TAS · Circular Head Council
Forest, 7330
Current weather
10.5°CLight drizzle
76% humidity · 26.3 km/h wind · 13° / 9.6° today · 21.3 mm rain
Updated
Desirability score
- Green suburb
- Education hub
- High desirability
- Café precinct
- Excellent transport
Suburb profile
Forest offers a slower smaller community life in Circular Head, with open surrounds and a close-knit community feel. Set in the wider countryside, it offers distance from the capital and a strong sense of place. Wide horizons and a country quiet give the area a restorative, unhurried atmosphere.
Families and commuters make up much of the community, with plenty of young families in the mix. The pace is unhurried, with local businesses and community spots doing the heavy lifting. Housing remains accessible compared with many parts of the state.
This is a mature, settled pocket where the existing streetscape still defines the local character.
The desirability score is below average, pulled down chiefly by weaker local dining and lifestyle amenities and safety relative to similar regional towns. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.
Population
- Population
- 464
- Median age
- 38
- Median household income / week
- $1,321
- Dwelling vacancy
- 14.3%
- Unoccupied private dwellings
- 28 of 196
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,060
- Employment rate
- 60.7%
- Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
- 10 / 0 / 0
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)
Data sources & freshness
- 2021 Census — General Community Profile — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 Census release
The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Housing
- All types (latest monthly release)
- $340
- Rental bonds lodged (latest monthly release)
- 1
Median weekly rent from Tasmanian rental data where available.
Contributes to desirability score · Housing (15%) · Future Growth (7%)
Median price, rental yield and vacancy Recent price momentum
Data sources & freshness
- Tasmanian rental bond lodgements — Department of Justice (Tasmania) · Period: latest monthly release · Updated on site · Monthly XLSX release
Schools & preschools
- Schools & preschools
- 1
- Median school ICSEA
- 903
- Forest Primary SchoolPrimary
Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)
School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA
Data sources & freshness
- ACARA school locations — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · Period: 2025 · Updated on site · Annual ACARA release
- School ICSEA scores — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · Period: 2025 · Updated on site · Annual ACARA release
Amenities
1 nearby amenities within ~1.5 km
- TelstraTelephone
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe).
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Socio-economic (SEIFA)
- IRSAD decile (2021)
- 2/10
- IRSD decile (2021)
- 3/10
SEIFA indexes from ABS 2021. Decile 10 = most advantaged / least disadvantaged in Australia.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)
Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)
Data sources & freshness
- SEIFA 2021 (IRSAD / IRSD) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Period: 2021 · Updated on site · 2021 SEIFA release
Heritage
1 state heritage place
- St Bartholemew's Anglican Church502 MENGHA RD, FOREST, 7330Permanently Registered
Data sources & freshness
- State heritage register — State heritage authority · Period: current · Updated on site
Hazards
- Bushfire planning zone
- Overlay applies
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via state planning hazard mapping.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)
Bushfire hazard overlays
Data sources & freshness
- Hazard planning overlays — State government hazard layers · Period: current · Updated on site
Green cover
- Parks & woodland (OSM)
- 3
- Parks (OSM)
- 0
OpenStreetMap parks and natural woodland features mapped within the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (10%)
Parks and green cover (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap green cover features — OpenStreetMap contributors · Period: current · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
Desirability Index
- Desirability score
- 19.4/100 — Below average
- National rank
- 6581st in Australia
- State rank
- 269th in TAS
- Peer rank
- #89 among Country & regional · Established suburbs
- Cohort rank
- #166 among Country & regional suburbs
- Data confidence
- 53%
Data sources & freshness
- Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived score) · Period: current · Updated on site · Derived from source metrics
Recent changes
- St Bartholemew's Anglican Churchheritage502 MENGHA RD, FOREST, 7330Permanently Registered
- Forest Primary SchoolschoolsPrimary
- Telstraamenitiestelephone
Data sources & freshness
- OpenStreetMap amenities — OpenStreetMap contributors · Updated on site · Weekly refresh
- ACARA school locations — Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority · Updated on site · Annual ACARA release
- State heritage register — State heritage authority · Updated on site
More in Circular Head Council
Other suburbs in the same local government area.
Comparable suburbs
Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of Tasmania.