Risdon Vale

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 12.2% of the population, which is well above the Tasmanian figure of 5.4%. The community is younger than most, with a typical age of 35 and a higher than usual proportion of people in de facto relationships.

Most residents were born in Australia, and those born overseas make up only 7.6% of the population, which is far below the national figure of 27.7%. English and Australian are the most common ancestries.

English is the dominant language, with only 3.8% of people using another language at home, a figure far below the Australian average of 22.3%.

Nearly half of residents (46.0%) report having no religion, which is well above the national figure of 38.9%. This trend has grown significantly, rising 22 points since 2011.

Educational qualifications are much lower than typical, with only 8.2% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. However, Year 12 completion has risen 15 points since 2011 to reach 34.6%.

Typical weekly household incomes are $1,104, which is well below the national figure of $1,746. Only 5.1% of households earn $3,000 or more a week, among the lowest across similar areas.

Health challenges are more common here, with 13.1% of people living with a mental health condition, which is well above the national figure of 8.8%. Daily activity needs are also higher than most areas at 7.8%.

Volunteer rates are very low at 8.1%, well below the Tasmanian figure of 18.0%. Notably, 4.1% of residents have served in the Defence Force, which is higher than most areas.

The First Nations community is a significant part of the area, though they face challenges with a typical personal income of $489, which is lower than the state and national figures.

One-parent families make up 27.4% of the community, far above the national figure of 14.1%. About 29.1% of people live alone.

Most people live in separate houses (93.0%), and 30.7% of households rent. Typical weekly rent is $320, which is a little above the state average.

While many rely on cars, the area has a high number of public transport stops per person. However, 8.7% of homes have no motor vehicle, which is higher than most areas.

The community is relatively stable, with 28.3% of people moving in the last five years, which is far below the national figure of 40.7%.

Only 41.7% of adults are working or looking for work, which is far below the national figure of 61.1%. The unemployment rate is 7.5%, a little above the national average.

Risdon Vale is ranked among the most disadvantaged areas for access to resources and job skills. Despite this, the population has grown by 6.8% since 2021, well above the state average.

The area is drier than most of the state, with average annual rainfall of 598mm, well below the Tasmanian figure of 805mm.

The neighbourhood is very walkable, with 95.1% of homes within a 15-minute walk of a park and 69.9% near health services, far above the state average.