10 Best Places To Live In Tasmania
Tasmania pairs an unhurried lifestyle with housing costs below mainland Australian averages, helping draw steady inward migration. The state delivers diverse settings with coastal communities like Devonport and Burnie alongside inland towns like Deloraine and Sheffield. Sheffield earned its reputation through hundreds of outdoor murals that now feed the annual International Mural Festival. Queenstown sits in the rugged west surrounded by mountains and rainforest with one of the lowest median home prices in the state. The ten Tasmanian towns ahead each work for different priorities.
St Helens
St Helens sits on Georges Bay on the east coast of Tasmania and serves as the gateway to the Bay of Fires, the orange-lichen granite headlands that draw photographers and walkers from across Australia. The town is the largest community on the east coast, with a working fishing fleet, recreational marina, and main-street services running along Cecilia Street.
Binalong Bay and the Bay of Fires Conservation Area run north of town along quartz-sand beaches, while the St Helens Point Conservation Area covers coastal walking and surf access to the south. St Helens District Hospital handles in-town medical care, with Launceston facilities about two hours west for higher-level needs. Median home price runs about AU$530,000, with a median age of 57 reflecting the area's steady retiree intake.
Huonville
Huonville sits in the Huon Valley region south of Hobart, sitting on the banks of the Huon River with apple orchards and cool-climate vineyards spreading across the surrounding country. The Mount Misery Trail runs through old-growth rainforest with views of Mount Misery itself, while Kate Hill Wines and other local producers handle the cellar-door scene.
Agriculture and tourism drive the local economy, with the apple-growing heritage running back generations alongside more recent wine and craft food production. The Huon Valley Hub and Huonville Huon Community Health Centre cover community services and primary care, with Hobart hospitals about 40 minutes north for higher-level needs.
New Norfolk
New Norfolk sits on the River Derwent about 35 kilometres northwest of Hobart, with a history dating back to early-19th-century settlement by Norfolk Islanders. St. Matthew's Anglican Church, completed in 1823, ranks among the oldest churches in Australia and still holds regular services. The town's antique shops, weekend market, and walking trails along the river handle the day-to-day scene.
The New Norfolk District Hospital & Community Health Centre handles in-town medical care, including physiotherapy and community health programs. The Derwent Valley Community House handles social programming and adult education. Tynwald Park along the river and the Derwent Cliffs Walk cover the in-town outdoor recreation. Median home price runs about AU$465,000.
Deloraine
Deloraine sits on the Meander River about 50 kilometres west of Launceston, with a heritage-listed main street of Georgian and Victorian buildings, a strong local arts scene, and the Great Western Tiers rising directly south of town. The Tasmanian Craft Fair every November is one of the largest craft markets in Australia, drawing thousands of visitors to galleries, demonstrations, and the riverside town for the long weekend.
Yarns Artwork in Silk Deloraine and Art as Mania lead the year-round art galleries scene, while the Great Western Tiers Visitor Centre handles community welcome and local information. Deloraine District Hospital runs 24-hour services. Median home price runs about AU$545,000, above the state median but reflecting the proximity to Launceston and the heritage downtown.
Burnie
Burnie sits on the north coast about 150 kilometres northwest of Launceston, with port industry, manufacturing, and coastal living defining the local economy. Burnie Park covers the in-town green-space corner, while the Burnie Waterfront and beaches handle the coastal recreation. The Burnie Regional Museum holds a strong local-history collection covering the timber, paper, and mining industries that built the town.
The North West Regional Hospital runs about 160 acute beds and serves as the major medical facility for the entire northwest coast region. The Burnie Sports Centre handles multi-purpose indoor recreation. Median home prices run lower than the Tasmanian state average, which has drawn both retirees and remote workers to the area in recent years.
Devonport
Devonport sits at the mouth of the Mersey River on the north coast and serves as the Tasmanian terminal for the Spirit of Tasmania ferries that run from Melbourne. The Bass Strait Maritime Centre holds artifacts covering shipwrecks, sealing, and early Bass Strait navigation, while the Mersey Bluff Lighthouse sits at the headland north of downtown.
The Devonport Regional Gallery handles the contemporary arts scene, with rotating exhibitions of Tasmanian and Australian work. Bluff Beach and the Mersey Bluff Caravan Park sit just north of downtown for family recreation. Steele Street Clinic and the North West Regional Hospital in Burnie 50 kilometres west cover medical care. Median home price runs about AU$480,000.
Queenstown
Queenstown sits in Tasmania's rugged west, surrounded by mountains stripped bare by 19th-century copper mining and gradually returning to vegetation. The Paragon Theatre downtown screens films in a restored 1933 cinema, while the Q Bank Gallery covers regional photography and art. Horsetail Falls runs strong after winter rains, with the lookout walk handling about 20 minutes round-trip.
The West Coast Wilderness Railway runs heritage steam trains through the rainforest to Strahan and back, one of the area's signature experiences. West Coast District Hospital covers in-town medical care, with Burnie hospitals for higher-level needs about three hours by road. Median home price runs around AU$170,000, among the lowest in Tasmania, reflecting both the remoteness and the post-mining economic adjustment.
Strahan
Strahan sits on Macquarie Harbour on the west coast, with a small population that swells through the tourism season for cruises into the Gordon River and the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area. The West Coast Wilderness Railway terminates here from Queenstown, with the boatyard, fishing fleet, and harbour-side walking the daily focus.
The Ship That Never Was, billed as Australia's longest-running play, has been staged here daily for over three decades, covering the 1834 escape of convicts from Sarah Island. World Heritage Cruises and Gordon River Cruises run the major boat tours. Hogarth Falls handles a 40-minute round-trip rainforest walk. The Ochre Medical Centre covers community primary care.
Rosebery
Rosebery sits in the mountains of western Tasmania, founded as a mining town in 1893 and still operating today through the Rosebery zinc mine. Mount Black and Mount Murchison rise directly above town, with the Mount Murchison Track delivering a demanding day hike with views across the West Coast wilderness for those who reach the top.
Lake Pieman to the west offers fishing and small-boat access, while the Emu Bay Railway and the Murchison Highway connect the town to Burnie and the north coast. Rosebery has the Ochre Medical Centre for primary care and the Rosebery Neighbourhood House as the community gathering space. Median home price runs about AU$188,000, among the lowest in the state and reflecting the remote-mining-town character.
Sheffield
Sheffield sits inland in northwest Tasmania, with around 1,500 residents and a downtown covered in outdoor murals that earned the nickname "Town of Murals." More than 140 murals across the town tell stories from Tasmanian history, with the International Mural Festival every April adding new work to the collection during a week of public painting and judging.
The Sheffield Visitor Centre handles community welcome and a Mural Park gallery overview. Sheffield Medical Centre covers primary care, with Devonport hospitals about 30 minutes north. The dairy industry around Sheffield remains active, with Anvers Confectionery and a number of farm-direct producers covering the food scene. Median home price runs about AU$495,000.
Final Thoughts
Tasmania pairs natural setting with housing prices that work for a wider range of budgets than mainland Australia delivers, which is the practical reason inward migration has held steady. Huonville and Deloraine handle the inland and valley-town options. Burnie, Devonport, Strahan, and St Helens cover the coastal communities across the state. Queenstown and Rosebery deliver the rugged western mining-town settings at the lowest housing prices, while Sheffield and New Norfolk pair heritage and arts with mid-range pricing. A long visit before deciding remains the right move, since Tasmanian weather and the lived sense of remoteness need to be felt firsthand.
