Railton vs Sheffield

Railton is the younger of the two, with a median age of 45 against 54 in Sheffield. In both, the large majority of households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Sheffield, about half of households are people living alone. Houses cost more in Sheffield: a median of $520,000, against $420,000 in Railton, though rent is higher in Railton. On these figures, Railton tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget, while Sheffield suits 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

They split

one each way, out of the 5 things we measure here

  • Railton is already more of a family suburb (56% vs 45%)
  • Sheffield has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Railton

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($420,000 vs $520,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Sheffield

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($200/wk vs $255/wk)

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

  • Railton sits closer to the CBD (263.2 km vs 266.5 km)
  • Sheffield is more walkable (54/100 vs 0/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Sheffield

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (54/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more GPs (2 vs 0)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (32% vs 20%)

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

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Railton Sheffield
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.

Railton Sheffield
Walkability 0 / 54
Railton — Walkability: 0/100 Sheffield — Walkability: 54/100
Low fire risk 74 / 100
Railton — Low fire risk: 74/100 Sheffield — Low fire risk: 100/100

Demographics

Sheffield has more residents (1,602 vs 1,079); Railton rents higher ($255/wk vs $200/wk).

Railton Sheffield
Population 1,079 1,602
+48% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +8.2% +3.2%
Median age 45 54
Median household income $56,732/yr
+11% vs other
 $50,440/yr
Median weekly rent $255/wk
+22% vs other
 $200/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Railton Sheffield
0-4 4.9% / 3.2%
Railton — 0-4: 4.9% Sheffield — 0-4: 3.2%
5-14 12.5% / 9.4%
Railton — 5-14: 12.5% Sheffield — 5-14: 9.4%
15-19 6.1% / 4.1%
Railton — 15-19: 6.1% Sheffield — 15-19: 4.1%
20-24 5.5% / 4.1%
Railton — 20-24: 5.5% Sheffield — 20-24: 4.1%
25-34 10.0% / 8.2%
Railton — 25-34: 10.0% Sheffield — 25-34: 8.2%
35-44 10.8% / 8.1%
Railton — 35-44: 10.8% Sheffield — 35-44: 8.1%
45-54 12.0% / 13.5%
Railton — 45-54: 12.0% Sheffield — 45-54: 13.5%
55-64 19.2% / 16.7%
Railton — 55-64: 19.2% Sheffield — 55-64: 16.7%
65-74 11.1% / 17.2%
Railton — 65-74: 11.1% Sheffield — 65-74: 17.2%
75-84 7.2% / 10.7%
Railton — 75-84: 7.2% Sheffield — 75-84: 10.7%
85+ 1.6% / 4.5%
Railton — 85+: 1.6% Sheffield — 85+: 4.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.2%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Railton 34.7% lone person
Railton — Lone Person: 34.7% Railton — Couple Families: 35.4% Railton — One Parent Families: 20.4% Railton — Group Household: 8.1% Railton — Other Families: 1.4%
Sheffield 51.4% lone person
Sheffield — Lone Person: 51.4% Sheffield — Couple Families: 30.2% Sheffield — One Parent Families: 14.5% Sheffield — Group Household: 3.2% Sheffield — Other Families: 0.7%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Railton 18.5% renting
Railton — Owned Outright: 44.4% Railton — Mortgage: 37.2% Railton — Renting: 18.5%
Sheffield 24.2% renting
Sheffield — Owned Outright: 50.2% Sheffield — Mortgage: 25.5% Sheffield — Renting: 24.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Railton Sheffield
Certificate III & IV 17.3% / 15.8%
Railton — Certificate III & IV: 17.3% Sheffield — Certificate III & IV: 15.8%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.6% / 5.5%
Railton — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.6% Sheffield — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.5%
Bachelor Degree 3.2% / 6.2%
Railton — Bachelor Degree: 3.2% Sheffield — Bachelor Degree: 6.2%
Postgraduate Degree 0.8% / 1.8%
Railton — Postgraduate Degree: 0.8% Sheffield — Postgraduate Degree: 1.8%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 0.6% / 1.6%
Railton — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.6% Sheffield — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.3%).

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.

Railton Sheffield
England 4.0% / 5.6%
Railton — England: 4.0% Sheffield — England: 5.6%
New Zealand 1.0% / 1.2%
Railton — New Zealand: 1.0% Sheffield — New Zealand: 1.2%
Scotland 0.6% / 0.7%
Railton — Scotland: 0.6% Sheffield — Scotland: 0.7%
Philippines 0.4% / 0.2%
Railton — Philippines: 0.4% Sheffield — Philippines: 0.2%
Netherlands — / 0.6%
Railton — Netherlands: not among its largest Sheffield — Netherlands: 0.6%
Italy 0.4% / —
Railton — Italy: 0.4% Sheffield — Italy: not among its largest
China — / 0.4%
Railton — China: not among its largest Sheffield — China: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (5.6%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Railton 98.0% houses
Railton — Houses: 98.0% Railton — Townhouses: 0.0% Railton — Flats / Apartments: 2.0%
Sheffield 91.0% houses
Sheffield — Houses: 91.0% Sheffield — Townhouses: 7.0% Sheffield — Flats / Apartments: 2.0%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Railton Sheffield
Median house price $420,000 $520,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price $155,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 17 days
from 11 sales
 73 days
from 9 sales

Zoning mix

Railton Sheffield
Rural and farming 87% 85%
Environmental 8% 11%
Residential 2%
same for both
Industrial 2% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 1%
same for both
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

Railton Sheffield
New dwellings approved 19
across Kentish
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.

Railton Sheffield
Houses — 3.5%
$440/wk on $649K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within TAS

Railton Sheffield
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 30% of TAS Higher than 22% of TAS
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 37% of TAS Higher than 93% of TAS
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 10% of TAS Higher than 56% of TAS
NBN connectivity Higher than 62% of TAS Higher than 60% of TAS
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 20% of TAS

Liveability

Sheffield is more walkable (54 vs 0); Sheffield scores higher overall (55 vs 31).

Railton Sheffield
Grade D B
Score 31/100 55/100
Socio-economic band high-need area
decile 1/10
same for both

Risk profile

Railton carries more bushfire risk (26 vs 0).

Railton Sheffield
Bushfire Low
26/100
 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 1
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Railton Sheffield
Inside the suburb 0 1
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Schools in Railton

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

Schools in Sheffield

  • Sheffield School Government · Combined above peers

Amenities in the suburb

Railton Sheffield
Supermarkets 0 1
Cafes & restaurants 1 5
Parks & reserves 3 5
Childcare 0 1
GPs 0 2
Pharmacies 1
same for both
Police stations 1
same for both
Banks & Bank@Post 1
same for both
Fuel stations 1 3
EV chargers 0 1
Waterways 5
same for both

Mobility

Sheffield sits further from the CBD (266.5 km vs 263.2 km).

Railton Sheffield
Walkability score 0/100 54/100
Distance to Hobart 263.2 km 266.5 km
+1% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 194 min
same for both
Electric vehicle share 0.2%
postcode 7305
 0.5%
postcode 7306
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 35
postcode 7305
 36
postcode 7306

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.

Railton Sheffield
Car (driver) 83.0% / 75.1%
Railton — Car (driver): 83.0% Sheffield — Car (driver): 75.1%
Worked from Home 6.8% / 15.0%
Railton — Worked from Home: 6.8% Sheffield — Worked from Home: 15.0%
Car (passenger) 7.4% / 4.3%
Railton — Car (passenger): 7.4% Sheffield — Car (passenger): 4.3%
Walked Only 1.5% / 5.6%
Railton — Walked Only: 1.5% Sheffield — Walked Only: 5.6%
Bus 1.2% / —
Railton — Bus: 1.2% Sheffield — Bus: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (83.0%).

Setting

Railton Sheffield
Elevation 118 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 267 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 17.6 km 23.7 km

NBN connectivity

Railton Sheffield
Connectivity score 30/100
same for both
Most common technology Fixed wireless
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
476 premises
 0%
820 premises

Climate

Railton Sheffield
Annual rainfall 698 mm 814 mm
Summer max (Jan) 21.6°C —
Winter min (Jul) 5.1°C —

Council rates

Railton Sheffield
Average residential rate $1,299/yr
same for both
Council Kentish
same for both

Federal electorate

Railton Sheffield
Division Lyons
same for both
Member Rebecca White
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Railton Sheffield
Grant amount $20,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Railton

Affordable Rural

Sheffield

Acreage Affordable Parks Quiet Retirees

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Railton

Railton vs Latrobe Railton vs Acacia Hills Railton vs Sassafras Railton vs Nook Railton vs Sunnyside Railton vs Merseylea

Other comparisons with Sheffield

Sheffield vs Claude Road Sheffield vs Barrington Sheffield vs Nook Sheffield vs West Kentish Sheffield vs Paradise Sheffield vs Beulah
Full data on Railton Full data on Sheffield
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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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