suburb.guide

TAS · Launceston Council

West Launceston, 7250

Est. population · Jun 2025

4,196

Growth (1 yr)

-0.2%

Growth (5 yr)

-2.0%

Median age

42

Median income

$1,468/wk

Employment rate

63.8%

University qualified

31.2%

Work from home

7.9%

Languages at home

7.7%non-English

Most common: Nepali, French, Hindi

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

52.6/100
Average

Top 9% of Tasmania's suburbs

Verified 94% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Excellent transport
  • Green suburb
  • Heritage area
  • High desirability
  • Regional centre
What West Launceston is known for: Excellent transport, Green suburb, Heritage area, High desirability, Regional centre

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West Launceston, TAS suburb snapshot — Suburb Guide

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Suburb Guide, “West Launceston, TAS Suburb Guide”, updated 2 October 2026, https://suburb.guide/tas/west-launceston

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Suburb profile

West Launceston is a major regional centre in Tasmania, in Launceston Council, where heritage streetscapes sit alongside mixed commercial and residential development. The Cataract Gorge is part of the surrounding geography.

Employment is stronger than in comparable places, with employment 22% above the peer median. Local school ICSEA scores sit well above the peer median, well above typical levels for major regional centres. 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 higher crime and weaker population growth.

Overall, West Launceston suits people prioritising employment and university qualifications over peace and quiet.

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

Major regional centre · compared with major regional centres in Tasmania (67)

Strengths

  • Employment is a relative strength
  • University qualifications are among the highest in the peer group
  • Local school ICSEA scores sit well above the peer median
  • Recorded road-crash rates are lower than in comparable places

Weaknesses

  • Reported crime in the wider Launceston Police Division is elevated relative to comparable places
  • Population has been growing more slowly than in comparable places, or declining

What stands out

  • Heritage streetscapes
  • Cataract Gorge

Who it suits

  • Families
  • Professionals
  • Retirees
  • Students
  • Budget buyers

Housing, growth and risk

How West Launceston compares

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

Median house price

—

No data available

Median rent

$450/wk

Population (ERP)

4,196

-0.2% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

8.2%

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

#8

among Country & regional · Established

Pop. growth

9th

percentile in TAS

Rented dwellings

31%

2021 Census tenure

Advantage (IRSAD)

6/10

national SEIFA decile

School ICSEA

62nd

percentile among schools with ICSEA

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
52.6/100 — Average
State standing
Top 9% of Tasmania's suburbs
National rank
1528th in Australia
State rank
29th in TAS
Peer rank
#8 among Country & regional · Established suburbs
Cohort rank
#16 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
94%

Data sources & freshness

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

Housing

All types (latest monthly release)
$450
Rental bonds lodged (latest monthly release)
19

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

4,196(June 2025)

-0.2% annual · -2.0% over 5 years · 9th percentile in TAS

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
-0.2%
5-year growth
-2.0%
Change in 1 year
-8
Change in 5 years
-84
Growth rank in TAS
9th 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 (~4,200), extrapolated at -0.0% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
4,316
Median age
42
Median household income / week
$1,468
Dwelling vacancy
8.2%
Unoccupied private dwellings
162 of 1,985
Median monthly mortgage
$1,300
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$300
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
36.6% / 32.1% / 31.2%
Employment rate
63.8%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
7.9% / 0.8% / 71.3%
Walked or cycled to work
6.8%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
1,535 / 153 / 134

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

31.2% of adults have a university degree, compared with 21.9% across Tasmania. 17.9% have a trade or vocational qualification.

  • University qualified31.2% · 21.9% TAS
  • Diploma qualified9.5% · 7.9% TAS
  • Trade / vocational17.9% · 18.5% TAS
  • Year 12 or below41.4% · 51.8% TAS

Highest qualification field

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

  • Management and commerce17.8%
  • Health17.3%
  • Society and culture13%
  • Engineering and related technologies12.9%
  • Education11.9%
  • Architecture and building6.4%
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)
$57,500

78th percentile in TAS · -2% vs Australia

Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$60,287

69th percentile in TAS · -7% vs Australia

Residents with rental investments
11.0%

45th percentile in TAS · -20% vs Australia

Median super balance (2023–24)
$82,576

58th percentile in TAS · +30% vs Australia

Residents with business income
9.0%

18th percentile in TAS · -13% vs Australia

Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 7250 — 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
31,666
Taxpayers reporting net rent
3,617
Median net rent
$901
Taxpayers reporting business income
2,990
Taxable income vs state median
+9%
Salary / wages vs state median
+4%
Rental investment vs state median
0%
Super vs state median
+10%
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

Community & culture

7.7% speak a language other than English at home; 16.3% born overseas

Language at home
3,882 English only · 322 other
Non-English at home
7.7%
Born overseas
683 (16.3%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
104 (2.4%)
Australian citizens
3,884
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
14

Top languages other than English

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

  • Nepali22 · 23.7%
  • French13 · 14%
  • Hindi8 · 8.6%
  • Mandarin8 · 8.6%
  • Sinhalese6 · 6.5%
  • Tamil6 · 6.5%
  • Urdu6 · 6.5%
  • Russian5 · 5.4%

Religion

53.3%No religion

No religion is the most common response at 53.3%, while Christianity accounts for 36.8%.

MeasureSuburbState
No religion53.3%49.6%
Christianity36.8%38.4%
Other / not stated9.9%12.1%
Christian denominations
DenominationSuburbState
Catholic12.7%12.7%
Anglican11%14.4%
Christian (not further defined)3.4%2.5%
Uniting Church2.4%2.6%
Presbyterian and Reformed2.2%1.5%

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 Launceston Police Division, not this suburb alone.

Reported offences increased compared with the previous period.

Offence counts & rates
Total offences (2024–25)
8,302
Against the person
1,513
Against property
6,472
Rate per 1,000 residents (area)
120.4
State crime-rate percentile
97.7th (higher = more crime)
Increase (daily rate)
+2%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
539
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
128.46

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

Schools & preschools

Schools within 2 km
7
Median school ICSEA (7 schools)
1,036
Median ICSEA percentile
62th
School list
  • West Launceston Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1036 · 62th percentile · LBOTE 12% · 375 students · Top SEA quarter 24% · 0.6 km awayView on My School →
  • Sacred Heart Catholic SchoolPrimary · Catholic · ICSEA 1038 · 63th percentile · LBOTE 8% · 390 students · Top SEA quarter 20% · 1.1 km awayView on My School →
  • Glen Dhu Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1007 · 50th percentile · LBOTE 22% · 341 students · Top SEA quarter 17% · 1.5 km awayView on My School →
  • Launceston CollegeSecondary · Government · ICSEA 986 · 40th percentile · LBOTE 7% · 1,368 students · Top SEA quarter 12% · 1.6 km awayView on My School →
  • Summerdale Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 969 · 33th percentile · LBOTE 11% · 555 students · Top SEA quarter 10% · 1.6 km awayView on My School →
  • John Calvin SchoolCombined · Independent · ICSEA 1051 · 69th percentile · LBOTE 0% · 112 students · Top SEA quarter 24% · 1.7 km awayView on My School →
  • Trevallyn Primary SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 1045 · 66th percentile · LBOTE 7% · 392 students · Top SEA quarter 25% · 2.0 km awayView on My School →

Contributes to desirability score · Education (14%)

Median school ICSEA first, then school and catchment counts

Data sources & freshness

Public transport

18 public transport stops in this suburb

  • Brougham St/Connaught
  • Opp. No.2 Granville St
  • Opp. No.8 Brougham St
  • Stop 11, Opp. No.36 Salisbury Cres
  • Stop 12, No.7 Ashleigh Ave

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)

Public transport stops per 1,000 residents and walkability

Data sources & freshness

Amenities

80 mapped amenities

1 cafes · 1 supermarkets · 3 playgrounds · 2 sports centres · 10 swimming pools · 1 ev charging · 1 petrol stations

Local character & venue list

Local character

  • Reasonably walkable — many shops and services reachable on foot or by bus
  • Great for outdoor family life — 4 parks mapped in suburb, 3 playgrounds nearby
  • Well connected by public transport — 18 public transport stops
  • Strong local sport and recreation — 16 sport and outdoor facilities nearby
Walkability proxy
54/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0.23
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0.23
Parks per 1,000 residents
0.93
Food & drink(1)
  • Basin cafeCafe
Shopping(1)
  • IGASupermarket
Everyday services(2)
  • ChargefoxEV charging
  • Top Drop Service StationPetrol station
Community(1)
  • West Launceston Primary SchoolSchool

    24-38 Basin Road, West Launceston

Sport & outdoors(25)
  • BBQ
  • Drinking water
  • Woods ReserveNature reserve

    Outram Street, West Launceston

  • Arbour ParkPark

    17 Hill Street, West Launceston

  • Park (2)
  • Salisbury Crescent ParkPark
  • Picnic area
  • Playground (3)
  • Public toilets
  • Sports centre
  • West Launceston Bowls ClubSports centre

    5 Merrys Lane, West Launceston

  • Sports field
  • First Basin Swimming PoolSwimming pool
  • Swimming pool (9)
Entertainment(4)
  • Interpretation Centre (Duck Reach Power Station)Museum
  • Gorge LookoutViewpoint
  • Sentinel LookoutViewpoint
  • Viewpoint
Transport(26)

22 bus stops · 4 tram stops

Other(11)
  • Basin Car ParkParking
  • Parking (4)
  • Picnic Table (5)
  • Aust. PostPost Box
  • Australia PostPost Box
  • Post Box
  • Shelter (2)
  • Shower
  • Basin GroundsStation
  • Telephone (2)
  • Ticket

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

1 named sporting club in this suburb

  • West Launceston Bowls Club

    Lawn Bowls

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

3 parks and public open space in this suburb

  • Arbour ParkPark
  • Salisbury Crescent ParkPark
  • Woods ReserveNature reserve

Data sources & freshness

Green cover

Green cover of suburb area
29.4%
Woodland / forest cover
28.4%
Parks & woodland features (OSM)
9
Parks (OSM)
4
Typical summer maximum
18°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
Launceston General Hospital (1.5 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)
115
Participants per 1,000 residents
27.4

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
18° / 6°
Rainfall
173 mm · ~22 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
13° / 4°
Rainfall
185 mm · ~23 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
7° / -0°
Rainfall
250 mm · ~31 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
12° / 3°
Rainfall
229 mm · ~29 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

23 heritage places

  • Burnside317 BRISBANE ST W, WEST LAUNCESTON, 7250Permanently Registered
  • Byronya6 HILLSIDE CR, WEST LAUNCESTON, 7250Permanently Registered
  • Conjoined Victorian Houses6 BOURKE ST, LAUNCESTON, 7250Permanently Registered
  • Crabtree9 Stone ST, West Launceston, 7250Permanently Registered
  • Crabtree Federation Houses24 BOURKE ST, LAUNCESTON, 7250Permanently Registered
  • Edenholme Grange14 ST ANDREWS ST, WEST LAUNCESTON, 7250Permanently Registered
  • Eversley50 HILL ST, WEST LAUNCESTON, 7250Permanently Registered
  • Gee House319 Brisbane ST W, West Launceston, 7250Permanently Registered
  • Hillcrest38 HILL ST, WEST LAUNCESTON, 7250Permanently Registered
  • House34 HILL ST, WEST LAUNCESTON, 7250Permanently 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
Bass
Member of Parliament
Jess TEESDALE (Australian Labor Party)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
80,378
Turnout (2025)
92.8%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
+9.4 pp toward Labor

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 42.0%Labor 58.0%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 2.4 km away).

Coalition 33.0%Labor 67.0%

9.0 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +9.3 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • West LauncestonLabor 67.0% · Coalition 33.0% TPP (2025)0.5 km away
  • South Launceston WestLabor 73.7% · Coalition 26.3% TPP (2025)1.2 km away
  • LauncestonLabor 66.6% · Coalition 33.4% TPP (2025)1.3 km away
  • Summerhill (Bass)Labor 59.8% · Coalition 40.2% TPP (2025)1.8 km away
  • Trevallyn CentralLabor 67.6% · Coalition 32.4% TPP (2025)1.9 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)
6/10
IRSD decile (2021)
6/10

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 Launceston Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

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