Tumby Bay
A median age of 57 places Tumby Bay 17 years above the national figure, making it one of the most age-skewed coastal towns on the Eyre Peninsula. The 1,781 residents spread across 312 square kilometres at a density of just 5.7 people per km2, far below any metropolitan comparison. Household income sits in the 15th percentile nationally, reflecting a semi-retired, agriculture-and-trades economy rather than professional white-collar employment. The flip side: 53.4% of dwellings are owned outright, pointing to long-settled households with no mortgage pressure. Vacancy runs at 18.9%, the highest signal here, suggesting a significant holiday or non-permanent use segment among its predominantly detached houses.
Population
1,781
Median Age
57.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,058/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
44
No median house price is available from current transaction data for Tumby Bay, a consequence of thin sales volume in a town of under 2,000 people. What the brief does show: 84.6% of dwellings are separate houses, higher than the national average, giving buyers a genuine detached-house market. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,200, well below capital-city levels. Mortgage-to-income at 26.2% stays below the 30% stress threshold, and only 23.4% of households carry a mortgage at all, compared to the majority in metropolitan areas. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 51.5% of stock, with 4-plus-bedroom homes at 22.2%. The high outright-ownership rate of 53.4% points to a buyer pool of retirees and owner-occupiers paying down debt over decades rather than leveraged new entrants.
For Buyers
No median house price is available from current transaction data for Tumby Bay, a consequence of thin sales volume in a town of under 2,000 people. What the brief does show: 84.6% of dwellings are separate houses, higher than the national average, giving buyers a genuine detached-house market. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,200, well below capital-city levels. Mortgage-to-income at 26.2% stays below the 30% stress threshold, and only 23.4% of households carry a mortgage at all, compared to the majority in metropolitan areas. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 51.5% of stock, with 4-plus-bedroom homes at 22.2%. The high outright-ownership rate of 53.4% points to a buyer pool of retirees and owner-occupiers paying down debt over decades rather than leveraged new entrants.
For Investors
The 18.9% vacancy rate is the critical number for investors. It is elevated compared to metropolitan SA averages and signals that a significant share of dwellings are holiday homes or investment properties sitting empty, which compresses effective rental demand. Weekly rent sits at $220, low by state standards. Renting households account for only 23.2% of the market. Development activity recorded 35 applications in the past 12 months, including new detached dwellings, suggesting modest construction interest. Without a published median price, yield calculations require individual sale data. The low crime rate of 15.2 incidents per 1,000 residents and stable resident base (85.7% stayed in the same address) support long-tenancy holding, but the income base in the 15th percentile nationally limits rent upside.
Development Activity
Total DAs
288
Last 12 Months
44
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
0.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Tumby Bay iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Tumby Bay Area School
R-12 · 237 students
Demographics
Tumby Bay's median age of 57 sits 17 years above the national median, one of the most pronounced age gaps in regional SA. The overseas-born share is just 6.7%, which is 14.9 percentage points below the national figure, reflecting a locally-born, long-settled population. Ancestry is strongly Anglo-Celtic: English (814 residents) leads, followed by Scottish (205), German (156) and Irish (153), consistent with the state's Lutheran-farming heritage in regional areas. Average household size is 2.0, half a person below national average, consistent with couples-without-children or single-person households. Nearly half of all families, 48.3%, are couples with no children at home, well above the national share. Volunteering is notably high at 31.6%, well above national norms, a marker of civic cohesion common in stable rural towns.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
84.6%
Houses
7.3%
Townhouse
6.1%
Apartment
Tenure
The ownership profile is the standout: 53.4% of households own outright, a rate well above the national average, reflecting a low-debt retired cohort. A further 23.4% are on mortgages and 23.2% rent. At $1,200 per month, mortgage repayments are moderate and sit at 26.2% of income, below the 30% stress threshold. Separate houses dominate at 84.6%, apartments at 6.1% and semi-detached at 7.3%, meaning the market is almost entirely a detached-house market. Three-bedroom homes make up 51.5% of stock. The 18.9% vacancy rate is the unusual figure: in a town this size, it indicates a substantial holiday-home layer sitting above the permanent resident base. Rent at $220 per week and rent-to-income at 20.8% leave renters comfortable relative to income.
Mortgage / mo
$1,200
Rent / wk
$220
HH Size
2.0
Personal Income / wk
$624
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
18.9%
Unoccupied
187
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.2%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
48.3%
Couples, no children
1,258
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare leads local employment at 19.5% (79 workers), followed by Education at 13.1% (53) and Construction at 11.8% (48). Agriculture accounts for 10.1% (41 workers), consistent with Tumby Bay's Eyre Peninsula farming hinterland. By occupation, Managers are the largest group at 154 workers, above Professionals at 90, suggesting small-business and farm-owner leadership rather than credentialed professional employment. The full-time employment rate is 53.9% among those employed. Unemployment is low at 2.7%, but participation is just 44.2%, well below national levels, because 722 residents (40%) are not in the labour force at all, reflecting the retiree-heavy age structure. Household income in the 15th percentile nationally is a direct result of this non-working majority rather than low wages among those employed.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
53.9%
Part-time
43.4%
Participation
44.2%
Employed
659
Occupations
Top Industries
University
19.1%
Postgraduate
2.2%
Born Overseas
6.7%
Dwellings
798
Transport to Work
Car dependency is near-total: 86.6% of employed residents drive to work, while only 0.7% use public transport, well below national rates given the absence of rail or bus networks in this coastal town. However, 7.1% walk or cycle to work, above what many comparable-sized regional towns record. The crime rate of 15.2 incidents per 1,000 residents is low by SA standards. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary in this dataset, so families rely on facilities in nearby towns. Healthcare and community services account for the largest employment sector at 19.5%, which typically implies reasonable local access to medical care. Volunteering at 31.6% is high compared to the national rate, reflecting the social fabric of a long-settled small town. Households needing assistance reach 9.5%, elevated compared to urban averages, consistent with the older age profile.
Drive
86.6%
Public Transport
0.7%
Walk / Cycle
7.1%
Work from Home
N/A
Safety & Crime
Total Offences
27
Year ending June 2024
Rate per 1,000 People
15.2
Source: Crime Statistics Agency Victoria / SA Police
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Tumby Bay compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tumby Bay a good suburb to live in?
Tumby Bay suits retirees and sea-changers seeking a quiet coastal lifestyle. The crime rate is low at 15.2 incidents per 1,000 residents and 53.4% of households own their home outright. The trade-offs are limited public transport, thin school options within the suburb, and household incomes in the 15th percentile nationally.
What is the median house price in Tumby Bay?
No median house price is available from current transaction records, reflecting the thin sales volume in a town of 1,781 people. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,200 and mortgage-to-income sits at 26.2%, both well below metropolitan SA levels, suggesting purchase prices are affordable relative to income.
What schools are in Tumby Bay?
No schools are recorded inside the Tumby Bay suburb boundary in this dataset. Families typically access educational facilities in nearby Eyre Peninsula towns. The local university qualification rate is 19.1%, which is 11 percentage points below the national average, consistent with a trades and agriculture-oriented economy.
Is Tumby Bay safe?
Tumby Bay recorded 27 total crimes, giving a rate of 15.2 incidents per 1,000 residents. That is a low rate compared to SA regional averages. Resident stability is also high, with 85.7% of people remaining at the same address, suggesting a settled community with low transient crime risk.
Is Tumby Bay good for property investment?
The 18.9% vacancy rate signals significant holiday-home or non-permanent occupancy, which limits effective rental demand. Weekly rent of $220 is low compared to state averages. The stable resident base (85.7% stayed) supports long-tenancy holding, but limited price data and income in the 15th percentile nationally constrain rental growth expectations.
How is Tumby Bay's population changing?
Detailed ABS population growth forecasts are not available for Tumby Bay in this brief. The current population is 1,781 with a low turnover rate of 14.3%, suggesting stability rather than decline. The median age of 57, which is 17 years above national, indicates the resident base is aging, with natural increase unlikely to drive growth.
How much development is happening in Tumby Bay?
Tumby Bay recorded 35 development applications in the past 12 months, including new single-storey detached dwellings, carports and a pontoon. For a town of under 2,000 residents that is an active approval rate, suggesting steady demand from holiday-home buyers or sea-changers adding to the existing stock.
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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