Tharwa ACT 2620
Tharwa sits 35 km from Canberra CBD in Australian Capital Territory, around 38 minutes by car. Census data records 82 residents with a median age of 32 and a median household income of $111,800 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the top 20% nationally. The locality grew 1.2% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $187 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,759. Tharwa is characterised by high bushfire risk and high crime risk. Walkability is low.
This locality is too small to rate.
The Liveability Rating is calculated for suburbs of 500 residents or more, and this one has 82. Below that the school, census and safety figures behind the score cover too few people to rank fairly against the rest of the state. The individual measures further down this page are still shown.
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Rental Market
Rental affordability
June quarter 2025100 Moderately unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 30% of its income on the median rent in postcode 2620.
SGS Rental Affordability Index: a score of 100 means rent takes 30% of income, the usual housing-stress line; lower scores are less affordable. "Region" is the capital city or the rest of the state.
Is Tharwa safe? Crime statistics
2025Crime in Tharwa sits in the high band, with 1 incidents recorded in 2025.
1 offences
Crime Trend
Schools
Walkability
Tharwa is very car-dependent on foot — at 10/100, nearly all errands require a car.
We hold no public transport timetable data for this area, so public transport is not rated here and the score is spread across the remaining components. It is not counted as zero.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Tharwa.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 0%
- Premises covered
- 17
NBN Co fixed-line and fixed-wireless premises, as at 30 December 2025. Higher-quality technologies (full fibre) score above copper, wireless, and satellite. Actual speeds depend on your plan.
Amenities
Socio-economic profile
Tharwa is home to 82 residents, and skews young, with a median age of 32 against the national 38. Median household income runs at $112,000 a year, with unemployment at 0.0%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
82
Median Age
32
Median Household Income
$111,800/yr
Census Median Rent
$187/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,759/mo
Avg Household Size
2.8
Median Personal Income
$47,216/yr
Unemployment Rate
0.0%
Unoccupied Dwellings
12.9%
Total Dwellings
31
Owner-Occupier Rate
59.1%
Houses
71.0%
Rental Stress
8.7%
Mortgage Stress
18.9%
Work From Home
18.6%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 90.2%
- English Spoken at Home
- 90.2%
- Employment Rate
- 70.8%
- Completed Year 12
- 50.0%
Occupations
Religion
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $3,105 a year through Unincorporated ACT based on 2026 figures.
Building Approvals: Unincorporated ACT
In the year to August 2026, 3,750 new dwellings were approved across Unincorporated ACT. That mix is 813 houses and 2,937 units. Approvals are down 47.7% on the same period a year earlier.
Air Quality
MODERATEPM2.5 averaged 7.3 µg/m³ in 2025 — below Australia's NEPM annual standard (8 µg/m³), slightly above the stricter WHO guideline (5 µg/m³). 9 days exceeded the daily threshold of 25 µg/m³.
PM10 averaged 11.9 µg/m³ · NO₂ averaged 0.32 pphm. Days over the limit in 2025: PM10 1 · NO₂ 0 · ozone 0.
From the Monash monitoring station, 10.7 km away. ACT Health publishes these readings unverified, so they may still be revised.
Climate & Setting
from Tuggeranong (Isabella Plains) AWS, 10.6 kmModerate rainfall — warm summers, frosty winters.
- Elevation
- 655 m
- above sea level, at the locality centre
- Annual rainfall
- 686 mm
- 67 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 28.2°C
- 8 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 0.9°C
- 61 frost days ≤ 0°C
Elevation is the ground at the locality centre, from Geoscience Australia's National Digital Elevation Model. Approximate — it reads high in dense built-up areas. It is a measure of height above sea level and not an indicator of flood risk, which depends on height above nearby waterways.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 2620, 8,575 rooftop-solar systems totalling 74.7 MW have been installed since 2001, against 17,989 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 840 went up in the last year.
Counts every system certified since 2001, so a roof re-fitted with a newer system is counted twice, and small commercial systems are included alongside houses — useful for comparing postcodes, not an estimate of how many homes have working panels today.
2026 covers part of the year only, to 2026-07.
First Home Owner Grant
FY2026-27No First Home Owner Grant is available in this state — the scheme has been replaced with a separate stamp-duty concession.
The Home Buyer Concession Scheme (HBCS) instead provides a stamp-duty reduction of up to ~$34,000 for eligible buyers under the income threshold.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by David Smith Australian Labor Party
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | David Smith | 69.3% | 30.7% | +6.3 |
| 2022 | David Smith | 63.0% | 37.0% | -5.4 |
| 2019 | David Smith | 57.5% | 42.5% | +1.3 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact locality's voters across time.
State Electorate
Elected at the 2024 election:
- Mark Parton Canberra Liberals
- Deborah Morris Canberra Liberals
- Caitlin Tough ACT Labor
- Taimus Werner-Gibbings ACT Labor
- Laura Nuttall The ACT Greens
Next election: 21 October 2028.
| Year | Seats won |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 2 Canberra Liberals · 2 ACT Labor · 1 The ACT Greens |
| 2020 | 2 Australian Labor Party · 2 Canberra Liberals · 1 ACT Greens |
A vacancy here is filled by a recount of the original votes, not a by-election, so a member listed may since have been replaced. Boundaries were last redrawn in 2023. Results: Elections ACT.
Looking at a specific address in Tharwa?
Every figure above is a locality average, and an average smooths over the difference between a street of family homes and a block of flats. Look up one address and you get the census for the few hundred people around it, its own nearest schools and stops, and what the state has mapped for that block.
- The census for a few hundred neighbours, not all 82 residents
- Nearest and zoned schools, with the walk from that door
- Flood, bushfire and noise mapping, where the state publishes it
Free to look up. Subscribers see every section in full — $29/month.
Checking the whole city?
Suburbs to avoid in Canberra There is no list of bad suburbs, but there are hazards the state measures and publishes — recorded crime, bushfire exposure, flood overlays and aircraft noise. Canberra suburbs ranked on them, with what the numbers do and don't mean.Compare Tharwa to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other ACT suburb — type a name and pick one.
Common questions about Tharwa
Is Tharwa a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Tharwa is high (88/100, ranked against other ACT suburbs on offences per resident). Offences against shops, venues and visitors are divided by the people who live here, so suburbs with large daytime or visitor populations rank higher than living there may feel.
What natural hazards affect Tharwa?
Tharwa has a high recorded bushfire history (98/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). No mapped flood overlay applies. These are locality-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
What is the population of Tharwa?
Tharwa, ACT had a population of 82 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Tharwa, ACT?
The postcode for Tharwa, ACT is 2620.
How far is Tharwa from Canberra?
Tharwa is 35 km from Canberra CBD by road, about 38 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Tharwa?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Tharwa was $111,800 a year. It is the most recent suburb-level income figure until 2026 Census results are released in 2027.
What is the median weekly rent in Tharwa?
There are too few current rental listings in Tharwa for a reliable median. At the 2021 ABS Census the median weekly rent was $187, across all dwelling types.
What is the median age in Tharwa?
The median age of residents in Tharwa was 32 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Tharwa at risk of bushfire?
Tharwa has a high recorded bushfire history (98/100). The score comes from Geoscience Australia's historical bushfire boundaries, with planned burns excluded: the area of recorded fires touching the locality relative to its size, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history. It records where fire has burned, not a bushfire-prone land designation, which your council's planning scheme sets.
Is Tharwa walkable?
Tharwa scores 10/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it very car-dependent. The score is a weighted average of public transport, schools, parks, supermarkets, GPs, pharmacies, childcare, and hospitals within walking distance.
What is the air quality in Tharwa?
The nearest government air-quality monitoring station to Tharwa (Monash) recorded a 2025 annual mean PM2.5 of 7.3 µg/m³ and PM10 of 11.9 µg/m³. That puts Tharwa below the Australian NEPM annual standard of 8 µg/m³ but above the stricter WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.
What is the weather like in Tharwa?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Tharwa, Tuggeranong (Isabella Plains) AWS (10.6 km away), summer days average 28.2°C, winter nights 0.9°C, 686 mm of rain a year over 67 rainy days, and 8 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
What first-home buyer assistance is available in Tharwa?
ACT does not have a First Home Owner Grant — the scheme was replaced with the Home Buyer Concession Scheme, a stamp-duty reduction for eligible first-home buyers under the income threshold. Confirm eligibility with the ACT Revenue Office before signing a contract.
What council does Tharwa belong to?
Tharwa sits within the Unincorporated ACT local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Tharwa?
The average residential rates bill through Unincorporated ACT is $3,105 a year (2026). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Tharwa?
Across Unincorporated ACT, 3,750 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's down 47.7% on the same period a year earlier. These are LGA-level totals — every suburb in the council shares the same figure.
Which federal electorate is Tharwa in?
Tharwa sits within the federal Division of Bean, currently held by David Smith (Australian Labor Party).
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Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Council rates · FY 2026–27
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2025
- Air quality · 2025
- Climate · 2006–2026
- Socio-economic (SEIFA) · 2021
- First Home Owner Grant · Sep 2026
- Federal electorate · 2025
- State electorate · 2024
- Amenities · Sep 2026
- Health & emergency facilities · Sep 2026
- Industrial emissions (NPI) · 2024/2025
- Coastal erosion · 1988–2025
- Aircraft noise · 2024
Vintages show when each source's data is from. See all data sources.
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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.