Thirroul
A $1,680,000 median house price sits in a suburb where 75.6% of dwellings are separate houses and apartments make up just 10.8%, so the premium reflects scarcity of detached land rather than density. Household income reaches the 87.6th percentile nationally, and Thirroul scores decile 10 on both the IRSAD advantage index and the IRSD disadvantage index, the top tier on each. University qualifications hit 47.6%, which is 17.5 points above national, while the median age of 43 runs 3.0 years older than the national figure. House prices actually eased 3.0% from a 2024 peak of $1,722,500, an unusual softening in an otherwise high-advantage coastal market.
Population
6,348
Median Age
43.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,281/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
76
Median House
$1.7M
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
Buying here means competing for detached houses, since 75.6% of the stock is separate dwellings and only 10.8% is apartments. The $1,680,000 median eased 3.0% from a 2024 peak of $1,722,500 to $1,670,000 in 2025, a rare pullback that gives buyers slightly better timing than the recent peak. The home mix is family-scaled: 41.4% of dwellings have three bedrooms and 37.7% have four or more, while two-bedroom homes are only 17.9%, so small or studio options are scarce. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,600, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.3%, below the 30% stress threshold because household income sits in the 87.6th percentile. Owner-occupiers dominate, with 41.9% owning outright and 37.7% carrying a mortgage, leaving renters at just 20.4%.
For Buyers
Buying here means competing for detached houses, since 75.6% of the stock is separate dwellings and only 10.8% is apartments. The $1,680,000 median eased 3.0% from a 2024 peak of $1,722,500 to $1,670,000 in 2025, a rare pullback that gives buyers slightly better timing than the recent peak. The home mix is family-scaled: 41.4% of dwellings have three bedrooms and 37.7% have four or more, while two-bedroom homes are only 17.9%, so small or studio options are scarce. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,600, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.3%, below the 30% stress threshold because household income sits in the 87.6th percentile. Owner-occupiers dominate, with 41.9% owning outright and 37.7% carrying a mortgage, leaving renters at just 20.4%.
For Investors
Renters make up only 20.4% of households, a thin tenant pool by metropolitan standards, and weekly rent of $540 against the $1,680,000 median implies a gross yield near 1.7%, low even for a coastal market. The vacancy rate of 6.9% suggests rental stock is not tightly held. Demand support is mixed: net overseas migration adds 106 residents a year while internal migration removes 102, leaving population growth at just 0.57% annually. Rent did grow 52.8% over the decade, so the case rests on rent escalation and capital preservation more than current yield. Development activity is moderate at 74 applications in 12 months, mostly alterations and single dwelling works rather than new rental supply, which limits future stock and supports existing values.
Development Activity
Total DAs
520
Last 12 Months
76
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-14.6%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Thirroul iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St Michael's Catholic Primary School
K-6 · 183 students
Thirroul Public School
K-6 · 367 students
Demographics
The median age of 43 is 3.0 years above the national figure, and the trajectory is aging: the senior share rose 5.1 points while the working-age share fell 3.3 points over the decade. Only 17.6% of residents were born overseas, which is 4.0 points below national, an unusually Anglo profile for coastal NSW. Ancestry leans Anglo-Celtic, led by English (2,831), Irish (1,004) and Scottish (898), and non-English languages are minimal, with French (14) and Italian (11) the most common. University qualifications at 47.6% run 17.5 points above national, signalling a professional resident base. Average household size is 2.7, which is 0.2 above national, consistent with the family-heavy stock where couples with children (2,476 families) outnumber couples without children (1,429).
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
75.6%
Houses
12.8%
Townhouse
10.8%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure skews strongly to ownership: 41.9% own outright and 37.7% carry a mortgage, leaving renters at 20.4%, well below the typical metropolitan share. Outright owners outnumbering mortgage holders points to long-held, debt-free wealth rather than recent buyer churn. The stock is 75.6% separate houses and only 10.8% apartments, which keeps detached prices elevated through limited supply. Three-bedroom dwellings account for 41.4% and four-plus bedroom homes 37.7%, while two-bedroom homes are just 17.9%. The median house price eased from $1,722,500 in 2024 to $1,670,000 in 2025, a 3.0% fall. Mortgage-to-income at 26.3% and rent-to-income at 23.7% both stay below the 30% stress threshold, helped by household income in the 87.6th percentile.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,600
Rent / wk
$540
HH Size
2.7
Personal Income / wk
$974
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.9%
Unoccupied
169
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.7%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.3%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
26.8%
Couples, no children
5,323
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local workforce is concentrated in public-facing knowledge sectors: Education leads at 18.6% (449 workers), Healthcare follows at 16.4% (396) and Professional/Tech at 11.6% (281), with Construction at 9.7% and Public Admin at 9.1%. By occupation, Professionals (1,104) and Managers (512) dominate, which aligns with the decile 9 IEO score for education and occupation. Unemployment is low at 3.8% and the full-time employment rate is 61.5%. Participation reads 56.6%, held down because the aging profile leaves 1,729 residents not in the labour force. Real incomes grew 19.0% over the decade. The IER score for economic resources sits at decile 9, just below the decile 10 IRSAD result, reflecting the area's broad and stable affluence.
Unemployment
2.5%
Labour Force
6,752
Unemployed
168
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
61.5%
Part-time
34.7%
Participation
56.6%
Employed
2,769
Occupations
Top Industries
University
47.6%
Postgraduate
15.4%
Born Overseas
17.6%
Dwellings
2,295
Transport to Work
Thirroul is heavily car-dependent: 87.6% drive to work while only 4.1% take public transport and 5.6% walk or cycle, above-average car reliance that reflects its coastal, low-density layout. The suburb earns decile 10 on the IRSAD advantage index and decile 10 on the IRSD disadvantage index, the top tier on both, meaning very few residents face deprivation. Volunteering runs at 18.8% and only 4.2% (261 people) need daily assistance despite the older median age of 43. Rent-to-income at 23.7% and mortgage-to-income at 26.3% both sit below the 30% stress threshold, keeping costs manageable relative to the 87.6th-percentile household income. No schools are recorded inside the 4.85 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs.
Drive
87.6%
Public Transport
4.1%
Walk / Cycle
5.6%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.57%/yr
(+69 people/yr)
EstablishedThirroul is an established, slow-growth suburb: annual population growth registers 0.57%, about 69 residents a year, while the 10-year change is a steady 13.0%. Overseas migration of 106 a year is the only positive driver, offset by net internal outflow of 102, so natural growth is thin. The trajectory is aging, with the senior share up 5.1 points and the working-age share down 3.3 points over the decade. Affordability worsened from 51.9% in 2011 to 54.2% in 2021, and rent grew 52.8% across the period, both pricing pressures that fit a high-advantage coastal market. Despite a gentrification score reading, the suburb is classified as not gentrifying, consistent with an area already at decile 10 advantage with limited room to climb.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+106
Net Internal / yr
-102
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Net internal outflow -102/yr
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Thirroul compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Thirroul a good suburb to live in?
Thirroul ranks in decile 10 on both the IRSAD and IRSD indexes, the top advantage tier nationally, with household income in the 87.6th percentile. University qualifications reach 47.6%, which is 17.5 points above national. The main trade-off is a high $1,680,000 median house price and heavy car reliance, with 87.6% driving to work.
What is the median house price in Thirroul?
The median house price is $1,680,000. Prices actually eased 3.0% from a 2024 peak of $1,722,500 to $1,670,000 in 2025. Weekly rent averages $540 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $2,600, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.3%, below the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Thirroul?
No schools are recorded inside the 4.85 km2 Thirroul boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The local population is highly educated, with university qualifications at 47.6%, which is 17.5 points above the national figure.
Is Thirroul safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Thirroul in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 10 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, the highest tier, and only 4.2% of its residents need daily assistance, both consistent with a low-disadvantage area.
Is Thirroul good for property investment?
Rent of $540 a week against a $1,680,000 median gives a gross yield near 1.7%, low, and renters are only 20.4% of households. Net overseas migration of 106 a year supports demand, but 0.57% annual population growth means returns depend on capital growth and 52.8% decade rent growth rather than yield.
How is Thirroul's population changing?
Population growth is 0.57% annually, about 69 residents a year, with a 13.0% rise over 10 years. The profile is aging, with the senior share up 5.1 points and the working-age share down 3.3 points over the decade. Net overseas migration of 106 a year is the main growth driver.
How much development is happening in Thirroul?
There were 74 development applications lodged in the past 12 months. Most are alterations, additions or single dwelling works on existing homes rather than new supply, consistent with an established, slow-growth area at 0.57% annual population growth where 75.6% of dwellings are separate houses.
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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