Sandy Bay TAS 7005
Sandy Bay is a suburb in Tasmania, 5 km from Hobart CBD, around 12 minutes by car. Population is 12,315; the median age is 39 and the median household income is $99,580 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the top 20% nationally. The suburb grew 3.3% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $418 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $2,167. Sandy Bay is characterised by high bushfire risk. Of 6 schools within the suburb boundary, 2 rank above the state average, and walkability is high.
Is Sandy Bay a good suburb?
Sandy Bay scores a A (67/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on schools, transit, and community, weaker on safety.
Above the state average
6 schools · 2 above peer schools · Top 24% in TAS
Walkable and central
Walkability 72/100 · 5.1 km · 12 min drive to Hobart
Median available
Median $1.24M
High bushfire risk
Fire 97/100
Very advantaged
SEIFA decile 10/10 · median age 39 · 12,315 residents
Liveability Rating
67 / 100 · Ranked #25 in TASEach bar is Sandy Bay's rank among TAS suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better).
No crime data is published for Tasmania — a blank here means we hold no data, not that there is no risk.
How do you rate the liveability in Sandy Bay?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
67 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataSandy Bay's house market is moving lower: the median sale price reached $1.24 million, about 7% below where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$1,240,000
32% above its 6 neighbours (median $939,000)
Based on 133 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 29 days — median across 75 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 14 sales $855K
- 3 bed 49 sales $1.1M
- 4 bed 47 sales $1.35M
- 5 bed 12 sales $1.62M
- 6 bed 6 sales $1.98M
Units
$621,500
17% below its 5 neighbours (median $752,500)
Based on 84 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 22 days — median across 46 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 1 bed 22 sales $424K
- 2 bed 41 sales $655K
- 3 bed 18 sales $840K
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Sandy Bay are currently listed at around $1.37 million on average. Based on 88 houses listed in the past six months.
Houses
$1.37M
88 houses listed in the last 6 months.
Units
$635K
41 units listed in the last 6 months.
129 of the suburb's 4,735 dwellings (2.7%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Sandy Bay rent for around $680 a week on average, based on 53 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
Houses
$680/wk
In line with its 3 neighbours (median $695/wk)
53 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
Units
$500/wk
9% below its 3 neighbours (median $550/wk)
40 units advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
93 rentals advertised against an estimated 1,671 rented homes (5.6%) in the last 6 months.
Rent agreed on new leases
Sep 2025–Aug 2026- 3-bed houses
- $770/wk
- 83 bonds
- +25% since 2021
- 2-bed units
- $525/wk
- 163 bonds
- +22% since 2021
Median weekly rent on bonds lodged for new tenancies. Change since 2021 compares the median of the first four quarters with the last four. Asking rents above come from advertised listings.
Rental affordability
June quarter 2025110 Moderately unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 27% of its income on the median rent in postcode 7005.
SGS Rental Affordability Index: a score of 100 means rent takes 30% of income, the usual housing-stress line; lower scores are less affordable. "Region" is the capital city or the rest of the state.
Gross rental yield
Indicative$680/week ($35,000 a year) on a $1.37 million median
$500/week ($26,000 a year) on a $635,000 median
Gross yield — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. Calculated from median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.
Short-Stay Rentals
224 active Airbnb listings: 218 whole homes and 6 rooms. Whole homes are about 4.1% of the suburb's homes.
Airbnb only, as at Jun 2026; other platforms are not included. Active means reviewed in the past 12 months. The share is against private dwellings at the 2021 Census.
Crime in the Hobart council area
Crime recorded across the whole council area over the 12 months to Jul 2026, not in Sandy Bay alone. Tasmania Police publish by council, not by suburb.
| Type | Count | Per 1,000 residents |
|---|---|---|
| All offences | 5,146 | 92.1 |
| Assault | 478 | 8.6 |
| Assault in a public place | 226 | 4.0 |
| Home burglary | 123 | 2.2 |
| Stolen vehicles | 230 | 4.1 |
| Robbery | 62 | 1.1 |
| Serious crime | 78 | 1.4 |
| Public order incidents | 4,011 | 71.8 |
| Family violence order breaches | 118 | 2.1 |
| Police family violence order breaches | 80 | 1.4 |
Rates use the council’s 55,859 residents. The latest month is preliminary and may be revised.
Serious Road Crashes
2021–202512 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital, 1 of them fatal
Where they happened
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the suburb carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. Roads are listed with 3 or more serious crashes.
Coastal Erosion
Shoreline Change Summary
1997–2025Nearest Eroding Coastline
- Distance
- 1.3 km
- Rate
- -0.08 m/yr
- Net Movement
- -0.7 m
- Certainty
- good
Data Quality
Schools
Six schools serve Sandy Bay, and the cohort skews above peer-suburb performance. Princes Street Primary School and Waimea Heights Primary School lead the pack.
- • 2,763 students across 6 schools (avg 460)
- • Sectors: 3 Government, 2 Independent, 1 Catholic
- • ICSEA 1077-1154, median 1138 (well above the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: The Hutchins School (986 students)
Primary
Combined
Universities nearby
4.4% of residents here are full-time university students aged 15–24.
Distance is measured to the suburb centre. A campus nearby does not by itself mean a student rental market — most suburbs within a few kilometres of one have a student share close to the national norm, and the figure above is what tells them apart.
Walkability
Sandy Bay is very walkable on foot — at 72/100, most daily errands can be done on foot. Within the suburb there are 4 supermarkets, 13 parks and 39 cafes to anchor that walking radius.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Sandy Bay.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 248.8 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 179.0 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 123.1 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 0 min
- Span of service
- 18.3 hours
- Direct to CBD (peak)
- 0 min wait
Scheduled service only, based on the 21 October 2026 timetable. Reliability (delays, cancellations) not measured.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Sandy Bay.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 63%
- Premises covered
- 6,087
NBN Co fixed-line and fixed-wireless premises, as at 30 December 2025. Higher-quality technologies (full fibre) score above copper, wireless, and satellite. Actual speeds depend on your plan.
Amenities
Hobart: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this suburb alone — this suburb's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
The ABS scores 27 small areas inside this suburb and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 4 different deciles — a wide range, so parts of this suburb rank well above the average and parts well below it.
Sandy Bay is home to about 12,300 residents, with a median age of 39, broadly in line with the national figure. Median household income runs at $100,000 a year, with unemployment at 8.4%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
12,315
Median Age
39
Median Household Income
$99,580/yr
Census Median Rent
$418/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$2,167/mo
Avg Household Size
2.4
Median Personal Income
$46,124/yr
Unemployment Rate
8.4%
Unoccupied Dwellings
12.9%
Total Dwellings
4,735
Owner-Occupier Rate
64.7%
Houses
68.5%
Rental Stress
21.8%
Mortgage Stress
26.1%
Work From Home
13.9%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
18 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 30 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 1,600 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 60.2%
- English Spoken at Home
- 68.9%
- Employment Rate
- 56.6%
- Completed Year 12
- 66.8%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
When They Arrived
Share of all residents by the year they arrived in Australia. Periods cover different numbers of years, so compare the shape rather than the bar widths.
1,623 residents (13.2%) arrived since 2016. Australia’s borders were closed to most arrivals from March 2020, so the last two years of that period are much smaller than the ones before them — nationally 260,799 people arrived in 2019 against 28,521 in 2021.
Where New Residents Came From
Where residents aged five and over lived five years before the 2021 Census, for those who lived somewhere else.
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 11,902 residents aged five and over. Areas are ABS statistical regions. Small counts are approximate: the ABS adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Languages Spoken at Home
Top languages other than English, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
72% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (4,427 of 6,113), an area that takes in all or part of this suburb, so many of them work close to home.
City centre: the ABS area around each capital's CBD, such as Sydney Inner City or Perth City (which takes in Subiaco and Leederville). 2021 Census place of work.
Local Jobs
People who work in this suburb against employed people who live here, 2021 Census.
About 5,526 people work here; 6,113 employed residents live here.
Roughly as many jobs as working residents (0.9 per resident). At least 9% of employed residents must work outside the suburb.
Counts are by place of work and place of usual residence. The ABS counts jobs in zones; where a zone spans several places, its jobs are shared out by land use. The ABS also adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $2,818 a year through Hobart based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Residential 58%
- Environmental 22%
- Infrastructure and transport 7%
- Other and special use 6%
- Parks and recreation 6%
- Commercial 1%
- Zones under 1% 1%
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 — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Hobart
In the year to August 2026, 163 new dwellings were approved across Hobart. That mix is 91 houses and 72 units. Approvals are down 75.6% on the same period a year earlier.
Climate & Setting
from Hobart (Ellerslie Road), 2.7 kmModerate rainfall — warm summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 79 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 585 m
- 590 m to a named beach
- Annual rainfall
- 559 mm
- 88 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 22.4°C
- 2 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 5.6°C
- 0 frost days ≤ 0°C
Elevation is the ground at the suburb centre, from Geoscience Australia's National Digital Elevation Model. Approximate — it reads high in dense built-up areas. It is a measure of height above sea level and not an indicator of flood risk, which depends on height above nearby waterways.
Industrial Emissions Nearby
5 facilities within 5 km- 3.4 kmPort and Water Transport Terminal OperationsTop reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Sulfur dioxide · Carbon monoxide
- 3.8 kmSewerage and Drainage ServicesTop reported: Total Nitrogen · Ammonia (total) · Total Phosphorus
- 4.4 kmBeer ManufacturingTop reported: Carbon monoxide · Oxides of Nitrogen · Total Volatile Organic Compounds
- 4.5 kmSewerage and Drainage ServicesTop reported: Total Nitrogen · Ammonia (total) · Total Phosphorus
- 4.9 kmWaste Treatment and Disposal ServicesTop reported: Oxides of Nitrogen · Carbon monoxide · Total Volatile Organic Compounds
EV adoption
In postcode 7005, 258 of 9,859 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 3.5% (345 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 6.1%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 7005, 1,202 rooftop-solar systems totalling 7.5 MW have been installed since 2001, against 5,919 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 117 went up in the last year.
Counts every system certified since 2001, so a roof re-fitted with a newer system is counted twice, and small commercial systems are included alongside houses — useful for comparing postcodes, not an estimate of how many homes have working panels today.
2026 covers part of the year only, to 2026-07.
First Home Owner Grant
FY2026-27$20,000 for new homes.
$20,000 for transactions commencing 1 July 2026 - 30 June 2027. THE AMOUNT MOVES EVERY YEAR AND THE SRO PUBLISHES THE TABLE: $30,000 (FY2025-26), $10,000 (FY2024-25), $30,000 (Apr 2021 - Jun 2024). We held $10,000 until 2026-09-18, which was the FY2024-25 figure — two years stale, and wrong in both directions in between. Nothing is published beyond 30 June 2027, so this is due again then regardless of the 1 July sweep. No purchase-price cap is STATED on the eligibility pages (an absence, not an explicit "no cap"); the Grant Guideline PDF was not read. Eligible new builds include substantially renovated homes and kit homes. Completion within 24 months of the transaction start date, or the grant drops to $10,000. Separate from the grant: the first home buyer duty exemption on ESTABLISHED homes up to $750,000 closed for settlements after 30 June 2026.
Mortgage repayments
11 mortgage brokers are registered in this suburb.
Property transfer duty at the owner-occupier rate, and it excludes first home buyer concessions — those can cut it substantially or remove it entirely. Excludes legal, inspection and lender fees. Check with State Revenue Office of Tasmania
A deposit under 20% usually attracts Lenders Mortgage Insurance, which this doesn't include.
Principal and interest over 30 years, fixed rate. Excludes fees, offset, redraw and LMI. Default rate is the median comparison rate across 1788 advertised products as at 2026-10-26 — indicative only, and not an offer. Your rate depends on the lender, your deposit and your circumstances. Not financial advice.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Andrew Wilkie Independent
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Andrew Wilkie | 70.9% | 29.1% | +3.6 |
| 2022 | Andrew Wilkie | 67.2% | 32.8% | -1.1 |
| 2019 | Andrew Wilkie | 66.2% | 33.8% | -0.8 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact suburb's voters across time.
State Electorate
Elected at the 2025 election:
- Kristie Johnston Independent
- Vica Bayley Tasmanian Greens
- Ella Haddad Australian Labor Party
- Josh Willie Australian Labor Party
- Helen Burnet Tasmanian Greens
- Marcus Vermey Liberal Party
- Madeleine Ogilvie Liberal Party
| Year | Seats won |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 2 Tasmanian Greens · 2 Australian Labor Party · 2 Liberal Party · 1 Independent |
| 2024 | 2 Australian Labor Party · 2 Tasmanian Greens · 2 Liberal Party · 1 Independent |
A vacancy here is filled by a recount of the original votes, not a by-election, so a member listed may since have been replaced. Results: Tasmanian Electoral Commission.
Looking at a specific address in Sandy Bay?
Every figure above is a suburb average, and an average smooths over the difference between a street of family homes and a block of flats. Look up one address and you get the census for the few hundred people around it, its own nearest schools and stops, and what the state has mapped for that block.
- The census for a few hundred neighbours, not all 12,315 residents
- Nearest and zoned schools, with the walk from that door
- Flood, bushfire and noise mapping, where the state publishes it
Free to look up. Subscribers see every section in full — $29/month.
Featured in
- #1 in Best Hobart suburbs for good public primary schools
- #1 in Hobart suburbs where the most Greek is spoken at home
- #1 in Hobart suburbs with the largest Jewish community
- #2 in Hobart suburbs where the most Arabic is spoken at home
- #2 in Hobart suburbs where the most Cantonese is spoken at home
- #2 in Where the Chinese community lives in Hobart
- #2 in Hobart suburbs where the most Korean is spoken at home
- #2 in Hobart suburbs where the most Mandarin is spoken at home
- #2 in Hobart's most educated suburbs
- #3 in Best Hobart suburbs for good private high schools
- #3 in Hobart suburbs where 2-bedroom unit rents rose most
- #3 in Where the South African community lives in Hobart
- #3 in Hobart suburbs that suit young professionals
- #4 in Best Hobart suburbs for good private primary schools
- #4 in Hobart suburbs where 3-bedroom house rents rose most
- #4 in Hobart suburbs where the most Vietnamese is spoken at home
- #6 in Hobart's highest-income suburbs
- #7 in Best Hobart suburbs to rent in
- #7 in Hobart suburbs where the most people cycle to work
- #7 in Hobart suburbs with the highest EV adoption today
- #7 in Hobart suburbs where the most homes are owned outright
- #7 in Hobart suburbs with the best public transport
- #8 in Hobart suburbs with the most apartments
- #9 in Hobart suburbs where seniors live
- #10 in The most liveable suburbs in Hobart
- #13 in The best beachside suburbs in Hobart
- #13 in Most walkable suburbs in Hobart
- #14 in Hobart suburbs with the biggest house blocks
- #15 in Hobart suburbs with the fastest EV adoption growth
- #15 in Sportiest Hobart suburbs
Nearby suburbs
South Hobart TAS 7004
Hobart TAS 7000
Taroona TAS 7053
Mount Nelson TAS 7007
Battery Point TAS 7004
Dynnyrne TAS 7005
Compare Sandy Bay to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other TAS suburb — type a name and pick one.
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Common questions about Sandy Bay
Is Sandy Bay a safe place to live?
TAS does not publish suburb-level crime statistics, so there is no crime figure for Sandy Bay.
What natural hazards affect Sandy Bay?
Sandy Bay has a high recorded bushfire history (97/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Sandy Bay a good place to live?
Sandy Bay has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of A (67/100), ranked against other TAS suburbs on school quality (25%), safety (25%), SEIFA socio-economic advantage (25%), walkability (15%) and CBD access (10%). Whether it suits you depends on what you weigh — each of those is on this page.
What is the population of Sandy Bay?
Sandy Bay, TAS had a population of 12,315 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Sandy Bay, TAS?
The postcode for Sandy Bay, TAS is 7005.
How far is Sandy Bay from Hobart?
Sandy Bay is 5 km from Hobart CBD by road, about 12 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Sandy Bay?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Sandy Bay was $99,580 a year. It is the most recent suburb-level income figure until 2026 Census results are released in 2027.
What is the median weekly rent in Sandy Bay?
The median advertised rent in Sandy Bay is $680 a week for houses (53 listings) and $500 a week for units (40 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Sandy Bay?
The median age of residents in Sandy Bay was 39 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Sandy Bay at risk of bushfire?
Sandy Bay has a high recorded bushfire history (97/100). The score comes from Geoscience Australia's historical bushfire boundaries, with planned burns excluded: the area of recorded fires touching the suburb relative to its size, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history. It records where fire has burned, not a bushfire-prone land designation, which your council's planning scheme sets.
How are the schools in Sandy Bay?
There are 6 schools inside the Sandy Bay boundary: 2 above and 1 at similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Sandy Bay walkable?
Sandy Bay scores 72/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it very walkable. The score is a weighted average of public transport, schools, parks, supermarkets, GPs, pharmacies, childcare, and hospitals within walking distance.
What is the weather like in Sandy Bay?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Sandy Bay, Hobart (Ellerslie Road) (2.7 km away), summer days average 22.4°C, winter nights 5.6°C, 559 mm of rain a year over 88 rainy days, and 2 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Sandy Bay?
First-home buyers in TAS may be eligible for $20,000 towards new homes. The grant is administered by State Revenue Office of Tasmania; confirm current eligibility before signing a contract — state rules and amounts can change.
What council does Sandy Bay belong to?
Sandy Bay sits within the Hobart local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Sandy Bay?
The average residential rates bill through Hobart is $2,818 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Sandy Bay?
Across Hobart, 163 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's down 75.6% on the same period a year earlier. These are LGA-level totals — every suburb in the council shares the same figure.
Which federal electorate is Sandy Bay in?
Sandy Bay sits within the federal Division of Clark, currently held by Andrew Wilkie (Independent).
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Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Median sale prices · Oct 2026
- For-sale & rental market · Oct 2026
- Council rates · FY 2024–25
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- Public transport · Oct 2026
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Road crashes · 2021–2025
- Climate · 2006–2026
- Socio-economic (SEIFA) · 2021
- EV adoption · Jan 2025
- First Home Owner Grant · Sep 2026
- Federal electorate · 2025
- Short-stay rentals · Jun 2026
- State electorate · 2025
- Amenities · Sep 2026
- Health & emergency facilities · Sep 2026
- Industrial emissions (NPI) · 2024/2025
- Coastal erosion · 1988–2025
- Aircraft noise · 2024
Vintages show when each source's data is from. See all data sources.
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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.