Urban Centre · Area profile
Dover
4 km²
Far south in the Huon Valley, Dover is a small, aging settlement with a strong Indigenous presence. It is a predominantly older community, where the typical resident is 57 and more than a third of the population are seniors. The area has seen a significant shift since 2011, with the total population shrinking by 37% to 521 people. This transition is reflected in a move toward smaller households and a workforce heavily tied to the land and primary industries.
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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people make up 13.8% of the population, a figure that rose 13 points since 2011 and is far above the national average. The community is much older than most areas, with 36.3% of residents aged 65 and over.
English and Australian are the most common ancestries, though the proportion of people born overseas fell 11 points since 2011 to 15.4%.
English is the primary language for 86.9% of residents, and unlike many other areas, no one in the community speaks little or no English.
Half of the population (49.7%) report having no religion, a figure that rose 28 points since 2011 and is far above the national average.
Education levels are lower than the state and national figures, with only 35.4% of residents completing Year 12 and 15.5% holding a bachelor degree or higher.
Typical incomes are much lower than the national figure, with the typical household earning $919 a week and the typical personal weekly income falling to $489 since 2011.
Health challenges are more common here than in most areas, with 37.4% of people living with a long-term health condition and 8.3% needing help with daily activities.
A notable 5.4% of residents have served in the Defence Force, which is much higher than most areas. However, volunteering fell nearly 9 points since 2011 to 15.5%.
Homes are smaller than usual, with just 2.0 people per household. This is consistent with a rise in people living alone, who now make up 34.6% of the community.
Home ownership is very high, with 48.2% of homes owned outright, far above the national figure of 31.0%. Most people live in separate houses, though the number of homes with three or more bedrooms fell 15 points since 2011.
The area is highly dependent on cars, with 0.0% of people using public transport to get to work. Conversely, 13.1% of the workforce now works from home, a significant increase since 2011.
About 35% of the population moved in the last five years, and recent overseas arrivals rose slightly to 5.0%.
The local economy is rooted in the land, with 41.3% of workers in agriculture, forestry and fishing. Only 47.2% of adults are working or looking for work, which is far below the national average.
The community is mostly car-dependent with a walkability score of 3.9. While most homes are within a 15-minute walk of a park or health service, very few are near public transport.