Tumbarumba
An unusually high 14.7% vacancy rate sits alongside a settled, older housing profile in Tumbarumba, where 1,915 residents have a median age of 47, about 7 years above the national comparison. Separate houses account for 96.7% of homes and the population density is 8.3 people per square kilometre. Household income sits at the 27.8th percentile, below the national distribution, while 24.7% of residents volunteer. Tumbarumba has a distinct profile from nearby Tumut and Batlow, with a low-density, detached-home market and annual forecast growth of -0.03%.
Local council: Snowy Valleys
Population
1,915
Median Age
47.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,252/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
30
For buyers seeking a conventional detached home, Tumbarumba is strongly house-led: 96.7% of dwellings are separate houses, while 50.1% have 3 bedrooms and 29.4% have 4 or more. Mortgage payments represent 21.5% of household income and weekly rent is $220, with both mortgage and rental stress flags false. Ownership is more common than renting, at 44.8% outright and 27.7% with a mortgage, while 24.8% rent. The 14.7% vacancy rate can reduce urgency for buyers, creating more scope to inspect homes and compare locations. This profile suits households wanting space and established housing rather than apartment choice.
For Buyers
For buyers seeking a conventional detached home, Tumbarumba is strongly house-led: 96.7% of dwellings are separate houses, while 50.1% have 3 bedrooms and 29.4% have 4 or more. Mortgage payments represent 21.5% of household income and weekly rent is $220, with both mortgage and rental stress flags false. Ownership is more common than renting, at 44.8% outright and 27.7% with a mortgage, while 24.8% rent. The 14.7% vacancy rate can reduce urgency for buyers, creating more scope to inspect homes and compare locations. This profile suits households wanting space and established housing rather than apartment choice.
For Investors
Investors face a mixed small-town equation. Weekly rent is $220 and 24.8% of households rent, while vacancy is 14.7%, a high level that can lengthen leasing periods even when rents remain accessible. The 44.8% outright ownership rate is higher than the 27.7% mortgage share, pointing to a mature owner base and a smaller pool of highly leveraged demand. There were 32 development applications in 12 months, including a subdivision, shed and office alterations, so activity is present but not necessarily a pipeline of new dwellings. Annual forecast growth is -0.03%, below the wider area's 3.8% ten-year change, and migration is Balanced. Returns therefore depend more on purchase price, condition and tenant demand than rapid appreciation.
Development Activity
Total DAs
162
Last 12 Months
30
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+50.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Tumbarumba
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Demographics
With a median age of 47, Tumbarumba is 7 years older than the national comparison, and its 18.8% university-educated share is 11.3 percentage points below national. Overseas-born residents make up 9.4%, 12.2 points below national, while average household size is 2.3 people, 0.2 below the national figure. English ancestry is reported by 768 residents, followed by Scottish at 229, Irish at 202 and German at 124, giving the town a more Anglo-Australian profile than migrant-heavy centres. Christianity counts 1,101 people versus 602 reporting no religion. The older, smaller-household pattern helps explain why 3-bedroom homes account for 50.1% of the stock and why the trajectory is Aging.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
96.7%
Houses
2.9%
Townhouse
0.0%
Apartment
Tenure
Tumbarumba's housing stock is overwhelmingly detached, with separate houses at 96.7% and semi-detached dwellings at 2.9%; apartment share is not recorded. Tenure is weighted toward stability: 44.8% own outright, compared with 27.7% paying a mortgage and 24.8% renting. The bedroom mix is led by 3-bedroom homes at 50.1% and 4-plus-bedroom homes at 29.4%, while 2-bedroom dwellings account for 16.7%. Monthly mortgage cost is $1,165 and weekly rent is $220, with mortgage payments at 21.5% of household income and rent at 17.6%. Household income sits at the 27.8th percentile, below national levels, so affordability is supported by housing costs rather than high earnings. Compared with nearby Tumut and Batlow, the local profile is especially concentrated in detached homes and established ownership.
Mortgage / mo
$1,165
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (April to June 2026), NSW Rental Bond Board (DCJ). Census 2021 median: $220.
$395
Bond data Jun 2026 · houses $440
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$677
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
14.7%
Unoccupied
131
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
17.6%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.5%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
30.3%
Couples with children
50.8%
Couples, no children
18.0%
Single parent
532
Total families
Economy & Employment
Employment is spread across Manufacturing at 16.5% and 73 workers, Public Administration at 15.4% and 68, Education at 12.0% and 53, Agriculture at 11.1% and 49, and Healthcare at 11.1% and 49. That mix gives Tumbarumba several institutional and production employers rather than dependence on one sector. Occupations are led by Labourers at 142, Community and Personal services at 125, Machinery and Drivers at 116, Trades at 105 and Managers at 98, matching the hands-on industry base. Unemployment is 3.1% with 53.6% labour-force participation, although 612 people are outside the labour force. Socio-economic measures are mixed: IEO, IRSD and IRSAD are all in decile 3, below the national midpoint, while IER is decile 5 around average. This helps explain why employment can be steady without household income rising above the 27.8th percentile.
Unemployment
3.1%
Labour Force
844
Unemployed
26
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
61.5%
Part-time
29.7%
Participation
53.6%
Employed
818
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
18.8%
Postgraduate
2.6%
Born Overseas
9.4%
Dwellings
753
Transport to Work
Daily life is car-oriented: 77.2% of residents drive to work, compared with 8.3% who walk or cycle, while 7.7% work from home. Local schooling covers both primary and secondary years through 2 government schools, giving families access to the two main school stages within town. Check the enrolment zone for the exact address, because nearby homes are not automatically guaranteed the same intake. The volunteering rate is 24.7%, and 82.7% stayed at the same address, supporting a strong sense of local continuity. Socio-economic advantage is below the national midpoint, with IRSAD and IEO both at decile 3. A median age of 47, 7 years above national, reinforces the appeal for established households more than student-oriented living.
Drive
77.2%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
8.3%
Work from Home
7.7%
Growth Outlook
Tumbarumba's growth outlook is essentially flat, with the forecast trend at -0.03% a year and migration labelled Balanced. Across the wider area, population change is 3.8% over 10 years, but the shift trajectory is Aging: the senior share has risen 5.4 percentage points, while the young share has fallen 1.2 points and the working share has declined 2.8 points. This direction is consistent with a median age of 47, which is 7 years above the national comparison. Current gentrification is scored 0, or Not gentrifying, although the shift indicators record a score of 26 at the Early signs stage. That combination suggests demand is shaped more by ageing and modest turnover than by rapid redevelopment, despite 32 development applications in 12 months.
Population trend: Snowy Valleys council area
Tumbarumba sits in the Snowy Valleys council area. These are the council area's residents, not Tumbarumba's.
Residents 2025
15,058
Growth, 5 yr average
+0.2%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+0.1%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Tumbarumba compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tumbarumba a good suburb to live in?
Tumbarumba can suit buyers seeking detached housing, lower density and a settled community. It has 1,915 residents, a median age of 47, and 96.7% of dwellings are separate houses. Compared with the national age profile, residents are 7 years older, while 77.2% drive to work, so a car is more useful than public transport for daily errands.
What is the median house price in Tumbarumba?
Check recent settled sales for the current median house price, then compare it with the $220 weekly rent and $1,165 monthly mortgage cost. The housing pattern is clear: 96.7% of dwellings are separate houses and 44.8% are owned outright, higher than the 27.7% mortgaged share. Those figures help frame affordability even when a point-in-time median is unavailable.
What schools are in Tumbarumba?
Tumbarumba has 2 government schools covering both primary and secondary education: Tumbarumba Public School and Tumbarumba High School. Check the enrolment zone for the exact address because a nearby home is not automatically guaranteed the same intake. The local choice is concentrated in 2 government schools rather than multiple sectors. Compared with the national university share, the local figure is 18.8%, or 11.3 percentage points lower.
Is Tumbarumba safe?
For a current safety assessment, review recent local police updates, council information and the exact street at different times of day. Tumbarumba has 1,915 residents, a 24.7% volunteering rate and 82.7% address retention, which describe social continuity but do not replace crime statistics. Compared with a larger centre, street conditions can vary by pocket, so inspect the exact address before deciding.
Is Tumbarumba good for property investment?
Tumbarumba may suit a patient investor, but the numbers favour careful screening over a high-growth thesis. Weekly rent is $220, the rental share is 24.8% and vacancy is 14.7%, so leasing risk deserves attention. Annual forecast growth is -0.03% and migration is Balanced, while 32 development applications were lodged in 12 months. Compared with a growth corridor, returns are more likely to depend on purchase price, condition and tenant demand than rapid appreciation.
How is Tumbarumba's population changing?
Population change is slow rather than expansionary. The suburb has 1,915 residents today, while the wider-area forecast records 3.8% change over 10 years and an annual trend of -0.03%. Migration is labelled Balanced, but the trajectory is Aging: the senior share is up 5.4 percentage points and the young share is down 1.2. Compared with the national age profile, Tumbarumba's median age of 47 is 7 years higher.
What development is occurring in Tumbarumba?
Development activity is visible, with 32 applications over 12 months, including a subdivision, a new shed and office alterations. Confirm the dwelling yield of each proposal before pricing in future supply, because application counts alone do not establish how many homes will be added. Annual forecast growth is -0.03%, migration is Balanced and current gentrification is scored 0, or Not gentrifying. Compared with a rapid-growth market, activity looks incremental.
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 education open registers (school locations), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications).
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