Tacoma South vs Tuggerah

Tuggerah is the younger of the two, with a median age of 35 against 43 in Tacoma South. In both, most households own their home and most homes are detached houses. In Tacoma South, about half of households are couple families. Houses cost more in Tacoma South: a median of $975,000, against $826,000 in Tuggerah. On these figures, Tuggerah tends to suit buyers on a tighter budget.

Which one suits you?

There is no overall winner — the suburb that suits a family with school-age kids is routinely the wrong one for someone commuting into the city. So each of these answers its own question, against a checklist you can see, using the same figures in the tables below.

Families with school-age kids

Tuggerah

ahead on 3 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more parks and reserves (7 vs 0)
  • has more childcare (4 vs 1)
  • has more schools inside the suburb (2 vs 0)
  • But Tacoma South carries lower crime risk (16/100 vs 99/100)

Weighs schools, house stock, crime, parks, childcare, and who already lives there.

First-home buyers

Tuggerah

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($825,500 vs $975,000)

Weighs house prices and mortgage stress.

Renters

Tuggerah

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has a bigger rental market to choose from (38% vs 7%)

Weighs rent, rental stress, and how much is for rent.

Commuting to the city

Tuggerah

ahead on 3 of the 4 things we measure here

  • is more walkable (58/100 vs 35/100)
  • has a shorter drive in (75 min vs 89 min)
  • sits closer to the CBD (91 km vs 96.2 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, rail access, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

They split

one each way, out of the 4 things we measure here

  • Tacoma South carries lower crime risk (16/100 vs 99/100)
  • Tuggerah has more GPs (7 vs 0)

Weighs who already lives there, GPs, walkability, and crime.

Investors

Too close to call

Nothing among the 1 things we measure here separates them by enough to be worth acting on.

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Tacoma South and Tuggerah drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Tacoma South Tuggerah
Hides rows where both suburbs match

Bars start at zero. Scores, risks and rankings are drawn against their full 0–100 range; other rows are drawn in proportion to the larger of the two.

Side by side, out of 100

Risks are inverted — shown as safety and low exposure — so a longer bar always means better.

Tacoma South Tuggerah
Walkability 35 / 58
Tacoma South — Walkability: 35/100 Tuggerah — Walkability: 58/100
Safety 84 / 1
Tacoma South — Safety: 84/100 Tuggerah — Safety: 1/100
Low fire risk 100 / 75
Tacoma South — Low fire risk: 100/100 Tuggerah — Low fire risk: 75/100

Demographics

Tuggerah has more residents (925 vs 257); Tacoma South skews older (43 vs 35).

Tacoma South Tuggerah
Population 257 925
+260% vs other
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +3.6% -0.2%
Median age 43 35
Median household income $92,612/yr
+12% vs other
 $81,588/yr
Median weekly rent $440/wk
+5% vs other
 $418/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Tacoma South Tuggerah
0-4 7.0% / 6.7%
Tacoma South — 0-4: 7.0% Tuggerah — 0-4: 6.7%
5-14 5.8% / 11.2%
Tacoma South — 5-14: 5.8% Tuggerah — 5-14: 11.2%
15-19 4.3% / 7.1%
Tacoma South — 15-19: 4.3% Tuggerah — 15-19: 7.1%
20-24 6.2% / 8.3%
Tacoma South — 20-24: 6.2% Tuggerah — 20-24: 8.3%
25-34 14.8% / 15.2%
Tacoma South — 25-34: 14.8% Tuggerah — 25-34: 15.2%
35-44 11.7% / 11.7%
Tacoma South — 35-44: 11.7% Tuggerah — 35-44: 11.7%
45-54 11.3% / 12.3%
Tacoma South — 45-54: 11.3% Tuggerah — 45-54: 12.3%
55-64 17.1% / 13.0%
Tacoma South — 55-64: 17.1% Tuggerah — 55-64: 13.0%
65-74 12.1% / 8.3%
Tacoma South — 65-74: 12.1% Tuggerah — 65-74: 8.3%
75-84 5.8% / 5.2%
Tacoma South — 75-84: 5.8% Tuggerah — 75-84: 5.2%
85+ 1.6% / 0.8%
Tacoma South — 85+: 1.6% Tuggerah — 85+: 0.8%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (17.1%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Tacoma South 45.7% couple families
Tacoma South — Couple Families: 45.7% Tacoma South — Lone Person: 30.0% Tacoma South — One Parent Families: 20.0% Tacoma South — Group Household: 4.3% Tacoma South — Other Families: 0.0%
Tuggerah 36.6% couple families
Tuggerah — Couple Families: 36.6% Tuggerah — Lone Person: 34.1% Tuggerah — One Parent Families: 23.1% Tuggerah — Group Household: 4.8% Tuggerah — Other Families: 1.4%
Couple Families Lone Person One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Tacoma South 6.7% renting
Tacoma South — Owned Outright: 37.1% Tacoma South — Mortgage: 56.2% Tacoma South — Renting: 6.7%
Tuggerah 38.3% renting
Tuggerah — Owned Outright: 26.8% Tuggerah — Mortgage: 34.9% Tuggerah — Renting: 38.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Where residents were born

Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents, 2021 Census. A dash means that country is not among the suburb's own eight largest.

Tacoma South Tuggerah
England 7.0% / 3.9%
Tacoma South — England: 7.0% Tuggerah — England: 3.9%
Philippines 1.2% / 2.5%
Tacoma South — Philippines: 1.2% Tuggerah — Philippines: 2.5%
China — / 1.7%
Tacoma South — China: not among its largest Tuggerah — China: 1.7%
New Zealand — / 1.6%
Tacoma South — New Zealand: not among its largest Tuggerah — New Zealand: 1.6%
Nepal — / 1.3%
Tacoma South — Nepal: not among its largest Tuggerah — Nepal: 1.3%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (7.0%).

Qualifications

Highest non-school qualification, residents 15+, 2021 Census.

Tacoma South Tuggerah
Certificate III & IV 23.3% / 15.7%
Tacoma South — Certificate III & IV: 23.3% Tuggerah — Certificate III & IV: 15.7%
Bachelor Degree 8.2% / 12.5%
Tacoma South — Bachelor Degree: 8.2% Tuggerah — Bachelor Degree: 12.5%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 10.1% / 10.3%
Tacoma South — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.1% Tuggerah — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.3%
Postgraduate Degree 1.6% / 2.6%
Tacoma South — Postgraduate Degree: 1.6% Tuggerah — Postgraduate Degree: 2.6%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate — / 1.1%
Tacoma South — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: not among its largest Tuggerah — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (23.3%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Tacoma South 100.0% houses
Tacoma South — Houses: 100.0% Tacoma South — Townhouses: 0.0% Tacoma South — Flats / Apartments: 0.0%
Tuggerah 72.9% houses
Tuggerah — Houses: 72.9% Tuggerah — Townhouses: 25.5% Tuggerah — Flats / Apartments: 1.6%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Tacoma South Tuggerah
Median house price $975,000 $825,500
Median unit price — $745,000
Median land price — $1,250,000
Typical days to sell (houses) — 16 days
from 6 sales

Zoning mix

Tacoma South has more land zoned for conservation (82% vs 50%); Tuggerah has more industrially zoned land (13% vs 0%).

Tacoma South Tuggerah
Environmental 82% 50%
Residential 17% 9%
Industrial 0% 13%
Infrastructure and transport 0% 13%
Commercial 0% 8%
Parks and recreation 0% 7%
Zoning sets what may be built, not what is there today. A single address can sit in a different zone to the suburb around it. Zones as at 2026-09.

Development activity

Tacoma South Tuggerah
New dwellings approved 1,441
across Central Coast (NSW)
same for both
Approvals change year on year +67%
same for both

Gross rental yield

Gross — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. From median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.

Tacoma South Tuggerah
Houses — 3.4%
$585/wk on $885K
Units —
same for both

Ranking within NSW

Tacoma South Tuggerah
House price Higher than 54% of NSW Higher than 34% of NSW
Income Higher than 60% of NSW Higher than 50% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 77% of NSW Higher than 84% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 55% of NSW Higher than 66% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 66% of NSW
same for both
NBN connectivity Higher than 90% of NSW Higher than 70% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) — Higher than 41% of NSW

Liveability

Tuggerah is more walkable (58 vs 35).

Tacoma South Tuggerah
Grade — C
Score — 37/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 6/10
 mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10

Risk profile

Tuggerah carries more bushfire risk (25 vs 0); Tuggerah carries more crime risk (99 vs 16).

Tacoma South Tuggerah
Bushfire None
0/100
 Low
25/100
Crime Low
16/100
 High
99/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
same for both
Aircraft noise None
0/100
same for both
Industrial facilities nearby 2
within 5 km
 4
within 5 km

Schools

Tacoma South Tuggerah
Inside the suburb 0 2
Rated above peers 0
same for both
Rated at peers 0 1
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km None 1
The University of Newcastle (Central Coast), 8.7 km

Schools in Tacoma South

No schools recorded inside this suburb's boundary. Children here will be zoned to schools nearby.

Schools in Tuggerah

  • Tuggerah Public School Government · Primary at peers
  • Aspect Central Coast School, Tuggerah Independent · Secondary · Special school

Amenities in the suburb

Tacoma South Tuggerah
Supermarkets 0 3
Cafes & restaurants 0 17
Parks & reserves 0 7
Childcare 1 4
GPs 0 7
Pharmacies 0 1
Banks & Bank@Post 0 8
Fuel stations 0 5
EV chargers 0 1
Waterways 0 24

Mobility

Tacoma South sits further from the CBD (96.2 km vs 91 km).

Tacoma South Tuggerah
Walkability score 35/100 58/100
Distance to Sydney 96.2 km
+5% vs other
 91 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 89 min 75 min
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 2259
same for both
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 56
postcode 2259
same for both

How people get to work

Method of travel on census day 2021 — which fell during COVID restrictions, so working from home is inflated and every travel mode understated.

Tacoma South Tuggerah
Car (driver) 67.0% / 60.4%
Tacoma South — Car (driver): 67.0% Tuggerah — Car (driver): 60.4%
Worked from Home 28.9% / 25.4%
Tacoma South — Worked from Home: 28.9% Tuggerah — Worked from Home: 25.4%
Car (passenger) — / 6.9%
Tacoma South — Car (passenger): not among its largest Tuggerah — Car (passenger): 6.9%
Train 4.1% / 2.0%
Tacoma South — Train: 4.1% Tuggerah — Train: 2.0%
Walked Only — / 4.6%
Tacoma South — Walked Only: not among its largest Tuggerah — Walked Only: 4.6%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (67.0%).

Setting

Tacoma South Tuggerah
Elevation 10 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 3 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 6.4 km 7.5 km

NBN connectivity

Tacoma South Tuggerah
Connectivity score 82/100 59/100
Most common technology Fibre to the premises Fibre to the node
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 67%
106 premises
 24%
1,940 premises

Climate

Tacoma South Tuggerah
Annual rainfall 1,272 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 26.4°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 10.6°C
same for both

Air quality (annual mean)

Tacoma South Tuggerah
PM2.5 5.1 µg/m³
same for both
PM10 14.8 µg/m³
same for both
NO₂ 0.36 pphm
same for both

Council rates

Tacoma South Tuggerah
Average residential rate $1,409/yr
same for both
Council Central Coast (NSW)
same for both

Federal electorate

Tacoma South Tuggerah
Division Dobell
same for both
Member Emma Mcbride
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Tacoma South Tuggerah
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Tacoma South

—

Tuggerah

Parks Quiet River Townhouses Transport Hub

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Tacoma South

Tacoma South vs Wyong Tacoma South vs Tacoma

Other comparisons with Tuggerah

Tuggerah vs Berkeley Vale Tuggerah vs Wyong Tuggerah vs Mardi Tuggerah vs Chittaway Bay Tuggerah vs Chittaway Point Tuggerah vs Kangy Angy
Full data on Tacoma South Full data on Tuggerah
Unlock full address-level data — $29/month

Information shown is provided as-is from Australian government and commercial data sources.
Always verify with the relevant authority before making property decisions.
See Data Sources and How We Calculate for details.

Save this page for later

We'll email you a link to this page so you can finish reading it on any device. We use your address once to send it and don't keep it.

or