Margate

Lifestyle & dining

Life in Margate revolves around the water and the surrounding countryside. Weekends are typically spent walking the foreshore, fishing off the jetty, or driving the short distance to Snug or Electrona for a coffee and a change of scenery. The suburb itself keeps things simple, with a handful of local cafes and takeaway options, while more extensive dining and retail can be found a few minutes up the highway in Kingston.

The pace here appeals to people who want a genuine sense of community. Local produce stalls, the Channel Highway's steady stream of orchards and the proximity to the Huon Valley's wineries and farm gates make it easy to eat and shop locally, even if the big supermarket run happens elsewhere.

Shopping

Margate has a small but practical local shopping strip covering day-to-day needs, and the Channel Court shopping centre in nearby Kingston – with its full-line supermarkets, specialty stores and services – is only a short drive north. For bigger shopping trips, Hobart's CBD and its department stores and markets are around 25 minutes away by car.

Getting around

The Channel Highway is Margate's main artery, linking the suburb to Kingston and Hobart to the north and to Snug, Electrona and the wider Channel region to the south. Most residents rely on cars, and commuting times to the city are reasonable by Hobart standards given the distance.

Metro Tasmania bus services run along the highway corridor, connecting Margate to Kingston's bus interchange and on to the city, making it a workable option for commuters and students who don't drive. The suburb's location also makes it a natural gateway for those heading further down the Channel towards Snug, Kettering and the D'Entrecasteaux Channel.

Schools & families

Families are well catered for locally, with Margate Primary School serving the immediate area and Channel Christian School offering an independent option nearby. Older students generally head into Kingston or Hobart for secondary schooling, both within easy commuting distance.

With a median age of 37 and a population of 4,239, Margate has the profile of a family-oriented, established suburb rather than a transient one, and its mix of larger blocks and semi-rural surrounds gives children plenty of room to grow up outdoors.

Housing & architecture

Margate's housing stock is dominated by standalone houses, which make up 71% of current listings, reflecting its low-density, lifestyle character. Land sales account for a further 11% of listings, pointing to ongoing opportunities for those wanting to build, while townhouses (6%) and apartments or units (11%) make up a smaller share for buyers after something lower-maintenance.

Architecturally, the suburb ranges from older weatherboard and brick-veneer homes on generous blocks to newer builds taking advantage of water or bushland views, with some rural-residential properties on the outskirts offering paddocks and sheds for hobby farming or horses.

The property market

Margate's median house price currently sits at $1.02 million, following strong growth of 17.0% in recent times – a sign of the broader demand for lifestyle-oriented suburbs within commuting distance of Hobart. That growth reflects buyers increasingly looking beyond the inner city and Kingston towards suburbs like Margate, Howden and Huntingfield for more land and a quieter setting.

With listings skewed heavily towards houses and land, the suburb continues to attract buyers wanting to build or renovate rather than move straight into a unit or townhouse, reinforcing Margate's identity as a house-and-land market rather than a high-density one.