9 Safest Towns In Tasmania For Senior Living

The safest towns for retirement in Tasmania are measured by more than crime alone. Personal safety also depends on how easy it is to walk around town, how quickly medical care can be reached, and what support is available as residents grow older.

Tasmania Police publishes crime figures statewide rather than by town. Its 2024-25 supplement recorded 34,609 offences, down 4 percent from the previous year. Offences against the person fell 2 percent to 6,563, and property offences fell 5 percent to 26,617. The figures are not broken down by suburb or council area, and the Australian Bureau of Statistics has not surveyed community safety in Tasmania since 1998.

Local safety can still be assessed through the services and surroundings that affect older residents every day. Hospital access, walkable streets, emergency services, and established aged-care support provide a clearer picture of how well each town works for retirement.

Deloraine

Nearly one in three Deloraine residents is 65 or older. It had 2,631 residents at the 2021 Census, including 823 people aged 65 and older, or about 31 percent. Deloraine District Hospital is a 20-bed acute care facility handling general medical and palliative care. It also coordinates community and allied health services across the Meander Valley.

At a February 2021 community meeting, a senior Tasmania Police officer told the Ross Local District Committee that the Deloraine Division, which covers Deloraine along with Ross, Campbell Town, and several other northern Midlands towns, had the lowest offence rate in Tasmania at that time. It is a dated police statement recorded in council minutes, rather than a current town-level crime ranking. Deloraine's compact center and level walking paths along the Meander River also make getting around easy.

Grenoch Home provides residential aged care, and Kanangra Hostel has accommodation and support for older residents. Aged Care Deloraine also has residential care and independent-living units for residents as their needs change.

Deloraine House runs Tai Chi, Chair Yoga, a walking group, community gardening, and monthly community lunches. It also helps with housing, finances, Medicare, and legal matters, along with emergency assistance and referrals. Meander Valley U3A adds sports, exercise, music, art, and social activities for people in retirement and semi-retirement.

New Norfolk

New Norfolk's population skews older than most Tasmanian towns of its size. Of the 6,153 residents counted at the 2021 Census, about 20 percent, or 1,234 people, were aged 65 and older. The New Norfolk Health Centre provides physiotherapy, pathology, chronic disease and heart health services, and diabetes management. Mobile services such as the Bone Bus and Breast Screen Bus visit regularly.

New Norfolk District Hospital has 14 sub-acute beds along with radiology, physiotherapy, podiatry, community health, mental health services, and visiting consultants. The Royal Hobart Hospital is under a 40-minute drive away for major treatment. New Norfolk also has a purpose-built police station that opened in February 2022, replacing a station that had served the town since 1967. This was part of a $5 million state investment in local policing infrastructure.

A flat path beside the River Derwent gives residents a level place to walk. Corumbene supports older adults through residential, dementia, respite, and in-home care. Accommodation includes single and couple rooms as well as self-contained units, with activities such as gardening, bowls, and music.

Devonport

Almost 30 percent of Devonport's 26,994 residents are 60 or older, and the town's layout suits that. The center is compact with pharmacies and GPs. The Rooke Street Mall is close to much of the community and the Mersey Bluff foreshore is a flat, traffic-free stretch for walking.

The Mersey Community Hospital is a short drive away in neighboring Latrobe. It has an Emergency Department and services including geriatrics, rehabilitation, trauma care, pharmacy, physiotherapy, and specialist clinics. Devonport's aged care options include Meercroft Care, with 14 independent-living units and residential care. There is also memory support for people with dementia and respite care.

Melaleuca Home for the Aged is a 48-bed high-care facility in East Devonport, close to the shopping center and a short drive from the hospital. It offers physiotherapy, foot care, and both low- and high-level respite. The Devonport Senior Citizens Club runs choir, bingo, and bowls.

Burnie

A local 24-hour emergency department is one of Burnie's biggest advantages for older residents. North West Regional Hospital has 160 beds, a helipad for urgent transfers, and hospital and specialist services. Residents here get higher-level care without leaving the city.

The center itself is compact. It has shops, cafés, and other everyday services close by. Burnie's population is around 20,420, with about one in five residents aged 65 or older.

Aged care is covered by OneCare's Umina Park, which has residential and respite care alongside on-site physiotherapy and accessible walking paths. They offer activites such as gardening, music therapy, and choir. The Burnie Senior Citizens Club is in the center of town and open to people aged 50 and over. There are indoor bowls, cards, darts, and social outings.

Ulverstone

The Central Coast Community Health Centre has a range of services for older residents in Ulverstone. Some include dementia support, palliative care, community health nursing, and an Adult Day Centre. Residents also have access to specialist eye care through the Launceston Eye Institute for conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration. Local dental care is available through Quadrant Dentistry.

Mersey Community Hospital in Latrobe and North West Regional Hospital in Burnie are both about 20 to 30 minutes away by car for anything beyond what is available locally. The town had 12,723 residents at the 2021 Census, with about 28 percent aged 65 or older.

Eliza Purton Home and Mt St Vincent both provide residential aged care for longer-term support as needs change. The Ulverstone Senior Citizens Club, open to anyone over 50, has bowls, choir, crib, 500, and a Seniors' Forum. There is also a public choir social on the first Thursday of each month.

Kingston

Kingston has 12,288 residents, with 2,260 aged 65 or older, or about 18 percent of the population. Royal Hobart Hospital is about a 15- to 20-minute drive away and has 501 beds, trauma care, and specialist services.

The Kingston Community Health Centre covers local health and support needs. GP clinics, dental practices, and other medical services are all available in town, with a compact center that keeps many of them within walking distance. Kingston Beach is another town with a flat, traffic-free foreshore that gives older residents a level place to walk or exercise away from the road.

For extra support, Christian Homes Tasmania offers home care including nursing, personal care, allied health, and transport. Hawthorn Village, in nearby Blackmans Bay, has residential and respite care. There are also 54 independent-living homes, social activities, and a gated entrance close to shops and medical services at Oak Tree Retirement Village.

Sorell

In 2023, Tasmania's first purpose-built SES unit opened in Sorell as part of a $12 million Emergency Services Hub, a state government investment specifically named as part of its SES expansion. The Sorell municipality had an estimated 18,108 residents in 2025, including 3,802 people aged 65 and older, or about 21 percent of the population. The town itself had 3,180 residents, with 802 aged 65 and over.

Sorell has a free, 7-day urgent care for non-life-threatening conditions. The Sorell Medicare Urgent Care Clinic treats minor injuries, X-rays, wound care, and breathing problems, at no cost. The Sorell Community Health Centre covers local health services, and the Royal Hobart Hospital is about 25 to 30 minutes away by car for emergency and specialist care.

Uniting AgeWell's Ningana has 12 independent-living units, 11 of them one-bedroom. It adds communal spaces and access to residential care at the Sorell Community next door. Uniting AgeWell also runs home care and respite. The town's Seniors Advisory Group also gives older residents a say in local issues and has provided feedback on streetscape planning aimed at improving footpaths and accessibility.

Latrobe

Having a hospital right in town is a major advantage for older residents in Latrobe. Mersey Community Hospital provides emergency and hospital care, including general medicine, rehabilitation, oncology, specialist clinics, and a close observation unit. I-MED Radiology is on site for CT scans, X-rays, and ultrasound.

Latrobe had 4,456 residents at the 2021 Census, including 1,123 people aged 65 and older, or about 25 percent of the population. The town also has its own police station, giving it a local police presence. Its flat, compact center keeps most day-to-day errands within a short walk.

Uniting AgeWell's Latrobe Community, Strathdevon, has 67 single rooms with private ensuites and 24-hour nursing, physiotherapy, podiatry, speech therapy, dementia care, palliative care, and respite. There are even regular exercise and social activities.

For residents who want to stay independent, Strathdevon also has 10 two-bedroom retirement units next to the residential care facility, giving access to the site's amenities and support, with residential care or respite available if needs change.

George Town

George Town has its own police station and hospital, two services that can make a real difference for older residents. The town had 4,408 residents at the 2021 Census, including 1,071 people aged 65 and older, or about 24 percent of the population, with a compact center that puts shops and the Tamar River foreshore within easy reach.

George Town District Hospital and Community Health Centre has 15 acute care beds as well as physiotherapy, community nursing, and home help. Launceston General Hospital is about 45 minutes away for more specialized treatment.

Ainslie Village in nearby Low Head has independent retirement living and residential aged care. The George Town Senior Citizens Club runs indoor bowls and crafts. Tamar Natural Resource Management has volunteering opportunities in environmental and heritage work, keeping older residents active and involved in the community.

Safety for Seniors

Retirement in Tasmania comes down to the practical details close to home. Hospital access is part of it, but so are level streets, nearby shops and chemists, local police, aged-care services, and manageable drives for anything not available in town. That mix varies across the state and can make a real difference in day-to-day life.

Location also changes how much support is within reach. Towns closer to Hobart or Launceston have better access to specialist care and larger medical networks. Elsewhere, local police, level walking routes, nearby chemists, and aged-care services can make day-to-day life easier. The right town depends on how much support someone wants nearby and how far they are comfortable travelling when more care is needed.