Tweed Heads South NSW 2486
Tweed Heads South sits 809 km from Sydney CBD in New South Wales, around 8 hours 35 minutes by car. Census data records 7,941 residents with a median age of 52 and a median household income of $50,752 per year. By household income, education, and employment patterns, it ranks in the bottom 20% nationally. The suburb grew 4.3% between 2016 and 2021. At the 2021 Census, households here paid a median rent of $390 per week and a median monthly mortgage of $1,733. Tweed Heads South is characterised by high crime risk and high aircraft noise risk. 8 schools sit within the suburb boundary, and walkability is moderate.
Is Tweed Heads South a good suburb?
Tweed Heads South scores a D (21/100) on SuburbScan's Liveability grade — strong on transit, weaker on schools, prices, safety, and community.
Below the state average
8 schools · Bottom 17% in NSW
Very walkable
Walkability 66/100 · 809.2 km · 514 min drive to Sydney
Above the state median
Median $1.15M · Less affordable than 87% of NSW
High crime risk
Fire 33/100 · Crime 93/100
Highly disadvantaged
SEIFA decile 2/10 · median age 52 · 7,941 residents
Liveability Rating
21 / 100 · Ranked #1440 in NSWEach bar is Tweed Heads South's rank among NSW suburbs, from 0 to 100 (higher is better).
No flood data is published for New South Wales — a blank here means we hold no data, not that there is no risk.
How do you rate the liveability in Tweed Heads South?
Local knowledge beats any dataset. Rate it and see what other residents think.
Our score
21 / 100
From schools, safety and socio-economic data — not opinion.
Residents say
…
Median House Price
Public listings dataTweed Heads South's house market is moving higher: the median sale price reached $1.15 million, about 8% above where it sat a year earlier.
Houses
$1,150,000
5% below its 5 neighbours (median $1,210,000)
Based on 109 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 28 days — median across 50 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 15 sales $800K
- 3 bed 46 sales $1.08M
- 4 bed 35 sales $1.29M
- 5 bed 5 sales $1.12M
- 6 bed 5 sales $1.53M
Units
$799,500
14% below its 4 neighbours (median $930,000)
Based on 56 recorded sales in the last 24 months.
Typically sold in 20 days — median across 26 sales that recorded a listing period
By bedrooms
- 2 bed 30 sales $776K
- 3 bed 23 sales $855K
Currently for Sale
Last 6 monthsHouses in Tweed Heads South are currently listed at around $930,000 on average. Based on 41 houses listed in the past six months.
Houses
$930K
41 houses listed in the last 6 months.
Units
$848K
22 units listed in the last 6 months.
63 of the suburb's 3,424 dwellings (1.8%) were listed for sale in the last 6 months.
Rental Market
Advertised rents · last 6 monthsHouses in Tweed Heads South rent for around $950 a week on average, based on 19 houses listed for rent in the past six months.
Houses
$950/wk
4% below its 3 neighbours (median $990/wk)
19 houses advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
Units
$710/wk
8 units advertised for rent in the last 6 months.
27 rentals advertised against an estimated 1,106 rented homes (2.4%) in the last 6 months.
Rent agreed on new leases
Jul–Sep 2026- 3-bed houses
- $925/wk
- 29 bonds
- +40% since 2021
- 2-bed units
- $750/wk
- 12 bonds
- +61% since 2021
Median weekly rent on bonds lodged for new tenancies across postcode 2486 (NSW publishes bonds by postcode, which can cover several suburbs). Change since 2021 compares the median of the first four quarters with the last four. Asking rents above come from advertised listings.
Rental affordability
June quarter 202572 Severely unaffordable · the average rental household in this region would pay about 42% of its income on the median rent in postcode 2486.
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.
Gross rental yield
Indicative$950/week ($49,000 a year) on a $930,000 median
$710/week ($37,000 a year) on a $848,000 median
Gross yield — before strata, rates, management, insurance and vacancy. Calculated from median advertised rents and median asking prices over the last 6 months. How we calculate.
Short-Stay Rentals
19 active Airbnb listings: 16 whole homes and 3 rooms. Whole homes are about 0.4% of the suburb's homes.
Airbnb only, as at Jun 2026; other platforms are not included. Active means reviewed in the past 12 months. The share is against private dwellings at the 2021 Census.
Is Tweed Heads South safe? Crime statistics
2025Crime in Tweed Heads South sits in the high band, with 1,360 incidents recorded in 2025 — up roughly 11% on the prior year.
1,360 offences
11.2% since 2024Crime Trend
Serious Road Crashes
2021–202524 crashes
where someone was killed or admitted to hospital, 1 of them fatal
Where they happened
Crashes are counted where they happened, so a main road through the suburb carries people passing through; this is not a measure of risk to residents. Roads are listed with 3 or more serious crashes.
Council Flood Studies
Tweed Shire Council has published 8 flood studies on the NSW Flood Data Portal. The mapped flood areas are in those studies; SuburbScan does not hold them.
Aircraft Noise
ANEF Contour Details
Moderate impact — noise insulation required
Noticeable aircraft noise
Schools
Eight schools serve Tweed Heads South, and the cohort is trailing peer-suburb performance.
- • 1,872 students across 6 schools (avg 312)
- • Sectors: 5 Independent, 3 Government
- • ICSEA 781-1027, median 938 (below the national baseline of 1000)
- • Largest: Pacific Coast Christian School (999 students)
Primary
Secondary
Combined
Universities nearby
0.7% of residents here are full-time university students aged 15–24.
Distance is measured to the suburb centre. A campus nearby does not by itself mean a student rental market — most suburbs within a few kilometres of one have a student share close to the national norm, and the figure above is what tells them apart.
Walkability
Tweed Heads South is somewhat walkable on foot — at 66/100, a short cluster of errands work on foot but most trips still benefit from a car. Within the suburb there are 4 supermarkets, 4 parks and 6 cafes to anchor that walking radius.
Public transport
Weekday and weekend service frequency across every stop inside Tweed Heads South.
- Peak (7-9am + 5-7pm)
- 160.8 arrivals/hr
- Off-peak weekday
- 118.8 arrivals/hr
- Saturday
- 95.7 arrivals/hr
- Median peak wait
- 0 min
- Span of service
- 25.1 hours
Scheduled service only, based on the 21 October 2026 timetable. Reliability (delays, cancellations) not measured.
NBN connectivity
The internet access technology available across NBN premises in Tweed Heads South.
- Full-fibre (FTTP) share
- 19%
- Premises covered
- 5,626
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
Tweed: council population
The three add up to the change above. These are council-wide figures from the ABS, not figures for this suburb alone — this suburb's own population is in the census section above.
Socio-economic profile
The ABS scores 20 small areas inside this suburb and averages them into the single decile above. They fall into 5 different deciles — a wide range, so parts of this suburb rank well above the average and parts well below it.
Tweed Heads South is home to about 7,900 residents, with a median age of 52 — noticeably older than the national figure of 38. Median household income runs at $51,000 a year, with unemployment at 6.2%.
2021 Census · change since 2016
Population
7,941
Median Age
52
Median Household Income
$50,752/yr
Census Median Rent
$390/wk
Census Median Mortgage
$1,733/mo
Avg Household Size
2.1
Median Personal Income
$29,172/yr
Unemployment Rate
6.2%
Unoccupied Dwellings
7.5%
Total Dwellings
3,424
Owner-Occupier Rate
67.7%
Houses
51.7%
Rental Stress
40.0%
Mortgage Stress
41.0%
Work From Home
10.8%
Dwelling Types
Property Ownership
192 rented from a state or territory housing authority and 70 from a community housing provider, as a share of the 1,054 rented dwellings above — not of all dwellings.
Demographics
- Born in Australia
- 74.4%
- English Spoken at Home
- 86.6%
- Employment Rate
- 42.1%
- Completed Year 12
- 32.2%
Occupations
Religion
Country of Birth (overseas)
Largest overseas birthplaces, as a share of all residents.
When They Arrived
Share of all residents by the year they arrived in Australia. Periods cover different numbers of years, so compare the shape rather than the bar widths.
185 residents (2.3%) arrived since 2016. Australia’s borders were closed to most arrivals from March 2020, so the last two years of that period are much smaller than the ones before them — nationally 260,799 people arrived in 2019 against 28,521 in 2021.
Where New Residents Came From
Where residents aged five and over lived five years before the 2021 Census, for those who lived somewhere else.
5.2% of residents (399) lived in a capital city five years earlier, most of them in Brisbane (163).
Top places newcomers came from, as a share of the 7,609 residents aged five and over. Areas are ABS statistical regions. Small counts are approximate: the ABS adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Languages Spoken at Home
Top languages other than English, as a share of all residents.
Age Distribution
Family & Household Composition
Commute to Work
1% of employed residents work in a capital's city centre (30 of 2,885).
City centre: the ABS area around each capital's CBD, such as Sydney Inner City or Perth City (which takes in Subiaco and Leederville). 2021 Census place of work.
Local Jobs
People who work in this suburb against employed people who live here, 2021 Census.
About 6,553 people work here; 2,885 employed residents live here.
A jobs hub: 2.3 jobs for every working resident. At least 55% of the people who work here must live elsewhere.
Counts are by place of work and place of usual residence. The ABS counts jobs in zones; where a zone spans several places, its jobs are shared out by land use. The ABS also adjusts every figure slightly to protect privacy.
Education
Cars per Dwelling
Council Rates
Households face an average residential rates bill of $1,745 a year through Tweed based on 2024 figures.
How this land is zoned
- Residential 40%
- Parks and recreation 23%
- Other and special use 14%
- Industrial 10%
- Infrastructure and transport 6%
- Environmental 6%
- Commercial 2%
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 — the property page shows the zone for one address.
Building Approvals: Tweed
In the year to August 2026, 331 new dwellings were approved across Tweed. That mix is 187 houses and 144 units. Approvals are down 49.7% on the same period a year earlier.
Aboriginal Land Council
Aboriginal land in this area is administered by the Tweed Byron Local Aboriginal Land Council.
Local Aboriginal Land Councils are statutory bodies under the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1983, responsible for land claims and land management for their members. Their boundaries are administrative and are not a statement of whose Country this is. NSW does not publish a register of Aboriginal parties by area — they are registered for each project.
Climate & Setting
from Coolangatta, 4.6 kmHigh rainfall — mild summers, mild winters.
- Elevation
- 6 m
- above sea level, at the suburb centre
- Distance to the ocean
- 2.9 km
- 3.8 km to a named beach
- Annual rainfall
- 1,637 mm
- 113 rainy days
- Summer max (Jan)
- 28.6°C
- 0 days ≥ 35°C
- Winter min (Jul)
- 10.5°C
- 0 frost days ≤ 0°C
Elevation is the ground at the suburb 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.
Industrial Emissions Nearby
1 facility within 5 km- 4.8 kmPetroleum Product WholesalingTop reported: Total Volatile Organic Compounds · Cumene (1-methylethylbenzene) · Xylenes (individual or mixed isomers)
EV adoption
In postcode 2486, 136 of 22,045 registered light vehicles are battery-electric on 31 January 2025. A further 3.1% (674 vehicles) are hybrid or plug-in hybrid, taking the non-petrol, non-diesel share to 3.7%.
Rooftop solar
In postcode 2486, 10,037 rooftop-solar systems totalling 58.3 MW have been installed since 2001, against 13,583 dwellings recorded in the 2021 Census. 494 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
FY2026-27$10,000 for new homes priced up to $600,000.
Off-the-plan or contracted-build value cap is $750,000 (vs $600,000 for completed new homes). Stamp duty concessions are a separate scheme (First Home Buyers Assistance).
Mortgage repayments
2 mortgage brokers are registered in this suburb, 12 across postcode 2486.
Transfer duty at the owner-occupier rate, and it excludes first home buyer concessions — those can cut it substantially or remove it entirely. Excludes legal, inspection and lender fees. Check with Revenue NSW
The First Home Owner Grant applies to newly built homes only, so it isn't available on an established purchase. A first home buyer building or buying new under $600,000 may qualify for $10,000 — see what qualifies with Revenue NSW.
At $1,150,000 this is $550,000 above the $600,000 First Home Owner Grant cap. A first home buyer may qualify for $10,000 on a newly built home — check eligibility with Revenue NSW.
A deposit under 20% usually attracts Lenders Mortgage Insurance, which this doesn't include.
Principal and interest over 30 years, fixed rate. Excludes fees, offset, redraw and LMI. Default rate is the median comparison rate across 1788 advertised products as at 2026-10-26 — indicative only, and not an offer. Your rate depends on the lender, your deposit and your circumstances. Not financial advice.
Federal Electorate
Currently held by Justine Elliot Australian Labor Party
| Year | Winner | 2PP ALP | 2PP LNP | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Justine Elliot | 60.0% | 40.0% | +1.8 |
| 2022 | Justine Elliot | 58.2% | 41.8% | -4.2 |
| 2019 | Justine Elliot | 54.1% | 45.9% | -0.1 |
Results are per division — federal electoral boundaries are redrawn periodically, so the history reflects this division's past, not necessarily the exact suburb's voters across time.
State Electorate
Currently held by Geoff Provest The Nationals
Next state election: 13 March 2027.
| Year | Winner | Won with |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Geoff Provest NP | 53.6% |
| 2019 | Geoff Provest NP | 55.0% |
| 2015 | Geoff Provest NP | 53.2% |
Results are per district. Districts were last redrawn in 2021, so results from before then describe the district of that name, not necessarily this suburb's voters. Results: © State of New South Wales through the NSW Electoral Commission, CC BY 4.0, adapted.
Looking at a specific address in Tweed Heads South?
Every figure above is a suburb 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 7,941 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.
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Nearby suburbs
Compare Tweed Heads South to another suburb
Side-by-side stats for any other NSW suburb — type a name and pick one.
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Common questions about Tweed Heads South
Is Tweed Heads South a safe place to live?
Recorded crime in Tweed Heads South is high (93/100, ranked against other NSW 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 Tweed Heads South?
Tweed Heads South has a low recorded bushfire history (33/100, ranked against every Australian suburb with any fire history). Part of it sits inside an aircraft noise contour. These are suburb-wide figures; check the address, as flood and bushfire exposure change street by street.
Is Tweed Heads South a good place to live?
Tweed Heads South has a SuburbScan Liveability grade of D (21/100), ranked against other NSW suburbs on school quality (25%), safety (25%), SEIFA socio-economic advantage (25%), walkability (15%) and CBD access (10%). Whether it suits you depends on what you weigh — each of those is on this page.
What is the population of Tweed Heads South?
Tweed Heads South, NSW had a population of 7,941 at the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics census.
What is the postcode for Tweed Heads South, NSW?
The postcode for Tweed Heads South, NSW is 2486.
How far is Tweed Heads South from Sydney?
Tweed Heads South is 809 km from Sydney CBD by road, about 514 minutes by car in normal traffic. Distance is the most-direct driving route, not straight-line.
What is the median household income in Tweed Heads South?
At the 2021 ABS Census, median household income in Tweed Heads South was $50,752 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 Tweed Heads South?
The median advertised rent in Tweed Heads South is $950 a week for houses (19 listings) and $710 a week for units (8 listings), from rental listings over the last six months.
What is the median age in Tweed Heads South?
The median age of residents in Tweed Heads South was 52 at the 2021 ABS Census.
Is Tweed Heads South at risk of bushfire?
Tweed Heads South has a low recorded bushfire history (33/100). The score comes from Geoscience Australia's historical bushfire boundaries, with planned burns excluded: the area of recorded fires touching the suburb 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.
How are the schools in Tweed Heads South?
There are 8 schools inside the Tweed Heads South boundary: 3 at and 2 below similar schools on NAPLAN, compared with same-state, same-type schools of similar socio-educational advantage (ICSEA).
Is Tweed Heads South walkable?
Tweed Heads South scores 66/100 on the SuburbScan Walkability Score, making it somewhat walkable. The score is a weighted average of public transport, schools, parks, supermarkets, GPs, pharmacies, childcare, and hospitals within walking distance.
What is the weather like in Tweed Heads South?
At the nearest Bureau of Meteorology station to Tweed Heads South, Coolangatta (4.6 km away), summer days average 28.6°C, winter nights 10.5°C, 1,637 mm of rain a year over 113 rainy days, and 0 days a year above 35°C over 2006-2026.
Is the First Home Owner Grant available in Tweed Heads South?
First-home buyers in NSW may be eligible for $10,000 towards new homes with a purchase price up to $600,000. The grant is administered by Revenue NSW; confirm current eligibility before signing a contract — state rules and amounts can change.
What council does Tweed Heads South belong to?
Tweed Heads South sits within the Tweed local government area. Council rates, planning approvals, and waste collection fall under this LGA.
How much are council rates in Tweed Heads South?
The average residential rates bill through Tweed is $1,745 a year (2024). Every suburb in this LGA shares the same schedule — individual bills vary with land value.
How much is being built near Tweed Heads South?
Across Tweed, 331 new residential dwellings were approved in the year to August 2026 (source: ABS Building Approvals). That's down 49.7% 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 Tweed Heads South in?
Tweed Heads South sits within the federal Division of Richmond, currently held by Justine Elliot (Australian Labor Party).
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Data freshness
- Census · 2021
- Median sale prices · Oct 2026
- For-sale & rental market · Oct 2026
- Council rates · FY 2024–25
- Building approvals · Aug 2026
- Schools · 2025
- Public transport · Oct 2026
- NBN connectivity · Dec 2025
- Crime · 2025
- Road crashes · 2021–2025
- Climate · 2006–2026
- Socio-economic (SEIFA) · 2021
- EV adoption · Jan 2025
- First Home Owner Grant · Sep 2026
- Federal electorate · 2025
- Short-stay rentals · Jun 2026
- State electorate · 2023
- 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.