North Motton vs Preston

North Motton is the younger of the two, with a median age of 44 against 48 in Preston. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In North Motton, most households are couple families. On these figures, North Motton tends to suit couples, while Preston suits people living alone.

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

North Motton

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (5 vs 2)
  • is already more of a family suburb (69% vs 58%)

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

First-home buyers

Preston

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (17% vs 22%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

Preston

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($220/wk vs $265/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

North Motton

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a shorter drive in (217 min vs 226 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (308.2 km vs 318.6 km)
  • But Preston is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Preston

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is more walkable (10/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs who already lives there, GPs, and walkability.

Investors

North Motton

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (4.9% vs -0.7%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

North Motton Preston
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.

North Motton Preston
Walkability 0 / 10
North Motton — Walkability: 0/100 Preston — Walkability: 10/100
Low fire risk 83 / 88
North Motton — Low fire risk: 83/100 Preston — Low fire risk: 88/100

Demographics

North Motton has more residents (425 vs 149); North Motton has higher household incomes ($70,564 vs $48,932).

North Motton Preston
Population 425
+65% vs other
 149
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +4.9% -0.7%
Median age 44 48
Median household income $70,564/yr
+31% vs other
 $48,932/yr
Median weekly rent $265/wk
+17% vs other
 $220/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

North Motton Preston
0-4 5.6% / 4.0%
North Motton — 0-4: 5.6% Preston — 0-4: 4.0%
5-14 8.9% / 14.1%
North Motton — 5-14: 8.9% Preston — 5-14: 14.1%
15-19 6.8% / 6.7%
North Motton — 15-19: 6.8% Preston — 15-19: 6.7%
20-24 6.6% / 3.4%
North Motton — 20-24: 6.6% Preston — 20-24: 3.4%
25-34 11.5% / 2.7%
North Motton — 25-34: 11.5% Preston — 25-34: 2.7%
35-44 10.1% / 11.4%
North Motton — 35-44: 10.1% Preston — 35-44: 11.4%
45-54 15.1% / 16.1%
North Motton — 45-54: 15.1% Preston — 45-54: 16.1%
55-64 18.4% / 17.4%
North Motton — 55-64: 18.4% Preston — 55-64: 17.4%
65-74 10.1% / 14.1%
North Motton — 65-74: 10.1% Preston — 65-74: 14.1%
75-84 4.9% / 5.4%
North Motton — 75-84: 4.9% Preston — 75-84: 5.4%
85+ 1.2% / —
North Motton — 85+: 1.2% Preston — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.4%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

North Motton 59.3% couple families
North Motton — Couple Families: 59.3% North Motton — Lone Person: 30.8% North Motton — One Parent Families: 9.9%
Preston 32.6% couple families
Preston — Couple Families: 32.6% Preston — Lone Person: 41.9% Preston — One Parent Families: 25.6%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

North Motton 12.7% renting
North Motton — Owned Outright: 44.4% North Motton — Mortgage: 43.0% North Motton — Renting: 12.7%
Preston 20.8% renting
Preston — Owned Outright: 52.8% Preston — Mortgage: 26.4% Preston — Renting: 20.8%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

North Motton Preston
England 4.2% / 4.0%
North Motton — England: 4.2% Preston — England: 4.0%
New Zealand 0.9% / 3.4%
North Motton — New Zealand: 0.9% Preston — New Zealand: 3.4%
Netherlands 0.9% / —
North Motton — Netherlands: 0.9% Preston — Netherlands: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.2%).

Qualifications

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

North Motton Preston
Certificate III & IV 22.6% / 15.4%
North Motton — Certificate III & IV: 22.6% Preston — Certificate III & IV: 15.4%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 5.6% / 7.4%
North Motton — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.6% Preston — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.4%
Bachelor Degree 4.9% / 4.0%
North Motton — Bachelor Degree: 4.9% Preston — Bachelor Degree: 4.0%
Postgraduate Degree 1.4% / —
North Motton — Postgraduate Degree: 1.4% Preston — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.7% / —
North Motton — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.7% Preston — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.6%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

North Motton 100.0% houses
North Motton — Houses: 100.0% North Motton — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Preston 94.9% houses
Preston — Houses: 94.9% Preston — Flats / Apartments: 5.1%
Houses Flats / Apartments

Property market

North Motton Preston
Median house price $735,000 —
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price —
same for both

Zoning mix

North Motton has more land zoned for conservation (23% vs 0%); Preston has more rural and farming land (99% vs 77%).

North Motton Preston
Rural and farming 77% 99%
Environmental 23% 0%
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

North Motton Preston
New dwellings approved 84
across Central Coast (Tas.)
same for both
Approvals change year on year -38%
same for both

Ranking within TAS

North Motton Preston
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 55% of TAS Higher than 19% of TAS
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 21% of TAS Higher than 77% of TAS
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 34% of TAS Higher than 35% of TAS
NBN connectivity Higher than 36% of TAS Higher than 34% of TAS

Liveability

Preston is more walkable (10 vs 0).

North Motton Preston
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 high-need area
decile 1/10

Risk profile

North Motton Preston
Bushfire Low
17/100
 Low
12/100
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
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

North Motton Preston
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

North Motton Preston
Parks & reserves 5 2
Waterways 10 5

Mobility

Preston sits further from the CBD (318.6 km vs 308.2 km).

North Motton Preston
Walkability score 0/100 10/100
Distance to Hobart 308.2 km 318.6 km
+3% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 217 min 226 min
Electric vehicle share 0.4%
postcode 7315
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 28
postcode 7315
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.

North Motton Preston
Car (driver) 83.2% / 61.4%
North Motton — Car (driver): 83.2% Preston — Car (driver): 61.4%
Worked from Home 9.5% / 38.6%
North Motton — Worked from Home: 9.5% Preston — Worked from Home: 38.6%
Car (passenger) 5.8% / —
North Motton — Car (passenger): 5.8% Preston — Car (passenger): not among its largest
Walked Only 1.6% / —
North Motton — Walked Only: 1.6% Preston — Walked Only: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (83.2%).

Setting

North Motton Preston
Elevation 141 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 367 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 8.2 km 18.7 km

NBN connectivity

North Motton Preston
Connectivity score 28/100 27/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
185 premises
 0%
59 premises

Climate

North Motton Preston
Annual rainfall 814 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

North Motton Preston
Average residential rate $1,379/yr
same for both
Council Central Coast (Tas.)
same for both

Federal electorate

North Motton Preston
Division Braddon
same for both
Member Anne Urquhart
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

North Motton Preston
Grant amount $20,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

North Motton

Rural

Preston

Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with North Motton

North Motton vs West Ulverstone North Motton vs Penguin North Motton vs Gawler North Motton vs Riana North Motton vs Gunns Plains

Other comparisons with Preston

Preston vs Gawler Preston vs Gunns Plains Preston vs Upper Castra
Full data on North Motton Full data on Preston
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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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