Penguin vs Preservation Bay

In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Preservation Bay, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Preservation Bay: a median of $840,000, against $632,000 in Penguin, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Penguin tends to suit people living alone and buyers on a tighter budget, while Preservation Bay suits couples.

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

Penguin

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (9 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (2 vs 0)
  • But Preservation Bay is already more of a family suburb (75% vs 53%)

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

First-home buyers

Penguin

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($632,000 vs $839,500)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Penguin

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($260/wk vs $300/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Penguin

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more GPs (2 vs 0)

Weighs smaller dwellings, who already lives there, GPs, and walkability.

Investors

Preservation Bay

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (35.1% vs 7.4%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Penguin Preservation Bay
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.

Penguin Preservation Bay
Walkability 0 / 0
Penguin — Walkability: 0/100 Preservation Bay — Walkability: 0/100
Low fire risk 85 / 100
Penguin — Low fire risk: 85/100 Preservation Bay — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Penguin has more residents (4,132 vs 100); Preservation Bay has higher household incomes ($94,224 vs $67,652).

Penguin Preservation Bay
Population 4,132
+98% vs other
 100
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +7.4% +35.1%
Median age 47 48
Median household income $67,652/yr $94,224/yr
+39% vs other
Median weekly rent $260/wk $300/wk
+15% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Penguin Preservation Bay
0-4 4.2% / 4.0%
Penguin — 0-4: 4.2% Preservation Bay — 0-4: 4.0%
5-14 11.9% / 9.0%
Penguin — 5-14: 11.9% Preservation Bay — 5-14: 9.0%
15-19 5.8% / 15.0%
Penguin — 15-19: 5.8% Preservation Bay — 15-19: 15.0%
20-24 4.5% / 3.0%
Penguin — 20-24: 4.5% Preservation Bay — 20-24: 3.0%
25-34 10.4% / 5.0%
Penguin — 25-34: 10.4% Preservation Bay — 25-34: 5.0%
35-44 10.4% / 14.0%
Penguin — 35-44: 10.4% Preservation Bay — 35-44: 14.0%
45-54 13.6% / 23.0%
Penguin — 45-54: 13.6% Preservation Bay — 45-54: 23.0%
55-64 15.7% / 12.0%
Penguin — 55-64: 15.7% Preservation Bay — 55-64: 12.0%
65-74 12.8% / 15.0%
Penguin — 65-74: 12.8% Preservation Bay — 65-74: 15.0%
75-84 7.8% / 9.0%
Penguin — 75-84: 7.8% Preservation Bay — 75-84: 9.0%
85+ 2.9% / —
Penguin — 85+: 2.9% Preservation Bay — 85+: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Penguin 36.5% couple families
Penguin — Couple Families: 36.5% Penguin — Lone Person: 43.9% Penguin — One Parent Families: 16.3% Penguin — Group Household: 2.8% Penguin — Other Families: 0.4%
Preservation Bay 58.3% couple families
Preservation Bay — Couple Families: 58.3% Preservation Bay — Lone Person: 25.0% Preservation Bay — One Parent Families: 16.7% Preservation Bay — Group Household: 0.0% Preservation Bay — Other Families: 0.0%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Penguin 21.9% renting
Penguin — Owned Outright: 41.1% Penguin — Mortgage: 37.1% Penguin — Renting: 21.9%
Preservation Bay 12.9% renting
Preservation Bay — Owned Outright: 45.2% Preservation Bay — Mortgage: 41.9% Preservation Bay — Renting: 12.9%
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.

Penguin Preservation Bay
England 4.1% / 3.0%
Penguin — England: 4.1% Preservation Bay — England: 3.0%
New Zealand 1.3% / —
Penguin — New Zealand: 1.3% Preservation Bay — New Zealand: not among its largest
Netherlands 0.7% / —
Penguin — Netherlands: 0.7% Preservation Bay — Netherlands: not among its largest
Scotland 0.6% / —
Penguin — Scotland: 0.6% Preservation Bay — Scotland: not among its largest
Philippines 0.5% / —
Penguin — Philippines: 0.5% Preservation Bay — Philippines: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.1%).

Qualifications

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

Penguin Preservation Bay
Certificate III & IV 19.4% / 17.0%
Penguin — Certificate III & IV: 19.4% Preservation Bay — Certificate III & IV: 17.0%
Bachelor Degree 9.7% / 17.0%
Penguin — Bachelor Degree: 9.7% Preservation Bay — Bachelor Degree: 17.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.8% / 11.0%
Penguin — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.8% Preservation Bay — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 11.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.7% / 4.0%
Penguin — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.7% Preservation Bay — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.0%
Postgraduate Degree 2.6% / 3.0%
Penguin — Postgraduate Degree: 2.6% Preservation Bay — Postgraduate Degree: 3.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.4%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Penguin 90.5% houses
Penguin — Houses: 90.5% Penguin — Flats / Apartments: 2.9% Penguin — Townhouses: 6.6%
Preservation Bay 92.1% houses
Preservation Bay — Houses: 92.1% Preservation Bay — Flats / Apartments: 7.9% Preservation Bay — Townhouses: 0.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Penguin Preservation Bay
Median house price $632,000 $839,500
Median unit price $537,000 —
Median land price $246,500 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 57 days
from 73 sales
 68 days
from 4 sales

Zoning mix

Penguin has more land zoned for conservation (20% vs 6%); Preservation Bay has more rural and farming land (82% vs 70%).

Penguin Preservation Bay
Rural and farming 70% 82%
Environmental 20% 6%
Residential 6% 9%
Infrastructure and transport 2% 3%
Parks and recreation 2% 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

Penguin Preservation Bay
New dwellings approved 84
across Central Coast (Tas.)
same for both
Approvals change year on year -38%
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.

Penguin Preservation Bay
Houses 3.3%
$505/wk on $795K
 —
Units 3.7%
$350/wk on $495K
 —

Ranking within TAS

Penguin Preservation Bay
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 49% of TAS Higher than 86% of TAS
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 50% of TAS Higher than 49% of TAS
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 70% of TAS
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 79% of TAS Higher than 75% of TAS
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 14% of TAS —
Rental yield (units) Higher than 12% of TAS —

Liveability

Penguin Preservation Bay
Grade C —
Score 46/100 —
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Penguin carries more bushfire risk (15 vs 0).

Penguin Preservation Bay
Bushfire Low
15/100
 None
0/100
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

Penguin Preservation Bay
Inside the suburb 2 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 2 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Penguin

  • North West Christian School Independent · Combined at peers
  • Penguin District School Government · Combined at peers

Schools in Preservation Bay

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

Amenities in the suburb

Penguin Preservation Bay
Supermarkets 3 0
Cafes & restaurants 4 1
Parks & reserves 9 0
Childcare 2 0
GPs 2 0
Pharmacies 1 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 1 0
Fuel stations 1 0
Waterways 26 0

Mobility

Penguin Preservation Bay
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Hobart 310.6 km 312 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 215 min 214 min
Electric vehicle share 0.7%
postcode 7316
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 31
postcode 7316
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.

Penguin Preservation Bay
Car (driver) 84.2% / 79.6%
Penguin — Car (driver): 84.2% Preservation Bay — Car (driver): 79.6%
Worked from Home 8.4% / 20.4%
Penguin — Worked from Home: 8.4% Preservation Bay — Worked from Home: 20.4%
Car (passenger) 4.1% / —
Penguin — Car (passenger): 4.1% Preservation Bay — Car (passenger): not among its largest
Walked Only 2.3% / —
Penguin — Walked Only: 2.3% Preservation Bay — Walked Only: not among its largest
Bus 1.0% / —
Penguin — Bus: 1.0% Preservation Bay — Bus: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (84.2%).

Setting

Penguin Preservation Bay
Elevation 136 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 10 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 3.1 km
3.2 km to a named beach
 138 m
173 m to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Penguin Preservation Bay
Connectivity score 57/100 45/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 25%
2,060 premises
 0%
41 premises

Climate

Penguin Preservation Bay
Annual rainfall 814 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) —
same for both
Winter min (Jul) —
same for both

Council rates

Penguin Preservation Bay
Average residential rate $1,379/yr
same for both
Council Central Coast (Tas.)
same for both

Federal electorate

Penguin Preservation Bay
Division Braddon
same for both
Member Anne Urquhart
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Penguin Preservation Bay
Grant amount $20,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Penguin

Acreage

Preservation Bay

Beach Beachfront Coastal Quiet

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Penguin

Penguin vs West Ulverstone Penguin vs Sulphur Creek Penguin vs North Motton Penguin vs Riana Penguin vs West Pine

Other comparisons with Preservation Bay

Preservation Bay vs Sulphur Creek
Full data on Penguin Full data on Preservation Bay
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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