Penguin vs Sulphur Creek

Sulphur Creek is the younger of the two, with a median age of 44 against 47 in Penguin. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Sulphur Creek, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Sulphur Creek: a median of $735,000, against $632,000 in Penguin, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Penguin tends to suit people living alone, while Sulphur Creek 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 Sulphur Creek is already more of a family suburb (61% vs 53%)

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

First-home buyers

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Penguin has cheaper houses ($632,000 vs $735,000)
  • Sulphur Creek has cheaper land ($212,500 vs $246,500)

Weighs house prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Penguin

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($260/wk vs $295/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Penguin

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (310.6 km vs 318 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (215 min vs 220 min)

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

Sulphur Creek

ahead on 2 of the 2 things we measure here

  • is growing faster (12.4% vs 7.4%)
  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (4.0% vs 3.3%)

Weighs house yield and population growth.

Where they sit

Penguin and Sulphur Creek 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 Sulphur Creek
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 Sulphur Creek
Walkability 0 / 0
Penguin — Walkability: 0/100 Sulphur Creek — Walkability: 0/100
Low fire risk 85 / 86
Penguin — Low fire risk: 85/100 Sulphur Creek — Low fire risk: 86/100

Demographics

Penguin has more residents (4,132 vs 707); Sulphur Creek has higher household incomes ($93,028 vs $67,652).

Penguin Sulphur Creek
Population 4,132
+83% vs other
 707
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +7.4% +12.4%
Median age 47 44
Median household income $67,652/yr $93,028/yr
+38% vs other
Median weekly rent $260/wk $295/wk
+13% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Penguin Sulphur Creek
0-4 4.2% / 6.5%
Penguin — 0-4: 4.2% Sulphur Creek — 0-4: 6.5%
5-14 11.9% / 11.5%
Penguin — 5-14: 11.9% Sulphur Creek — 5-14: 11.5%
15-19 5.8% / 4.4%
Penguin — 15-19: 5.8% Sulphur Creek — 15-19: 4.4%
20-24 4.5% / 3.7%
Penguin — 20-24: 4.5% Sulphur Creek — 20-24: 3.7%
25-34 10.4% / 13.4%
Penguin — 25-34: 10.4% Sulphur Creek — 25-34: 13.4%
35-44 10.4% / 10.7%
Penguin — 35-44: 10.4% Sulphur Creek — 35-44: 10.7%
45-54 13.6% / 11.9%
Penguin — 45-54: 13.6% Sulphur Creek — 45-54: 11.9%
55-64 15.7% / 16.4%
Penguin — 55-64: 15.7% Sulphur Creek — 55-64: 16.4%
65-74 12.8% / 14.4%
Penguin — 65-74: 12.8% Sulphur Creek — 65-74: 14.4%
75-84 7.8% / 5.5%
Penguin — 75-84: 7.8% Sulphur Creek — 75-84: 5.5%
85+ 2.9% / 0.6%
Penguin — 85+: 2.9% Sulphur Creek — 85+: 0.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (16.4%).

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%
Sulphur Creek 54.2% couple families
Sulphur Creek — Couple Families: 54.2% Sulphur Creek — Lone Person: 34.9% Sulphur Creek — One Parent Families: 7.2% Sulphur Creek — Group Household: 3.6% Sulphur Creek — 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%
Sulphur Creek 12.0% renting
Sulphur Creek — Owned Outright: 45.1% Sulphur Creek — Mortgage: 42.9% Sulphur Creek — Renting: 12.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Penguin Sulphur Creek
Certificate III & IV 19.4% / 20.8%
Penguin — Certificate III & IV: 19.4% Sulphur Creek — Certificate III & IV: 20.8%
Bachelor Degree 9.7% / 11.9%
Penguin — Bachelor Degree: 9.7% Sulphur Creek — Bachelor Degree: 11.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.8% / 6.1%
Penguin — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.8% Sulphur Creek — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.1%
Postgraduate Degree 2.6% / 2.0%
Penguin — Postgraduate Degree: 2.6% Sulphur Creek — Postgraduate Degree: 2.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.7% / 1.4%
Penguin — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.7% Sulphur Creek — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (20.8%).

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.

Penguin Sulphur Creek
England 4.1% / 3.5%
Penguin — England: 4.1% Sulphur Creek — England: 3.5%
New Zealand 1.3% / 1.1%
Penguin — New Zealand: 1.3% Sulphur Creek — New Zealand: 1.1%
Netherlands 0.7% / 1.0%
Penguin — Netherlands: 0.7% Sulphur Creek — Netherlands: 1.0%
Philippines 0.5% / 0.8%
Penguin — Philippines: 0.5% Sulphur Creek — Philippines: 0.8%
Scotland 0.6% / 0.4%
Penguin — Scotland: 0.6% Sulphur Creek — Scotland: 0.4%
South Africa 0.2% / 0.8%
Penguin — South Africa: 0.2% Sulphur Creek — South Africa: 0.8%

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

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Penguin 90.5% houses
Penguin — Houses: 90.5% Penguin — Townhouses: 6.6% Penguin — Flats / Apartments: 2.9%
Sulphur Creek 98.6% houses
Sulphur Creek — Houses: 98.6% Sulphur Creek — Townhouses: 1.1% Sulphur Creek — Flats / Apartments: 0.4%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Penguin Sulphur Creek
Median house price $632,000 $735,000
Median unit price $537,000 —
Median land price $246,500 $212,500
Typical days to sell (houses) 57 days
from 73 sales
 34 days
from 14 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Penguin Sulphur Creek
3 bed $592K / $651K
Penguin — 3 bed: $592K (84 sales) Sulphur Creek — 3 bed: $651K (17 sales)

84 vs 17 sales

4 bed $715K / $796K
Penguin — 4 bed: $715K (42 sales) Sulphur Creek — 4 bed: $796K (8 sales)

42 vs 8 sales

Zoning mix

Sulphur Creek has more rural and farming land (89% vs 70%); Penguin has more land zoned for conservation (20% vs 2%).

Penguin Sulphur Creek
Rural and farming 70% 89%
Environmental 20% 2%
Residential 6%
same for both
Infrastructure and transport 2% 4%
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 Sulphur Creek
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 Sulphur Creek
Houses 3.3%
$505/wk on $795K
 4.0%
$580/wk on $745K
Units 3.7%
$350/wk on $495K
 —

Ranking within TAS

Penguin Sulphur Creek
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 49% of TAS —
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 50% of TAS Higher than 28% of TAS
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 70% of TAS Higher than 69% of TAS
NBN connectivity Higher than 79% of TAS Higher than 84% of TAS
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 14% of TAS Higher than 39% of TAS
Rental yield (units) Higher than 12% of TAS —

Liveability

Sulphur Creek scores higher overall (52 vs 46).

Penguin Sulphur Creek
Grade C B
Score 46/100 52/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10

Risk profile

Penguin Sulphur Creek
Bushfire Low
15/100
 Low
14/100
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
 1
within 5 km

Schools

Penguin Sulphur Creek
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 Sulphur Creek

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

Amenities in the suburb

Penguin Sulphur Creek
Supermarkets 3 0
Cafes & restaurants 4 0
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 8

Mobility

Sulphur Creek sits further from the CBD (318 km vs 310.6 km).

Penguin Sulphur Creek
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Hobart 310.6 km 318 km
+2% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 215 min 220 min
Public transport score 43/100
Bus
 22/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 12.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
 3.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
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 Sulphur Creek
Car (driver) 84.2% / 88.3%
Penguin — Car (driver): 84.2% Sulphur Creek — Car (driver): 88.3%
Worked from Home 8.4% / 6.9%
Penguin — Worked from Home: 8.4% Sulphur Creek — Worked from Home: 6.9%
Car (passenger) 4.1% / 3.2%
Penguin — Car (passenger): 4.1% Sulphur Creek — Car (passenger): 3.2%
Walked Only 2.3% / 1.6%
Penguin — Walked Only: 2.3% Sulphur Creek — Walked Only: 1.6%
Bus 1.0% / —
Penguin — Bus: 1.0% Sulphur Creek — Bus: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (88.3%).

Setting

Penguin Sulphur Creek
Elevation 136 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 114 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 3.1 km
3.2 km to a named beach
 2.1 km
2.3 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Penguin Sulphur Creek
Connectivity score 57/100 66/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 25%
2,060 premises
 41%
350 premises

Climate

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

Council rates

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

Federal electorate

Penguin Sulphur Creek
Division Braddon
same for both
Member Anne Urquhart
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Penguin

Acreage

Sulphur Creek

Acreage Coastal

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Penguin

Penguin vs West Ulverstone Penguin vs North Motton Penguin vs Riana Penguin vs West Pine Penguin vs Preservation Bay

Other comparisons with Sulphur Creek

Sulphur Creek vs West Pine Sulphur Creek vs Cuprona Sulphur Creek vs Preservation Bay Sulphur Creek vs Howth
Full data on Penguin Full data on Sulphur Creek
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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