West Hobart vs South Hobart

In both, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. Houses cost more in West Hobart: a median of $995,000, against $850,000 in South Hobart, and rent is higher there too. West Hobart is closer to the city centre: 2.5 km, against 5 km.

West Hobart and South Hobart are both established inner suburbs with similar median ages of 38 years, but they differ notably in accessibility and property values. West Hobart is closer to the CBD at 2.5 km versus 5.0 km, and has a significantly higher walkability score of 73 compared to South Hobart's 27, making it more pedestrian-friendly. West Hobart also commands higher property prices—median houses at $995,000 versus $850,000—and offers a higher median household income of $103,792 against $92,924. South Hobart may appeal to those prioritising rental yield, particularly for units at 5.1% gross yield, while West Hobart suits buyers who value walkability and proximity to the city.

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

They split

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

  • West Hobart has more parks and reserves (7 vs 4)
  • South Hobart has more childcare (4 vs 1)

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

First-home buyers

South Hobart

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($850,000 vs $995,000)
  • has cheaper units ($525,000 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 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (73/100 vs 27/100)
  • sits closer to the CBD (2.5 km vs 5 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here

  • West Hobart is more walkable (73/100 vs 27/100)
  • South Hobart has more GPs (3 vs 1)

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

Investors

South Hobart

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • returns a higher gross yield on units (5.1% vs 2.7%)
  • returns a higher gross yield on houses (4.0% vs 3.3%)

Weighs house yield, unit yield, and population growth.

Where they sit

West Hobart and South Hobart 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 South Hobart
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 South Hobart
Walkability 73 / 27
West Hobart — Walkability: 73/100 South Hobart — Walkability: 27/100
Low fire risk 2 / 4
West Hobart — Low fire risk: 2/100 South Hobart — Low fire risk: 4/100

Demographics

West Hobart has higher household incomes ($103,792 vs $92,924).

West Hobart South Hobart
Population 6,525
+10% vs other
 5,886
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +9.6% +10.8%
Median age 38
same for both
Median household income $103,792/yr
+10% vs other
 $92,924/yr
Median weekly rent $400/wk
+6% vs other
 $378/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

West Hobart South Hobart
0-4 4.0% / 4.1%
West Hobart — 0-4: 4.0% South Hobart — 0-4: 4.1%
5-14 9.8% / 10.9%
West Hobart — 5-14: 9.8% South Hobart — 5-14: 10.9%
15-19 5.6% / 5.9%
West Hobart — 15-19: 5.6% South Hobart — 15-19: 5.9%
20-24 6.4% / 6.8%
West Hobart — 20-24: 6.4% South Hobart — 20-24: 6.8%
25-34 19.1% / 17.4%
West Hobart — 25-34: 19.1% South Hobart — 25-34: 17.4%
35-44 12.1% / 13.8%
West Hobart — 35-44: 12.1% South Hobart — 35-44: 13.8%
45-54 13.9% / 12.4%
West Hobart — 45-54: 13.9% South Hobart — 45-54: 12.4%
55-64 13.3% / 11.0%
West Hobart — 55-64: 13.3% South Hobart — 55-64: 11.0%
65-74 9.6% / 9.4%
West Hobart — 65-74: 9.6% South Hobart — 65-74: 9.4%
75-84 4.6% / 5.6%
West Hobart — 75-84: 4.6% South Hobart — 75-84: 5.6%
85+ 1.4% / 2.7%
West Hobart — 85+: 1.4% South Hobart — 85+: 2.7%

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

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

West Hobart 40.0% lone person
West Hobart — Lone Person: 40.0% West Hobart — Couple Families: 34.0% West Hobart — One Parent Families: 12.0% West Hobart — Group Household: 12.3% West Hobart — Other Families: 1.7%
South Hobart 41.8% lone person
South Hobart — Lone Person: 41.8% South Hobart — Couple Families: 31.9% South Hobart — One Parent Families: 13.7% South Hobart — Group Household: 10.9% South Hobart — Other Families: 1.8%
Lone Person Couple Families 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%
South Hobart 33.5% renting
South Hobart — Owned Outright: 35.7% South Hobart — Mortgage: 30.8% South Hobart — Renting: 33.5%
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 South Hobart
England 4.7% / 4.4%
West Hobart — England: 4.7% South Hobart — England: 4.4%
China 2.3% / 2.9%
West Hobart — China: 2.3% South Hobart — China: 2.9%
Nepal 1.5% / 1.5%
West Hobart — Nepal: 1.5% South Hobart — Nepal: 1.5%
India 1.4% / 1.4%
West Hobart — India: 1.4% South Hobart — India: 1.4%
New Zealand 1.2% / 1.4%
West Hobart — New Zealand: 1.2% South Hobart — New Zealand: 1.4%

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

Qualifications

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

West Hobart South Hobart
Bachelor Degree 25.6% / 25.4%
West Hobart — Bachelor Degree: 25.6% South Hobart — Bachelor Degree: 25.4%
Postgraduate Degree 14.2% / 14.1%
West Hobart — Postgraduate Degree: 14.2% South Hobart — Postgraduate Degree: 14.1%
Certificate III & IV 7.5% / 6.9%
West Hobart — Certificate III & IV: 7.5% South Hobart — Certificate III & IV: 6.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.0% / 6.2%
West Hobart — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.0% South Hobart — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 6.2%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 4.7% / 4.5%
West Hobart — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.7% South Hobart — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 4.5%

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%
South Hobart 70.5% houses
South Hobart — Houses: 70.5% South Hobart — Flats / Apartments: 14.3% South Hobart — Townhouses: 15.1%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

West Hobart South Hobart
Median house price $995,000 $850,000
Median unit price $607,500 $525,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 28 days
from 63 sales
 26 days
from 33 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.

West Hobart South Hobart
1 bed $436K / $433K
West Hobart — 1 bed: $436K (11 sales) South Hobart — 1 bed: $433K (9 sales)

11 vs 9 sales

2 bed $700K / $524K
West Hobart — 2 bed: $700K (9 sales) South Hobart — 2 bed: $524K (18 sales)

9 vs 18 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 South Hobart
2 bed $828K / $802K
West Hobart — 2 bed: $828K (22 sales) South Hobart — 2 bed: $802K (12 sales)

22 vs 12 sales

3 bed $958K / $850K
West Hobart — 3 bed: $958K (64 sales) South Hobart — 3 bed: $850K (38 sales)

64 vs 38 sales

4 bed $1.19M / $1.07M
West Hobart — 4 bed: $1.19M (34 sales) South Hobart — 4 bed: $1.07M (20 sales)

34 vs 20 sales

Zoning mix

West Hobart South Hobart
Residential 52% 28%
Environmental 41% 44%
Rural and farming 4% 12%
Infrastructure and transport 2% 10%
Parks and recreation 2% 4%
Other and special use 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

West Hobart South Hobart
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 South Hobart
Houses 3.3%
$730/wk on $1.15M
 4.0%
$650/wk on $848K
Units 2.7%
$498/wk on $975K
 5.1%
$505/wk on $510K

Ranking within TAS

West Hobart South Hobart
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 92% of TAS Higher than 84% of TAS
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 97% of TAS Higher than 87% of TAS
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 98% of TAS Higher than 100% of TAS
NBN connectivity Higher than 100% of TAS Higher than 91% of TAS
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 14% of TAS Higher than 35% of TAS
Rental yield (units) Higher than 4% of TAS Higher than 73% of TAS

Liveability

West Hobart is more walkable (73 vs 27); West Hobart scores higher overall (64 vs 59).

West Hobart South Hobart
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 South Hobart
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
 5
within 5 km

Schools

West Hobart South Hobart
Inside the suburb 2
same for both
Rated above peers 1
same for both
Rated at peers 1 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 1
Hobart, 4.3 km
 1
Hobart, 4.8 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 2.8% 4.4%

Schools in West Hobart

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

Schools in South Hobart

  • South Hobart Primary School Government · Primary above peers
  • St Michael's Collegiate School - Junior School Campus Independent · Primary

Amenities in the suburb

West Hobart South Hobart
Supermarkets 1
same for both
Cafes & restaurants 4 7
Parks & reserves 7 4
Childcare 1 4
GPs 1 3
Pharmacies 1 2
Hospitals 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 1
same for both
Fuel stations 0 1
Waterways 2 13

Mobility

South Hobart sits further from the CBD (5 km vs 2.5 km).

West Hobart South Hobart
Walkability score 73/100 27/100
Distance to Hobart 2.5 km 5 km
+100% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 7 min 11 min
Public transport score 91/100
Bus
 92/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 39.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
 139.2
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 0 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 2.5%
postcode 7000
 3.3%
postcode 7004
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 19
postcode 7000
 22
postcode 7004

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 South Hobart
Car (driver) 45.6% / 49.1%
West Hobart — Car (driver): 45.6% South Hobart — Car (driver): 49.1%
Walked Only 27.4% / 15.1%
West Hobart — Walked Only: 27.4% South Hobart — Walked Only: 15.1%
Worked from Home 13.0% / 14.5%
West Hobart — Worked from Home: 13.0% South Hobart — Worked from Home: 14.5%
Car (passenger) 7.3% / 5.7%
West Hobart — Car (passenger): 7.3% South Hobart — Car (passenger): 5.7%
Bicycle 3.6% / 8.7%
West Hobart — Bicycle: 3.6% South Hobart — Bicycle: 8.7%
Bus 3.0% / 6.9%
West Hobart — Bus: 3.0% South Hobart — Bus: 6.9%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (49.1%).

Setting

West Hobart South Hobart
Elevation 206 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 129 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 2.7 km
2.7 km to a named beach
 3.8 km
3.9 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

West Hobart South Hobart
Connectivity score 100/100 89/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises
same for both
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 100%
3,110 premises
 80%
2,806 premises

Climate

West Hobart South Hobart
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

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

Federal electorate

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

First Home Owner Grant

West Hobart South Hobart
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

South Hobart

Easy Commute Inner Premium Professionals River Transport Hub

More comparisons

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Other comparisons with South Hobart

South Hobart vs Sandy Bay South Hobart vs Lenah Valley South Hobart vs Hobart South Hobart vs Dynnyrne South Hobart vs Fern Tree South Hobart vs Ridgeway
Full data on West Hobart Full data on South Hobart
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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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