Tweed Heads vs Fingal Head

Fingal Head is the younger of the two, with a median age of 46 against 55 in Tweed Heads. In both, most households own their home. In Tweed Heads, most households are people living alone. In Fingal Head, the large majority of homes are detached houses. Houses cost more in Fingal Head: a median of $2.05 million, against $1.5 million in Tweed Heads. On these figures, Tweed Heads tends to suit people living alone, older residents, and 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

Fingal Head

ahead on 4 of the 6 things we measure here

  • has more separate houses rather than flats (77% vs 25%)
  • has more schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • is already more of a family suburb (61% vs 36%)
  • But Tweed Heads has more childcare (4 vs 0)

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

First-home buyers

Tweed Heads

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • has cheaper houses ($1,500,000 vs $2,052,500)

Weighs house prices, unit prices, and mortgage stress.

Renters

Fingal Head

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • leaves renters under less rental stress (25% vs 35%)

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

Commuting to the city

They split

one each way, out of the 3 things we measure here

  • Tweed Heads is more walkable (80/100 vs 32/100)
  • Fingal Head sits closer to the CBD (806.9 km vs 810.2 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Tweed Heads

ahead on 4 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (7 vs 0)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (75% vs 23%)
  • is more walkable (80/100 vs 32/100)
  • But Fingal Head carries lower crime risk (64/100 vs 91/100)

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

Investors

Tweed Heads

ahead on the one thing that separates them

  • is growing faster (12.2% vs 3.9%)

Weighs population growth.

Where they sit

Tweed Heads and Fingal Head drawn to the same scale. Both outlines are shown together, so the map answers whether they share a border and how their areas compare.

Tweed Heads Fingal Head
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.

Tweed Heads Fingal Head
Walkability 80 / 32
Tweed Heads — Walkability: 80/100 Fingal Head — Walkability: 32/100
Safety 9 / 36
Tweed Heads — Safety: 9/100 Fingal Head — Safety: 36/100
Low fire risk 100 / 59
Tweed Heads — Low fire risk: 100/100 Fingal Head — Low fire risk: 59/100

Demographics

Tweed Heads has more residents (9,176 vs 615); Fingal Head has higher household incomes ($83,928 vs $59,176).

Tweed Heads Fingal Head
Population 9,176
+93% vs other
 615
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +12.2% +3.9%
Median age 55 46
Median household income $59,176/yr $83,928/yr
+42% vs other
Median weekly rent $403/wk $400/wk

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Tweed Heads Fingal Head
0-4 4.3% / 3.3%
Tweed Heads — 0-4: 4.3% Fingal Head — 0-4: 3.3%
5-14 6.7% / 12.4%
Tweed Heads — 5-14: 6.7% Fingal Head — 5-14: 12.4%
15-19 3.6% / 6.0%
Tweed Heads — 15-19: 3.6% Fingal Head — 15-19: 6.0%
20-24 4.1% / 4.9%
Tweed Heads — 20-24: 4.1% Fingal Head — 20-24: 4.9%
25-34 10.8% / 8.0%
Tweed Heads — 25-34: 10.8% Fingal Head — 25-34: 8.0%
35-44 10.6% / 12.0%
Tweed Heads — 35-44: 10.6% Fingal Head — 35-44: 12.0%
45-54 9.7% / 15.3%
Tweed Heads — 45-54: 9.7% Fingal Head — 45-54: 15.3%
55-64 14.4% / 18.9%
Tweed Heads — 55-64: 14.4% Fingal Head — 55-64: 18.9%
65-74 17.3% / 12.5%
Tweed Heads — 65-74: 17.3% Fingal Head — 65-74: 12.5%
75-84 12.6% / 4.1%
Tweed Heads — 75-84: 12.6% Fingal Head — 75-84: 4.1%
85+ 6.0% / 2.1%
Tweed Heads — 85+: 6.0% Fingal Head — 85+: 2.1%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.9%).

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Tweed Heads 55.0% lone person
Tweed Heads — Lone Person: 55.0% Tweed Heads — Couple Families: 21.3% Tweed Heads — One Parent Families: 14.5% Tweed Heads — Group Household: 7.5% Tweed Heads — Other Families: 1.6%
Fingal Head 31.1% lone person
Fingal Head — Lone Person: 31.1% Fingal Head — Couple Families: 41.9% Fingal Head — One Parent Families: 19.2% Fingal Head — Group Household: 4.2% Fingal Head — Other Families: 3.6%
Lone Person Couple Families One Parent Families Group Household Other Families

Who owns and who rents

Occupied private dwellings by tenure, 2021 Census.

Tweed Heads 35.5% renting
Tweed Heads — Owned Outright: 43.1% Tweed Heads — Mortgage: 21.5% Tweed Heads — Renting: 35.5%
Fingal Head 32.3% renting
Fingal Head — Owned Outright: 43.8% Fingal Head — Mortgage: 24.0% Fingal Head — Renting: 32.3%
Owned outright Mortgage Renting

Qualifications

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

Tweed Heads Fingal Head
Bachelor Degree 11.8% / 18.9%
Tweed Heads — Bachelor Degree: 11.8% Fingal Head — Bachelor Degree: 18.9%
Certificate III & IV 16.0% / 13.3%
Tweed Heads — Certificate III & IV: 16.0% Fingal Head — Certificate III & IV: 13.3%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 8.4% / 10.6%
Tweed Heads — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 8.4% Fingal Head — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.6%
Postgraduate Degree 3.0% / 3.3%
Tweed Heads — Postgraduate Degree: 3.0% Fingal Head — Postgraduate Degree: 3.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.4% / 2.0%
Tweed Heads — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.4% Fingal Head — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 2.0%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (18.9%).

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.

Tweed Heads Fingal Head
England 5.0% / 6.3%
Tweed Heads — England: 5.0% Fingal Head — England: 6.3%
New Zealand 3.7% / 3.4%
Tweed Heads — New Zealand: 3.7% Fingal Head — New Zealand: 3.4%
Brazil 2.3% / —
Tweed Heads — Brazil: 2.3% Fingal Head — Brazil: not among its largest
Philippines 1.0% / —
Tweed Heads — Philippines: 1.0% Fingal Head — Philippines: not among its largest
Scotland 0.7% / —
Tweed Heads — Scotland: 0.7% Fingal Head — Scotland: not among its largest
China — / 0.5%
Tweed Heads — China: not among its largest Fingal Head — China: 0.5%
Sri Lanka — / 0.5%
Tweed Heads — Sri Lanka: not among its largest Fingal Head — Sri Lanka: 0.5%
Zimbabwe — / 0.5%
Tweed Heads — Zimbabwe: not among its largest Fingal Head — Zimbabwe: 0.5%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (6.3%).

What people live in

Occupied private dwellings by structure, 2021 Census.

Tweed Heads 24.9% houses
Tweed Heads — Houses: 24.9% Tweed Heads — Flats / Apartments: 44.9% Tweed Heads — Townhouses: 30.2%
Fingal Head 77.3% houses
Fingal Head — Houses: 77.3% Fingal Head — Flats / Apartments: 15.3% Fingal Head — Townhouses: 7.4%
Houses Flats / Apartments Townhouses

Property market

Tweed Heads Fingal Head
Median house price $1,500,000 $2,052,500
Median unit price $930,000 $1,000,000
Median land price $1,100,000 —
Typical days to sell (houses) 28 days
from 38 sales
 130 days
from 4 sales

House price by bedroom count

Only bed counts both suburbs published enough sales for. Sale counts are shown because the buckets differ in depth.

Tweed Heads Fingal Head
3 bed $1.5M / $1.59M
Tweed Heads — 3 bed: $1.5M (28 sales) Fingal Head — 3 bed: $1.59M (6 sales)

28 vs 6 sales

4 bed $1.64M / $2.3M
Tweed Heads — 4 bed: $1.64M (20 sales) Fingal Head — 4 bed: $2.3M (6 sales)

20 vs 6 sales

Zoning mix

Tweed Heads Fingal Head
Other and special use 1% 82%
Residential 62% 9%
Parks and recreation 12% 6%
Environmental 9% 2%
Commercial 7% 0%
Industrial 6% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 2% 0%
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

Tweed Heads Fingal Head
New dwellings approved 331
across Tweed
same for both
Approvals change year on year -50%
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.

Tweed Heads Fingal Head
Houses 3.3%
$900/wk on $1.4M
 —
Units 4.0%
$800/wk on $1.03M
 —

Ranking within NSW

Tweed Heads Fingal Head
House price Higher than 78% of NSW Higher than 79% of NSW
Income Higher than 21% of NSW Higher than 51% of NSW
Schools —
same for both
Walkability Higher than 92% of NSW Higher than 75% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 7% of NSW Higher than 17% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 67% of NSW Higher than 91% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 70% of NSW Higher than 80% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 36% of NSW —
Rental yield (units) Higher than 24% of NSW —

Liveability

Tweed Heads is more walkable (80 vs 32).

Tweed Heads Fingal Head
Grade C
same for both
Score 43/100 39/100
Socio-economic band mid-range socio-economic
decile 4/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

Fingal Head carries more bushfire risk (41 vs 0); Tweed Heads carries more crime risk (91 vs 64).

Tweed Heads Fingal Head
Bushfire None
0/100
 Moderate
41/100
Crime High
91/100
 Moderate
64/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion High
81/100
 High
91/100
Aircraft noise High
70/100
 None
0/100
Industrial facilities nearby 4
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Tweed Heads Fingal Head
Inside the suburb 2 1
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 2 0
Rated below peers 0
same for both
Universities within 10 km 1
Gold Coast Airport Development Park - Bilinga, 3.5 km
 1
Gold Coast Airport Development Park - Bilinga, 7.3 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 0.8% 2.3%

Schools in Tweed Heads

  • St Joseph's Primary School Catholic · Primary at peers
  • Tweed Heads Public School Government · Primary at peers

Schools in Fingal Head

  • Fingal Head Public School Government · Primary above peers

Amenities in the suburb

Tweed Heads Fingal Head
Supermarkets 5 0
Cafes & restaurants 7 1
Parks & reserves 11 3
Childcare 4 0
GPs 7 0
Pharmacies 4 0
Police stations 1 0
Banks & Bank@Post 2 0
Fuel stations 3 0
Beaches 1 0

Mobility

Tweed Heads sits further from the CBD (810.2 km vs 806.9 km).

Tweed Heads Fingal Head
Walkability score 80/100 32/100
Distance to Sydney 810.2 km 806.9 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 518 min 515 min
Public transport score 75/100
Bus
 20/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 26.0
7-9am + 5-7pm
 3.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 1 min
scheduled, not actual
 3 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 2485
 1.6%
postcode 2487
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 40
postcode 2485
 66
postcode 2487

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.

Tweed Heads Fingal Head
Car (driver) 69.3% / 71.1%
Tweed Heads — Car (driver): 69.3% Fingal Head — Car (driver): 71.1%
Worked from Home 16.1% / 23.6%
Tweed Heads — Worked from Home: 16.1% Fingal Head — Worked from Home: 23.6%
Car (passenger) 3.8% / 4.1%
Tweed Heads — Car (passenger): 3.8% Fingal Head — Car (passenger): 4.1%
Walked Only 7.5% / —
Tweed Heads — Walked Only: 7.5% Fingal Head — Walked Only: not among its largest
Bicycle 2.0% / 1.2%
Tweed Heads — Bicycle: 2.0% Fingal Head — Bicycle: 1.2%

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (71.1%).

Setting

Tweed Heads Fingal Head
Elevation 13 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 0 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 1.4 km
1.4 km to a named beach
 410 m
2.2 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Tweed Heads Fingal Head
Connectivity score 60/100 74/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 22%
6,360 premises
 53%
314 premises

Climate

Tweed Heads Fingal Head
Annual rainfall 1,637 mm
same for both
Summer max (Jan) 28.6°C
same for both
Winter min (Jul) 10.5°C
same for both

Council rates

Tweed Heads Fingal Head
Average residential rate $1,745/yr
same for both
Council Tweed
same for both

Federal electorate

Tweed Heads Fingal Head
Division Richmond
same for both
Member Justine Elliot
same for both
Party Australian Labor Party
same for both

First Home Owner Grant

Tweed Heads Fingal Head
Grant amount $10,000
same for both
Property price cap $600,000
same for both
Eligibility New
same for both

Tags

Tweed Heads

Apartments Beach Coastal Parks Regional Centre Retirees Townhouses

Fingal Head

Coastal Premium Quiet

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Tweed Heads

Tweed Heads vs Tweed Heads South Tweed Heads vs Tweed Heads West

Other comparisons with Fingal Head

Fingal Head vs Banora Point Fingal Head vs Kingscliff Fingal Head vs Tweed Heads South Fingal Head vs Chinderah
Full data on Tweed Heads Full data on Fingal Head
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.

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