# Dorset vs George Town — 2021 Census comparison

Council (LGA) comparison · about 55 km apart

George Town and Dorset are two Tasmanian areas with similar population sizes, though they differ in their local services and social makeup. Dorset has far more schools per child, far more public transport stops, and more walkable amenities. George Town has more homes within a 15 minute walk of a park and far more weekly public transport departures. George Town also has a higher share of renters (27.2% compared to 19.7% in Dorset) and a higher rate of one-parent families (19.2% compared to 13.8%).

Since 2011, the two areas have seen some gaps shift, such as the rise in the share of separate houses in Dorset and more people working from home there. Despite these changes, they remain alike in many ways. Both have similar typical weekly household incomes, around $1,000, and shares of children and seniors that are nearly identical. Both areas also have a much higher share of people with no religion than the national figure.

## Where they differ most

- No car: 2.8 pts higher in George Town
- One-parent: 5.4 pts higher in George Town
- Separate houses: 5.9 pts higher in Dorset
- Renting: 7.5 pts higher in George Town
- Unpaid carers: 1.7 pts higher in George Town

## Demographics & Identity

| Statistic | Dorset | George Town | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Population | 6,829 | 7,033 | 204 larger in George Town | gap steady |
| Median age | 48 yrs | 49 yrs | 1 yrs older in George Town | gap narrowing |
| First Nations | 4.1% | 5.2% | 1.1 pts higher in George Town | gap steady |
| Aged 65+ | 25.7% | 25.4% | 0.2 pts higher in Dorset | gap narrowing |
| Under 15 | 16.2% | 16.0% | 0.3 pts higher in Dorset | gap narrowing |
| De facto | 13.9% | 12.2% | 1.7 pts higher in Dorset | gap steady |

### Age structure

| Category | Dorset % | George Town % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Older adults (45–64) | 28.7% | 28.5% | +0.2 |
| Seniors (65+) | 25.7% | 25.4% | +0.2 |
| Young adults (25–44) | 20.1% | 19.9% | +0.1 |
| Children (0–14) | 16.2% | 16.0% | +0.3 |
| Youth (15–24) | 9.4% | 10.0% | -0.5 |

### Marital status

| Category | Dorset % | George Town % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Married | 46.6% | 45.3% | +1.3 |
| Never married | 31.7% | 32.8% | -1.1 |
| Divorced | 10.6% | 10.7% | -0.1 |
| Widowed | 7.9% | 6.9% | +1.1 |
| Separated | 3.1% | 4.1% | -1.0 |

### Age profile

Share of each region's population by age band and sex.

| Age band | Dorset male | Dorset female | George Town male | George Town female |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 0–4 | 2.5% | 2.1% | 2.6% | 2.1% |
| 5–9 | 2.5% | 2.4% | 2.6% | 2.5% |
| 10–14 | 3.5% | 3.4% | 3.1% | 3.1% |
| 15–19 | 2.7% | 2.3% | 3.0% | 2.6% |
| 20–24 | 2.3% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 2.2% |
| 25–29 | 2.8% | 2.6% | 2.7% | 2.6% |
| 30–34 | 2.6% | 2.3% | 2.1% | 2.6% |
| 35–39 | 2.4% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 2.8% |
| 40–44 | 2.4% | 2.2% | 2.6% | 2.3% |
| 45–49 | 2.6% | 2.8% | 2.4% | 3.0% |
| 50–54 | 3.1% | 3.4% | 3.4% | 3.6% |
| 55–59 | 3.7% | 4.1% | 4.3% | 3.8% |
| 60–64 | 4.2% | 4.8% | 4.2% | 4.0% |
| 65–69 | 4.1% | 3.7% | 4.3% | 4.2% |
| 70–74 | 3.6% | 3.3% | 3.7% | 3.4% |
| 75–79 | 2.2% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 2.4% |
| 80–84 | 1.4% | 1.9% | 1.5% | 1.3% |
| 85+ | 1.2% | 1.9% | 1.1% | 1.2% |

## Ancestry & Birthplace

| Statistic | Dorset | George Town | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Born overseas | 8.9% | 11.5% | 2.6 pts higher in George Town | gap steady |

### Country of birth

| Category | Dorset % | George Town % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Australia | 82.7% | 81.3% | +1.4 |
| England | 2.7% | 4.3% | -1.6 |
| New Zealand | 1.3% | 1.4% | -0.1 |
| Nepal | 0.2% | 0.4% | -0.2 |
| India | 0.2% | 0.3% | 0.0 |
| South Africa | 0.2% | 0.2% | -0.1 |
| Philippines | 0.2% | 0.2% | +0.0 |
| China | 0.2% | 0.1% | +0.1 |
| Italy | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.0 |
| Vietnam | 0.1% | 0.1% | +0.0 |

### Ancestry

| Category | Dorset % | George Town % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| English | 45.7% | 46.1% | -0.5 |
| Australian | 45.5% | 43.8% | +1.7 |
| Scottish | 9.1% | 9.9% | -0.8 |
| Irish | 8.6% | 9.6% | -1.1 |
| German | 3.4% | 3.5% | -0.1 |
| Dutch | 1.3% | 1.7% | -0.4 |
| Italian | 1.0% | 1.5% | -0.6 |
| Chinese | 0.4% | 0.6% | -0.1 |
| Filipino | 0.3% | 0.5% | -0.1 |
| Indian | 0.1% | 0.3% | -0.1 |
| Greek | 0.2% | 0.1% | +0.0 |
| Vietnamese | 0.1% | 0.0% | +0.1 |

## Language

| Statistic | Dorset | George Town | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Other language | 2.3% | 2.5% | 0.2 pts higher in George Town | gap steady |
| Limited English | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.0 pts higher in George Town | gap steady |

### Language used at home

| Category | Dorset % | George Town % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| English only | 90.6% | 91.4% | -0.8 |
| Mandarin | 0.2% | 0.1% | +0.1 |
| Italian | 0.0% | 0.1% | -0.1 |
| Punjabi | 0.1% | 0.1% | +0.0 |
| Tagalog | 0.1% | 0.0% | +0.1 |
| Vietnamese | 0.1% | 0.0% | +0.1 |
| Hindi | 0.0% | 0.1% | -0.1 |
| Cantonese | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0 |
| Greek | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0 |
| Arabic | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |

## Religion

| Statistic | Dorset | George Town | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| No religion | 47.3% | 50.8% | 3.5 pts higher in George Town | gap steady |

### Religious affiliation

| Category | Dorset % | George Town % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| No religion | 47.3% | 50.8% | -3.5 |
| Christianity | 41.4% | 39.7% | +1.6 |
| Not stated | 9.9% | 8.0% | +1.9 |
| Islam | 0.5% | 0.2% | +0.3 |
| Other religions | 0.5% | 0.4% | +0.1 |
| Buddhism | 0.4% | 0.4% | +0.0 |
| Hinduism | 0.2% | 0.4% | -0.1 |
| Judaism | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |

## Education & Qualifications

| Statistic | Dorset | George Town | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Year 12 | 29.6% | 32.5% | 2.9 pts higher in George Town | gap steady |
| Bachelor+ | 10.3% | 9.8% | 0.5 pts higher in Dorset | gap steady |
| Schools | 5 | 3 | 2 more in Dorset |  |
| Schools/1k kids | 4.51 | 2.67 | 1.84 more in Dorset |  |
| Students | 859 | 765 | 94 more in Dorset |  |
| Avg size | 172 | 255 | 83 larger in George Town |  |
| ICSEA | 921 | 893 | 28 higher in Dorset |  |

### Highest year of school

| Category | Dorset % | George Town % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Year 10 | 39.6% | 37.2% | +2.4 |
| Year 12 | 29.6% | 32.5% | -2.9 |
| Year 9 or below | 13.4% | 13.3% | +0.0 |
| Year 11 | 7.8% | 8.8% | -1.0 |

### Highest qualification level

| Category | Dorset % | George Town % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Certificate III / IV | 38.8% | 41.2% | -2.4 |
| Bachelor degree | 14.5% | 13.7% | +0.8 |
| Advanced diploma / diploma | 11.9% | 12.6% | -0.8 |
| Certificate I / II | 4.3% | 4.0% | +0.3 |
| Postgraduate degree | 3.2% | 3.5% | -0.3 |
| Graduate diploma / certificate | 2.1% | 1.9% | +0.2 |

### Field of qualification

| Category | Dorset % | George Town % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Engineering & related | 16.3% | 18.6% | -2.3 |
| Management & commerce | 11.9% | 12.2% | -0.3 |
| Society & culture | 8.5% | 11.1% | -2.6 |
| Health | 8.5% | 9.2% | -0.7 |
| Agriculture & environment | 8.3% | 2.8% | +5.5 |
| Education | 7.9% | 8.1% | -0.2 |
| Food, hospitality & personal services | 6.1% | 7.3% | -1.1 |
| Architecture & building | 5.2% | 5.9% | -0.7 |
| Creative arts | 1.9% | 1.5% | +0.4 |
| Natural & physical sciences | 1.7% | 1.7% | +0.1 |
| Information technology | 1.2% | 1.6% | -0.4 |

## Income

| Statistic | Dorset | George Town | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Personal income | $583 | $519 | $64 higher in Dorset | gap widening |
| Household income | $1,039 | $996 | $43 higher in Dorset | gap narrowing |
| Family income | $1,358 | $1,272 | $86 higher in Dorset | gap widening |
| High earners | 4.1% | 4.9% | 0.8 pts higher in George Town | gap steady |
| High-income homes | 7.9% | 7.5% | 0.3 pts higher in Dorset | gap steady |

### Household income distribution

| Category | Dorset % | George Town % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| $650–$1,499 | 36.1% | 33.7% | +2.5 |
| Under $650 | 25.5% | 28.1% | -2.6 |
| $1,500–$2,999 | 22.4% | 23.3% | -0.9 |
| $3,000–$3,999 | 4.6% | 4.7% | -0.1 |
| $4,000 or more | 3.2% | 2.8% | +0.4 |

### Personal income distribution

| Category | Dorset % | George Town % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Under $650 | 49.4% | 54.6% | -5.1 |
| $650–$1,499 | 30.3% | 26.1% | +4.2 |
| $1,500–$2,999 | 9.8% | 9.9% | -0.2 |
| $3,000 or more | 1.6% | 1.3% | +0.3 |

## Health & Disability

| Statistic | Dorset | George Town | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Health condition | 34.7% | 39.9% | 5.2 pts higher in George Town |  |
| Mental health | 9.8% | 13.2% | 3.3 pts higher in George Town |  |
| Needs assistance | 7.5% | 9.6% | 2.1 pts higher in George Town | gap widening |

### Long-term health conditions reported

| Category | Dorset % | George Town % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Arthritis | 14.4% | 16.8% | -2.4 |
| Mental health | 9.8% | 13.2% | -3.3 |
| Asthma | 9.2% | 11.1% | -1.9 |
| Other condition | 7.6% | 10.6% | -3.0 |
| Diabetes | 5.8% | 7.3% | -1.5 |
| Heart disease | 6.2% | 5.7% | +0.6 |
| Lung condition | 3.5% | 4.5% | -1.0 |
| Cancer | 3.3% | 3.9% | -0.5 |
| Stroke | 1.4% | 1.4% | +0.0 |
| Dementia | 0.8% | 0.9% | -0.1 |

### Number of long-term health conditions

| Category | Dorset % | George Town % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| None | 55.9% | 51.0% | +4.9 |
| One condition | 21.0% | 23.9% | -2.9 |
| Two conditions | 8.9% | 9.7% | -0.8 |
| Three or more | 4.9% | 6.4% | -1.5 |

## Community Participation

| Statistic | Dorset | George Town | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Volunteering | 20.7% | 15.8% | 4.9 pts higher in Dorset | gap steady |
| Unpaid carers | 12.8% | 14.5% | 1.7 pts higher in George Town | gap widening |
| Unpaid child care | 22.9% | 21.0% | 1.9 pts higher in Dorset | gap steady |
| Defence service | 3.9% | 4.9% | 1.1 pts higher in George Town |  |
| Housework 15h+ | 24.6% | 24.9% | 0.4 pts higher in George Town | gap steady |

## First Nations

| Statistic | Dorset | George Town | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| First Nations people | 277 | 366 | 89 larger in George Town |  |
| Median age | 29 yrs | 23 yrs | 6 yrs older in Dorset |  |
| Year 12 | 30.2% | 30.0% | 0.3 pts higher in Dorset |  |
| Unemployment | 7.5% | 15.9% | 8.4 pts higher in George Town |  |
| Median income | $493 | $450 | $43 higher in Dorset |  |
| Household income | $1,044 | $1,132 | $88 higher in George Town |  |
| Indigenous language | 2.5% | 2.5% |  |  |

## Family & Households

| Statistic | Dorset | George Town | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Household size | 2.2 | 2.2 |  | gap narrowing |
| One-parent | 13.8% | 19.2% | 5.4 pts higher in George Town | gap steady |
| Living alone | 31.6% | 31.5% | 0.1 pts higher in Dorset | gap narrowing |

### Family composition

| Category | Dorset % | George Town % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Couples with children | 46.5% | 42.6% | +4.0 |
| Couples without children | 39.1% | 37.5% | +1.6 |
| One-parent families | 13.8% | 19.2% | -5.4 |
| Other families | 0.8% | 0.8% | +0.0 |

### Household size

| Category | Dorset % | George Town % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2 people | 40.9% | 39.9% | +1.1 |
| 1 person | 31.6% | 31.5% | +0.1 |
| 3 people | 10.6% | 12.2% | -1.6 |
| 4 people | 9.8% | 9.5% | +0.2 |
| 5 people | 4.6% | 4.1% | +0.5 |
| 6 or more | 2.6% | 2.5% | +0.1 |

## Housing & Dwellings

| Statistic | Dorset | George Town | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Rent | $220 | $220 |  | gap narrowing |
| Mortgage | $1,083 | $1,083 |  | gap narrowing |
| People / bedroom | 0.70 | 0.70 |  | gap steady |
| Renting | 19.7% | 27.2% | 7.5 pts higher in George Town | gap steady |
| Owned outright | 44.4% | 41.6% | 2.8 pts higher in Dorset | gap narrowing |
| Separate houses | 95.5% | 89.6% | 5.9 pts higher in Dorset | gap widening |
| 3+ bedrooms | 76.1% | 77.1% | 1.0 pts higher in George Town | gap steady |

### How homes are owned or rented

| Category | Dorset % | George Town % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Owned outright | 44.4% | 41.6% | +2.8 |
| Owned with a mortgage | 29.3% | 27.0% | +2.3 |
| Rented | 19.7% | 27.2% | -7.5 |
| Other tenure | 4.0% | 1.9% | +2.1 |
| Not stated | 2.5% | 2.2% | +0.3 |

### Types of homes

| Category | Dorset % | George Town % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Separate house | 95.5% | 89.6% | +5.9 |
| Townhouse / semi-detached | 2.5% | 8.6% | -6.1 |
| Flat or apartment | 0.9% | 0.9% | +0.0 |
| Other dwelling | 0.6% | 0.9% | -0.3 |

### Bedrooms per home

| Category | Dorset % | George Town % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 3 bedrooms | 52.9% | 57.6% | -4.7 |
| 4 bedrooms | 18.4% | 16.5% | +1.9 |
| 2 bedrooms | 16.6% | 16.1% | +0.5 |
| 5 or more | 4.8% | 3.1% | +1.8 |
| 1 bedroom | 4.3% | 3.5% | +0.7 |
| Studio / none | 0.7% | 0.4% | +0.2 |

### Weekly rent distribution

| Category | Dorset % | George Town % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| $200–$349 | 50.8% | 54.7% | -3.9 |
| Under $200 | 34.3% | 35.4% | -1.1 |
| $350–$549 | 7.7% | 5.7% | +2.0 |
| $550–$749 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |
| $750 or more | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |

### Monthly mortgage distribution

| Category | Dorset % | George Town % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Under $1,000 | 41.1% | 42.6% | -1.5 |
| $1,000–$1,799 | 36.7% | 37.9% | -1.2 |
| $1,800–$2,999 | 12.3% | 12.0% | +0.4 |
| $3,000 or more | 4.1% | 3.2% | +0.9 |

## Transport & Vehicles

| Statistic | Dorset | George Town | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| No car | 3.8% | 6.6% | 2.8 pts higher in George Town | gap narrowing |
| Work from home | 10.9% | 7.2% | 3.7 pts higher in Dorset | gap narrowing |
| PT commute | 0.2% | 0.5% | 0.3 pts higher in George Town | gap steady |
| PT stops | 29 | 16 | 13 more in Dorset |  |
| Stops/1k | 4.25 | 2.27 | 1.97 more in Dorset |  |
| Departures/1k | 57.3 | 93.8 | 36.6 more in George Town |  |
| PT routes | 3 | 5 | 2 more in George Town |  |
| Drive to city | — | 155 |  |  |

### How people get to work

| Category | Dorset % | George Town % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Car (driver) | 66.7% | 69.5% | -2.9 |
| Worked at home | 10.9% | 7.2% | +3.7 |
| Walked | 4.9% | 2.9% | +2.1 |
| Car (passenger) | 3.6% | 4.6% | -1.0 |
| Bicycle | 0.3% | 0.6% | -0.4 |
| Bus | 0.2% | 0.5% | -0.3 |
| Train | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0 |

### Motor vehicles per home

| Category | Dorset % | George Town % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 vehicle | 32.4% | 35.5% | -3.0 |
| 2 vehicles | 34.8% | 34.2% | +0.5 |
| 3 vehicles | 16.1% | 14.4% | +1.7 |
| 4 or more | 12.9% | 9.4% | +3.5 |
| No vehicle | 3.8% | 6.6% | -2.8 |

## Migration & Movement

| Statistic | Dorset | George Town | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Recent movers | 30.9% | 32.5% | 1.6 pts higher in George Town | gap widening |
| Recent arrivals | 9.2% | 5.1% | 4.1 pts higher in Dorset | gap widening |

## Jobs & Industry

| Statistic | Dorset | George Town | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Unemployment | 5.0% | 10.0% | 5.0 pts higher in George Town | gap widening |
| Participation | 53.0% | 46.7% | 6.3 pts higher in Dorset | gap widening |
| Full-time | 55.8% | 55.4% | 0.4 pts higher in Dorset | gap steady |

### Industries people work in

| Category | Dorset % | George Town % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Agriculture, forestry & fishing | 25.2% | 4.9% | +20.3 |
| Manufacturing | 8.0% | 18.0% | -10.0 |
| Health care & social assistance | 8.8% | 13.0% | -4.2 |
| Retail trade | 7.1% | 9.0% | -1.9 |
| Education & training | 6.4% | 9.0% | -2.5 |
| Construction | 7.8% | 7.8% | 0.0 |
| Accommodation & food | 7.7% | 7.0% | +0.7 |
| Transport & warehousing | 5.5% | 5.1% | +0.4 |
| Public administration & safety | 4.1% | 4.1% | -0.1 |
| Other services | 3.4% | 3.1% | +0.3 |
| Administrative & support | 2.7% | 2.7% | +0.1 |
| Professional & technical | 2.6% | 2.7% | -0.1 |

### Occupations people work in

| Category | Dorset % | George Town % | Gap (pts) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Managers | 20.4% | 9.9% | +10.5 |
| Labourers | 18.8% | 15.7% | +3.1 |
| Technicians & trades | 13.6% | 16.3% | -2.7 |
| Community & personal service | 10.0% | 13.3% | -3.2 |
| Machinery operators & drivers | 10.3% | 12.4% | -2.1 |
| Professionals | 9.5% | 11.8% | -2.3 |
| Clerical & administrative | 8.5% | 8.9% | -0.4 |
| Sales workers | 6.9% | 8.6% | -1.6 |

## Economy & Advantage

| Statistic | Dorset | George Town | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| IRSAD decile | 2 | 1 | 1 higher in Dorset |  |
| IRSD decile | 3 | 1 | 2 higher in Dorset |  |
| IER decile | 3 | 2 | 1 higher in Dorset |  |
| IEO decile | 2 | 1 | 1 higher in Dorset |  |
| IRSAD score | 900 | 846 | 54 higher in Dorset |  |
| ERP | 7,059 | 7,420 | 361 higher in George Town |  |
| Growth | 1.1% | 3.0% | 1.9 pts higher in George Town |  |
| Businesses | 887 | 371 | 516 higher in Dorset |  |
| Approvals | 28 | 59 | 31 higher in George Town |  |

## Environment & Climate

| Statistic | Dorset | George Town | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Rainfall | 925 | 837 | 88 higher in Dorset |  |
| Max temp | 16.9 | 17.3 | 0.3 higher in George Town |  |
| Min temp | 8.9 | 9.5 | 0.6 higher in George Town |  |

## Walkability

| Statistic | Dorset | George Town | Gap | Trend |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Walk score | 3.1 | 3.0 | 0.2 higher in Dorset |  |
| Types ≤15 min | 3.3 | 3.1 | 0.1 more in Dorset |  |
| 15-min city | 40.1% | 34.2% | 5.9 pts higher in Dorset |  |
| Walk to shops | 43.5% | 39.6% | 3.9 pts higher in Dorset |  |
| Walk to transit | 38.8% | 35.2% | 3.6 pts higher in Dorset |  |
| Walk to school | 34.9% | 41.1% | 6.2 pts higher in George Town |  |
| Walk to a park | 57.0% | 69.9% | 12.8 pts higher in George Town |  |
| Walk to health | 20.3% | 24.9% | 4.6 pts higher in George Town |  |
| Amenities/1k | 28.6 | 12.9 | 15.6 more in Dorset |  |
| Intersections/km² | 1 | 1 |  |  |
| Mean slope | 7.7% | 4.9% | 2.8 pts higher in Dorset |  |

Interactive comparison: https://censusatlas.au/compare/lga/LGA61810/dorset/vs/LGA62210/george-town