Urban Centre · Area profile
New Norfolk
11 km²
Much lower typical incomes and a higher unemployment rate set New Norfolk apart from the rest of the state. The town has grown by 22% since 2011, bringing its population to 6,153. It is a community with a strong Indigenous presence and a high number of one-parent families. While many residents face financial and health challenges, the town is very walkable with most homes close to parks and shops.
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The typical resident is 40, making the area a little younger than the state average. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 6.8% of the population, which is well above the national figure. There has also been a significant rise in people in de facto relationships, now at 16.9%.
New Norfolk is predominantly Australian-born, with 86.1% born here. This results in a much lower proportion of overseas-born residents (6.7%) compared to the national average of 27.7%. English, Australian, and Irish are the most common ancestries.
English is the main language for 91.2% of the community. Only 2.4% of people use another language at home, which is far below the national figure of 22.3%. Very few residents speak little or no English.
Nearly half of the population (49.6%) report no religion, a figure that has risen 23 points since 2011. This is well above the national average of 38.9%. Christianity is the next most common affiliation at 41.2%.
The area has much lower levels of formal qualifications than most other areas. Only 7.7% of adults have a bachelor degree or higher, far below the national figure of 26.3%. The most common highest qualification is a Certificate III or IV.
Incomes are well below the national and state averages. The typical household earns $1,117 a week, and only 6.6% of households earn $3,000 or more weekly, which is far below the national figure of 22.6%.
Residents face higher health challenges than most, with 37.3% living with a long-term condition. This includes a high rate of mental health conditions (14.0%) and 9.7% of people needing help with daily activities.
Volunteering is much lower here than in other areas, falling to 11.5% since 2011. However, about 13.3% of people provide some form of unpaid care, which is roughly the same as the state average.
The community has a much higher rate of one-parent families than most areas, at 24.3%. Around 30.1% of people live alone, while 45% of households consist of couples with children.
Detached houses are very common, making up 90.9% of homes. Renting is more common here than in the rest of Tasmania, and far fewer people own their homes outright compared to the state average.
Most people drive to work, though 8.4% of homes have no motor vehicle, which is higher than most areas. Only 4.4% of people work from home, far below the national figure of 21%.
The town sees a lower level of migration from overseas, with recent arrivals at 6.0%, well below the national average. About 36.2% of residents moved house in the last five years.
The unemployment rate is 8.2%, which is well above the national figure of 5.1%. Many people work in health care and social assistance, construction, or retail.
New Norfolk is very walkable, with a score of 6.1. Most homes are within a 15-minute walk of parks, schools, and groceries, far exceeding the state average for accessibility.