Railton, TAS

By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan · Updated 31 May 2026

Railton is a small town in north-west Tasmania, lying about 20 kilometres inland from Devonport and some 58 kilometres west of Launceston. First surveyed in 1853, it grew up around the railway completed in 1885 between Deloraine and Latrobe, and its unusually wide main street was laid out to move droved cattle to the station. Farming, timber and, from 1923, cement-making have shaped the local economy, and a large cement works still operates nearby. Today Railton is best known as the self-styled Town of Topiary, with clipped hedges and figures dotted through its streets and gardens. Close by, the Sykes Sanctuary protects bushland for native birds and wildlife, adding to the town's quiet country appeal.

5/100

Suburb Score

Among Australia's less advantaged suburbs

Railton is more socio-economically advantaged than about 5% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 855, 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.

Railton at a glance

Population (2021): 1,079
Median age: 45
Median weekly household income: $1,091
SEIFA score: 855
Coordinates: -41.3327, 146.4108

Railton demographics (2021 Census)

The figures below profile Railton 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 mid-life (45–64) at 31%, 18% of homes are rented, and 8% of residents were born overseas.

Age profile

Age group	People	Share
Children (0–14)	188	17%
Youth (15–24)	125	11%
Young adults (25–44)	225	21%
Mid-life (45–64)	337	31%
Seniors (65+)	215	20%

Share of the 1,090 people counted by age.

Housing and households

Tenure	Dwellings	Share
Owned outright	178	43%
Owned with a mortgage	149	36%
Rented	74	18%

Dwelling type	Dwellings	Share
Houses	400	99%
Townhouses & semis	0	0%
Flats & apartments	0	0%

Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 403 occupied private dwellings in Railton.

Median weekly rent: $255
Median monthly mortgage: $975
Average household size: 2.5 people
Median weekly family income: $1,339
Median weekly personal income: $539

Community and culture

Born overseas: 82 (8%)
Speaks a language other than English at home: 19 (2%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander: 105 (10%)

Work and education

Completed Year 12: 215 (25%)
Labour-force participation: 49.2%
Unemployment rate: 7.3%
Employed full-time: 223
Employed part-time: 136

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 Railton

Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Railton is January (average daytime high around 23°C) and the coolest is July (around 11.8°C). The area receives roughly 898 mm of rain across the year.

Month	Avg high	Avg low	Rain
Jan	23°C	12.4°C	62 mm
Feb	21.9°C	11.9°C	51 mm
Mar	20.2°C	10.9°C	69 mm
Apr	17.3°C	8.2°C	62 mm
May	14.2°C	6.2°C	86 mm
Jun	12.4°C	4.7°C	85 mm
Jul	11.8°C	4.3°C	108 mm
Aug	12.4°C	3.8°C	84 mm
Sep	14.3°C	5°C	73 mm
Oct	16.4°C	6.7°C	99 mm
Nov	18.6°C	8.8°C	55 mm
Dec	20.8°C	10.4°C	64 mm

Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).

Common questions about Railton

Where is Railton?

Railton is a suburb of Tasmania, Australia.

What is the population of Railton?

At the 2021 Census, Railton had a population of about 1,079.

Is Railton an advantaged area?

Railton has an ABS SEIFA score of 855, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 5 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 5% of Australian suburbs.

What is the weather like in Railton?

Railton has average daytime highs of about 16.9°C and overnight lows of about 7.8°C, with roughly 898 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).