Sandy Bay vs Mount Nelson

In both, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. Houses cost more in Sandy Bay: a median of $1.24 million, against $950,000 in Mount Nelson, and rent is higher there too. Sandy Bay is closer to the city centre: 5.1 km, against 7.2 km. On these figures, Sandy Bay tends to suit young adults and share households, while Mount Nelson suits 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

Sandy Bay

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more childcare (8 vs 1)
  • has more parks and reserves (13 vs 2)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (6 vs 2)
  • But Mount Nelson is already more of a family suburb (54% vs 44%)

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

First-home buyers

Mount Nelson

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper units ($475,000 vs $621,500)
  • has cheaper houses ($950,000 vs $1,240,000)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Mount Nelson

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper rent ($320/wk vs $418/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Sandy Bay

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (5.1 km vs 7.2 km)
  • is more walkable (72/100 vs 61/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Sandy Bay

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (5 vs 1)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (32% vs 18%)
  • is more walkable (72/100 vs 61/100)

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

Investors

Mount Nelson

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is growing faster (10.2% vs 3.3%)
  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (3.6% vs 2.6%)
  • returns a higher gross yield on units (5.6% vs 4.1%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

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

Sandy Bay Mount Nelson
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.

Sandy Bay Mount Nelson
Walkability 72 / 61
Sandy Bay — Walkability: 72/100 Mount Nelson — Walkability: 61/100
Low fire risk 3 / 3
Sandy Bay — Low fire risk: 3/100 Mount Nelson — Low fire risk: 3/100

Demographics

Sandy Bay has more residents (12,315 vs 2,749); Sandy Bay rents higher ($418/wk vs $320/wk).

Sandy Bay Mount Nelson
Population 12,315
+78% vs other
 2,749
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +3.3% +10.2%
Median age 39 40
Median household income $99,580/yr
+12% vs other
 $87,724/yr
Median weekly rent $418/wk
+23% vs other
 $320/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Sandy Bay Mount Nelson
0-4 3.4% / 4.8%
Sandy Bay — 0-4: 3.4% Mount Nelson — 0-4: 4.8%
5-14 8.9% / 12.5%
Sandy Bay — 5-14: 8.9% Mount Nelson — 5-14: 12.5%
15-19 5.0% / 5.6%
Sandy Bay — 15-19: 5.0% Mount Nelson — 15-19: 5.6%
20-24 7.7% / 6.0%
Sandy Bay — 20-24: 7.7% Mount Nelson — 20-24: 6.0%
25-34 19.9% / 13.3%
Sandy Bay — 25-34: 19.9% Mount Nelson — 25-34: 13.3%
35-44 10.9% / 13.7%
Sandy Bay — 35-44: 10.9% Mount Nelson — 35-44: 13.7%
45-54 10.5% / 13.3%
Sandy Bay — 45-54: 10.5% Mount Nelson — 45-54: 13.3%
55-64 11.0% / 11.7%
Sandy Bay — 55-64: 11.0% Mount Nelson — 55-64: 11.7%
65-74 11.6% / 12.5%
Sandy Bay — 65-74: 11.6% Mount Nelson — 65-74: 12.5%
75-84 7.5% / 5.2%
Sandy Bay — 75-84: 7.5% Mount Nelson — 75-84: 5.2%
85+ 3.6% / 1.6%
Sandy Bay — 85+: 3.6% Mount Nelson — 85+: 1.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.9%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Sandy Bay 41.5% lone person
Sandy Bay — Lone Person: 41.5% Sandy Bay — Couple Families: 34.9% Sandy Bay — One Parent Families: 8.8% Sandy Bay — Group Household: 13.0% Sandy Bay — Other Families: 1.8%
Mount Nelson 37.8% lone person
Mount Nelson — Lone Person: 37.8% Mount Nelson — Couple Families: 39.0% Mount Nelson — One Parent Families: 15.1% Mount Nelson — Group Household: 6.1% Mount Nelson — Other Families: 1.9%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Sandy Bay 35.3% renting
Sandy Bay — Owned Outright: 42.8% Sandy Bay — Mortgage: 22.0% Sandy Bay — Renting: 35.3%
Mount Nelson 28.6% renting
Mount Nelson — Owned Outright: 40.2% Mount Nelson — Mortgage: 31.2% Mount Nelson — Renting: 28.6%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Sandy Bay Mount Nelson
Bachelor Degree 25.6% / 21.9%
Sandy Bay — Bachelor Degree: 25.6% Mount Nelson — Bachelor Degree: 21.9%
Postgraduate Degree 17.8% / 14.7%
Sandy Bay — Postgraduate Degree: 17.8% Mount Nelson — Postgraduate Degree: 14.7%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.4% / 7.7%
Sandy Bay — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.4% Mount Nelson — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.7%
Certificate III & IV 5.1% / 7.0%
Sandy Bay — Certificate III & IV: 5.1% Mount Nelson — Certificate III & IV: 7.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 3.5% / 4.7%
Sandy Bay — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.5% Mount Nelson — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (25.6%).

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.

Sandy Bay Mount Nelson
China 10.2% / 5.1%
Sandy Bay — China: 10.2% Mount Nelson — China: 5.1%
England 4.5% / 4.0%
Sandy Bay — England: 4.5% Mount Nelson — England: 4.0%
India 2.8% / 0.9%
Sandy Bay — India: 2.8% Mount Nelson — India: 0.9%
New Zealand 1.1% / 1.2%
Sandy Bay — New Zealand: 1.1% Mount Nelson — New Zealand: 1.2%
Malaysia 1.2% / 0.7%
Sandy Bay — Malaysia: 1.2% Mount Nelson — Malaysia: 0.7%
South Africa 0.9% / 0.9%
Sandy Bay — South Africa: 0.9% Mount Nelson — South Africa: 0.9%
Nepal 1.3% / —
Sandy Bay — Nepal: 1.3% Mount Nelson — Nepal: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (10.2%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Sandy Bay 68.5% houses
Sandy Bay — Houses: 68.5% Sandy Bay — Townhouses: 13.3% Sandy Bay — Flats / Apartments: 18.3%
Mount Nelson 81.4% houses
Mount Nelson — Houses: 81.4% Mount Nelson — Townhouses: 14.0% Mount Nelson — Flats / Apartments: 4.5%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Sandy Bay Mount Nelson
Median house price $1,240,000 $950,000
Median unit price $621,500 $475,000
Median land price — $504,000
Typical days to sell (houses) 29 days
from 75 sales
 22 days
from 16 sales

Unit price by bedroom count

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

Sandy Bay Mount Nelson
1 bed $424K / $379K
Sandy Bay — 1 bed: $424K (22 sales) Mount Nelson — 1 bed: $379K (5 sales)

22 vs 5 sales

2 bed $655K / $490K
Sandy Bay — 2 bed: $655K (41 sales) Mount Nelson — 2 bed: $490K (11 sales)

41 vs 11 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.

Sandy Bay Mount Nelson
3 bed $1.1M / $824K
Sandy Bay — 3 bed: $1.1M (49 sales) Mount Nelson — 3 bed: $824K (16 sales)

49 vs 16 sales

4 bed $1.35M / $1.15M
Sandy Bay — 4 bed: $1.35M (47 sales) Mount Nelson — 4 bed: $1.15M (21 sales)

47 vs 21 sales

5 bed $1.62M / $1.2M
Sandy Bay — 5 bed: $1.62M (12 sales) Mount Nelson — 5 bed: $1.2M (12 sales)

12 vs 12 sales

Zoning mix

Mount Nelson has more land zoned for conservation (40% vs 22%); Mount Nelson has more rural and farming land (13% vs 0%).

Sandy Bay Mount Nelson
Residential 58% 30%
Environmental 22% 40%
Rural and farming 0% 13%
Infrastructure and transport 7% 12%
Other and special use 6% 5%
Parks and recreation 6% 1%
Commercial 1% 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

Sandy Bay Mount Nelson
New dwellings approved 163
across Hobart
same for both
Approvals change year on year -76%
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.

Sandy Bay Mount Nelson
Houses 2.6%
$680/wk on $1.37M
 3.6%
$680/wk on $995K
Units 4.1%
$500/wk on $635K
 5.6%
$460/wk on $430K

Ranking within TAS

Sandy Bay Mount Nelson
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 90% of TAS Higher than 80% of TAS
Schools Higher than 76% of TAS —
Walkability Higher than 97% of TAS Higher than 95% of TAS
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 99% of TAS Higher than 100% of TAS
NBN connectivity Higher than 89% of TAS Higher than 95% of TAS
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 3% of TAS Higher than 21% of TAS
Rental yield (units) Higher than 29% of TAS Higher than 90% of TAS

Liveability

Sandy Bay is more walkable (72 vs 61); Sandy Bay scores higher overall (67 vs 61).

Sandy Bay Mount Nelson
Grade A B
Score 67/100 61/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

Sandy Bay Mount Nelson
Bushfire High
97/100
same for both
Crime Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Flood —
same for both
Coastal erosion Low
32/100
 None
0/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 5
within 5 km
 4
within 5 km

Schools

Sandy Bay Mount Nelson
Inside the suburb 6 2
Rated above peers 2 1
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 1
Hobart, 0.0 km
 1
Hobart, 1.6 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 4.4% 3.1%

Schools in Sandy Bay

  • Princes Street Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Waimea Heights Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Mount Carmel College Catholic · Combined at peers
  • Fahan School Independent · Combined
  • Sandy Bay Infant School Government · Primary
  • The Hutchins School Independent · Combined

Schools in Mount Nelson

  • Mount Nelson Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Hobart College Government · Secondary

Amenities in the suburb

Sandy Bay Mount Nelson
Supermarkets 4 0
Cafes & restaurants 39 1
Parks & reserves 13 2
Childcare 8 1
GPs 5 1
Pharmacies 2 1
Banks & Bank@Post 3 0
Fuel stations 4 0
EV chargers 2 0
Beaches 3 0
Waterways 13 0

Mobility

Mount Nelson sits further from the CBD (7.2 km vs 5.1 km).

Sandy Bay Mount Nelson
Walkability score 72/100 61/100
Distance to Hobart 5.1 km 7.2 km
+41% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 12 min 13 min
Public transport score 94/100
Bus
 92/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 248.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 45.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 1 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 2.6%
postcode 7005
 3.2%
postcode 7007
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 20
postcode 7005
 33
postcode 7007

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.

Sandy Bay Mount Nelson
Car (driver) 55.2% / 67.8%
Sandy Bay — Car (driver): 55.2% Mount Nelson — Car (driver): 67.8%
Worked from Home 13.9% / 13.4%
Sandy Bay — Worked from Home: 13.9% Mount Nelson — Worked from Home: 13.4%
Car (passenger) 8.1% / 7.7%
Sandy Bay — Car (passenger): 8.1% Mount Nelson — Car (passenger): 7.7%
Walked Only 12.0% / 3.7%
Sandy Bay — Walked Only: 12.0% Mount Nelson — Walked Only: 3.7%
Bus 8.7% / 5.8%
Sandy Bay — Bus: 8.7% Mount Nelson — Bus: 5.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (67.8%).

Setting

Sandy Bay Mount Nelson
Elevation 79 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 300 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 585 m
590 m to a named beach
 2.2 km
2.2 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Sandy Bay Mount Nelson
Connectivity score 80/100 100/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 63%
6,087 premises
 100%
1,228 premises

Climate

Sandy Bay Mount Nelson
Annual rainfall 559 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 22.4°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 5.6°C
same for both

Council rates

Sandy Bay Mount Nelson
Average residential rate $2,818/yr
same for both
Council Hobart
same for both

Federal electorate

Sandy Bay Mount Nelson
Division Clark
same for both
Member Andrew Wilkie
same for both
Party Independent
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Sandy Bay Mount Nelson
Grant amount $20,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Sandy Bay

Beach Coastal Easy Commute Inner Luxury Parks Professionals Transport Hub

Mount Nelson

Coastal Easy Commute Inner Premium Professionals Quiet Transport Hub

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Sandy Bay

Sandy Bay vs South Hobart Sandy Bay vs Hobart Sandy Bay vs Taroona Sandy Bay vs Battery Point Sandy Bay vs Dynnyrne

Other comparisons with Mount Nelson

Mount Nelson vs Kingston Mount Nelson vs Taroona Mount Nelson vs Dynnyrne Mount Nelson vs Tolmans Hill Mount Nelson vs Ridgeway
Full data on Sandy Bay Full data on Mount Nelson
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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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