Circular Head
Tasmania · West and North West · 8,106 people · 43 suburbs · 3 postcodes
Circular Head at a glance
Map shows the Circular Head 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.
Circular Head is a Local Government Area in Tasmania, in the Hobart region. It covers 43 suburbs across 3 postcodes and an area of 2,782 km². Circular Head has a population of 8,106 , ranking #18 most populous in TAS. The most populous suburb is Smithton (3,934 residents), and the highest median household income is in Couta Rocks at $3,250/week. The LGA-wide median household income is $1,291/week and median age is 41.7. About 10.4% of residents were born overseas and 4.5% speak a language other than English at home.
Who lives here
Age structure
Show counts
| 0–14 years | 1,560 (19.2%) |
| 15–24 years | 883 (10.9%) |
| 25–44 years | 1,915 (23.6%) |
| 45–64 years | 2,165 (26.7%) |
| 65+ years | 1,595 (19.6%) |
How they live
Housing tenure
Dwelling type mix
Work and learning
Schools in Circular Head
8 schools across Circular Head: 75.0% Government, 12.5% Catholic, 12.5% Independent. The TAS average is 72.4% / 14.6% / 13.0%. Schools here have a median ICSEA of 903 (range 847 to 984). 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 8 schools in Circular Head, sorted by enrolment:
| School | Sector | Type | Suburb | Students | ICSEA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smithton High School | Government | Secondary | Smithton | 283 | 849 |
| Circular Head Christian School | Independent | Combined | Smithton | 265 | 903 |
| Smithton Primary School | Government | Primary | Smithton | 210 | 847 |
| St Peter Chanel Catholic School | Catholic | Primary | Smithton | 125 | 889 |
| Forest Primary School | Government | Primary | Forest | 99 | 903 |
| Stanley Primary School | Government | Primary | Stanley | 54 | 976 |
| Redpa Primary School | Government | Primary | Redpa | 32 | 984 |
| Edith Creek Primary School | Government | Primary | Edith Creek | 23 | 923 |
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 Circular Head. 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 Circular Head
Circular Head contains 43 suburbs and 3 postcodes. Sorted by population.
| Suburb | Postcode | Population | Median income | Median age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smithton | 7330 | 3,934 | $1,189/wk | 42 |
| Stanley | 7331 | 595 | $1,351/wk | 51 |
| Forest | 7330 | 464 | $1,321/wk | 38 |
| Irishtown | 7330 | 307 | $1,550/wk | 41 |
| Scotchtown | 7330 | 274 | $1,944/wk | 35 |
| Rocky Cape | 7321 | 211 | $850/wk | 44 |
| Hellyer | 7321 | 189 | $1,321/wk | 44 |
| Woolnorth | 7330 | 161 | $1,812/wk | 28 |
| Marrawah | 7330 | 152 | $1,449/wk | 52 |
| Mengha | 7330 | 151 | $1,093/wk | 45 |
| Christmas Hills | 7330 | 127 | $1,687/wk | 37 |
| Edith Creek | 7330 | 116 | $1,583/wk | 33 |
| Redpa | 7330 | 106 | $933/wk | 36 |
| South Forest | 7330 | 100 | $1,437/wk | 43 |
| Mella | 7330 | 97 | $1,874/wk | 28 |
| Togari | 7330 | 92 | $1,792/wk | 27 |
| Trowutta | 7330 | 88 | $1,325/wk | 51 |
| Mawbanna | 7321 | 84 | $949/wk | 41 |
| Montagu | 7330 | 83 | $1,531/wk | 41 |
| Lileah | 7330 | 79 | $1,125/wk | 34 |
| Crayfish Creek | 7321 | 68 | $937/wk | 58 |
| Edgcumbe Beach | 7321 | 65 | $1,124/wk | 39 |
| Broadmeadows | 7330 | 61 | $1,843/wk | 31 |
| Alcomie | 7330 | 58 | $1,083/wk | 45 |
| Scopus | 7330 | 56 | $1,541/wk | 36 |
| Roger River | 7330 | 51 | $1,291/wk | 35 |
| Montumana | 7321 | 46 | $850/wk | 51 |
| Black River | 7321 | 42 | $1,333/wk | 41 |
| West Montagu | 7330 | 39 | $1,624/wk | 50 |
| Brittons Swamp | 7330 | 36 | $1,875/wk | 41 |
| Detention | 7321 | 35 | $131/wk | 24 |
| Nabageena | 7330 | 34 | $1,124/wk | 53 |
| Arthur River | 7330 | 32 | $649/wk | 51 |
| Wiltshire | 7321 | 32 | $1,375/wk | 44 |
| Cowrie Point | 7321 | 16 | $1,024/wk | 49 |
| Temma | 7330 | 14 | $1,125/wk | 40 |
| Couta Rocks | 7330 | 7 | $3,250/wk | 69 |
| Nelson Bay | 7330 | 4 | $1,249/wk | 69 |
| Corinna | 7321 | |||
| Hunter Island | 7330 | |||
| Port Latta | 7321 | |||
| Robbins Island | 7330 | |||
| Three Hummock Island | 7330 |
Postcodes covered
Compare Circular Head with neighbouring LGAs
Side-by-side demographic and socio-economic snapshot of Circular Head and its closest neighbouring LGAs.
| LGA | Population | Median age | Median HH income | SEIFA IRSAD | % renting | % overseas-born |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Circular Head (TAS) | 8,106 | 41.7 | $1,291/wk | 908 | 24.2% | 10.4% |
| Waratah-Wynyard | 14,291 | 47.9 | $1,154/wk | 900 | 24.7% | 9.8% |
| West Coast | 4,264 | 46.3 | $983/wk | 843 | 26.9% | 10.8% |
Services and amenities
Frequently asked questions about Circular Head
What is the population of Circular Head?
The 2021 Census recorded 8,106 people living in Circular Head, across 43 suburbs.
What suburbs are in Circular Head?
Circular Head contains 43 suburbs. The most populous are Smithton, Stanley, Forest, Irishtown, Scotchtown.See the full list in the Suburbs section above.
What postcodes are in Circular Head?
Circular Head covers 3 postcodes: 7321, 7330, 7331.
What is the median household income in Circular Head?
The population-weighted median household income across Circular Head is $1,291 per week (2021 Census), ranking #12 of 29 TAS LGAs.
How many schools are in Circular Head?
Circular Head has 8 schools, including 6 government, 1 Catholic, and 1 independent schools (ACARA 2025).
What is the SEIFA score for Circular Head?
Circular Head has a population-weighted SEIFA IRSAD score of 908, 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.