Glenorchy (Tas.), TAS
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Glenorchy is a suburb in the northern reaches of Hobart and the seat of the City of Glenorchy, set between the River Derwent and the slopes of Mount Wellington. Its name comes from Glen Orchy in Scotland, said to mean the 'glen of tumbling waters'. Settlement began early in the 1800s, and through the nineteenth century the district was orchard and farming country; it became a municipality in 1864 and a city a century later in 1964, filling out quickly after the Second World War as returning servicemen took up homes in the northern suburbs. Today Glenorchy is one of Tasmania's busiest shopping centres after central Hobart, taking in the Elwick Racecourse — home of the Hobart Cup — and the Hobart Showground, along with the riverside Glenorchy Art and Sculpture Park.
Among Australia's less advantaged suburbs
Glenorchy (Tas.) is more socio-economically advantaged than about 8% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 880, 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.
Glenorchy (Tas.) at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 12,013
- Median age
- 35
- Median weekly household income
- $1,143
- SEIFA score
- 880
- Coordinates
- -42.8441, 147.2559
Glenorchy (Tas.) demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Glenorchy (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 young adults (25–44) at 34%, 44% of homes are rented, and 29% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 1,835 | 15% |
| Youth (15–24) | 1,325 | 11% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 4,094 | 34% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 2,530 | 21% |
| Seniors (65+) | 2,227 | 19% |
Share of the 12,011 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 1,247 | 26% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 1,292 | 27% |
| Rented | 2,114 | 44% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 3,777 | 78% |
| Townhouses & semis | 288 | 6% |
| Flats & apartments | 742 | 15% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 4,842 occupied private dwellings in Glenorchy (Tas.).
- Median weekly rent
- $320
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,300
- Average household size
- 2.3 people
- Median weekly family income
- $1,436
- Median weekly personal income
- $616
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 3,333 (29%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 3,080 (27%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 727 (6%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 4,873 (49%)
- Labour-force participation
- 57%
- Unemployment rate
- 8.8%
- Employed full-time
- 2,737
- Employed part-time
- 2,242
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.
Weather and climate in Glenorchy (Tas.)
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Glenorchy (Tas.) is January (average daytime high around 23.6°C) and the coolest is July (around 11.7°C). The area receives roughly 642 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 23.6°C | 12.5°C | 51 mm |
| Feb | 22.5°C | 11.8°C | 42 mm |
| Mar | 20.8°C | 10.5°C | 53 mm |
| Apr | 17.6°C | 8.3°C | 36 mm |
| May | 14.2°C | 5.9°C | 55 mm |
| Jun | 12.1°C | 4.3°C | 55 mm |
| Jul | 11.7°C | 3.7°C | 42 mm |
| Aug | 12.6°C | 3.6°C | 56 mm |
| Sep | 14.9°C | 5.1°C | 50 mm |
| Oct | 17°C | 6.9°C | 77 mm |
| Nov | 19.1°C | 9°C | 62 mm |
| Dec | 21.4°C | 10.6°C | 63 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Glenorchy (Tas.)
Where is Glenorchy (Tas.)?
Glenorchy (Tas.) is a suburb of Tasmania, Australia.
What is the population of Glenorchy (Tas.)?
At the 2021 Census, Glenorchy (Tas.) had a population of about 12,013.
Is Glenorchy (Tas.) an advantaged area?
Glenorchy (Tas.) has an ABS SEIFA score of 880, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 8 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 8% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Glenorchy (Tas.)?
Glenorchy (Tas.) has average daytime highs of about 17.3°C and overnight lows of about 7.7°C, with roughly 642 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
How big is Glenorchy (Tas.)?
Glenorchy (Tas.) is one of the most populous suburbs in Tasmania — the 4th-largest by usual resident population at the 2021 Census (about 12,013 usual residents).
Where Glenorchy (Tas.) ranks
Glenorchy (Tas.) appears in these data-driven guides — each a transparent sort on a single ABS figure shown on this page.
- Largest suburbs in Tasmania#4 of 25
Nearby suburbs in Tasmania
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Other hand-written, cited guides — browse all guides.