Scotchtown vs Smithton

Scotchtown is the younger of the two, with a median age of 35 against 42 in Smithton. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In Scotchtown, most households are couple families. Houses cost more in Scotchtown: a median of $730,000, against $398,000 in Smithton, and rent is higher there too. On these figures, Scotchtown tends to suit families with children and couples, while Smithton suits people living alone, older residents, 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

Smithton

ahead on 2 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (5 vs 0)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (4 vs 0)
  • But Scotchtown is already more of a family suburb (76% vs 49%)

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

First-home buyers

Smithton

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($397,500 vs $730,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Smithton

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (28% vs 12%)
  • has cheaper rent ($222/wk vs $270/wk)

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

Commuting to the city

Smithton

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (17/100 vs 0/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (411.2 km vs 416.5 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Smithton

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (17/100 vs 0/100)
  • has more residents already 65 and over (23% vs 8%)

Weighs who already lives there, GPs, and walkability.

Investors

Scotchtown

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (7.9% vs 1.4%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

Scotchtown Smithton
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.

Scotchtown Smithton
Walkability 0 / 17
Scotchtown — Walkability: 0/100 Smithton — Walkability: 17/100
Low fire risk 43 / 72
Scotchtown — Low fire risk: 43/100 Smithton — Low fire risk: 72/100

Demographics

Smithton has more residents (3,934 vs 274); Scotchtown has higher household incomes ($101,088 vs $61,828).

Scotchtown Smithton
Population 274 3,934
+1336% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +7.9% +1.4%
Median age 35 42
Median household income $101,088/yr
+39% vs other
 $61,828/yr
Median weekly rent $270/wk
+18% vs other
 $222/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Scotchtown Smithton
0-4 6.9% / 5.6%
Scotchtown — 0-4: 6.9% Smithton — 0-4: 5.6%
5-14 18.2% / 12.6%
Scotchtown — 5-14: 18.2% Smithton — 5-14: 12.6%
15-19 7.3% / 6.0%
Scotchtown — 15-19: 7.3% Smithton — 15-19: 6.0%
20-24 2.6% / 5.1%
Scotchtown — 20-24: 2.6% Smithton — 20-24: 5.1%
25-34 14.2% / 12.9%
Scotchtown — 25-34: 14.2% Smithton — 25-34: 12.9%
35-44 17.5% / 10.2%
Scotchtown — 35-44: 17.5% Smithton — 35-44: 10.2%
45-54 9.9% / 11.3%
Scotchtown — 45-54: 9.9% Smithton — 45-54: 11.3%
55-64 15.7% / 13.5%
Scotchtown — 55-64: 15.7% Smithton — 55-64: 13.5%
65-74 5.8% / 12.3%
Scotchtown — 65-74: 5.8% Smithton — 65-74: 12.3%
75-84 1.8% / 7.4%
Scotchtown — 75-84: 1.8% Smithton — 75-84: 7.4%
85+ — / 3.1%
Scotchtown — 85+: not among its largest Smithton — 85+: 3.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.2%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Scotchtown 60.6% couple families
Scotchtown — Couple Families: 60.6% Scotchtown — Lone Person: 24.2% Scotchtown — One Parent Families: 15.2% Scotchtown — Group Household: 0.0% Scotchtown — Other Families: 0.0%
Smithton 33.9% couple families
Smithton — Couple Families: 33.9% Smithton — Lone Person: 44.5% Smithton — One Parent Families: 15.4% Smithton — Group Household: 4.4% Smithton — Other Families: 1.9%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Scotchtown 12.2% renting
Scotchtown — Owned Outright: 31.7% Scotchtown — Mortgage: 56.1% Scotchtown — Renting: 12.2%
Smithton 28.5% renting
Smithton — Owned Outright: 37.5% Smithton — Mortgage: 34.0% Smithton — Renting: 28.5%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Scotchtown Smithton
Certificate III & IV 22.3% / 16.0%
Scotchtown — Certificate III & IV: 22.3% Smithton — Certificate III & IV: 16.0%
Bachelor Degree 7.7% / 5.0%
Scotchtown — Bachelor Degree: 7.7% Smithton — Bachelor Degree: 5.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 4.0% / 4.7%
Scotchtown — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.0% Smithton — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 4.7%
Postgraduate Degree — / 2.0%
Scotchtown — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Smithton — Postgraduate Degree: 2.0%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 0.4%
Scotchtown — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Smithton — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (22.3%).

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.

Scotchtown Smithton
New Zealand 4.0% / 1.9%
Scotchtown — New Zealand: 4.0% Smithton — New Zealand: 1.9%
England 4.4% / 1.2%
Scotchtown — England: 4.4% Smithton — England: 1.2%
Taiwan 1.8% / —
Scotchtown — Taiwan: 1.8% Smithton — Taiwan: not among its largest
Pakistan — / 1.6%
Scotchtown — Pakistan: not among its largest Smithton — Pakistan: 1.6%
India — / 0.6%
Scotchtown — India: not among its largest Smithton — India: 0.6%
China — / 0.4%
Scotchtown — China: not among its largest Smithton — China: 0.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.4%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Scotchtown 100.0% houses
Scotchtown — Houses: 100.0% Scotchtown — Townhouses: 0.0% Scotchtown — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Smithton 92.2% houses
Smithton — Houses: 92.2% Smithton — Townhouses: 6.4% Smithton — Flats / Apartments: 1.4%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Scotchtown Smithton
Median house price $730,000 $397,500
Median unit price — $330,000
Median land price — $136,000
Typical days to sell (houses) — 55 days
from 45 sales

Zoning mix

Scotchtown has more rural and farming land (98% vs 84%).

Scotchtown Smithton
Rural and farming 98% 84%
Environmental 2% 5%
Residential 0% 3%
Parks and recreation 0% 3%
Industrial 0% 2%
Infrastructure and transport 0% 2%
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

Scotchtown Smithton
New dwellings approved 7
across Circular Head
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.

Scotchtown Smithton
Houses — 3.9%
$405/wk on $538K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within TAS

Scotchtown Smithton
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 91% of TAS Higher than 40% of TAS
Schools — Higher than 88% of TAS
Walkability Higher than 8% of TAS Higher than 83% of TAS
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 3% of TAS Higher than 5% of TAS
NBN connectivity Higher than 72% of TAS Higher than 91% of TAS
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 32% of TAS

Liveability

Smithton is more walkable (17 vs 0).

Scotchtown Smithton
Grade — B
Score — 49/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10
 high-need area
decile 1/10

Risk profile

Scotchtown carries more bushfire risk (57 vs 28).

Scotchtown Smithton
Bushfire Moderate
57/100
 Low
28/100
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
 High
79/100
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 0
within 5 km
 5
within 5 km

Schools

Scotchtown Smithton
Inside the suburb 0 4
Rated above peers 0 2
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0 1

Schools in Scotchtown

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

Schools in Smithton

  • Circular Head Christian School Independent · Combined above peers
  • St Peter Chanel Catholic School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Smithton Primary School Government · Primary at peers
  • Smithton High School Government · Secondary below peers

Amenities in the suburb

Scotchtown Smithton
Supermarkets 0 3
Cafes & restaurants 0 1
Parks & reserves 0 5
Childcare 0 2
GPs 0 1
Pharmacies 0 2
Hospitals 0 1
Police stations 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 2
Fuel stations 0 2
Waterways 1 13

Mobility

Scotchtown sits further from the CBD (416.5 km vs 411.2 km).

Scotchtown Smithton
Walkability score 0/100 17/100
Distance to Hobart 416.5 km
+1% vs other
 411.2 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 295 min 292 min
Electric vehicle share 0.1%
postcode 7330
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 23
postcode 7330
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.

Scotchtown Smithton
Car (driver) 80.3% / 81.9%
Scotchtown — Car (driver): 80.3% Smithton — Car (driver): 81.9%
Car (passenger) 5.7% / 6.9%
Scotchtown — Car (passenger): 5.7% Smithton — Car (passenger): 6.9%
Walked Only 6.6% / 5.9%
Scotchtown — Walked Only: 6.6% Smithton — Walked Only: 5.9%
Worked from Home 7.4% / 4.6%
Scotchtown — Worked from Home: 7.4% Smithton — Worked from Home: 4.6%
Bus — / 0.5%
Scotchtown — Bus: not among its largest Smithton — Bus: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (81.9%).

Setting

Scotchtown Smithton
Elevation 23 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 29 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 11.9 km 4.7 km

NBN connectivity

Scotchtown Smithton
Connectivity score 32/100 90/100
Most common technology Fixed wireless Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 3%
104 premises
 86%
2,167 premises

Climate

Scotchtown Smithton
Annual rainfall 1,454 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 20.8°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 5.2°C
same for both

Federal electorate

Scotchtown Smithton
Division Braddon
same for both
Member Anne Urquhart
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Scotchtown Smithton
Grant amount $20,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Scotchtown

Family Rural

Smithton

Acreage Affordable

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Scotchtown

Scotchtown vs Irishtown Scotchtown vs Christmas Hills Scotchtown vs Edith Creek

Other comparisons with Smithton

Smithton vs Stanley Smithton vs Forest Smithton vs Irishtown Smithton vs Christmas Hills Smithton vs South Forest Smithton vs Mella
Full data on Scotchtown Full data on Smithton
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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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