Otago vs Risdon
Risdon is the younger of the two, with a median age of 42 against 51 in Otago. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Otago, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Otago: a median of $1 million, against $750,000 in Risdon, and rent is higher there too. Otago is closer to the city centre: 13.1 km, against 23.5 km. On these figures, Otago tends to suit couples, while Risdon suits young adults, people living alone, 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
Otago
ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here
- is already more of a family suburb (73% vs 50%)
- has more separate houses rather than flats (98% vs 85%)
Weighs schools, house stock, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.
First-home buyers
Risdon
ahead on the one thing that separates them
- has cheaper houses ($750,000 vs $1,005,000)
Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.
Renters
Risdon
ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here
- has a bigger rental market to choose from (18% vs 4%)
- has cheaper rent ($378/wk vs $455/wk)
Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.
Commuting to the city
Otago
ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here
- is more walkable (22/100 vs 0/100)
- has a shorter drive in (19 min vs 49 min)
- sits closer to the CBD (13.1 km vs 23.5 km)
Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.
Downsizers and retirees
Otago
ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here
- is more walkable (22/100 vs 0/100)
- has more residents already 65 and over (27% vs 21%)
- But Risdon has more units and townhouses to downsize into (15% vs 2%)
Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, and walkability.
Where they sit
Otago and Risdon drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.
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.
Demographics
Otago has more residents (596 vs 209); Otago has higher household incomes ($100,724 vs $80,132).
| Otago | Risdon | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 596 +65% vs other | 209 |
| Population trend (2016 → 2021) | +7.6% | — |
| Median age | 51 | 42 |
| Median household income | $100,724/yr +20% vs other | $80,132/yr |
| Median weekly rent | $455/wk +17% vs other | $378/wk |
Age profile
Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.7%).
Who lives together
Household composition, 2021 Census.
Who owns and who rents
Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.
Qualifications
Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.8%).
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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (3.7%).
What people live in
Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.
Property market
| Otago | Risdon | |
|---|---|---|
| Median house price | $1,005,000 | $750,000 |
| Median unit price | — same for both | |
| Median land price | — same for both | |
Zoning mix
Otago has more rural and farming land (36% vs 4%).
| Otago | Risdon | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks and recreation | 38% | 52% |
| Rural and farming | 36% | 4% |
| Infrastructure and transport | 10% | 33% |
| Environmental | 16% | 9% |
| 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
| Otago | Risdon | |
|---|---|---|
| New dwellings approved | 291 across Clarence same for both | |
| Approvals change year on year | +0% same for both | |
Ranking within TAS
| Otago | Risdon | |
|---|---|---|
| House price | — same for both | |
| Income | Higher than 90% of TAS | Higher than 72% of TAS |
| Schools | — same for both | |
| Walkability | Higher than 85% of TAS | Higher than 57% of TAS |
| Affordability | — same for both | |
| EV adoption | Higher than 75% of TAS same for both | |
| NBN connectivity | Higher than 95% of TAS | Higher than 100% of TAS |
Liveability
Otago is more walkable (22 vs 0).
| Otago | Risdon | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade | A | — |
| Score | 68/100 | — |
| Socio-economic band | very advantaged area decile 9/10 | mid-range socio-economic decile 5/10 |
Risk profile
Risdon carries more bushfire risk (95 vs 45).
| Otago | Risdon | |
|---|---|---|
| Bushfire | Moderate 45/100 | High 95/100 |
| 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 | 6 within 5 km | 4 within 5 km |
Schools
| Otago | Risdon | |
|---|---|---|
| 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
| Otago | Risdon | |
|---|---|---|
| Parks & reserves | 5 | 3 |
| Waterways | 0 | 7 |
Mobility
Risdon sits further from the CBD (23.5 km vs 13.1 km).
| Otago | Risdon | |
|---|---|---|
| Walkability score | 22/100 | 0/100 |
| Distance to Hobart | 13.1 km | 23.5 km +79% vs other |
| Drive time (normal traffic) | 19 min | 49 min |
| Public transport score | 71/100 Bus | 62/100 Bus |
| Peak arrivals per hour | 22.0 7-9am + 5-7pm | 18.2 7-9am + 5-7pm |
| Median peak wait | 1 min scheduled, not actual same for both | |
| Electric vehicle share | 0.9% postcode 7017 same for both | |
| Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings | 44 postcode 7017 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.
Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (84.5%).
Setting
| Otago | Risdon | |
|---|---|---|
| Elevation | 214 m above sea level, at the suburb centre | 69 m above sea level, at the suburb centre |
| Distance to the ocean | 4.0 km 3.0 km to a named beach | 3.6 km |
NBN connectivity
| Otago | Risdon | |
|---|---|---|
| Connectivity score | 100/100 same for both | |
| Most common technology | Fibre to the premises same for both | |
| Full-fibre (FTTP) share | 100% 244 premises | 100% 83 premises |
Climate
| Otago | Risdon | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual rainfall | 507 mm same for both | |
| Summer max (Jan) | — same for both | |
| Winter min (Jul) | — same for both | |
Council rates
| Otago | Risdon | |
|---|---|---|
| Average residential rate | $2,189/yr same for both | |
| Council | Clarence same for both | |
Federal electorate
| Otago | Risdon | |
|---|---|---|
| Division | Franklin same for both | |
| Member | Julie Collins same for both | |
| Party | Australian Labor Party same for both | |
First Home Owner Grant
| Otago | Risdon | |
|---|---|---|
| Grant amount | $20,000 same for both | |
| Property price cap | — same for both | |
| Eligibility | New same for both | |
Tags
Risdon
More comparisons
Other comparisons with Otago
Other comparisons with Risdon
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.