Central Coast (Tas.)
Tasmania · West and North West · 22,894 people · 30 suburbs · 3 postcodes
Central Coast (Tas.) at a glance
Map shows the Central Coast (Tas.) LGA boundary in blue with a marker per suburb. Hover for suburb name, click for details.
Marker colour reflects SEIFA IRSAD decile: ● 1-2 (most disadvantaged), ● 3-4, ● 5-6, ● 7-8, ● 9-10 (most advantaged).
Boundary source: ABS ASGS 2021. Map tiles: OpenStreetMap contributors.
Central Coast (Tas.) is a Local Government Area in Tasmania, in the Hobart region. It covers 30 suburbs across 3 postcodes and an area of 956 km². Central Coast (Tas.) has a population of 22,894 , ranking #8 most populous in TAS. The most populous suburb is Ulverstone (6,653 residents), and the highest median household income is in Leith at $1,981/week. The LGA-wide median household income is $1,250/week and median age is 47.5. About 9.5% of residents were born overseas and 2.4% speak a language other than English at home.
Who lives here
Age structure
Show counts
| 0–14 years | 3,560 (15.6%) |
| 15–24 years | 2,375 (10.4%) |
| 25–44 years | 4,674 (20.5%) |
| 45–64 years | 6,556 (28.7%) |
| 65+ years | 5,674 (24.8%) |
How they live
Housing tenure
Dwelling type mix
Work and learning
Schools in Central Coast (Tas.)
11 schools across Central Coast (Tas.): 72.7% Government, 9.1% Catholic, 18.2% Independent. The TAS average is 72.4% / 14.6% / 13.0%. Schools here have a median ICSEA of 960 (range 835 to 1025). TAS median is 965; national mean is 1000.
Sector mix
Type breakdown
ICSEA range
ICSEA (Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage) summarises the socio-economic background of each school's families. Higher values indicate more advantage. Source: ACARA 2025.
All 11 schools in Central Coast (Tas.), sorted by enrolment:
| School | Sector | Type | Suburb | Students | ICSEA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penguin District School | Government | Combined | Penguin | 676 | 960 |
| Leighland Christian School | Independent | Combined | Ulverstone | 636 | 1011 |
| Ulverstone Secondary College | Government | Secondary | Ulverstone | 504 | 915 |
| Ulverstone Primary School | Government | Primary | Ulverstone | 328 | 943 |
| Sacred Heart Catholic School | Catholic | Primary | Ulverstone | 246 | 1003 |
| East Ulverstone Primary School | Government | Primary | Ulverstone | 241 | 945 |
| Forth Primary School | Government | Primary | Forth | 213 | 1025 |
| North West Christian School | Independent | Combined | Penguin | 123 | 985 |
| West Ulverstone Primary School | Government | Primary | West Ulverstone | 117 | 835 |
| Riana Primary School | Government | Primary | Riana | 86 | 960 |
| Sprent Primary School | Government | Primary | Sprent | 31 | 914 |
Source: ACARA School Profiles 2025. ICSEA shown where reported; some schools (notably small primaries) do not publish ICSEA.
SEIFA socio-economic indexes
SEIFA 2021 ranks Australian areas across four dimensions. Scores are population-weighted averages of suburb-level SEIFA scores within Central Coast (Tas.). Higher scores indicate more advantage; the national mean is 1000.
IRSAD
Relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage
IRSD
Relative disadvantage only (lower = more disadvantaged)
IER
Economic resources: income, wealth, housing
IEO
Education and occupation: qualifications, skill levels
Suburbs in Central Coast (Tas.)
Central Coast (Tas.) contains 30 suburbs and 3 postcodes. Sorted by population.
| Suburb | Postcode | Population | Median income | Median age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ulverstone | 7315 | 6,653 | $1,012/wk | 49 |
| West Ulverstone | 7315 | 4,515 | $1,059/wk | 48 |
| Penguin | 7316 | 4,132 | $1,301/wk | 47 |
| Turners Beach | 7315 | 1,966 | $1,513/wk | 46 |
| Forth | 7310 | 738 | $1,592/wk | 46 |
| Sulphur Creek | 7316 | 707 | $1,789/wk | 44 |
| Gawler | 7315 | 703 | $1,756/wk | 45 |
| Leith | 7315 | 504 | $1,981/wk | 51 |
| Heybridge | 7316 | 442 | $1,289/wk | 48 |
| North Motton | 7315 | 425 | $1,357/wk | 44 |
| Riana | 7316 | 313 | $1,575/wk | 45 |
| Kindred | 7310 | 214 | $1,339/wk | 56 |
| South Riana | 7316 | 212 | $1,536/wk | 38 |
| Gunns Plains | 7315 | 195 | $1,174/wk | 39 |
| Sprent | 7315 | 160 | $1,562/wk | 42 |
| Preston | 7315 | 149 | $941/wk | 48 |
| West Pine | 7316 | 142 | $1,562/wk | 39 |
| Cuprona | 7316 | 140 | $1,458/wk | 46 |
| Preservation Bay | 7316 | 100 | $1,812/wk | 48 |
| Abbotsham | 7315 | 89 | $1,910/wk | 47 |
| Upper Castra | 7315 | 85 | $1,187/wk | 53 |
| Nietta | 7315 | 63 | $741/wk | 59 |
| Howth | 7316 | 61 | $1,125/wk | 52 |
| Spalford | 7315 | 55 | $1,374/wk | 49 |
| Castra | 7315 | 41 | $1,024/wk | 49 |
| Camena | 7316 | 24 | $1,312/wk | 57 |
| South Preston | 7315 | 21 | $1,562/wk | 47 |
| Loyetea | 7316 | 20 | $479/wk | 57 |
| Loongana | 7315 | 16 | $900/wk | 63 |
| South Nietta | 7315 | 9 | $1,062/wk | 28 |
Postcodes covered
Compare Central Coast (Tas.) with neighbouring LGAs
Side-by-side demographic and socio-economic snapshot of Central Coast (Tas.) and its closest neighbouring LGAs.
| LGA | Population | Median age | Median HH income | SEIFA IRSAD | % renting | % overseas-born |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Coast (Tas.) (TAS) | 22,894 | 47.5 | $1,250/wk | 923 | 21.6% | 9.5% |
| Burnie | 19,903 | 40.3 | $1,280/wk | 895 | 32.7% | 10.0% |
| Devonport | 26,161 | 43.0 | $1,194/wk | 883 | 32.6% | 11.2% |
| Kentish | 6,825 | 48.2 | $1,263/wk | 919 | 12.8% | 12.2% |
| Meander Valley | 20,467 | 46.0 | $1,336/wk | 940 | 21.2% | 11.7% |
Services and amenities
Frequently asked questions about Central Coast (Tas.)
What is the population of Central Coast (Tas.)?
The 2021 Census recorded 22,894 people living in Central Coast (Tas.), across 30 suburbs.
What suburbs are in Central Coast (Tas.)?
Central Coast (Tas.) contains 30 suburbs. The most populous are Ulverstone, West Ulverstone, Penguin, Turners Beach, Forth.See the full list in the Suburbs section above.
What postcodes are in Central Coast (Tas.)?
Central Coast (Tas.) covers 3 postcodes: 7310, 7315, 7316.
What is the median household income in Central Coast (Tas.)?
The population-weighted median household income across Central Coast (Tas.) is $1,250 per week (2021 Census), ranking #18 of 29 TAS LGAs.
How many schools are in Central Coast (Tas.)?
Central Coast (Tas.) has 11 schools, including 8 government, 1 Catholic, and 2 independent schools (ACARA 2025).
What is the SEIFA score for Central Coast (Tas.)?
Central Coast (Tas.) has a population-weighted SEIFA IRSAD score of 923, where the national average is 1000. Higher scores indicate more relative advantage.
Page last reviewed . Data sources: Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census (CC BY 4.0), SEIFA 2021 (IRSD, IRSAD, IER, IEO), ACARA School Profiles 2025, ABS ASGS 2021 LGA boundaries. How this data is sourced.