Franklin (Tas.), TAS
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Franklin sits on the western bank of the Huon River in southern Tasmania, about 45 kilometres south-west of Hobart, and is often called the oldest town in the Huon Valley. It lies on the country of the Mellukerdee people, who lived along the river and through the surrounding hinterland. The town takes its name from Lady Jane Franklin, who bought land here in 1838 while her husband, Sir John Franklin, was Lieutenant-Governor of the colony. Apples, timber and river trade with Hobart built the town in the nineteenth century. Today it is known above all for wooden boats, with the riverside Wooden Boat Centre teaching the old craft and rowing crews still training on the calm reaches of the Huon.
Less advantaged than the national average
Franklin (Tas.) is more socio-economically advantaged than about 28% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 947, where about 1000 is the national average).
A socio-economic measure from ABS Census data — not a measure of how good a suburb is to live in or visit. How we calculate this.
Franklin (Tas.) at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 1,301
- Median age
- 52
- Median weekly household income
- $1,205
- SEIFA score
- 947
- Coordinates
- -43.0869, 146.9828
Franklin (Tas.) demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Franklin (Tas.) using the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census; every percentage is a share of a clearly stated Census count, so each one traces back to the source. At a glance, the largest age group is seniors (65+) at 30%, 16% of homes are rented, and 19% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 173 | 13% |
| Youth (15–24) | 108 | 8% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 251 | 19% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 383 | 29% |
| Seniors (65+) | 385 | 30% |
Share of the 1,300 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 211 | 48% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 140 | 32% |
| Rented | 72 | 16% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 410 | 94% |
| Townhouses & semis | 3 | 1% |
| Flats & apartments | 5 | 1% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 437 occupied private dwellings in Franklin (Tas.).
- Median weekly rent
- $315
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,300
- Average household size
- 2.4 people
- Median weekly family income
- $1,453
- Median weekly personal income
- $522
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 221 (19%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 65 (6%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 92 (7%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 482 (44%)
- Labour-force participation
- 46.2%
- Unemployment rate
- 5.9%
- Employed full-time
- 240
- Employed part-time
- 221
Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2021 (General Community Profile, by Suburb and Locality). © Australian Bureau of Statistics, released under CC BY 4.0. How we group bands and derive each share is set out on our methodology page.
Common questions about Franklin (Tas.)
Where is Franklin (Tas.)?
Franklin (Tas.) is a suburb of Tasmania, Australia.
What is the population of Franklin (Tas.)?
At the 2021 Census, Franklin (Tas.) had a population of about 1,301.
Is Franklin (Tas.) an advantaged area?
Franklin (Tas.) has an ABS SEIFA score of 947, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 28 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 28% of Australian suburbs.
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