Tannum Sands
A $413,000 median house price paired with household income in the 76.1st percentile nationally explains why Tannum Sands reads as comfortably affordable rather than stretched. The mortgage-to-income ratio sits at just 19.7%, well below the 30% stress threshold, and 51.1% of dwellings carry four or more bedrooms, an unusually house-heavy stock for the price. The suburb spreads across 76.97 km2 at only 67.9 residents per km2, a low-density coastal setting near Gladstone where 83.4% of homes are separate houses. The median age of 41 runs 1.0 year above national, and the trajectory is aging, with the senior share up 5.8 points over the decade.
Population
5,227
Median Age
41.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,035/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Median House
$413K
Estimated from rent (2025)
The $413,000 median house price keeps Tannum Sands accessible by Queensland standards, and the affordability picture is reinforced by a mortgage-to-income ratio of 19.7%, roughly ten points below the 30% stress line. Buyers get space rather than apartments: 83.4% of dwellings are separate houses and only 8.6% are units, with 51.1% of homes offering four or more bedrooms and another 36.6% three bedrooms. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,733, modest against household incomes in the 76.1st percentile. Ownership skews toward recent buyers, as 40.3% hold a mortgage versus 28.9% owning outright, a mortgage-belt profile that reflects family households trading up into larger detached homes because land here is cheaper than in coastal markets closer to the capital.
For Buyers
The $413,000 median house price keeps Tannum Sands accessible by Queensland standards, and the affordability picture is reinforced by a mortgage-to-income ratio of 19.7%, roughly ten points below the 30% stress line. Buyers get space rather than apartments: 83.4% of dwellings are separate houses and only 8.6% are units, with 51.1% of homes offering four or more bedrooms and another 36.6% three bedrooms. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,733, modest against household incomes in the 76.1st percentile. Ownership skews toward recent buyers, as 40.3% hold a mortgage versus 28.9% owning outright, a mortgage-belt profile that reflects family households trading up into larger detached homes because land here is cheaper than in coastal markets closer to the capital.
For Investors
Weekly rent of $290 against the $413,000 median implies a gross yield near 3.7%, higher than what premium metro suburbs return, though the headline risk is supply. The vacancy rate sits at 11.0%, well above a healthy 2% to 3% band, which signals more available rental stock than tenant demand can absorb. Rent has actually fallen 18.9% over the period, so income growth cannot be assumed. The tenant pool is moderate, with 30.8% of dwellings rented, and demand support is thin: net overseas migration adds about 56 residents a year and internal migration 38, classed as balanced rather than booming. With no development applications recorded in the past 12 months, new competing supply is limited, but the elevated vacancy and falling rents mean the case rests on yield discipline rather than rapid appreciation.
Development Activity
Total DAs
15
Last 12 Months
0
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
—
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
Schools in Tannum Sands iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St Francis Catholic Primary School
Prep-6 · 218 students
Clearview Christian College
7-10 · 97 students
Tannum Sands State School
Prep-6 · 616 students
Tannum Sands State High School
7-12 · 816 students
Demographics
The median age of 41 is 1.0 year above the national figure, and the profile is steadily aging: the senior share rose 5.8 points while the working-age share fell 1.8 points over the decade. The population is notably Anglo-leaning, with only 16.5% born overseas, 5.1 points below national, led by English (2,230), Scottish (641) and Irish (600) ancestry. University qualifications reach 20.2%, which is 9.9 points below the national rate, consistent with a trades and industry workforce rather than a professional-services one. Average household size is 2.6, just 0.1 above national, and family households dominate, with 1,982 couples raising children against 1,193 couples without. Christianity (2,438 residents) is the overwhelmingly dominant religion.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
83.4%
Houses
7.5%
Townhouse
8.6%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure leans toward households still paying down debt: 40.3% carry a mortgage, 28.9% own outright and 30.8% rent, a mortgage-belt split that points to families buying in rather than long-held wealth. The stock is overwhelmingly detached, with separate houses at 83.4% against just 8.6% apartments and 7.5% semi-detached, and the bedroom mix is large, with 51.1% of homes offering four or more bedrooms and 36.6% three. The $413,000 median house price sits low relative to the 76.1st-percentile household income, producing an affordable mortgage-to-income ratio of 19.7% and a rent-to-income ratio of 14.3%, both comfortably below stress thresholds. That affordability has improved markedly, from 47.9% of income in 2011 to 35.1% in 2021.
Mortgage / mo
$1,733
Rent / wk
$290
HH Size
2.6
Personal Income / wk
$877
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
11.0%
Unoccupied
235
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
14.3%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.7%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
27.9%
Couples, no children
4,281
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce is anchored in industrial sectors tied to the nearby Gladstone economy: Manufacturing leads at 18.0% (309 workers), followed by Education at 14.1% (242), Construction at 12.6% (217), Healthcare at 11.1% (191) and Transport at 7.2% (124). By occupation, Professionals (450) lead, but Machinery Operators and Drivers (279) and Community and Personal Service workers (287) feature heavily, reflecting the processing and trades base. Unemployment runs at 6.2% with a participation rate of 62.6% and a full-time rate of 67.9%. The SEIFA scores are mid-tier and internally split: IER (economic resources) reaches decile 6 because incomes and home ownership are solid, while IEO (education and occupation) sits at decile 3, dragged down by the 20.2% university rate that runs 9.9 points below national.
Unemployment
2.7%
Labour Force
5,993
Unemployed
162
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
67.9%
Part-time
25.9%
Participation
62.6%
Employed
2,413
Occupations
Top Industries
University
20.2%
Postgraduate
3.3%
Born Overseas
16.5%
Dwellings
1,896
Transport to Work
This is a car-dependent coastal community: 89.6% of residents drive to work and only 0.3% use public transport, far below metro norms, while 4.4% walk or cycle, reflecting the low density of 67.9 people per km2. Volunteering runs at a strong 20.5%, and only 4.9% of residents (244 people) need daily assistance despite the older median age of 41, both signs of a settled, capable community. The suburb scores decile 5 on IRSD for relative disadvantage, mid-range nationally, meaning disadvantage is neither concentrated nor absent. Housing costs stay easy, with rent at 14.3% of income and mortgages at 19.7%, well below stress levels. No schools are recorded inside the 76.97 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families draw on institutions in neighbouring Boyne Island and Gladstone.
Drive
89.6%
Public Transport
0.3%
Walk / Cycle
4.4%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.77%/yr
(+83 people/yr)
EstablishedTannum Sands is an established suburb on a slow, steady upward path: annual population growth registers 0.77%, about 83 people a year, with a 4.2% rise over the past decade. Forecasts continue that trend, with the medium projection lifting the area from 10,768 in 2026 to 11,183 by 2031, modest expansion rather than a boom. Growth is balanced between drivers, with net overseas migration adding about 56 residents a year and internal migration 38. The gentrification score reads 0, classed as not gentrifying, which fits a market where rents fell 18.9% and real incomes dropped 10.0% over the period. Affordability improved from 47.9% to 35.1% of income, so the suburb is becoming easier to enter rather than pricing residents out.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+56
Net Internal / yr
+38
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Tannum Sands compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tannum Sands a good suburb to live in?
Tannum Sands suits families wanting space and affordability: 83.4% of homes are detached houses and the $413,000 median keeps mortgage costs at just 19.7% of income, below the 30% stress line. Household income sits in the 76.1st percentile nationally. Trade-offs include heavy car dependence, with 89.6% driving to work, and no schools recorded inside the suburb boundary.
What is the median house price in Tannum Sands?
The median house price is $413,000, affordable by Queensland coastal standards. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,733 and weekly rent is $290, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 19.7% and a rent-to-income ratio of 14.3%, both well below the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Tannum Sands?
No schools are recorded inside the 76.97 km2 Tannum Sands boundary in this dataset, so families typically use schools in neighbouring Boyne Island and Gladstone. The local university qualification rate is 20.2%, which is 9.9 points below the national figure, reflecting a trades and industry workforce.
Is Tannum Sands safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Tannum Sands in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 5 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, a mid-range result, and only 4.9% of its residents (244 people) need daily assistance, both consistent with a settled, moderate-risk community.
Is Tannum Sands good for property investment?
Rent of $290 a week against the $413,000 median gives a gross yield near 3.7%, higher than most metro suburbs, but the 11.0% vacancy rate signals oversupply and rents fell 18.9% over the period. Net migration adds about 94 residents a year combined, so the case favours yield over capital growth.
How is Tannum Sands's population changing?
Population growth runs at 0.77% annually, about 83 people a year, with a 4.2% rise over the past decade. Medium forecasts lift the area to 11,183 by 2031 from 10,768 in 2026. The profile is aging, with the senior share up 5.8 points and the working-age share down 1.8 points over the decade.
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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