Port Sorell vs Shearwater

Port Sorell is the younger of the two, with a median age of 52 against 58 in Shearwater. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Shearwater, about half of households are people living alone. On these figures, Shearwater tends to suit people living alone and older residents.

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

Port Sorell

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (6 vs 1)
  • is already more of a family suburb (55% vs 42%)

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

First-home buyers

Port Sorell

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (24% vs 31%)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, land prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Port Sorell

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (21% vs 27%)

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

Commuting to the city

They split

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

  • Port Sorell sits closer to the CBD (277.2 km vs 279.2 km)
  • Shearwater is more walkable (43/100 vs 19/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Shearwater

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (43/100 vs 19/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (40% vs 28%)

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

Investors

Shearwater

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (16.3% vs 9.8%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Port Sorell Shearwater
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.

Port Sorell Shearwater
Walkability 19 / 43
Port Sorell — Walkability: 19/100 Shearwater — Walkability: 43/100
Low fire risk 84 / 82
Port Sorell — Low fire risk: 84/100 Shearwater — Low fire risk: 82/100

Demographics

Port Sorell has higher household incomes ($67,600 vs $57,408); Shearwater skews older (58 vs 52).

Port Sorell Shearwater
Population 2,221
+8% vs other
 2,051
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +9.8% +16.3%
Median age 52 58
Median household income $67,600/yr
+15% vs other
 $57,408/yr
Median weekly rent $275/wk $295/wk
+7% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Port Sorell Shearwater
0-4 5.3% / 4.2%
Port Sorell — 0-4: 5.3% Shearwater — 0-4: 4.2%
5-14 9.9% / 9.1%
Port Sorell — 5-14: 9.9% Shearwater — 5-14: 9.1%
15-19 4.3% / 3.9%
Port Sorell — 15-19: 4.3% Shearwater — 15-19: 3.9%
20-24 3.8% / 3.1%
Port Sorell — 20-24: 3.8% Shearwater — 20-24: 3.1%
25-34 8.5% / 7.8%
Port Sorell — 25-34: 8.5% Shearwater — 25-34: 7.8%
35-44 9.1% / 7.7%
Port Sorell — 35-44: 9.1% Shearwater — 35-44: 7.7%
45-54 14.0% / 10.1%
Port Sorell — 45-54: 14.0% Shearwater — 45-54: 10.1%
55-64 17.8% / 14.2%
Port Sorell — 55-64: 17.8% Shearwater — 55-64: 14.2%
65-74 17.8% / 21.0%
Port Sorell — 65-74: 17.8% Shearwater — 65-74: 21.0%
75-84 8.4% / 13.4%
Port Sorell — 75-84: 8.4% Shearwater — 75-84: 13.4%
85+ 1.3% / 5.1%
Port Sorell — 85+: 1.3% Shearwater — 85+: 5.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.0%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Port Sorell 39.9% lone person
Port Sorell — Lone Person: 39.9% Port Sorell — Couple Families: 39.7% Port Sorell — One Parent Families: 15.5% Port Sorell — Group Household: 3.3% Port Sorell — Other Families: 1.5%
Shearwater 52.2% lone person
Shearwater — Lone Person: 52.2% Shearwater — Couple Families: 28.5% Shearwater — One Parent Families: 13.8% Shearwater — Group Household: 4.1% Shearwater — Other Families: 1.4%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Port Sorell 20.3% renting
Port Sorell — Owned Outright: 46.5% Port Sorell — Mortgage: 33.2% Port Sorell — Renting: 20.3%
Shearwater 22.0% renting
Shearwater — Owned Outright: 53.5% Shearwater — Mortgage: 24.6% Shearwater — Renting: 22.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Port Sorell Shearwater
Certificate III & IV 21.1% / 17.6%
Port Sorell — Certificate III & IV: 21.1% Shearwater — Certificate III & IV: 17.6%
Bachelor Degree 8.9% / 8.3%
Port Sorell — Bachelor Degree: 8.9% Shearwater — Bachelor Degree: 8.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 6.0% / 8.9%
Port Sorell — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.0% Shearwater — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.9%
Postgraduate Degree 2.3% / 2.2%
Port Sorell — Postgraduate Degree: 2.3% Shearwater — Postgraduate Degree: 2.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.3% / 1.4%
Port Sorell — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.3% Shearwater — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (21.1%).

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.

Port Sorell Shearwater
England 4.7% / 5.9%
Port Sorell — England: 4.7% Shearwater — England: 5.9%
New Zealand 1.3% / 1.8%
Port Sorell — New Zealand: 1.3% Shearwater — New Zealand: 1.8%
Netherlands 0.9% / 0.6%
Port Sorell — Netherlands: 0.9% Shearwater — Netherlands: 0.6%
Scotland 0.7% / 0.8%
Port Sorell — Scotland: 0.7% Shearwater — Scotland: 0.8%
India 0.5% / —
Port Sorell — India: 0.5% Shearwater — India: not among its largest
South Africa — / 0.5%
Port Sorell — South Africa: not among its largest Shearwater — South Africa: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.9%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Port Sorell 89.6% houses
Port Sorell — Houses: 89.6% Port Sorell — Townhouses: 4.6% Port Sorell — Flats / Apartments: 5.8%
Shearwater 91.4% houses
Shearwater — Houses: 91.4% Shearwater — Townhouses: 8.2% Shearwater — Flats / Apartments: 0.5%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Port Sorell Shearwater
Median house price $750,000 $725,500
Median unit price $515,000 $512,000
Median land price $350,000 $340,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 31 days
from 25 sales
 39 days
from 13 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.

Port Sorell Shearwater
3 bed $660K / $660K
Port Sorell — 3 bed: $660K (39 sales) Shearwater — 3 bed: $660K (28 sales)

39 vs 28 sales

4 bed $987K / $950K
Port Sorell — 4 bed: $987K (12 sales) Shearwater — 4 bed: $950K (12 sales)

12 vs 12 sales

Zoning mix

Port Sorell has more rural and farming land (76% vs 11%).

Port Sorell Shearwater
Rural and farming 76% 11%
Residential 8% 41%
Environmental 7% 16%
Other and special use 5% 9%
Parks and recreation 1% 8%
Infrastructure and transport 4% 8%
Industrial 0% 4%
Commercial 0% 3%
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

Port Sorell Shearwater
New dwellings approved 93
across Latrobe (Tas.)
same for both
Approvals change year on year +9%
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.

Port Sorell Shearwater
Houses 3.4%
$580/wk on $895K
 3.3%
$540/wk on $862K
Units 5.2%
$512/wk on $514K
 4.9%
$485/wk on $519K

Ranking within TAS

Port Sorell Shearwater
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 48% of TAS Higher than 31% of TAS
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 84% of TAS Higher than 91% of TAS
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 52% of TAS Higher than 53% of TAS
NBN connectivity Higher than 80% of TAS Higher than 83% of TAS
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 16% of TAS Higher than 12% of TAS
Rental yield (units) Higher than 75% of TAS Higher than 63% of TAS

Liveability

Shearwater is more walkable (43 vs 19).

Port Sorell Shearwater
Grade B
same for both
Score 52/100 56/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 3/10
same for both

Risk profile

Port Sorell Shearwater
Bushfire Low
16/100
 Low
18/100
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 1
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

Port Sorell Shearwater
Inside the suburb 1 0
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 1 0

Schools in Port Sorell

  • Port Sorell Primary School Government · Primary below peers

Schools in Shearwater

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

Amenities in the suburb

Port Sorell Shearwater
Supermarkets 0 2
Cafes & restaurants 1
same for both
Parks & reserves 6 1
Childcare 1
same for both
GPs 0 1
Pharmacies 0 2
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Fuel stations 0 1
Waterways 0 11

Mobility

Shearwater sits further from the CBD (279.2 km vs 277.2 km).

Port Sorell Shearwater
Walkability score 19/100 43/100
Distance to Hobart 277.2 km 279.2 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 194 min 198 min
Public transport score 23/100
Bus
 22/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 2.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 2.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.5%
postcode 7307
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 30
postcode 7307
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.

Port Sorell Shearwater
Car (driver) 85.5% / 85.4%
Port Sorell — Car (driver): 85.5% Shearwater — Car (driver): 85.4%
Worked from Home 7.5% / 8.4%
Port Sorell — Worked from Home: 7.5% Shearwater — Worked from Home: 8.4%
Car (passenger) 5.2% / 4.0%
Port Sorell — Car (passenger): 5.2% Shearwater — Car (passenger): 4.0%
Walked Only 0.8% / 1.7%
Port Sorell — Walked Only: 0.8% Shearwater — Walked Only: 1.7%
Bus 0.9% / 0.5%
Port Sorell — Bus: 0.9% Shearwater — Bus: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (85.5%).

Setting

Port Sorell Shearwater
Elevation 34 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 24 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 1.7 km
1.7 km to a named beach
 952 m
1.6 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Port Sorell Shearwater
Connectivity score 60/100 66/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 28%
1,141 premises
 39%
1,234 premises

Climate

Port Sorell Shearwater
Annual rainfall 698 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 21.6°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 5.1°C
same for both

Council rates

Port Sorell Shearwater
Average residential rate $1,123/yr
same for both
Council Latrobe (Tas.)
same for both

Federal electorate

Port Sorell Shearwater
Division Braddon
same for both
Member Anne Urquhart
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

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

Tags

Port Sorell

Acreage Coastal Retirees River

Shearwater

Coastal Large Blocks Quiet Retirees River

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Port Sorell

Port Sorell vs Squeaking Point Port Sorell vs Northdown Port Sorell vs Thirlstane

Other comparisons with Shearwater

Shearwater vs Hawley Beach Shearwater vs Northdown
Full data on Port Sorell Full data on Shearwater
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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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