Tuncurry
A median age of 62, fully 22 years above the national figure, is the single fact that shapes everything else in Tuncurry. With 48.9% of families couples without children and 14.3% of residents needing daily assistance, this is a retirement and sea-change destination rather than a working town. Household income sits in just the 6.3rd percentile nationally, and all four SEIFA indexes land in the bottom two deciles, IRSAD decile 1 and IER decile 2. Yet the population has grown 24.3% over the decade on internal migration, and the median house price climbed 14.6% from $615,000 to $705,000 across 2024 to 2025, faster than the income base can sustain.
Population
6,376
Median Age
62.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$854/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
52
Median House
$650K
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The price history runs from $615,000 in 2024 to $705,000 in 2025, a 14.6% one-year rise, while the recorded median house price reads $650,000. Detached houses make up 54.3% of stock and three-bedroom homes dominate at 42.3%, with two-bedroom dwellings at 33.0%, so buyers chasing a standard family house have reasonable choice. The catch is affordability: monthly mortgage repayments average only $1,322, but because local household income sits in the 6.3rd percentile, the mortgage-to-income ratio still reaches 35.8%, above the 30% stress threshold. That gap exists because retiree and pension incomes are low relative to a price level being pushed up by incoming buyers from outside the area rather than by local earnings.
For Buyers
The price history runs from $615,000 in 2024 to $705,000 in 2025, a 14.6% one-year rise, while the recorded median house price reads $650,000. Detached houses make up 54.3% of stock and three-bedroom homes dominate at 42.3%, with two-bedroom dwellings at 33.0%, so buyers chasing a standard family house have reasonable choice. The catch is affordability: monthly mortgage repayments average only $1,322, but because local household income sits in the 6.3rd percentile, the mortgage-to-income ratio still reaches 35.8%, above the 30% stress threshold. That gap exists because retiree and pension incomes are low relative to a price level being pushed up by incoming buyers from outside the area rather than by local earnings.
For Investors
Renters make up 29.1% of households and weekly rent averages $310, which against the $650,000 median implies a gross yield near 2.5%, modest for a regional market. The bigger warning is a 19.0% vacancy rate, far above a healthy 2 to 3%, signalling that holiday-let and seasonal stock outnumbers steady year-round tenants. Demand is real but slow: net internal migration adds about 90 residents a year versus only 15 from overseas, and development activity is light at 49 applications in 12 months, almost all alterations to existing dwellings rather than new supply. With rent growth of 57.0% over the decade and forecast population rising to 7,995 by 2031, the case rests on capital growth and rent escalation more than on yield, and the high vacancy means tenant selection matters.
Development Activity
Total DAs
261
Last 12 Months
52
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+8.3%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Tuncurry iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Great Lakes College Senior Campus
11-12 · 349 students
Great Lakes College Tuncurry Campus
7-10 · 466 students
Tuncurry Public School
K-6 · 366 students
Demographics
The median age of 62 runs 22.0 years above the national figure, and the trajectory is firmly aging: the senior share rose 8.9 points over the decade while the working-age share fell 3.8 points and the young share dropped 3.9 points. The population is strongly Anglo, with English (2,785), Irish (703) and Scottish (624) the leading ancestries, and only 11.1% were born overseas, 10.5 points below the national level. University qualifications reach just 12.7%, which is 17.4 points below national, consistent with a population past working age rather than building careers. Average household size is 1.9, which is 0.6 below national, reflecting the high share of older couples and single retirees living without children at home.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
54.3%
Houses
23.5%
Townhouse
20.6%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is unusual: 54.0% own outright while only 17.0% carry a mortgage and 29.1% rent, so the suburb is dominated by debt-free older owners rather than recent buyers. That outright-ownership rate sits far above the national average and explains why the low $1,322 average monthly mortgage payment applies to a small minority. The stock is 54.3% separate houses, 23.5% semi-detached and 20.6% apartments, with three-bedroom homes at 42.3% and two-bedroom at 33.0%. Prices rose 14.6% from $615,000 to $705,000 across 2024 to 2025. Despite few mortgage holders, the mortgage-to-income ratio of 35.8% and rent-to-income of 36.3% both exceed the 30% stress line, a divergence driven by incomes in the 6.3rd percentile rather than by extreme prices.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,322
Rent / wk
$310
HH Size
1.9
Personal Income / wk
$499
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
19.0%
Unoccupied
701
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
36.3% stressed
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
35.8% stressed
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
48.9%
Couples, no children
4,220
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare dominates local employment at 28.3% (327 workers), well above the national share and consistent with the aged-care needs of a retirement population, followed by Education at 11.2%, Construction at 10.5%, Hospitality at 8.8% and Retail at 8.4%. By occupation, Community and Personal Service workers lead at 360, ahead of Professionals at 271 and Labourers at 232. The headline anomaly is the labour force: participation is only 32.8% with 3,255 residents not in the labour force, because the bulk of the population is retired, which also lifts the measured unemployment rate to 7.8%. All four SEIFA indexes sit in the bottom two deciles, IRSAD decile 1 and IEO decile 1, reflecting low pension and personal incomes of $499 per week rather than deprivation.
Unemployment
3.8%
Labour Force
3,214
Unemployed
123
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
50.4%
Part-time
41.8%
Participation
32.8%
Employed
1,745
Occupations
Top Industries
University
12.7%
Postgraduate
1.8%
Born Overseas
11.1%
Dwellings
2,978
Transport to Work
Tuncurry is built around the car: 83.2% drive to work and just 0.8% use public transport, well below national reliance on transit, with 8.3% walking or cycling, helped by the coastal setting and flat terrain. The suburb scores IRSAD decile 1 and IRSD decile 2, the lower advantage tiers nationally, and 14.3% of residents (870 people) need daily assistance, far above national and a direct consequence of the median age of 62. Volunteering runs at 13.3%. No schools are recorded inside the 15.67 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring Forster across the bridge, a practical trade-off for a suburb where couples without children make up 48.9% of families.
Drive
83.2%
Public Transport
0.8%
Walk / Cycle
8.3%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+1.46%/yr
(+108 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is steady rather than slow: the population rose 24.3% over the decade and forecasts continue the trend at 1.46% a year, lifting the count from 7,407 in 2025 to 7,995 by 2031. The driver is internal migration, adding about 90 residents annually against only 15 from overseas, the classic sea-change pattern of retirees and downsizers moving in. The gentrification stage reads early signs, scoring 35, with rent growth of 57.0% and the internal-migration share accelerating from 7% to 19%. Affordability worsened from 57.3% in 2011 to 61.2% in 2021, which sits above most regional markets and confirms that prices have outrun the local income base as outside demand arrives.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Internal Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+15
Net Internal / yr
+90
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +27% since 2011, Net internal migration +90/yr, Accelerating: 7% → 19%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Tuncurry compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tuncurry a good suburb to live in?
Tuncurry suits retirees and sea-changers best. Its median age of 62 is 22 years above national, 54.0% of homes are owned outright and the population grew 24.3% over the decade. Trade-offs include low household income in the 6.3rd percentile and a 19.0% vacancy rate driven by holiday lets.
What is the median house price in Tuncurry?
The median house price is $650,000, with the price series running from $615,000 in 2024 to $705,000 in 2025, a 14.6% one-year rise. Weekly rent averages $310 and the average monthly mortgage repayment is $1,322, low because only 17.0% of households carry a mortgage.
What schools are in Tuncurry?
No schools are recorded inside the 15.67 km2 Tuncurry boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring Forster. This fits the demographic, since couples without children make up 48.9% of families and the median age is 62.
Is Tuncurry safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Tuncurry in this dataset. As context, the suburb scores IRSD decile 2 on relative disadvantage and has a settled, aging population with a median age of 62, both typical of a low-turnover coastal retirement area where 76.5% of residents stayed put.
Is Tuncurry good for property investment?
Rent of $310 a week against a $650,000 median gives a gross yield near 2.5%, modest, and the 19.0% vacancy rate signals heavy holiday-let supply. Net internal migration of about 90 residents a year supports demand, but returns lean on capital growth more than yield.
How is Tuncurry's population changing?
The population grew 24.3% over the decade and is forecast to rise 1.46% a year, from 7,407 in 2025 to 7,995 by 2031. Growth is driven by internal migration of about 90 residents a year, while the profile keeps aging, with the senior share up 8.9 points.
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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