Suburb / Locality · Area profile
New Norfolk
15 km²
Daily life in New Norfolk is centered on a highly walkable town where most residents can reach shops, schools and parks on foot. It is a larger community for the region that stands out for its high proportion of First Nations people and a significant number of one-parent families. While the typical resident is 40, the area has a strong presence of both children and seniors. This is a place where most people are born in Australia and a large majority live in separate houses.
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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 6.9% of the population, which is much higher than most similar areas. The community is also notably diverse in its relationships, with a much higher share of people in de facto partnerships compared to the national figure.
The town is overwhelmingly Australian-born, with 85.5% born here and only 7.2% born overseas. This is far below the national average of 27.7%, and English and Australian are the most common ancestries.
English is the primary language for 90.7% of residents. Only 2.5% of people use another language at home, a figure that is far below the national average.
Over half of the population (50.1%) report having no religion. This is about the same as the Tasmanian average but far above the national figure of 38.9%.
Education levels are much lower than in most areas, with only 8% of adults holding a bachelor degree or higher. Just 32.2% of residents completed Year 12, which is far below the national average of 58.8%.
Incomes are much lower than in most similar areas, with a typical weekly household earning $1,112. This is well below the national figure of $1,746, and only 6.4% of households earn $3,000 or more per week.
Health challenges are common here, as 37.4% of people have a long-term health condition. This is well above the national average, and the area has some of the highest rates of mental health conditions for its level at 14.4%.
While 13.1% of people provide unpaid care, the town has a much lower rate of volunteering (11.5%) than most similar areas. There is also a higher-than-usual proportion of people who have served in the Defence Force.
There are 419 First Nations people in the area, which is among the largest populations at this level. This group faces significant challenges, with an unemployment rate of 17.0% that is well above the national figure.
Family structures are distinctive, with one-parent families (24.5%) being far more common than in the rest of Australia. About 29.9% of people live alone, which is higher than in most similar areas.
The town consists mostly of separate houses (91.0%), though 31% of households rent, which is well above the state average. Typical weekly rents are $290, and typical monthly mortgage payments are $1,127, both of which are lower than national figures.
The town is very accessible, with a short 2-minute walk to the nearest transport stop. While 70.8% of workers drive to work, the area has a much higher proportion of homes with no motor vehicle (8.8%) than most similar areas.
Migration is relatively steady, with 36.2% of people moving in the last five years. Recent arrivals from overseas make up 5.5% of the population, which is well below the national average.
The local workforce is smaller than in most areas, with only 51.8% of adults working or looking for work. The unemployment rate of 8.3% is well above the national average, with many residents working in health care, construction or retail.
The town is very walkable, with 68.6% of homes having a 15-minute-city walkshed. Residents have excellent access to essentials, as 78% can walk to groceries and 97.8% can reach a park within 15 minutes.