Tewantin
Tewantin skews much older than the national pattern, with a median age of 52, 12.0 years above the benchmark, and a population of 11,164 spread at 427.2 people per sq km. Compared with Noosaville or Noosa Heads, its appeal is less resort-apartment driven and more suburban, because 83.0% of dwellings are separate houses and only 5.4% are apartments. Household income sits at the 28.3 percentile nationally, so the area reads as established, owner-heavy and slower-growth rather than high-income coastal prestige.
Population
11,164
Median Age
52.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,263/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
4
Median House
$540K
Estimated from rent (2025)
Homebuyers get a house-led market rather than an apartment market: 83.0% separate houses, 11.2% semi-detached homes and just 5.4% apartments. A current median house price is not available, so affordability is better judged from holding costs: the typical mortgage is $1,800 a month and mortgage costs equal 32.9% of income, high for a suburb at the 28.3 national income percentile. Families wanting space should find choice in 3-bedroom homes at 46.0% and 4-plus bedrooms at 34.9%.
For Buyers
Homebuyers get a house-led market rather than an apartment market: 83.0% separate houses, 11.2% semi-detached homes and just 5.4% apartments. A current median house price is not available, so affordability is better judged from holding costs: the typical mortgage is $1,800 a month and mortgage costs equal 32.9% of income, high for a suburb at the 28.3 national income percentile. Families wanting space should find choice in 3-bedroom homes at 46.0% and 4-plus bedrooms at 34.9%.
For Investors
Investor demand is moderate rather than scarcity-driven. Renters make up 26.9% of households and the typical rent is $450 a week, but the 7.3% vacancy rate is a clear leasing risk compared with tighter coastal markets. No new development approvals were recorded in the past 12 months, so supply pressure is not coming from a building wave. Forecast migration is overseas-led at 98 net people a year vs only 1 net internal, which supports tenant demand but points to gradual, not rapid, growth.
Development Activity
Total DAs
4
Last 12 Months
4
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 Tewantin iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Tewantin State School
Prep-6 · 560 students
Demographics
Tewantin's median age of 52 is 12.0 years above the national figure, shaping smaller households of 2.3 people, 0.2 below the national average. Overseas-born residents sit at 24.5%, 2.9 percentage points above national, but ancestry remains strongly Anglo-coded: English is recorded by 5,129 residents, Irish by 1,393 and Scottish by 1,326. University attainment is 22.7%, 7.4 points below national, consistent with an older population and a workforce tilted to care, trades and service roles.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
83.0%
Houses
11.2%
Townhouse
5.4%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing stock is strongly detached and ownership-weighted, with 83.0% separate houses compared with 5.4% apartments and 11.2% semi-detached dwellings. Outright ownership is 43.6%, above both mortgaged households at 29.4% and renters at 26.9%, because many residents are older and have had longer to pay down debt. The market is not cost-free: rent absorbs 35.6% of income and mortgages 32.9%, while 3-bedroom homes form 46.0% of dwellings and 4-plus bedrooms another 34.9%.
Mortgage / mo
$1,800
Rent / wk
$450
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$640
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
7.3%
Unoccupied
351
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
35.6% stressed
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
32.9% stressed
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
37.1%
Couples, no children
8,227
Total families
Economy & Employment
Tewantin's economy reflects a services-and-care base rather than a commuter executive profile. Healthcare leads at 17.9% of local workers, followed by construction 11.4%, hospitality 10.4%, education 10.4% and retail 8.3%. Professionals number 690, just above community and personal service workers at 667, while labour force participation is low at 43.4% because 4,226 residents are not in the labour force. SEIFA is consistently below top-tier: IEO decile 4, IER 5, IRSD 4 and IRSAD 4, matching modest household income.
Unemployment
3.8%
Labour Force
4,851
Unemployed
184
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
52.8%
Part-time
41.9%
Participation
43.4%
Employed
3,948
Occupations
Top Industries
University
22.7%
Postgraduate
4.0%
Born Overseas
24.5%
Dwellings
4,430
Transport to Work
Livability is practical but car-dependent. Work trips are dominated by driving at 87.5%, compared with 1.5% by public transport and 4.2% walking or cycling, because the suburb functions more like a low-density Noosa area than an inner transit node. Schooling is local rather than broad: 1 government primary, Tewantin State School, enrols 560 students with ICSEA 1018, so the ICSEA range is 1018 to 1018. Area advantage is moderate, with IRSAD decile 4, while no local crime rate is listed.
Drive
87.5%
Public Transport
1.5%
Walk / Cycle
4.2%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.23%/yr
(+24 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is slow by coastal Queensland standards: trend growth is 0.23% a year, equal to about 24 people annually. The medium path moves from 10,736 residents in 2026 to 10,855 in 2031, so change is incremental rather than estate-led. Migration is the main offset to ageing, with overseas migration averaging 98 net people a year vs just 1 net internal. The shift remains ageing, with seniors up 6.7 points, younger residents down 3.4 points, and gentrification scored 0, stage Not gentrifying.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+98
Net Internal / yr
+1
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Tewantin compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tewantin a good suburb to live in?
Tewantin suits people wanting a quieter, house-based Noosa lifestyle, with 83.0% separate houses and a median age of 52. It is less suited to public-transport reliance because only 1.5% of commuters use it.
What is the median house price in Tewantin?
A current median house price is not available for Tewantin. Buyers should still test affordability carefully, because the typical mortgage is $1,800 a month and mortgage costs equal 32.9% of income.
What schools are in Tewantin?
Tewantin has 1 local school listed: Tewantin State School, a government primary school with 560 enrolments and an ICSEA of 1018. Secondary options generally require looking beyond the suburb boundary.
Is Tewantin safe?
A local crime rate is not available for Tewantin, so buyers should check recent street-level reports before committing. The suburb has 11,164 residents and a car-driver commute share of 87.5%, which shapes daily activity patterns.
Is Tewantin good for property investment?
Tewantin can suit yield-focused investors, with 26.9% of households renting and a typical rent of $450 a week. The caution is leasing risk: vacancy is 7.3%, higher than investors usually prefer in a tight market.
How is Tewantin's population changing?
Tewantin is growing slowly, at 0.23% a year or about 24 people annually. The medium path rises from 10,736 residents in 2026 to 10,855 in 2031, with overseas migration averaging 98 net people a year.
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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