Research and statistics

Population

At 30 June 2023, the estimated resident population Hobart was 55 964 people. This represents around 22 per cent of Greater Hobart's total population of 253 654.

The population density in the City of Hobart is 719 people per square kilometre compared to 150 people per square kilometre for Greater Hobart.

Our communities

The Hobart area is made up of many diverse communities, almost 30 per cent of our community is now born overseas compared to 15 per cent in Tasmania. Aboriginal people make up 1.6 per cent of the population in Hobart compared to 5.4 per cent for Tasmania.

Age

The median age of residents is 37 years which is younger than the Greater Hobart median of 39 years.

In 2021, the largest group were 25 to 29 year olds, making up 10 per cent of our resident population or just over 5600 people. This was followed by 30 to 34 year olds, representing 9 per cent of the resident population or just over 5050 people.

Living arrangements

In 2021, lone person and couples without children households represented over half of total households. Around one third of households were renting, another third fully owned the property and over a quarter had a mortgage.

Income and housing affordability

In 2021 the median household income for Hobart households was $1850, the median personal income was $886.

The median house price in June 2023 was $950 000 compared to $733 343 in June 2020. The median unit price for the same periods were $649 350 and $500 000 respectively.

The median rent for a house in June 2023 was $595 per week compared to $520 per week in June 2020. The median rent for a unit for the same periods was $460 and $400 respectively.

Of the 6862 households in private rentals in City of Hobart, 1860 (27.1 per cent) are in rental stress. Of the 5784 households with a mortgage in City of Hobart, 288 (5 per cent) are in mortgage stress.

The Gross Regional Product (GRP) for the Hobart area was $8.6 billion in the year ending 30 June 2023, this was a growth of 1.6 per cent from the previous year.

Hobart's GRP represents 22 per cent of Tasmania's Gross State Product.

Workers

In 2021, there were 64 132 jobs located in Hobart. 18 per cent of people worked in the health care and social assistance sector, 13 per cent in education and training and 10 per cent in the accommodation and food services and public administration and safety sectors.

Unemployment

In December 2023, 2.5 per cent or 842 people were unemployed in Hobart.

Industries

The top four industries in Hobart by output are:

• Health Care and Social Assistance
• Public Administration and Safety
• Financial and Insurance Services
• Electricity, Gas, Water and Waste Services

Knowledge based industries* make up 67 per cent of the industry output in the City of Hobart.

*Knowledge industries are those where success depends on having and using knowledge about a particular subject with leading states relying more on knowledge industries like information technology, finance and health care. (Definition from Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Businesses

There were 6996 registered businesses at the end of June 2023, of these 2625 or 97 per cent are small businesses (employing less than 20 people) and 4116 were non-employing.

The top four industries by registered businesses in Hobart are:

• Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
• Health Care and Social Assistance
• Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services
• Construction

Tourism and Visitors

In the year to December 2023 there were 1.9 million overnight visitors to Hobart city.

In 2022, 12 per cent of employment in Hobart was generated directly and indirectly by the tourism section. By comparison at its peak in 2019, 18 per cent were employed in the tourism section but only 11 per cent in 2021.

As a capital city, Hobart is unique in its connection to the natural environment. From kunanyi/Mt Wellington to the Derwent River, the natural environment shapes the way we interact with the city. Over 60 per cent of the Hobart municipal area is native vegetation, with 23 per cent of all land protected.

Hobart is at risk of sea level rise and more extreme weather events, heatwaves, floods and bushfires due to climate change.

Natural spaces - parks, sportsgrounds and reserves

The City of Hobart manages and maintains high-quality public parks, gardens, playgrounds, reserves, tracks, trails and sporting facilities in and around Hobart.

We manage 4600 hectares of diverse native bushland and manage and maintain over 250km of tracks that cater to the interests of hikers, runners, mountain bikers, and those heading out on a casual stroll.

These areas are the stronghold for the city's biodiversity and encompass entire ecosystems, geological and hydrological features, and the lifeforms that are part of them, including native trees and shrubs, grasses, wildlife, leaf litter, soils and seed beds.

Climate change

The City of Hobart is a committed climate leader. We are working with the community towards achieving zero emissions and to be climate ready for current and future generations.

Hobart was the first council to commit to climate change in 1999 and was the first capital city council in Australia to declare a climate and biodiversity emergency in June 2019.

Greenhouse gas emissions

Between 2010 and 2020 the City reduced its greenhouse gas output by 17 per cent and has a target to reduce this by a further 20 per cent by 2030. Corporate greenhouse emissions come from landfill, energy usage and transport.

In the 2022-23 total corporate emissions were calculated to be 41 024 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (t CO₂-e), with 92 per cent of emissions being from landfill.

Community greenhouse emissions are largely generated by industry and commerce. Community emissions in the year 2021-22 were calculated at 537 000 t CO₂-e.