling vacancy
30.3%
Unoccupied private dwellings
149 of 492
Median monthly mortgage
$1,200
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$273
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
50.8% / 26% / 23.3%
Employment rate
44.6%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
11.2% / 0% / 73.4%
Walked or cycled to work
5.6%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
311 / 0 / 13 (+ 23 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

11.7% of adults have a university degree, compared with 21.9% across Tasmania. 24.2% have a trade or vocational qualification.

  • University qualified11.7% · 21.9% TAS
  • Diploma qualified7.2% · 7.9% TAS
  • Trade / vocational24.2% · 18.5% TAS
  • Year 12 or below56.8% · 51.8% TAS

Highest qualification field

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

  • Engineering and related technologies20.1%
  • Health12.5%
  • Management and commerce12.2%
  • Society and culture11.9%
  • Education11.6%
  • Food, hospitality and personal services10.5%
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)
$41,262

6th percentile in TAS · -30% vs Australia

Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$45,509

6th percentile in TAS · -30% vs Australia

Residents with rental investments
14.0%

76th percentile in TAS · +1% vs Australia

Median super balance (2023–24)
$67,400

39th percentile in TAS · +6% vs Australia

Residents with business income
15.0%

90th percentile in TAS · +44% vs Australia

Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 7215 — 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
2,385
Taxpayers reporting net rent
344
Median net rent
$2,646
Taxpayers reporting business income
369
Taxable income vs state median
-22%
Salary / wages vs state median
-21%
Rental investment vs state median
+27%
Super vs state median
-10%
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

Seasonal & agricultural work

7.9% of employed residents work in agriculture, forestry and fishing, 3.4× the Australian share (2.3%) — compared with 5.2% across Tasmania.

Agriculture, forestry & fishing
7.9%

47th percentile in TAS · +244% vs Australia

Resident workers (2021)
24
WHM specified work
Subclass 417 / 462

Postcode 7215

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 7215 (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 Launceston and North East (SA4 602), 2026-08. These figures describe the broader region, not this suburb, and occupations are not added together.

  • Livestock Farmers ANZSCO 12131,188
  • Livestock Farm Workers ANZSCO 8415710
  • Agricultural, Forestry and Horticultural Plant Operators ANZSCO 7211455
  • Crop Farmers ANZSCO 1212377
  • Crop Farm Workers ANZSCO 8412230
  • Forestry and Logging Workers ANZSCO 8413161
  • Other Farm, Forestry and Garden Workers ANZSCO 8419154
  • Mixed Crop and Livestock Farmers ANZSCO 1214101
  • Mixed Crop and Livestock Farm Workers ANZSCO 841664
  • Aquaculture Workers ANZSCO 841117

Launceston and North East 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: 304 · AFF share +52% 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

2% speak a language other than English at home; 10.6% born overseas

Language at home
735 English only · 15 other
Non-English at home
2%
Born overseas
78 (10.6%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
32 (4%)
Australian citizens
722

Religion

56.4%No religion

No religion is the most common response at 56.4%, while Christianity accounts for 34.5%.

MeasureSuburbState
No religion56.4%49.6%
Christianity34.5%38.4%
Other / not stated9.1%12.1%
Christian denominations
DenominationSuburbState
Anglican16.2%14.4%
Catholic10.6%12.7%
Uniting Church2.4%2.6%
Jehovah's Witnesses2.2%0.4%

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 St Helens Police Division, not this suburb alone.

Reported offences increased compared with the previous period.

Offence counts & rates
Total offences (2024–25)
326
Against the person
84
Against property
221
Rate per 1,000 residents (area)
20.3
State crime-rate percentile
20.4th (higher = more crime)
Increase (daily rate)
+40.3%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
90
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
106.13

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

4 public transport stops in this suburb

  • No.172 Scamander Ave
  • No.177 Scamander Ave
  • No.86 Scamander Ave
  • No.92 Scamander Ave

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Public transport stops per 1,000 residents and walkability

Data sources & freshness

Amenities

44 mapped amenities

1 cafes · 1 playgrounds · 2 swimming pools · 2 beaches · 2 caravan parks · 1 campgrounds

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • Limited walkable amenities nearby
  • Decent local green space — 1 parks in suburb, 1 playgrounds nearby
Walkability proxy
8/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
1.25
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
1.25
Parks per 1,000 residents
1.25
Food & drink(1)
  • Scamander Newsagency & Mouth CafeCafe
Sport & outdoors(15)
  • BBQ
  • Steels BeachBeach
  • Wrinklers BeachBeach
  • Boat ramp
  • Drinking water
  • Scamander River Golf ClubGolf course
  • Scamander Conservation AreaNature reserve
  • Scamander Regional ReserveNature reserve
  • Winifred Curtis Trust Scamander Conservation CovenantNature reserve
  • Progress ParkPark
  • Playground
  • Public toilets
  • Sports field
  • Swimming pool (2)
Camping & holiday parks(3)
  • Scamander Sanctuary Holiday ParkCampground
  • Scamander Kookaburra Caravan ParkCaravan park
  • Scamander Sanctuary Holiday ParkCaravan park
Places to stay(2)
  • Scamander Beach ResortHotel

    158 Scamander Avenue

  • Carmens InnMotel
Other(8)
  • Bench (4)
  • Bicycle Parking
  • Scamander Fire StationFire station

    12 Campbell Street, Scamander

  • Information
  • Parking (4)
  • Picnic Table (6)
  • Shelter
  • Waste Basket (5)

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

Sporting clubs

2 named sporting clubs in this suburb

  • Scamander River Golf Club

    Golf

  • Scamander Surf Life Saving Club

    Surf Life Saving

Named sporting clubs from OpenStreetMap, assigned to this suburb's boundary. Sporting facilities such as ovals, courts and recreation centres are listed under Amenities.

Data sources & freshness

  • OpenStreetMap sporting clubs — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated · Geofabrik australia-latest.osm.pbf

Parks & reserves

1 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Progress ParkPark

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Green cover of suburb area
3.8%
Woodland / forest cover
3.8%
Parks & woodland features (OSM)
5
Parks (OSM)
1
Typical summer maximum
22°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

Hospitals & GP clinics in suburb
1
Nearest hospital
St Marys Community Health Centre (13.8 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department
Emergency department in suburb
Not in suburb
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).

  • Scamander pharmacyPharmacy

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Hospitals, GPs and aged care

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
24
Participants per 1,000 residents
28.3

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
22° / 11°
Rainfall
170 mm · ~21 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
19° / 8°
Rainfall
145 mm · ~18 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
14° / 4°
Rainfall
142 mm · ~18 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
18° / 7°
Rainfall
154 mm · ~19 rainy days

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)

Temperature and humidity comfort

Data sources & freshness

  • Seasonal climate normals — WorldClim 2.1 · Updated

Future & Planning

Hazards

Bushfire planning zone
Overlay applies
Flood / inundation overlay
4.7% 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 76.5 km away).

Coalition 29.8%Labor 70.2%

8.6 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +15.9 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • ScamanderLabor 70.3% · Coalition 29.7% TPP (2025)1.5 km away
  • St HelensLabor 63.9% · Coalition 36.1% TPP (2025)14.1 km away
  • St MarysLabor 72.7% · Coalition 27.3% TPP (2025)15.5 km away
  • FingalLabor 57.8% · Coalition 42.2% TPP (2025)31.4 km away
  • BichenoLabor 64.5% · Coalition 35.5% TPP (2025)47.2 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)
2/10
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 (12%)

Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD and IRSD deciles)

Data sources & freshness

This suburb ranks highly for

Compare with

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

More in Break O'Day Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

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