Tweed Heads South vs Fingal Head

Fingal Head is the younger of the two, with a median age of 46 against 52 in Tweed Heads South. In both, most households own their home. In Tweed Heads South, about half of 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 $1.15 million in Tweed Heads South. On these figures, Tweed Heads South 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 schools rated above their peers (1 vs 0)
  • has more separate houses rather than flats (77% vs 52%)
  • is already more of a family suburb (61% vs 41%)
  • But Tweed Heads South has more schools inside the suburb (8 vs 1)

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

First-home buyers

Tweed Heads South

ahead on 2 of the 3 things we measure here

  • has cheaper houses ($1,150,000 vs $2,052,500)
  • has cheaper units ($799,500 vs $1,000,000)
  • But Fingal Head leaves households under less mortgage stress (34% vs 41%)

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 40%)

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 South is more walkable (66/100 vs 32/100)
  • Fingal Head sits closer to the CBD (806.9 km vs 809.2 km)

Weighs distance, drive time, and walkability.

Downsizers and retirees

Tweed Heads South

ahead on 4 of the 5 things we measure here

  • has more GPs (4 vs 0)
  • has more units and townhouses to downsize into (48% vs 23%)
  • is more walkable (66/100 vs 32/100)
  • But Fingal Head carries lower crime risk (64/100 vs 93/100)

Weighs smaller dwellings, 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

Tweed Heads South 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 South 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 South Fingal Head
Walkability 66 / 32
Tweed Heads South — Walkability: 66/100 Fingal Head — Walkability: 32/100
Safety 7 / 36
Tweed Heads South — Safety: 7/100 Fingal Head — Safety: 36/100
Low fire risk 67 / 59
Tweed Heads South — Low fire risk: 67/100 Fingal Head — Low fire risk: 59/100

Demographics

Tweed Heads South has more residents (7,941 vs 615); Fingal Head has higher household incomes ($83,928 vs $50,752).

Tweed Heads South Fingal Head
Population 7,941
+92% vs other
 615
Population trend (2016 → 2021) +4.3% +3.9%
Median age 52 46
Median household income $50,752/yr $83,928/yr
+65% vs other
Median weekly rent $390/wk $400/wk
+3% vs other

Age profile

Share of residents in each band, 2021 Census.

Tweed Heads South Fingal Head
0-4 4.2% / 3.3%
Tweed Heads South — 0-4: 4.2% Fingal Head — 0-4: 3.3%
5-14 9.5% / 12.4%
Tweed Heads South — 5-14: 9.5% Fingal Head — 5-14: 12.4%
15-19 4.7% / 6.0%
Tweed Heads South — 15-19: 4.7% Fingal Head — 15-19: 6.0%
20-24 4.7% / 4.9%
Tweed Heads South — 20-24: 4.7% Fingal Head — 20-24: 4.9%
25-34 9.7% / 8.0%
Tweed Heads South — 25-34: 9.7% Fingal Head — 25-34: 8.0%
35-44 9.6% / 12.0%
Tweed Heads South — 35-44: 9.6% Fingal Head — 35-44: 12.0%
45-54 10.5% / 15.3%
Tweed Heads South — 45-54: 10.5% Fingal Head — 45-54: 15.3%
55-64 13.1% / 18.9%
Tweed Heads South — 55-64: 13.1% Fingal Head — 55-64: 18.9%
65-74 15.2% / 12.5%
Tweed Heads South — 65-74: 15.2% Fingal Head — 65-74: 12.5%
75-84 12.3% / 4.1%
Tweed Heads South — 75-84: 12.3% Fingal Head — 75-84: 4.1%
85+ 6.5% / 2.1%
Tweed Heads South — 85+: 6.5% Fingal Head — 85+: 2.1%

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

Who lives together

Household composition, 2021 Census.

Tweed Heads South 50.5% lone person
Tweed Heads South — Lone Person: 50.5% Tweed Heads South — Couple Families: 22.6% Tweed Heads South — One Parent Families: 18.7% Tweed Heads South — Group Household: 6.3% Tweed Heads South — Other Families: 1.9%
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 South 32.3% renting
Tweed Heads South — Owned Outright: 44.3% Tweed Heads South — Mortgage: 23.4% Tweed Heads South — Renting: 32.3%
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 South Fingal Head
Certificate III & IV 17.0% / 13.3%
Tweed Heads South — Certificate III & IV: 17.0% Fingal Head — Certificate III & IV: 13.3%
Bachelor Degree 7.0% / 18.9%
Tweed Heads South — Bachelor Degree: 7.0% Fingal Head — Bachelor Degree: 18.9%
Advanced Diploma / Diploma 7.3% / 10.6%
Tweed Heads South — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 7.3% Fingal Head — Advanced Diploma / Diploma: 10.6%
Postgraduate Degree 1.6% / 3.3%
Tweed Heads South — Postgraduate Degree: 1.6% Fingal Head — Postgraduate Degree: 3.3%
Graduate Diploma / Certificate 1.0% / 2.0%
Tweed Heads South — Graduate Diploma / Certificate: 1.0% 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 South Fingal Head
England 5.6% / 6.3%
Tweed Heads South — England: 5.6% Fingal Head — England: 6.3%
New Zealand 3.2% / 3.4%
Tweed Heads South — New Zealand: 3.2% Fingal Head — New Zealand: 3.4%
India 1.5% / —
Tweed Heads South — India: 1.5% Fingal Head — India: not among its largest
Philippines 1.2% / —
Tweed Heads South — Philippines: 1.2% Fingal Head — Philippines: not among its largest
China 0.6% / 0.5%
Tweed Heads South — China: 0.6% Fingal Head — China: 0.5%
Scotland 0.7% / —
Tweed Heads South — Scotland: 0.7% Fingal Head — Scotland: not among its largest
Sri Lanka — / 0.5%
Tweed Heads South — Sri Lanka: not among its largest Fingal Head — Sri Lanka: 0.5%
Zimbabwe — / 0.5%
Tweed Heads South — 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 South 51.7% houses
Tweed Heads South — Houses: 51.7% Tweed Heads South — Townhouses: 31.2% Tweed Heads South — Flats / Apartments: 17.1%
Fingal Head 77.3% houses
Fingal Head — Houses: 77.3% Fingal Head — Townhouses: 7.4% Fingal Head — Flats / Apartments: 15.3%
Houses Townhouses Flats / Apartments

Property market

Tweed Heads South Fingal Head
Median house price $1,150,000 $2,052,500
Median unit price $799,500 $1,000,000
Median land price —
same for both
Typical days to sell (houses) 28 days
from 50 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 South Fingal Head
3 bed $1.08M / $1.59M
Tweed Heads South — 3 bed: $1.08M (46 sales) Fingal Head — 3 bed: $1.59M (6 sales)

46 vs 6 sales

4 bed $1.29M / $2.3M
Tweed Heads South — 4 bed: $1.29M (35 sales) Fingal Head — 4 bed: $2.3M (6 sales)

35 vs 6 sales

Zoning mix

Tweed Heads South Fingal Head
Other and special use 14% 82%
Residential 40% 9%
Parks and recreation 23% 6%
Industrial 10% 0%
Infrastructure and transport 6% 0%
Environmental 6% 2%
Commercial 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 South 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 South Fingal Head
Houses 5.3%
$950/wk on $930K
 —
Units 4.4%
$710/wk on $848K
 —

Ranking within NSW

Tweed Heads South Fingal Head
House price Higher than 58% of NSW Higher than 79% of NSW
Income Higher than 12% of NSW Higher than 51% of NSW
Schools Higher than 17% of NSW —
Walkability Higher than 87% of NSW Higher than 75% of NSW
Affordability Higher than 13% of NSW Higher than 17% of NSW
EV adoption Higher than 62% of NSW Higher than 91% of NSW
NBN connectivity Higher than 69% of NSW Higher than 80% of NSW
Rental yield (houses) Higher than 98% of NSW —
Rental yield (units) Higher than 38% of NSW —

Liveability

Tweed Heads South is more walkable (66 vs 32); Fingal Head scores higher overall (39 vs 21).

Tweed Heads South Fingal Head
Grade D C
Score 21/100 39/100
Socio-economic band below-average income
decile 2/10
 advantaged area
decile 8/10

Risk profile

Tweed Heads South carries more crime risk (93 vs 64).

Tweed Heads South Fingal Head
Bushfire Low
33/100
 Moderate
41/100
Crime High
93/100
 Moderate
64/100
Flood Not mapped
no mapped data here
same for both
Coastal erosion None
0/100
 High
91/100
Aircraft noise High
70/100
 None
0/100
Industrial facilities nearby 1
within 5 km
 0
within 5 km

Schools

Tweed Heads South Fingal Head
Inside the suburb 8 1
Rated above peers 0 1
Rated at peers 3 0
Rated below peers 2 0
Universities within 10 km 1
Gold Coast Airport Development Park - Bilinga, 5.2 km
 1
Gold Coast Airport Development Park - Bilinga, 7.3 km
Full-time students aged 15–24 0.7% 2.3%

Schools in Tweed Heads South

  • Tweed River High School Government · Secondary at peers
  • Pacific Gulgangali Jarjums Christian School Independent · Primary · Special school at peers
  • Pacific Hope Christian School Independent · Combined · Special school at peers
  • Pacific Coast Christian School Independent · Combined below peers
  • Tweed Heads South Public School Government · Primary below peers
  • Lindisfarne Anglican Grammar School, Junior School Independent · Primary

Schools in Fingal Head

  • Fingal Head Public School Government · Primary above peers

Amenities in the suburb

Tweed Heads South Fingal Head
Supermarkets 4 0
Cafes & restaurants 6 1
Parks & reserves 4 3
Childcare 6 0
GPs 4 0
Pharmacies 3 0
Banks & Bank@Post 8 0
Fuel stations 4 0

Mobility

Tweed Heads South sits further from the CBD (809.2 km vs 806.9 km).

Tweed Heads South Fingal Head
Walkability score 66/100 32/100
Distance to Sydney 809.2 km 806.9 km
Drive time (normal traffic) 514 min 515 min
Public transport score 79/100
Bus
 20/100
Bus
Peak arrivals per hour 160.8
7-9am + 5-7pm
 3.5
7-9am + 5-7pm
Median peak wait 0 min
scheduled, not actual
 3 min
scheduled, not actual
Electric vehicle share 0.6%
postcode 2486
 1.6%
postcode 2487
Rooftop solar per 100 dwellings 74
postcode 2486
 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 South Fingal Head
Car (driver) 75.4% / 71.1%
Tweed Heads South — Car (driver): 75.4% Fingal Head — Car (driver): 71.1%
Worked from Home 10.8% / 23.6%
Tweed Heads South — Worked from Home: 10.8% Fingal Head — Worked from Home: 23.6%
Car (passenger) 7.8% / 4.1%
Tweed Heads South — Car (passenger): 7.8% Fingal Head — Car (passenger): 4.1%
Walked Only 3.1% / —
Tweed Heads South — Walked Only: 3.1% Fingal Head — Walked Only: not among its largest
Bicycle 1.3% / 1.2%
Tweed Heads South — Bicycle: 1.3% Fingal Head — Bicycle: 1.2%
Bus 1.6% / —
Tweed Heads South — Bus: 1.6% Fingal Head — Bus: not among its largest

Bars are drawn against the largest share shown (75.4%).

Setting

Tweed Heads South Fingal Head
Elevation 6 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
 0 m
above sea level, at the suburb centre
Distance to the ocean 2.9 km
3.8 km to a named beach
 410 m
2.2 km to a named beach

NBN connectivity

Tweed Heads South Fingal Head
Connectivity score 57/100 74/100
Most common technology Fibre to the node Fibre to the premises
Full-fibre (FTTP) share 19%
5,626 premises
 53%
314 premises

Climate

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

Federal electorate

Tweed Heads South 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 South 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 South

Coastal Retirees Townhouses

Fingal Head

Coastal Premium Quiet

More comparisons

Other comparisons with Tweed Heads South

Tweed Heads South vs Banora Point Tweed Heads South vs Tweed Heads Tweed Heads South vs Tweed Heads West Tweed Heads South vs Bilambil Heights

Other comparisons with Fingal Head

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