Tumut
A regional town of 6,613 people sitting in SEIFA decile 2 on both IRSAD and IRSD, Tumut pairs genuine affordability with an aging, settled population. The $485,000 median house price keeps mortgage-to-income at just 24.2%, well below the 30% stress line, because local household income sits in the 27.5th percentile nationally. Detached houses make up 85.6% of dwellings and only 10.2% of residents were born overseas, 11.4 points below the national figure. The median age of 42 runs 2.0 years above national, and the senior share has climbed 4.3 points over the decade while working-age residents fell 2.3 points.
Population
6,613
Median Age
42.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,242/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
71
Median House
$485K
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
At a $485,000 median, Tumut is far more reachable than metropolitan NSW, and the affordability shows in repayments: the average mortgage runs $1,300 a month, holding mortgage-to-income at 24.2%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold. Prices rose 3.7% from $472,500 in 2024 to $490,000 in 2025, a steady rather than speculative climb. The stock suits families because 85.6% of dwellings are separate houses and apartments are just 1.9%, with three-bedroom homes at 49.9% and four-plus-bedroom at 27.7%. Owner-occupiers dominate, as 37.8% own outright and another 29.4% carry a mortgage, leaving renters at 32.8%. Buyers trade big-city services for space and low holding costs.
For Buyers
At a $485,000 median, Tumut is far more reachable than metropolitan NSW, and the affordability shows in repayments: the average mortgage runs $1,300 a month, holding mortgage-to-income at 24.2%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold. Prices rose 3.7% from $472,500 in 2024 to $490,000 in 2025, a steady rather than speculative climb. The stock suits families because 85.6% of dwellings are separate houses and apartments are just 1.9%, with three-bedroom homes at 49.9% and four-plus-bedroom at 27.7%. Owner-occupiers dominate, as 37.8% own outright and another 29.4% carry a mortgage, leaving renters at 32.8%. Buyers trade big-city services for space and low holding costs.
For Investors
Renters make up 32.8% of households and weekly rent averages $245, which against the $485,000 median implies a gross yield near 2.6%, higher than premium city suburbs though still modest. Rent has grown 36.1% over the decade, outpacing the 3.7% one-year price move, so income returns have improved faster than capital. The 8.6% vacancy rate is elevated and points to a thin rental pool rather than tight demand, a caution for buy-to-let. Demand drivers are weak: net overseas migration adds 29 residents a year while internal migration removes 35, and annual population growth sits at just 0.24%. Development activity is steady at 65 applications in 12 months, mostly secondary dwellings and pools rather than new estates, so supply stays flat.
Development Activity
Total DAs
445
Last 12 Months
71
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-21.1%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Tumut iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
McAuley Catholic College
K-12 · 473 students
Tumut Public School
K-6 · 288 students
Tumut High School
7-12 · 384 students
Franklin Public School
K-6 · 239 students
Demographics
Tumut skews older and Anglo. The median age of 42 is 2.0 years above national, and the trajectory is aging, with the senior share up 4.3 points and the working-age share down 2.3 points over the decade. Only 10.2% of residents were born overseas, 11.4 points below the national figure, and ancestry is led by English (2,663), Irish (729) and Scottish (574). University qualifications reach 19.2%, which is 10.9 points below national, consistent with a trades and service economy. Average household size is 2.3, just 0.2 below national. Couples without children account for 30.5% of families (1,487 households) against 1,886 couples with children. Christianity dominates religious affiliation at 3,966 residents, far ahead of Hinduism at 55.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
85.6%
Houses
11.9%
Townhouse
1.9%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure leans firmly to ownership: 37.8% own outright and 29.4% carry a mortgage, so two-thirds of households are owners, while renters sit at 32.8%. The stock is overwhelmingly detached at 85.6% separate houses, with semi-detached at 11.9% and apartments a marginal 1.9%, which keeps the market family-oriented. Three-bedroom homes lead at 49.9% and four-plus-bedroom at 27.7%, leaving only 18.9% as two-bedroom. The median house price rose from $472,500 in 2024 to $490,000 in 2025, a 3.7% one-year move. Affordability is the defining feature: mortgage-to-income runs 24.2% and rent-to-income 19.7%, both below the 30% stress mark, because the $485,000 median is low relative even to the 27.5th-percentile household incomes here.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,300
Rent / wk
$245
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$655
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
8.6%
Unoccupied
245
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.7%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.2%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
30.5%
Couples, no children
4,877
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce is anchored in essential and goods-producing sectors rather than knowledge work. Healthcare leads at 18.1% (304 workers), Manufacturing follows at 15.5% (259) and Education at 12.0% (201), with Construction at 8.3% and Retail at 7.3%. By occupation, Labourers are the largest group at 484, ahead of Professionals at 410 and Community and Personal Service workers at 372, which explains the below-national 19.2% university rate. Unemployment sits at 5.4% and the full-time employment rate is 63.1%. Participation reads a low 52.9% because the aging profile leaves 1,970 residents out of the labour force. The low SEIFA scores follow from this mix: IEO sits in decile 1 and IER in decile 2, both well below the national midpoint, reflecting lower education and economic resources.
Unemployment
3.8%
Labour Force
3,036
Unemployed
116
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
63.1%
Part-time
31.5%
Participation
52.9%
Employed
2,666
Occupations
Top Industries
University
19.2%
Postgraduate
2.9%
Born Overseas
10.2%
Dwellings
2,585
Transport to Work
Daily life here runs on the car: 86.2% of commuters drive, just 0.6% use public transport and 5.5% walk or cycle, reflecting the dispersed regional setting at only 224.1 residents per km2 across 29.51 km2. The town scores SEIFA decile 2 on IRSAD and IRSD, below the national midpoint, a marker of relative disadvantage tied to lower incomes and education. Community ties are solid, with 18.0% volunteering and 81.1% of residents staying put year to year, well above typical metro turnover. Around 8.1% of residents (498 people) need daily assistance, consistent with the older median age of 42. No schools are recorded inside the Tumut boundary in this dataset, so families rely on facilities in the wider Snowy Valleys region.
Drive
86.2%
Public Transport
0.6%
Walk / Cycle
5.5%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.24%/yr
(+16 people/yr)
EstablishedTumut is an established, slow-growth town. Annual population growth registers just 0.24%, adding about 16 people a year, far below the national average, and the 10-year change is a modest 6.0%. Recent history is flat to declining, with population easing from 6,645 in 2023 to 6,609 in 2025 before the medium forecast lifts it to 6,758 by 2031. Migration tells the story: overseas migration adds 29 residents a year, but net internal migration removes 35, leaving thin natural growth. The headline gentrification reading is not gentrifying, though the broader shift metric shows early signs at a score of 33, supported by 36.1% rent growth and 14.7% real income growth over the decade. Affordability stayed stable, easing only from 38.7% in 2011 to 37.3% in 2021.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+29
Net Internal / yr
-35
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Tumut compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tumut a good suburb to live in?
Tumut suits buyers who value affordability and space over city services. The $485,000 median keeps mortgage-to-income at 24.2%, below the 30% stress line, and 85.6% of homes are detached houses. It scores SEIFA decile 2, below the national midpoint, and 81.1% of residents stay year to year, a sign of a settled town.
What is the median house price in Tumut?
The median house price is $485,000, rising 3.7% from $472,500 in 2024 to $490,000 in 2025. Weekly rent averages $245 and the typical mortgage runs $1,300 a month, leaving mortgage-to-income at 24.2%, well below the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Tumut?
No schools are recorded inside the Tumut boundary in this dataset, so families rely on facilities across the wider Snowy Valleys region. Education is the third-largest local industry, employing 12.0% of the workforce, or 201 people, pointing to schooling resources in the surrounding area.
Is Tumut safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Tumut in this dataset. As context, the town scores SEIFA decile 2 on relative disadvantage and 8.1% of its residents (498 people) need daily assistance, while 81.1% of residents stay put year to year, consistent with a stable regional community.
Is Tumut good for property investment?
Rent of $245 a week against a $485,000 median gives a gross yield near 2.6%, above premium city suburbs. Rent grew 36.1% over the decade, but the 8.6% vacancy rate is elevated and population growth is only 0.24% a year, so returns lean on income rather than capital gains.
How is Tumut's population changing?
Population growth is 0.24% a year, about 16 people, with a 6.0% rise over 10 years. Numbers eased from 6,645 in 2023 to 6,609 in 2025, and the profile is aging, with the senior share up 4.3 points and the working-age share down 2.3 points over the decade.
How much development is happening in Tumut?
There were 65 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, steady for a town of 6,613. Most are secondary dwellings, alterations and pools rather than new estates, consistent with an established, slow-growth area where population rises just 0.24% 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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