Carlton River vs Primrose Sands

Carlton River is the younger of the two, with a median age of 42 against 54 in Primrose Sands. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Primrose Sands, most households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Carlton River: a median of $710,000, against $504,000 in Primrose Sands, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Primrose Sands tends to suit people living alone, older residents, and buyers on a tighter budget.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

Carlton River

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (9 vs 1)
  • is already more of a family suburb (63% vs 33%)

Weighs schools, house stock, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

Primrose Sands

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($503,500 vs $710,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Primrose Sands

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($300/wk vs $383/wk)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Carlton River

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • sits closer to the CBD (44 km vs 46.7 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Primrose Sands

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more residents already 65 and over (26% vs 14%)

Weighs who already lives there, GPs, and walkability.

Investors

Carlton River

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (30.9% vs 15.1%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Carlton River and Primrose Sands drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Carlton River Primrose Sands
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Carlton River Primrose Sands
Walkability 0 / 0
Carlton River — Walkability: 0/100 Primrose Sands — Walkability: 0/100
Low fire risk 20 / 11
Carlton River — Low fire risk: 20/100 Primrose Sands — Low fire risk: 11/100

Demographics

Primrose Sands has more residents (1,209 vs 347); Carlton River has higher household incomes ($70,304 vs $47,944).

Carlton River Primrose Sands
Population 347 1,209
+248% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +30.9% +15.1%
Median age 42 54
Median household income $70,304/yr
+32% vs other
 $47,944/yr
Median weekly rent $383/wk
+22% vs other
 $300/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Carlton River Primrose Sands
0-4 5.2% / 3.1%
Carlton River — 0-4: 5.2% Primrose Sands — 0-4: 3.1%
5-14 11.2% / 7.4%
Carlton River — 5-14: 11.2% Primrose Sands — 5-14: 7.4%
15-19 8.1% / 4.1%
Carlton River — 15-19: 8.1% Primrose Sands — 15-19: 4.1%
20-24 5.8% / 4.1%
Carlton River — 20-24: 5.8% Primrose Sands — 20-24: 4.1%
25-34 12.7% / 10.7%
Carlton River — 25-34: 12.7% Primrose Sands — 25-34: 10.7%
35-44 10.1% / 10.9%
Carlton River — 35-44: 10.1% Primrose Sands — 35-44: 10.9%
45-54 14.4% / 12.4%
Carlton River — 45-54: 14.4% Primrose Sands — 45-54: 12.4%
55-64 16.4% / 23.2%
Carlton River — 55-64: 16.4% Primrose Sands — 55-64: 23.2%
65-74 11.2% / 19.2%
Carlton River — 65-74: 11.2% Primrose Sands — 65-74: 19.2%
75-84 2.3% / 5.5%
Carlton River — 75-84: 2.3% Primrose Sands — 75-84: 5.5%
85+ 0.9% / 0.8%
Carlton River — 85+: 0.9% Primrose Sands — 85+: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.2%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Carlton River 33.3% lone person
Carlton River — Lone Person: 33.3% Carlton River — Couple Families: 39.3% Carlton River — One Parent Families: 23.8% Carlton River — Group Household: 3.6% Carlton River — Other Families: 0.0%
Primrose Sands 61.7% lone person
Primrose Sands — Lone Person: 61.7% Primrose Sands — Couple Families: 16.4% Primrose Sands — One Parent Families: 16.4% Primrose Sands — Group Household: 3.4% Primrose Sands — Other Families: 2.1%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Carlton River 14.4% renting
Carlton River — Owned Outright: 36.0% Carlton River — Mortgage: 49.6% Carlton River — Renting: 14.4%
Primrose Sands 18.1% renting
Primrose Sands — Owned Outright: 43.9% Primrose Sands — Mortgage: 38.0% Primrose Sands — Renting: 18.1%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Carlton River Primrose Sands
Certificate III & IV 17.9% / 20.5%
Carlton River — Certificate III & IV: 17.9% Primrose Sands — Certificate III & IV: 20.5%
Bachelor Degree 12.7% / 7.7%
Carlton River — Bachelor Degree: 12.7% Primrose Sands — Bachelor Degree: 7.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.2% / 7.0%
Carlton River — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.2% Primrose Sands — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 2.6% / 1.6%
Carlton River — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.6% Primrose Sands — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.6%
Postgraduate Degree 2.0% / 1.5%
Carlton River — Postgraduate Degree: 2.0% Primrose Sands — Postgraduate Degree: 1.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.5%).

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

Carlton River Primrose Sands
England 4.9% / 4.6%
Carlton River — England: 4.9% Primrose Sands — England: 4.6%
New Zealand 0.9% / 1.9%
Carlton River — New Zealand: 0.9% Primrose Sands — New Zealand: 1.9%
Malaysia 0.9% / —
Carlton River — Malaysia: 0.9% Primrose Sands — Malaysia: not among its largest
Zimbabwe 0.9% / —
Carlton River — Zimbabwe: 0.9% Primrose Sands — Zimbabwe: not among its largest
Netherlands — / 0.8%
Carlton River — Netherlands: not among its largest Primrose Sands — Netherlands: 0.8%
Scotland — / 0.7%
Carlton River — Scotland: not among its largest Primrose Sands — Scotland: 0.7%
Greece — / 0.7%
Carlton River — Greece: not among its largest Primrose Sands — Greece: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.9%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Carlton River 100.8% houses
Carlton River — Houses: 100.8% Carlton River — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Primrose Sands 98.6% houses
Primrose Sands — Houses: 98.6% Primrose Sands — Flats / Apartments: 1.4%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Carlton River Primrose Sands
Median house price $710,000 $503,500
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $238,750
Typical days to sell (houses) 31 days
from 3 sales
 53 days
from 44 sales

Zoning mix

Carlton River has more rural and farming land (98% vs 70%); Primrose Sands has more land zoned for conservation (12% vs 1%).

Carlton River Primrose Sands
Rural and farming 98% 70%
Residential 1% 18%
Environmental 1% 12%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it. Zones as at 2026-09.

Development activity

Carlton River Primrose Sands
New dwellings approved 169
across Sorell
same for both
Approvals change year on year +346%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Carlton River Primrose Sands
Houses — 4.1%
$492/wk on $624K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within TAS

Carlton River Primrose Sands
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 55% of TAS Higher than 18% of TAS
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 62% of TAS Higher than 43% of TAS
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 77% of TAS Higher than 76% of TAS
NBN connectivity Higher than 73% of TAS Higher than 77% of TAS
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 42% of TAS

Liveability

Carlton River Primrose Sands
Grade — D
Score — 27/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10
 high-need area
decile 1/10

Risk profile

Carlton River Primrose Sands
Bushfire High
80/100
 High
89/100
Crime Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion Low
26/100
 Low
29/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Carlton River Primrose Sands
Inside the suburb 0
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Amenities in the suburb

Carlton River Primrose Sands
Parks & reserves 9 1
Waterways 3 0

Mobility

Primrose Sands sits further from the CBD (46.7 km vs 44 km).

Carlton River Primrose Sands
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Hobart 44 km 46.7 km
+6% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 43 min 44 min
Electric vehicle share 0.9%
postcode 7173
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 33
postcode 7173
same for both

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Carlton River Primrose Sands
Car (driver) 83.6% / 81.7%
Carlton River — Car (driver): 83.6% Primrose Sands — Car (driver): 81.7%
Worked from Home 11.8% / 10.1%
Carlton River — Worked from Home: 11.8% Primrose Sands — Worked from Home: 10.1%
Car (passenger) 4.5% / 5.7%
Carlton River — Car (passenger): 4.5% Primrose Sands — Car (passenger): 5.7%
Bus — / 1.6%
Carlton River — Bus: not among its largest Primrose Sands — Bus: 1.6%
Walked Only — / 0.8%
Carlton River — Walked Only: not among its largest Primrose Sands — Walked Only: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (83.6%).

Setting

Carlton River Primrose Sands
Elevation 19 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 5 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 3.1 km
4.9 km to a named beach
 392 m
465 m to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Carlton River Primrose Sands
Connectivity score 38/100 51/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
152 premises
 10%
1,094 premises

Climate

Carlton River Primrose Sands
Annual rainfall 460 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 22.7°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 4.8°C
same for both

Council rates

Carlton River Primrose Sands
Average residential rate $1,598/yr
same for both
Council Sorell
same for both

Federal electorate

Carlton River Primrose Sands
Division Lyons
same for both
Member Rebecca White
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Carlton River Primrose Sands
Grant amount $20,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Carlton River

Outer

Primrose Sands

Acreage Affordable Beach Beachfront Coastal Outer Retirees
Full data on Carlton River Full data on Primrose Sands
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

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