West Hobart vs Lenah Valley

In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. Houses cost more in West Hobart: a median of $995,000, against $822,000 in Lenah Valley. West Hobart is closer to the city centre: 2.5 km, against 6.4 km. On these figures, West Hobart tends to suit share households, while Lenah Valley suits buyers on a tighter budget.

West Hobart and Lenah Valley are similar in population size, but West Hobart offers notably better walkability (73 versus 35) and sits much closer to Hobart's CBD at 2.5 km compared to 6.4 km. West Hobart also has a higher median household income of $103,792 and scores better on liveability (65 versus 59), though property prices are considerably higher—median houses at $986,000 versus $820,000. Lenah Valley may appeal to renters or investors seeking better rental yields, particularly for units at 5.0 percent gross yield, while West Hobart suits those prioritising walkability and proximity to the city centre.

Written by an AI language model from the figures below. Every number in it is checked against those figures before it is published.

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

Lenah Valley

ahead on 3 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more schools rated above their peers (2 vs 1)
  • is already more of a family suburb (57% vs 46%)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (88% vs 76%)

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

First-home buyers

Lenah Valley

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($822,500 vs $995,000)
  • has cheaper units ($527,500 vs $607,500)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Too close to call

Nothing among the 3 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

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

Commuting to the city

West Hobart

ahead on 3 of the 3 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (2.5 km vs 6.4 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (7 min vs 17 min)
  • is more walkable (73/100 vs 35/100)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

West Hobart

ahead on 2 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (73/100 vs 35/100)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (24% vs 12%)

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

Investors

Lenah Valley

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • returns a higher gross yield on units (4.8% vs 2.7%)
  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (4.3% vs 3.3%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

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

West Hobart Lenah Valley
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.

West Hobart Lenah Valley
Walkability 73 / 35
West Hobart — Walkability: 73/100 Lenah Valley — Walkability: 35/100
Low fire risk 2 / 4
West Hobart — Low fire risk: 2/100 Lenah Valley — Low fire risk: 4/100

Demographics

West Hobart Lenah Valley
Population 6,525 6,522
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +9.6% +9.8%
Median age 38 37
Median household income $103,792/yr
+3% vs other
 $100,412/yr
Median weekly rent $400/wk
+5% vs other
 $380/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

West Hobart Lenah Valley
0-4 4.0% / 6.2%
West Hobart — 0-4: 4.0% Lenah Valley — 0-4: 6.2%
5-14 9.8% / 11.6%
West Hobart — 5-14: 9.8% Lenah Valley — 5-14: 11.6%
15-19 5.6% / 4.7%
West Hobart — 15-19: 5.6% Lenah Valley — 15-19: 4.7%
20-24 6.4% / 4.8%
West Hobart — 20-24: 6.4% Lenah Valley — 20-24: 4.8%
25-34 19.1% / 17.5%
West Hobart — 25-34: 19.1% Lenah Valley — 25-34: 17.5%
35-44 12.1% / 14.9%
West Hobart — 35-44: 12.1% Lenah Valley — 35-44: 14.9%
45-54 13.9% / 13.0%
West Hobart — 45-54: 13.9% Lenah Valley — 45-54: 13.0%
55-64 13.3% / 11.6%
West Hobart — 55-64: 13.3% Lenah Valley — 55-64: 11.6%
65-74 9.6% / 9.3%
West Hobart — 65-74: 9.6% Lenah Valley — 65-74: 9.3%
75-84 4.6% / 4.5%
West Hobart — 75-84: 4.6% Lenah Valley — 75-84: 4.5%
85+ 1.4% / 1.8%
West Hobart — 85+: 1.4% Lenah Valley — 85+: 1.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (19.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

West Hobart 34.0% couple families
West Hobart — Couple Families: 34.0% West Hobart — Lone Person: 40.0% West Hobart — One Parent Families: 12.0% West Hobart — Group Household: 12.3% West Hobart — Other Families: 1.7%
Lenah Valley 44.1% couple families
Lenah Valley — Couple Families: 44.1% Lenah Valley — Lone Person: 36.3% Lenah Valley — One Parent Families: 12.7% Lenah Valley — Group Household: 5.4% Lenah Valley — Other Families: 1.5%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

West Hobart 35.1% renting
West Hobart — Owned Outright: 34.9% West Hobart — Mortgage: 30.0% West Hobart — Renting: 35.1%
Lenah Valley 26.2% renting
Lenah Valley — Owned Outright: 35.7% Lenah Valley — Mortgage: 38.1% Lenah Valley — Renting: 26.2%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

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.

West Hobart Lenah Valley
England 4.7% / 2.5%
West Hobart — England: 4.7% Lenah Valley — England: 2.5%
China 2.3% / 2.3%
West Hobart — China: 2.3% Lenah Valley — China: 2.3%
India 1.4% / 2.7%
West Hobart — India: 1.4% Lenah Valley — India: 2.7%
Nepal 1.5% / 2.3%
West Hobart — Nepal: 1.5% Lenah Valley — Nepal: 2.3%
New Zealand 1.2% / 0.7%
West Hobart — New Zealand: 1.2% Lenah Valley — New Zealand: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (4.7%).

Qualifications

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

West Hobart Lenah Valley
Bachelor Degree 25.6% / 20.6%
West Hobart — Bachelor Degree: 25.6% Lenah Valley — Bachelor Degree: 20.6%
Postgraduate Degree 14.2% / 10.3%
West Hobart — Postgraduate Degree: 14.2% Lenah Valley — Postgraduate Degree: 10.3%
Certificate III & IV 7.5% / 10.6%
West Hobart — Certificate III & IV: 7.5% Lenah Valley — Certificate III & IV: 10.6%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.0% / 7.6%
West Hobart — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.0% Lenah Valley — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 4.7% / 3.7%
West Hobart — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.7% Lenah Valley — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 3.7%

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

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

West Hobart 75.9% houses
West Hobart — Houses: 75.9% West Hobart — Flats / Apartments: 17.6% West Hobart — Townhouses: 6.5%
Lenah Valley 88.2% houses
Lenah Valley — Houses: 88.2% Lenah Valley — Flats / Apartments: 6.9% Lenah Valley — Townhouses: 5.0%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

West Hobart Lenah Valley
Median house price $995,000 $822,500
Median unit price $607,500 $527,500
Median land price — $297,500
Typical days to sell (houses) 28 days
from 63 sales
 20 days
from 73 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.

West Hobart Lenah Valley
2 bed $828K / $748K
West Hobart — 2 bed: $828K (22 sales) Lenah Valley — 2 bed: $748K (14 sales)

22 vs 14 sales

3 bed $958K / $790K
West Hobart — 3 bed: $958K (64 sales) Lenah Valley — 3 bed: $790K (57 sales)

64 vs 57 sales

4 bed $1.19M / $920K
West Hobart — 4 bed: $1.19M (34 sales) Lenah Valley — 4 bed: $920K (33 sales)

34 vs 33 sales

5 bed $1.6M / $1.03M
West Hobart — 5 bed: $1.6M (12 sales) Lenah Valley — 5 bed: $1.03M (8 sales)

12 vs 8 sales

Zoning mix

West Hobart Lenah Valley
Residential 52% 34%
Environmental 41% 44%
Rural and farming 4% 11%
Parks and recreation 2% 6%
Infrastructure and transport 2% 4%
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

West Hobart Lenah Valley
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.

West Hobart Lenah Valley
Houses 3.3%
$730/wk on $1.15M
 4.3%
$685/wk on $825K
Units 2.7%
$498/wk on $975K
 4.8%
$500/wk on $539K

Ranking within TAS

West Hobart Lenah Valley
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 92% of TAS Higher than 90% of TAS
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 97% of TAS Higher than 89% of TAS
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 98% of TAS Higher than 91% of TAS
NBN connectivity Higher than 100% of TAS Higher than 91% of TAS
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 14% of TAS Higher than 54% of TAS
Rental yield (units) Higher than 4% of TAS Higher than 61% of TAS

Liveability

West Hobart is more walkable (73 vs 35); West Hobart scores higher overall (64 vs 59).

West Hobart Lenah Valley
Grade A B
Score 64/100 59/100
Socio-economic band very advantaged area
decile 10/10
 very advantaged area
decile 9/10

Risk profile

West Hobart Lenah Valley
Bushfire High
98/100
 High
96/100
Crime Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Flood —
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 12
within 5 km
 10
within 5 km

Schools

West Hobart Lenah Valley
Inside the suburb 2
same for both
Rated above peers 1 2
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 1
Hobart, 4.3 km
 1
Hobart, 7.1 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.8% 1.7%

Schools in West Hobart

  • Lansdowne Crescent Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • Goulburn Street Primary School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Lenah Valley

  • Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School Catholic · Primary above peers
  • Lenah Valley Primary School Government · Primary above peers

Amenities in the suburb

West Hobart Lenah Valley
Supermarkets 1 0
Cafes & restaurants 4 2
Parks & reserves 7 6
Childcare 1 3
GPs 1 2
Pharmacies 1 4
Hospitals 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 1
same for both
Fuel stations 0 1
Waterways 2 9

Mobility

Lenah Valley sits further from the CBD (6.4 km vs 2.5 km).

West Hobart Lenah Valley
Walkability score 73/100 35/100
Distance to Hobart 2.5 km 6.4 km
+156% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 7 min 17 min
Public transport score 91/100
Bus
 93/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 39.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 69.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
same for both
Electric vehicle share 2.5%
postcode 7000
 1.8%
postcode 7008
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 19
postcode 7000
 22
postcode 7008

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.

West Hobart Lenah Valley
Car (driver) 45.6% / 66.8%
West Hobart — Car (driver): 45.6% Lenah Valley — Car (driver): 66.8%
Walked Only 27.4% / 4.3%
West Hobart — Walked Only: 27.4% Lenah Valley — Walked Only: 4.3%
Worked from Home 13.0% / 10.6%
West Hobart — Worked from Home: 13.0% Lenah Valley — Worked from Home: 10.6%
Car (passenger) 7.3% / 8.0%
West Hobart — Car (passenger): 7.3% Lenah Valley — Car (passenger): 8.0%
Bus 3.0% / 7.7%
West Hobart — Bus: 3.0% Lenah Valley — Bus: 7.7%
Bicycle 3.6% / 2.6%
West Hobart — Bicycle: 3.6% Lenah Valley — Bicycle: 2.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (66.8%).

Setting

West Hobart Lenah Valley
Elevation 206 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 234 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 2.7 km
2.7 km to a named beach
 4.1 km

NBN connectivity

West Hobart Lenah Valley
Connectivity score 100/100 90/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 100%
3,110 premises
 83%
2,988 premises

Climate

West Hobart Lenah Valley
Annual rainfall 559 mm 988 mm
Summer max (Jan) 22.4°C 13.3°C
Winter min (Jul) 5.6°C -1.0°C

Council rates

West Hobart Lenah Valley
Average residential rate $2,818/yr
same for both
Council Hobart
same for both

Federal electorate

West Hobart Lenah Valley
Division Clark
same for both
Member Andrew Wilkie
same for both
Party Independent
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

West Hobart Lenah Valley
Grant amount $20,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

West Hobart

Coastal Easy Commute Inner Parks Premium Professionals River Transport Hub

Lenah Valley

Easy Commute Inner Large Blocks Professionals River Transport Hub

More comparisons

Other comparisons with West Hobart

West Hobart vs South Hobart West Hobart vs Hobart West Hobart vs North Hobart West Hobart vs Mount Stuart

Other comparisons with Lenah Valley

Lenah Valley vs Glenorchy Lenah Valley vs New Town Lenah Valley vs South Hobart Lenah Valley vs Moonah Lenah Valley vs West Moonah Lenah Valley vs Mount Stuart
Full data on West Hobart Full data on Lenah Valley
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.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or