Mella vs Smithton

Mella is the younger of the two, with a median age of 28 against 42 in Smithton. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Mella, the large majority of households are couple families. On these figures, Mella tends to suit young adults, families with children, and couples, while Smithton suits older residents.

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

Smithton

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (5 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (4 vs 0)
  • But Mella is already more of a family suburb (100% vs 49%)

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

First-home buyers

Mella

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (16% vs 21%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Mella

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (11% vs 19%)
  • has cheaper rent ($200/wk vs $222/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Smithton

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (17/100 vs 0/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (292 min vs 302 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (411.2 km vs 418.7 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Smithton

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (17/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (23% vs 6%)

Weighs who already lives there, GPs, and walkability.

Investors

Mella

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (31.1% vs 1.4%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Mella Smithton
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.

Mella Smithton
Walkability 0 / 17
Mella — Walkability: 0/100 Smithton — Walkability: 17/100
Low fire risk 100 / 72
Mella — Low fire risk: 100/100 Smithton — Low fire risk: 72/100

Demographics

Smithton has more residents (3,934 vs 97); Mella has higher household incomes ($97,448 vs $61,828).

Mella Smithton
Population 97 3,934
+3956% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +31.1% +1.4%
Median age 28 42
Median household income $97,448/yr
+37% vs other
 $61,828/yr
Median weekly rent $200/wk $222/wk
+11% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Mella Smithton
0-4 15.5% / 5.6%
Mella — 0-4: 15.5% Smithton — 0-4: 5.6%
5-14 14.4% / 12.6%
Mella — 5-14: 14.4% Smithton — 5-14: 12.6%
15-19 3.1% / 6.0%
Mella — 15-19: 3.1% Smithton — 15-19: 6.0%
20-24 7.2% / 5.1%
Mella — 20-24: 7.2% Smithton — 20-24: 5.1%
25-34 25.8% / 12.9%
Mella — 25-34: 25.8% Smithton — 25-34: 12.9%
35-44 4.1% / 10.2%
Mella — 35-44: 4.1% Smithton — 35-44: 10.2%
45-54 12.4% / 11.3%
Mella — 45-54: 12.4% Smithton — 45-54: 11.3%
55-64 7.2% / 13.5%
Mella — 55-64: 7.2% Smithton — 55-64: 13.5%
65-74 6.2% / 12.3%
Mella — 65-74: 6.2% Smithton — 65-74: 12.3%
75-84 — / 7.4%
Mella — 75-84: not among its largest Smithton — 75-84: 7.4%
85+ — / 3.1%
Mella — 85+: not among its largest Smithton — 85+: 3.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.8%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Mella 85.0% couple families
Mella — Couple Families: 85.0% Mella — Lone Person: 0.0% Mella — One Parent Families: 15.0% Mella — Group Household: 0.0% Mella — Other Families: 0.0%
Smithton 33.9% couple families
Smithton — Couple Families: 33.9% Smithton — Lone Person: 44.5% Smithton — One Parent Families: 15.4% Smithton — Group Household: 4.4% Smithton — Other Families: 1.9%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Mella 26.3% renting
Mella — Owned Outright: 31.6% Mella — Mortgage: 42.1% Mella — Renting: 26.3%
Smithton 28.5% renting
Smithton — Owned Outright: 37.5% Smithton — Mortgage: 34.0% Smithton — Renting: 28.5%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Mella Smithton
Certificate III & IV 14.4% / 16.0%
Mella — Certificate III & IV: 14.4% Smithton — Certificate III & IV: 16.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 9.3% / 4.7%
Mella — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 9.3% Smithton — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.7%
Bachelor Degree 3.1% / 5.0%
Mella — Bachelor Degree: 3.1% Smithton — Bachelor Degree: 5.0%
Postgraduate Degree 3.1% / 2.0%
Mella — Postgraduate Degree: 3.1% Smithton — Postgraduate Degree: 2.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 0.4%
Mella — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Smithton — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.0%).

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.

Mella Smithton
New Zealand 5.2% / 1.9%
Mella — New Zealand: 5.2% Smithton — New Zealand: 1.9%
Pakistan 3.1% / 1.6%
Mella — Pakistan: 3.1% Smithton — Pakistan: 1.6%
Philippines 4.1% / 0.3%
Mella — Philippines: 4.1% Smithton — Philippines: 0.3%
England — / 1.2%
Mella — England: not among its largest Smithton — England: 1.2%
India — / 0.6%
Mella — India: not among its largest Smithton — India: 0.6%
China — / 0.4%
Mella — China: not among its largest Smithton — China: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Mella 100.0% houses
Mella — Houses: 100.0% Mella — Townhouses: 0.0% Mella — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Smithton 92.2% houses
Smithton — Houses: 92.2% Smithton — Townhouses: 6.4% Smithton — Flats / Apartments: 1.4%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Mella Smithton
Median house price — $397,500
Median unit price — $330,000
Median land price — $136,000
Typical days to sell (houses) — 55 days
from 45 sales

Zoning mix

Mella has more rural and farming land (100% vs 84%).

Mella Smithton
Rural and farming 100% 84%
Environmental 0% 5%
Residential 0% 3%
Parks and recreation 0% 3%
Industrial 0% 2%
Infrastructure and transport 0% 2%
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

Mella Smithton
New dwellings approved 7
across Circular Head
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.

Mella Smithton
Houses — 3.9%
$405/wk on $538K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within TAS

Mella Smithton
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 88% of TAS Higher than 40% of TAS
Schools — Higher than 88% of TAS
Walkability Higher than 28% of TAS Higher than 83% of TAS
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 3% of TAS Higher than 5% of TAS
NBN connectivity Higher than 58% of TAS Higher than 91% of TAS
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 32% of TAS

Liveability

Smithton is more walkable (17 vs 0).

Mella Smithton
Grade — B
Score — 49/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10
 high-need area
decile 1/10

Risk profile

Smithton carries more bushfire risk (28 vs 0).

Mella Smithton
Bushfire None
0/100
 Low
28/100
Crime Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
 High
79/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
 5
within 5 km

Schools

Mella Smithton
Inside the suburb 0 4
Rated above peers 0 2
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in Mella

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Schools in Smithton

  • Circular Head Christian School Independent · Combined above peers
  • St Peter Chanel Catholic School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Smithton Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Smithton High School Government · Secondary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Mella Smithton
Supermarkets 0 3
Cafes & restaurants 0 1
Parks & reserves 0 5
Childcare 0 2
GPs 0 1
Pharmacies 0 2
Hospitals 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 2
Fuel stations 0 2
Waterways 0 13

Mobility

Mella sits further from the CBD (418.7 km vs 411.2 km).

Mella Smithton
Walkability score 0/100 17/100
Distance to Hobart 418.7 km
+2% vs other
 411.2 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 302 min 292 min
Electric vehicle share 0.1%
postcode 7330
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 23
postcode 7330
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.

Mella Smithton
Car (driver) 75.0% / 81.9%
Mella — Car (driver): 75.0% Smithton — Car (driver): 81.9%
Car (passenger) 12.5% / 6.9%
Mella — Car (passenger): 12.5% Smithton — Car (passenger): 6.9%
Walked Only 12.5% / 5.9%
Mella — Walked Only: 12.5% Smithton — Walked Only: 5.9%
Worked from Home — / 4.6%
Mella — Worked from Home: not among its largest Smithton — Worked from Home: 4.6%
Bus — / 0.5%
Mella — Bus: not among its largest Smithton — Bus: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (81.9%).

Setting

Mella Smithton
Elevation 19 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 29 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 6.6 km 4.7 km

NBN connectivity

Mella Smithton
Connectivity score 30/100 90/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
38 premises
 86%
2,167 premises

Climate

Mella Smithton
Annual rainfall 1,097 mm 1,454 mm
Summer max (Jan) — 20.8°C
Winter min (Jul) — 5.2°C

Federal electorate

Mella Smithton
Division Braddon
same for both
Member Anne Urquhart
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Mella Smithton
Grant amount $20,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Mella

Family Rural Young Families

Smithton

Acreage Affordable

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Mella

Mella vs Christmas Hills Mella vs Montagu Mella vs Broadmeadows Mella vs Scopus

Other comparisons with Smithton

Smithton vs Stanley Smithton vs Forest Smithton vs Irishtown Smithton vs Scotchtown Smithton vs Christmas Hills Smithton vs South Forest
Full data on Mella Full data on Smithton
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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