York Plains vs Ross

York Plains is the younger of the two, with a median age of 52 against 56 in Ross. In both, most households own their home and the large majority of homes are detached houses. In York Plains, about half of households are couple families. In Ross, most households are people living alone. On these figures, York Plains tends to suit couples, while Ross 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

  • York Plains is already more of a family suburb (67% vs 42%)
  • Ross has more parks and reserves (16 vs 1)

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

First-home buyers

York Plains

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves households under less mortgage stress (6% vs 22%)

Weighs mortgage stress.

Renters

York Plains

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (12% vs 22%)

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

Commuting to the city

York Plains

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • sits closer to the CBD (99.9 km vs 126.3 km)
  • has a shorter drive in (77 min vs 92 min)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Ross

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has more residents already 65 and over (37% vs 23%)

Weighs who already lives there, GPs, and walkability.

Investors

York Plains

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (11.3% vs 1.5%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

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

York Plains Ross
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.

York Plains Ross
Walkability 0 / 0
York Plains — Walkability: 0/100 Ross — Walkability: 0/100
Low fire risk 79 / 30
York Plains — Low fire risk: 79/100 Ross — Low fire risk: 30/100

Demographics

Ross has more residents (410 vs 69); York Plains has higher household incomes ($84,500 vs $47,580).

York Plains Ross
Population 69 410
+494% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +11.3% +1.5%
Median age 52 56
Median household income $84,500/yr
+44% vs other
 $47,580/yr
Median weekly rent $195/wk $200/wk
+3% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

York Plains Ross
0-4 10.1% / 3.9%
York Plains — 0-4: 10.1% Ross — 0-4: 3.9%
5-14 4.3% / 8.0%
York Plains — 5-14: 4.3% Ross — 5-14: 8.0%
15-19 — / 2.9%
York Plains — 15-19: not among its largest Ross — 15-19: 2.9%
20-24 — / 4.1%
York Plains — 20-24: not among its largest Ross — 20-24: 4.1%
25-34 7.2% / 6.1%
York Plains — 25-34: 7.2% Ross — 25-34: 6.1%
35-44 14.5% / 6.8%
York Plains — 35-44: 14.5% Ross — 35-44: 6.8%
45-54 11.6% / 15.1%
York Plains — 45-54: 11.6% Ross — 45-54: 15.1%
55-64 26.1% / 18.8%
York Plains — 55-64: 26.1% Ross — 55-64: 18.8%
65-74 15.9% / 23.4%
York Plains — 65-74: 15.9% Ross — 65-74: 23.4%
75-84 7.2% / 10.0%
York Plains — 75-84: 7.2% Ross — 75-84: 10.0%
85+ — / 3.4%
York Plains — 85+: not among its largest Ross — 85+: 3.4%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (26.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

York Plains 33.3% lone person
York Plains — Lone Person: 33.3% York Plains — Couple Families: 50.0% York Plains — One Parent Families: 16.7%
Ross 57.8% lone person
Ross — Lone Person: 57.8% Ross — Couple Families: 28.4% Ross — One Parent Families: 13.8%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

York Plains 26.3% renting
York Plains — Owned Outright: 52.6% York Plains — Mortgage: 21.1% York Plains — Renting: 26.3%
Ross 22.0% renting
Ross — Owned Outright: 58.5% Ross — Mortgage: 19.5% Ross — Renting: 22.0%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

York Plains 100.0% houses
York Plains — Houses: 100.0% York Plains — Townhouses: 0.0%
Ross 97.8% houses
Ross — Houses: 97.8% Ross — Townhouses: 2.2%
Houses Townhouses

Qualifications

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

York Plains Ross
Bachelor Degree 11.6% / 9.3%
York Plains — Bachelor Degree: 11.6% Ross — Bachelor Degree: 9.3%
Certificate III & IV 8.7% / 12.0%
York Plains — Certificate III & IV: 8.7% Ross — Certificate III & IV: 12.0%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.2% / 5.6%
York Plains — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.2% Ross — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 5.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 1.0%
York Plains — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Ross — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.0%
Postgraduate Degree — / 0.7%
York Plains — Postgraduate Degree: not among its largest Ross — Postgraduate Degree: 0.7%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (12.0%).

Property market

York Plains Ross
Median house price — $440,000
Median unit price —
same for both
Median land price — $128,000

Zoning mix

York Plains Ross
Rural and farming 100% 98%
Environmental 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

York Plains Ross
New dwellings approved 45
across Southern Midlands
 184
across Northern Midlands
Approvals change year on year +33% +104%

Ranking within TAS

York Plains Ross
House price —
same for both
Income Higher than 77% of TAS Higher than 17% of TAS
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 4% of TAS Higher than 44% of TAS
Affordability —
same for both
EV adoption Higher than 11% of TAS Higher than 68% of TAS
NBN connectivity Higher than 24% of TAS Higher than 37% of TAS

Liveability

York Plains Ross
Grade —
same for both
Score —
same for both
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10
 below-average income
decile 2/10

Risk profile

Ross carries more bushfire risk (70 vs 21).

York Plains Ross
Bushfire Low
21/100
 High
70/100
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 0
within 5 km
same for both

Schools

York Plains Ross
Inside the suburb 0
same for both
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0
same for both
Rated below peers 0
same for both

Amenities in the suburb

York Plains Ross
Cafes & restaurants 0 4
Parks & reserves 1 16
Banks & Bank@Post 0 1
Waterways 1 66

Mobility

Ross sits further from the CBD (126.3 km vs 99.9 km).

York Plains Ross
Walkability score 0/100
same for both
Distance to Hobart 99.9 km 126.3 km
+26% vs other
Drive time (normal traffic) 77 min 92 min
Electric vehicle share 0.3%
postcode 7120
 0.6%
postcode 7209
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 24
postcode 7120
 24
postcode 7209

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.

York Plains Ross
Car (driver) 65.6% / 63.5%
York Plains — Car (driver): 65.6% Ross — Car (driver): 63.5%
Worked from Home 34.4% / 18.6%
York Plains — Worked from Home: 34.4% Ross — Worked from Home: 18.6%
Walked Only — / 12.2%
York Plains — Walked Only: not among its largest Ross — Walked Only: 12.2%
Car (passenger) — / 5.8%
York Plains — Car (passenger): not among its largest Ross — Car (passenger): 5.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (65.6%).

Setting

York Plains Ross
Elevation 357 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 201 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 39.1 km 45 km

NBN connectivity

York Plains Ross
Connectivity score 20/100 28/100
Most common technology Satellite (Sky Muster) Fixed wireless
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 0%
21 premises
 0%
255 premises

Climate

York Plains Ross
Annual rainfall 493 mm 714 mm
Summer max (Jan) — 19.4°C
Winter min (Jul) — 0.5°C

Council rates

York Plains Ross
Average residential rate $1,381/yr $1,704/yr
Council Southern Midlands Northern Midlands

Federal electorate

York Plains Ross
Division Lyons
same for both
Member Rebecca White
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

York Plains Ross
Grant amount $20,000
same for both
Property price cap —
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

York Plains

Rural Young Families

Ross

Affordable Retirees River Rural

More comparisons

Other comparisons with York Plains

York Plains vs Oatlands

Other comparisons with Ross

Ross vs Campbell Town Ross vs Tunbridge
Full data on York Plains Full data on Ross
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.

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