Launceston, TAS
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Launceston sits in northern Tasmania where the North and South Esk rivers meet to form the Tamar. The area was the country of the Letteremairrener people, part of the Aboriginal nations of the northern midlands, long before Europeans settled here in 1806 — making Launceston one of Australia's oldest cities. That early start shows in its unusually intact streetscapes of Victorian and Georgian buildings. Its best-loved feature is the Cataract Gorge, a dramatic river gorge with parkland, walking tracks and a chairlift right at the edge of the city. Launceston is also the gateway to the Tamar Valley wine region, and takes its name from Launceston in Cornwall.
More advantaged than the national average
Launceston is more socio-economically advantaged than about 62% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 1008, 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.
Launceston at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 3,110
- Median age
- 41
- Median weekly household income
- $1,439
- SEIFA score
- 1008
- Coordinates
- -41.4335, 147.1397
Launceston demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Launceston 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 33%, 52% of homes are rented, and 27% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 270 | 9% |
| Youth (15–24) | 393 | 13% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 1,019 | 33% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 834 | 27% |
| Seniors (65+) | 599 | 19% |
Share of the 3,115 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 415 | 30% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 223 | 16% |
| Rented | 706 | 52% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 519 | 38% |
| Townhouses & semis | 451 | 33% |
| Flats & apartments | 333 | 24% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 1,361 occupied private dwellings in Launceston.
- Median weekly rent
- $310
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,530
- Average household size
- 2 people
- Median weekly family income
- $2,035
- Median weekly personal income
- $871
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 795 (27%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 549 (19%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 73 (2%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 1,781 (65%)
- Labour-force participation
- 64.1%
- Unemployment rate
- 6.8%
- Employed full-time
- 976
- Employed part-time
- 619
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 Launceston
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Launceston is January (average daytime high around 24.2°C) and the coolest is July (around 11.2°C). The area receives roughly 787 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 24.2°C | 12.6°C | 59 mm |
| Feb | 22.9°C | 12°C | 52 mm |
| Mar | 21°C | 10.8°C | 64 mm |
| Apr | 17.4°C | 8.1°C | 54 mm |
| May | 13.8°C | 6°C | 73 mm |
| Jun | 11.7°C | 4.3°C | 71 mm |
| Jul | 11.2°C | 3.8°C | 89 mm |
| Aug | 12°C | 3.6°C | 66 mm |
| Sep | 14.3°C | 5°C | 60 mm |
| Oct | 16.6°C | 6.6°C | 80 mm |
| Nov | 19.2°C | 8.7°C | 55 mm |
| Dec | 21.8°C | 10.6°C | 64 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Launceston
Where is Launceston?
Launceston is a suburb of Tasmania, Australia.
What is the population of Launceston?
At the 2021 Census, Launceston had a population of about 3,110.
Is Launceston an advantaged area?
Launceston has an ABS SEIFA score of 1008, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 62 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 62% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Launceston?
Launceston has average daytime highs of about 17.2°C and overnight lows of about 7.7°C, with roughly 787 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
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