Burnie - Somerset property market: the official numbers
What the census actually says about Burnie - Somerset, TAS — who lives there, what they pay, and what they do for work. Every figure below is ABS Census 2021 data, linked at the bottom so you can check it yourself.
The straight answer
Median rent in Burnie - Somerset was $240 a week at the 2021 Census — 36% below the national median. The typical rent ($1,040/mo) sat right up against the typical repayment ($1,131/mo). Cashflow territory.
Burnie - Somerset by the numbers
The typical repayment ran at about 23% of the median household income. These are point-in-time medians from August 2021. Rents and repayments have moved since — repayments especially, after the 2022–24 rate rises — so compare places with them; don't price today with them.
Renting vs paying a mortgage
At the census, the typical monthly rent worked out to $1,040 against a typical mortgage repayment of $1,131:
How to read the rent-repayment gap
The mortgage figure reflects loans and rates as at August 2021, before the 2022–24 rate rises — today's repayment on a new loan would be higher. The rent figure is what tenants were actually paying, not today's asking rents. The useful signal is the shape: where rent and repayments sit close together, buying has historically competed well with renting here; where repayments tower over rent, the market prices in growth. Run your own numbers with the mortgage vs invest tool or what can I afford?
How Burnie - Somerset houses itself
Renters are 31.9% of Burnie - Somerset households. If you're buying to let, that's the depth of your market — about the national norm.
Who lives here
What the age mix means for housing
A heavy 25–44 band usually means family housing demand (and pressure on 3–4 bedroom stock); a heavy 65+ band signals downsizer and retiree demand (units, single-level living, proximity to health care). Burnie - Somerset's median age of 43 sits above the national median of 38.
What keeps Burnie - Somerset employed
19.2% of Burnie - Somerset's 11,597 workers are in health care & social assistance. That's the engine under local housing demand — worth knowing how it's running before you buy.
The upfront costs in TAS
Current sale prices live behind licensed feeds we won't republish. The costs of buying don't — they're public and exact:
- Stamp duty in Tasmania — exact duty and first-home-buyer concessions.
- What can I afford? — borrowing power, price range and all-in upfront cash.
- The official TAS price trend — ABS state-level values since 2011, interactive.
Common questions
What is the median rent in Burnie - Somerset?
At the 2021 Census the median rent in Burnie - Somerset was $240 a week — 36% below the national median ($375/wk). Rents have moved since 2021; check current listings for today's asking rents.
How many people live in Burnie - Somerset?
27,826 people at the 2021 Census, with a median age of 43 (national median: 38). Burnie - Somerset is one of Tasmania's significant urban areas as defined by the ABS.
What do people in Burnie - Somerset do for work?
The biggest employing industry is health care & social assistance, followed by retail trade (ABS Census 2021). The industry mix shapes how resilient local housing demand is.
So, who buys here?
Your call
This is a cashflow shape — $1,040 a month in rent against a $1,131 repayment at the census. That suits a buyer who wants the rent to carry the loan, not one chasing a blue-chip postcode. One employer story dominates — health care & social assistance is 19.2% of local jobs. When it hires, housing tightens; when it stops, you'll feel it.
Everything above is August 2021 — before you act, pull current asking rents, vacancy and listing volumes for Burnie - Somerset. Then run your own numbers: what can I afford? for borrowing power and upfront cash, and the Tasmania stamp duty calculator for the tax bill.
Other TAS markets
Hobart · Launceston · Devonport · Ulverstone
All cities & hubs: the full directory.
General information only — not financial or property advice. All figures are ABS Census 2021 ( official QuickStats for Burnie - Somerset, CC-BY 4.0), which predates the 2022–24 rate rises; conditions have moved since. Last reviewed 10 July 2026.