Penna vs Sorell

Sorell is the younger of the two, with a median age of 41 against 49 in Penna. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Penna, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Penna: a median of $918,000, against $712,000 in Sorell. On these figures, Penna tends to suit couples, while Sorell suits 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

Sorell

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (3 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (2 vs 0)
  • But Penna is already more of a family suburb (73% vs 56%)

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

First-home buyers

Sorell

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($712,500 vs $917,500)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Sorell

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (28% vs 9%)

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

Sorell

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more GPs (3 vs 0)

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

Investors

Sorell

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (23.7% vs 3.6%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Penna Sorell
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.

Penna Sorell
Walkability 0 / 0
Penna — Walkability: 0/100 Sorell — Walkability: 0/100
Low fire risk 75 / 6
Penna — Low fire risk: 75/100 Sorell — Low fire risk: 6/100

Demographics

Sorell has more residents (3,597 vs 437); Penna has higher household incomes ($86,632 vs $68,484).

Penna Sorell
Population 437 3,597
+723% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +3.6% +23.7%
Median age 49 41
Median household income $86,632/yr
+21% vs other
 $68,484/yr
Median weekly rent $363/wk
+4% vs other
 $350/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Penna Sorell
0-4 3.0% / 6.2%
Penna — 0-4: 3.0% Sorell — 0-4: 6.2%
5-14 11.7% / 11.4%
Penna — 5-14: 11.7% Sorell — 5-14: 11.4%
15-19 6.6% / 4.9%
Penna — 15-19: 6.6% Sorell — 15-19: 4.9%
20-24 4.8% / 4.8%
Penna — 20-24: 4.8% Sorell — 20-24: 4.8%
25-34 9.2% / 14.5%
Penna — 25-34: 9.2% Sorell — 25-34: 14.5%
35-44 10.1% / 11.4%
Penna — 35-44: 10.1% Sorell — 35-44: 11.4%
45-54 14.0% / 10.4%
Penna — 45-54: 14.0% Sorell — 45-54: 10.4%
55-64 18.3% / 11.9%
Penna — 55-64: 18.3% Sorell — 55-64: 11.9%
65-74 14.6% / 11.8%
Penna — 65-74: 14.6% Sorell — 65-74: 11.8%
75-84 7.6% / 8.6%
Penna — 75-84: 7.6% Sorell — 75-84: 8.6%
85+ 0.9% / 3.9%
Penna — 85+: 0.9% Sorell — 85+: 3.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.3%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Penna 55.7% couple families
Penna — Couple Families: 55.7% Penna — Lone Person: 21.6% Penna — One Parent Families: 17.0% Penna — Other Families: 5.7% Penna — Group Household: 0.0%
Sorell 35.4% couple families
Sorell — Couple Families: 35.4% Sorell — Lone Person: 40.7% Sorell — One Parent Families: 20.3% Sorell — Other Families: 1.5% Sorell — Group Household: 2.1%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Other Families Group Household

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Penna 9.4% renting
Penna — Owned Outright: 40.6% Penna — Mortgage: 50.0% Penna — Renting: 9.4%
Sorell 27.5% renting
Sorell — Owned Outright: 35.7% Sorell — Mortgage: 36.8% Sorell — Renting: 27.5%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Penna Sorell
Certificate III & IV 23.6% / 18.5%
Penna — Certificate III & IV: 23.6% Sorell — Certificate III & IV: 18.5%
Bachelor Degree 10.3% / 7.3%
Penna — Bachelor Degree: 10.3% Sorell — Bachelor Degree: 7.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.6% / 6.7%
Penna — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.6% Sorell — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.7%
Postgraduate Degree 2.1% / 2.5%
Penna — Postgraduate Degree: 2.1% Sorell — Postgraduate Degree: 2.5%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.0% / 1.2%
Penna — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.0% Sorell — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.6%).

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.

Penna Sorell
England 5.5% / 3.0%
Penna — England: 5.5% Sorell — England: 3.0%
New Zealand 1.6% / 0.9%
Penna — New Zealand: 1.6% Sorell — New Zealand: 0.9%
South Africa 1.1% / 0.6%
Penna — South Africa: 1.1% Sorell — South Africa: 0.6%
Netherlands 1.6% / —
Penna — Netherlands: 1.6% Sorell — Netherlands: not among its largest
Germany 0.7% / 0.4%
Penna — Germany: 0.7% Sorell — Germany: 0.4%
Greece 0.9% / —
Penna — Greece: 0.9% Sorell — Greece: not among its largest
India — / 0.8%
Penna — India: not among its largest Sorell — India: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.5%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Penna 96.9% houses
Penna — Houses: 96.9% Penna — Flats / Apartments: 3.1% Penna — Townhouses: 0.0%
Sorell 97.0% houses
Sorell — Houses: 97.0% Sorell — Flats / Apartments: 0.0% Sorell — Townhouses: 3.1%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Penna Sorell
Median house price $917,500 $712,500
Median unit price — $550,000
Median land price — $322,000
Typical days to sell (houses) — 34 days
from 74 sales

Zoning mix

Penna has more rural and farming land (97% vs 81%).

Penna Sorell
Rural and farming 97% 81%
Residential 1% 10%
Infrastructure and transport 1% 3%
Environmental 1% 2%
Parks and recreation 0% 2%
Commercial 0% 1%
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

Penna Sorell
New dwellings approved 169
across Sorell
same for both
Approvals change year on year +346%
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.

Penna Sorell
Houses — 4.5%
$650/wk on $760K
Units — 5.2%
$570/wk on $570K

Ranking within TAS

Penna Sorell
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 80% of TAS Higher than 51% of TAS
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 66% of TAS Higher than 54% of TAS
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 72% of TAS Higher than 47% of TAS
NBN connectivity Higher than 72% of TAS Higher than 92% of TAS
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 63% of TAS
Rental yield (units) — Higher than 76% of TAS

Liveability

Penna Sorell
Grade — D
Score — 32/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
 below-average income
decile 3/10

Risk profile

Sorell carries more bushfire risk (94 vs 25).

Penna Sorell
Bushfire Low
25/100
 High
94/100
Crime Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion Moderate
61/100
 Moderate
59/100
Aircraft noise Moderate
50/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
 2
within 5 km

Schools

Penna Sorell
Inside the suburb 0 2
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Penna

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

Schools in Sorell

  • Sorell School Government · Combined at peers
  • Indie School - Glenorchy (Sorell Campus) Independent · Secondary · Special school

Amenities in the suburb

Penna Sorell
Supermarkets 0 2
Cafes & restaurants 0 6
Parks & reserves 2 4
Childcare 0 3
GPs 0 3
Pharmacies 0 2
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 3
Fuel stations 0 2
Waterways 5
same for both

Mobility

Penna Sorell
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Hobart 27.6 km
+5% vs other
 26.2 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 29 min 25 min
Electric vehicle share 0.8%
postcode 7171
 0.4%
postcode 7172
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 28
postcode 7171
 33
postcode 7172

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.

Penna Sorell
Car (driver) 76.4% / 81.6%
Penna — Car (driver): 76.4% Sorell — Car (driver): 81.6%
Worked from Home 17.4% / 7.7%
Penna — Worked from Home: 17.4% Sorell — Worked from Home: 7.7%
Car (passenger) 3.6% / 5.2%
Penna — Car (passenger): 3.6% Sorell — Car (passenger): 5.2%
Walked Only 2.6% / 3.5%
Penna — Walked Only: 2.6% Sorell — Walked Only: 3.5%
Bus — / 2.1%
Penna — Bus: not among its largest Sorell — Bus: 2.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (81.6%).

Setting

Penna Sorell
Elevation 48 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 35 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 2.0 km
2.5 km to a named beach
 1.5 km
4.8 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Penna Sorell
Connectivity score 30/100 95/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
181 premises
 93%
2,254 premises

Climate

Penna Sorell
Annual rainfall 460 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 22.7°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 4.8°C
same for both

Council rates

Penna Sorell
Average residential rate $1,598/yr
same for both
Council Sorell
same for both

Federal electorate

Penna Sorell
Division Lyons
same for both
Member Rebecca White
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Penna Sorell
Grant amount $20,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Penna

Coastal Middle-Ring

Sorell

Acreage Coastal Easy Commute Outer

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Penna

Penna vs Midway Point Penna vs Richmond Penna vs Orielton

Other comparisons with Sorell

Sorell vs Midway Point Sorell vs Forcett Sorell vs Orielton Sorell vs Wattle Hill Sorell vs Pawleena
Full data on Penna Full data on Sorell
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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