Tallebudgera Valley
At just 29.3 people per square kilometre across 60 km2, Tallebudgera Valley is one of the Gold Coast's most sparsely settled rural pockets, yet household income sits in the 84.8th percentile nationally. Nearly all dwellings are separate houses, 98.3%, and 59.3% have four or more bedrooms, far above state and national averages. The median age of 43 is 3 years above the national figure, and 78.8% of residents stayed put in the five years to the last Census, signalling an unusually stable, owner-occupier base rather than a transient population.
Population
1,762
Median Age
43.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,245/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
1
Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,500 and the mortgage-to-income ratio is 25.7%, below the 30% stress threshold, making repayments comparatively manageable for a household income at the 84.8th percentile nationally. Stock is almost entirely separate houses at 98.3%, and four-plus bedroom homes account for 59.3% of dwellings, skewing toward larger family homes than the national average. With 38.5% of residents owning outright and 49.4% on a mortgage, the suburb reads as an established, owner-occupier community rather than an entry-level market.
For Buyers
Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,500 and the mortgage-to-income ratio is 25.7%, below the 30% stress threshold, making repayments comparatively manageable for a household income at the 84.8th percentile nationally. Stock is almost entirely separate houses at 98.3%, and four-plus bedroom homes account for 59.3% of dwellings, skewing toward larger family homes than the national average. With 38.5% of residents owning outright and 49.4% on a mortgage, the suburb reads as an established, owner-occupier community rather than an entry-level market.
For Investors
The vacancy rate of 4.5% is elevated, suggesting that available rentals sit longer than in tighter suburban markets. No development applications were recorded in the past 12 months, consistent with a rural locality under limited development pressure. The low renter share limits the tenant pool, so investment returns here depend more on long-term capital appreciation in a low-supply, low-turnover market than on rental income volume.
Development Activity
Total DAs
1
Last 12 Months
1
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
—
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Tallebudgera Valley iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Ingleside State School
Prep-6 · 60 students
Demographics
The median age of 43 runs 3 years above the national figure, pointing to an established family and owner-occupier cohort rather than a younger renter population. Average household size of 3.0 is 0.5 above the national average, consistent with the dominance of four-plus bedroom homes. Overseas-born residents account for 21.8% of the population, roughly in line with the national rate at just 0.2 percentage points above it. Ancestry is predominantly Anglo-Celtic, led by English (746 residents), Scottish (217) and Irish (216). University qualifications reach 30.2%, nearly identical to the national benchmark at only 0.1 percentage points above it. Volunteering runs at 16.3% of residents, which reflects community engagement above what population size alone would suggest.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
98.3%
Houses
N/A
Townhouse
1.7%
Apartment
Tenure
Ownership dominates the housing picture: 38.5% own outright and 49.4% hold a mortgage, leaving only 12.1% renting, well below the national renter share. Separate houses account for 98.3% of dwellings, and four-plus bedroom homes make up 59.3%, confirming a stock profile geared to families rather than downsizers or investors. Weekly rent is $373 (2021 Census) and monthly mortgage repayments average $2,500. Rent-to-income is 16.6% and mortgage-to-income is 25.7%, both below stress thresholds, meaning housing costs are proportionately lower than the national median for both owners and renters.
Mortgage / mo
$2,500
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$373
Census 2021
HH Size
3.0
Personal Income / wk
$753
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.5%
Unoccupied
25
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
16.6%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.7%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
25.7%
Couples, no children
1,429
Total families
Economy & Employment
Construction leads all industries at 18.6% of employed residents (106 workers), followed by Healthcare at 16.3% (93 workers) and Professional/Technical services at 10.2% (58 workers). This mix differs from the national pattern, where construction rarely dominates at this share. By occupation, Professionals (169) and Managers (144) are the two largest groups, together accounting for over 40% of employed residents and anchoring personal weekly income at $753, above the national median. The unemployment rate is 5.1%, modestly above the national figure, and the participation rate of 56.1% is below average, partly because 399 residents are not in the labour force, a figure consistent with the older median age of 43 and a high outright-ownership rate that removes financial urgency to work.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
53.4%
Part-time
41.5%
Participation
56.1%
Employed
745
Occupations
Top Industries
University
30.2%
Postgraduate
5.5%
Born Overseas
21.8%
Dwellings
520
Transport to Work
Car dependency is near-total: 92.7% of residents drive to work and only 0.5% use public transport, lower than almost any suburban benchmark nationally. This reflects the 60.13 km2 rural footprint where bus routes are sparse and destinations are spread across acreage blocks. The 3.5% requiring daily assistance (57 residents) is modest for the population size, and housing stress indicators are below thresholds at 16.6% rent-to-income and 25.7% mortgage-to-income. With no crime data available, safety cannot be assessed directly, but the low-density, high-ownership profile is typically associated with lower property crime exposure compared to higher-density urban areas.
Drive
92.7%
Public Transport
0.5%
Walk / Cycle
2.9%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Tallebudgera Valley compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tallebudgera Valley a good suburb to live in?
Tallebudgera Valley suits residents seeking rural acreage on the Gold Coast hinterland. Household income sits in the 84.8th percentile nationally, housing stress is below thresholds at 25.7% mortgage-to-income, and 78.8% of residents stayed put over five years.
What is the median house price in Tallebudgera Valley?
Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,500, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 25.7%, below the 30% stress threshold. Weekly rent averages $373 (2021 Census) and the vacancy rate is 4.5%.
What schools are in Tallebudgera Valley?
Families rely on schools in neighbouring Gold Coast suburbs. The local population has a university qualification rate of 30.2%, in line with the national average.
Is Tallebudgera Valley safe?
Crime statistics are not available for Tallebudgera Valley in this dataset. As indirect indicators, the suburb has a 98.3% separate-house ownership base, a low renter share of 12.1%, and a stable community where 78.8% of residents did not move over a 5-year period, characteristics broadly associated with lower crime exposure than denser urban areas.
Is Tallebudgera Valley good for property investment?
The renter pool is small at 12.1% of dwellings, limiting tenant demand, and a 4.5% vacancy rate is above typical investment benchmarks. Zero development applications in the past 12 months suggests low new-supply pressure, which can support long-term capital values in a constrained land market.
How is Tallebudgera Valley's population changing?
The current population is 1,762 across 60 km2 and no formal forecast data is available. The suburb shows a stable, low-turnover profile: 78.8% of residents remained in place over 5 years and only 21.2% moved. The median age of 43 is 3 years above the national average, suggesting a gradually aging population base.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), state Valuer-General (house prices), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), ACARA (school ICSEA), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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