Thirlmere is a major regional centre in New South Wales, in Wollondilly Council, with mainly mixed commercial and residential development.
Public transport coverage is exceptionally strong, placing it among the highest-ranked major regional centres. Reported crime is exceptionally low against comparable places. Reported offences have fallen 13% year on year, and population growth is an exceptional strength, and recorded road-crash rates are lower than in comparable places, with recorded road crashes 48% below the peer median. Trade-offs centre on limited amenity for the price and limited school access, with school access 50% below the peer median.
Thirlmere is a better fit for people who value lower crime and public transport more than amenity for the price.
Generated from the official metrics on this page. It can omit nuance or contain errors — check the tables and source notes before relying on it.
Strengths and weaknesses
Major regional centre · compared with major regional centres in New South Wales (276)
Strengths
Reported crime is exceptionally low against comparable places
Public transport coverage is exceptionally strong
Population growth is a relative strength
Recorded road-crash rates are lower than in comparable places
Weaknesses
Buyers pay a premium despite relatively limited amenity access
School access is relatively limited
What stands out
Nothing distinctive beyond the usual profile.
Who it suits
Stars are audience-fit ratings derived from Suburb.Guide data, not demographic counts or user reviews.
Families★★☆☆☆
Professionals★★☆☆☆
Retirees★★★★☆
Students★☆☆☆☆
Budget buyers★★☆☆☆
Housing, growth and risk
How Thirlmere compares
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median house price
$950k
+3.8% change
Median rent
$650/wk
Population (ERP)
5,961
+5.2% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
6.1%
Census unoccupied dwellings
Livability profile
Desirability pillars vs the peer median (50th percentile)
How it compares
Relative standing using percentiles, ranks, and national deciles
Desirability
#26
among Country & regional · Emerging
Crime rate
3rd
percentile in state (higher = more crime)
Pop. growth
98th
percentile in NSW
Rented dwellings
25%
2021 Census tenure
Advantage (IRSAD)
5/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
28th
percentile among schools with ICSEA
Population growth
Recent ERP change over 1 and 5 years
Housing mix
Dwelling types from the 2021 Census
Risks & flags
Quick scan — open a section below for full context
Living here
Desirability
Ranks & confidence
Desirability score
51.8/100 — Average
State standing
Top 28% of New South Wales' suburbs
National rank
1674th in Australia
State rank
588th in NSW
Peer rank
#26 among Country & regional · Emerging suburbs
Cohort rank
#121 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
99%
Data sources & freshness
Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Housing
Houses (January to March 2026)
$660
Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
43
Median house price (October to December 2025)
$950,000
Median price change
+3.8%
Median weekly rent from NSW DCJ rent tables. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.
+5.2% annual · +21.1% over 5 years · 98th percentile in NSW
Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+5.2%
5-year growth
+21.1%
Change in 1 year
+292
Change in 5 years
+1,038
Growth rank in NSW
98th percentile
ABS Estimated Resident Population allocated to this suburb from SA2-level data. Not an official ABS suburb count.
Methodology
Figures are allocated from ABS Estimated Resident Population at Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2), using 2021 Census share within overlapping SA2 regions. Where Census data is unavailable, area overlap is used instead.
The dashed chart line is a simple growth-trend estimate to June 2030 (~6,750), extrapolated at +2.6% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
Population
4,986
Median age
38
Median household income / week
$1,708
Dwelling vacancy
6.1%
Unoccupied private dwellings
114 of 1,874
Median monthly mortgage
$2,300
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$420
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
31.9% / 43.4% / 24.7%
Employment rate
56.9%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
21.7% / 0.2% / 60.6%
Walked or cycled to work
1.1%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
1,585 / 160 / 7 (+ 5 other)
Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%) · Accessibility (12%) · Future Growth (6%)
Employment, household income and owned-outright tenure (2021 Census) Work-from-home and public-transport commute shares (2021 Census) Five-year population change as a healthy-growth band, not a boom bonus
Data sources & freshness
2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
12.7% of adults have a university degree, compared with 27.8% across New South Wales. 25.7% have a trade or vocational qualification.
University qualified12.7% · 27.8% NSW
Diploma qualified9% · 9.3% NSW
Trade / vocational25.7% · 15% NSW
Year 12 or below52.6% · 47.9% NSW
Highest qualification field
Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).
Engineering and related technologies22.6%
Management and commerce17.1%
Society and culture12.9%
Education11.2%
Health10.6%
Architecture and building10.4%
How these groups are defined
Measure
Definition
University qualified
Bachelor degree or higher
Diploma qualified
Advanced Diploma / Diploma
Trade / vocational
Certificate III + IV
Year 12
Year 12 as highest attainment
Below Year 12
Year 11 / 10 / 9 or below
People aged 15 years and over, 2021 Census. University, diploma and trade shares match ABS highest educational attainment (HEAP). Year 12 and below Year 12 are combined in the chart because the General Community Profile reports school-only attainment as a residual.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)
University qualifications from the 2021 Census
Data sources & freshness
2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Tax & income
Median taxable income (2023–24)
$63,516
73rd percentile in NSW · +8% vs Australia
Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$70,290
73rd percentile in NSW · +8% vs Australia
Residents with rental investments
11.0%
22nd percentile in NSW · -20% vs Australia
Median super balance (2023–24)
$70,738
51st percentile in NSW · +12% vs Australia
Residents with business income
9.0%
24th percentile in NSW · -13% vs Australia
Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 2572 — not a suburb-level official statistic. Rental investment is the share of local taxpayers reporting rental income or loss, not the share of local properties owned by investors.
Counts, net rent & state comparison
Taxpayers in this postcode
3,554
Taxpayers reporting net rent
399
Median net rent
-$2,096
Taxpayers reporting business income
310
Taxable income vs state median
+13%
Salary / wages vs state median
+12%
Rental investment vs state median
-21%
Super vs state median
+1%
Business income vs state median
-10%
Percentiles rank this postcode among unique postcodes in NSW, so suburbs that share a postcode are not counted twice. Dollar figures are compared with Australia-wide ATO medians from the same release. Median net rent is among taxpayers who reported the rent label and can be negative.
Data sources & freshness
Taxation Statistics 2023–24 — individuals by postcode (Table 25) — Australian Taxation Office · Updated · Annual release; taxpayer residential postcode, not suburb boundary
Community & culture
5.7% speak a language other than English at home; 11.2% born overseas
Language at home
4,394 English only · 268 other
Non-English at home
5.7%
Born overseas
522 (11.2%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
195 (3.9%)
Australian citizens
4,495
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
10
Top languages other than English
Share of residents who speak a language other than English at home (2021 Census).
Arabic31 · 34.8%
Greek15 · 16.9%
Croatian10 · 11.2%
Italian8 · 9%
Spanish6 · 6.7%
Cantonese5 · 5.6%
Tagalog5 · 5.6%
Filipino3 · 3.4%
Religion
54.9%Most common religion · Christianity
Christianity is the most common response at 54.9%, while 35.1% reported no religion.
Measure
Suburb
State
No religion
35.1%
32.8%
Christianity
54.9%
47.6%
Other / not stated
9.9%
19.6%
Christian denominations
Denomination
Suburb
State
Catholic
22.8%
22.4%
Anglican
20.7%
11.9%
Christian (not further defined)
2%
2.4%
2021 Census — languages spoken at home, birthplace, Indigenous status, and religious affiliation (usual residence). Religion is optional on the Census form.
Data sources & freshness
2021 Census — General Community Profile (including method of travel to work and educational attainment) — Australian Bureau of Statistics · Updated
The 2026 Census was conducted in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.
Crime & safety
Offence counts are estimated for this suburb from postcode 2572, which is shared with other suburbs.
Reported offences decreased compared with the previous period.
Offence counts & rates
Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
125
Against the person
55
Against property
44
Rate per 1,000 residents
21
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 91 residents
State crime-rate percentile
2.5th (higher = more crime)
Decrease (daily rate)
-13%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
30
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
5.03
Most common offence types
Domestic Violence Related Assault18
Fraud11
Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment16
Malicious Damage To Property11
Non-Domestic Violence Related Assault8
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)
Crime rate, offences against the person, year-on-year trend and recorded road crash rates
BOCSAR postcode crime statistics — NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research · Jan 2024 to Dec 2024 → Jan 2025 to Dec 2025; Jan 2025 to Dec 2025 · Updated · Rolling 12-month windows
Family & Lifestyle
Schools & preschools
Schools within 2 km
1
Median school ICSEA
959
Median ICSEA percentile
28th
Primary catchments overlapping suburb
4
Secondary catchments overlapping suburb
1
School list
Thirlmere Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 959 · 28th percentile · LBOTE 10% · 401 students · Top SEA quarter 7% · 1.5 km awayView on My School →
School catchments
Buxton PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Picton HSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_catchment
Picton PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Tahmoor PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Thirlmere PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Government school intake zones that overlap this suburb boundary. Living in a catchment does not guarantee enrolment; check the education authority.
Contributes to desirability score · Education (14%)
Median school ICSEA first, then school and catchment counts
Data sources & freshness
NSW government school intake zones — NSW Department of Education · current · Updated · Open catchment polygons where published
2 cafes · 1 pharmacies · 1 dog parks · 1 petrol stations
Local character & venue list
Local character
A car helps for daily needs
Decent local green space — 5 parks in suburb
Well connected by public transport — 307 public transport stops
Walkability proxy
49/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0.4
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
0.4
Parks per 1,000 residents
1
Food & drink(2)
Cafe (2)
Shopping(1)
No named venues listed.
Everyday services(1)
Thirlmere Local ServoPetrol station
37-43 Oaks Street
Community(4)
Pegasus on Victoria Early Education CentreChildcare
1st Tahmoor Scout HallCommunity centre
Thirlmere RSLCommunity centre
Mason Street, Thirlmere
Thirlmere Public SchoolSchool
Thirlmere
Health & services(2)
Thirlmere Medical PracticeMedical clinic
Oaks Street
Thirlmere PharmacyPharmacy
Oaks Street
Sport & outdoors(9)
BBQ (2)
Lin Gordon ReserveDog park
Drinking water
Thirlmere Lakes National ParkNature reserve
Kangaroo March ReservePark
Victa Place, Thirlmere
Thirlmere SportsgroundPark
Oaks Street, Thirlmere
Public toilets
Sports field
Entertainment(1)
NSW Rail MuseumMuseum
10 Barbour Road, Thirlmere
Transport(4)
4 bus stops
Other(8)
Artwork
Bicycle Parking
Thirlmere Rural Fire BrigadeFire station
21 Mason Street, Thirlmere
Garden (3)
Gift
Parking (5)
Shelter (5)
Waste Basket
Names and addresses from OpenStreetMap. Unnamed venues show as their type (e.g. Cafe). Transport stops are summarised by type rather than listed individually. Campgrounds, beaches, wineries and local trails are included when they sit inside the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)
Food, shopping, recreation and sport per 1,000 residents (OpenStreetMap)
Data sources & freshness
Local amenity insights — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Green cover is the share of this suburb's boundary overlapping OpenStreetMap parks, woodland and forest polygons — not a satellite tree-canopy product. Summer maximum is the WorldClim / Open-Meteo seasonal normal already collected for Weather.
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)
Tree canopy first, then green-cover area and parks per 1,000
Data sources & freshness
OpenStreetMap green cover and tree canopy — OpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated · Park/woodland polygons intersected with suburb boundaries
Health access
Hospitals & GP clinics in suburb
5
Nearest hospital
Camden Hospital (20.5 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department
Emergency department in suburb
Not in suburb
GP clinics in suburb
2
GPs tagged bulk billing (OSM)
0 of 2
Aged-care services
2
Residential aged-care places
167
GP clinic counts from OpenStreetMap. Bulk-billing figures only include clinics tagged in OSM (sparse and unofficial — not a Medicare list).
Lisa Boland PsychologyPsychotherapist
Thirlmere Doctors Medical CentreGP
Thirlmere Medical PracticeOaks StreetGP
Thirlmere PharmacyOaks StreetPharmacy
Wollondilly PodiatryPodiatrist
Aged-care services
Agris Hutrof HouseTHIRLMEREResidential
John Goodlet ManorTHIRLMEREResidential
Australian Government–subsidised services from the AIHW GEN list (30 June 2025), assigned to this suburb by location.
Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (12%)
Active NDIS participants allocated from NDIA Statistical Area Level 2 (SA2, ASGS 2016) counts to this suburb boundary. Not an official suburb-level NDIS figure · as at 31 March 2026.
For NDIS spend and service-demand exploration by SA2 or postcode, see the Care Sector Demand Map.
Typical conditions by season for suburbs in the same ~44 km climate area. Rainfall totals are summed from monthly WorldClim layers; rainy-day counts are approximate.
Summer (Dec–Feb)
Usual max / min
24° / 13°
Rainfall
282 mm · ~35 rainy days
Autumn (Mar–May)
Usual max / min
18° / 9°
Rainfall
241 mm · ~30 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
Usual max / min
11° / 3°
Rainfall
179 mm · ~22 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
Usual max / min
18° / 7°
Rainfall
201 mm · ~25 rainy days
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)
Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Minor building alterations (internal); Minor building alterations (external)
18 WREN PLACE THIRLMERE 2572Under Assessment
Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool
40 MORRIS CRESCENT THIRLMERE 2572Under Assessment
Shed; Erection of a new structure
335 BRIDGE STREET THIRLMERE 2572Under Assessment
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
21 MARION STREET THIRLMERE 2572Under Assessment
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
30 MORRIS CRESCENT THIRLMERE 2572Under Assessment
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
23 MARION STREET THIRLMERE 2572Under Assessment
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
14 MORRIS CRESCENT THIRLMERE 2572Determined
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
7 MARION STREET THIRLMERE 2572Additional Information Requested
Shed; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Tennis courts; Swimming pool
20 INNES STREET THIRLMERE 2572Under Assessment
Subdivision
35 SHELLEYS LANE THIRLMERE 2572Under Assessment
Erection of a new structure; Centre-based child care; Recreation facility (indoor)
27 OAKS STREET THIRLMERE 2572Under Assessment
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
28 MORRIS CRESCENT THIRLMERE 2572Determined
August 2026
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation
13 BRUNDAH ROAD THIRLMERE 2572Determined
Demolition; Erection of a new structure; Community facility
22 OAKS STREET THIRLMERE 2572Under Assessment
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
5 CHARLOTTE PLACE THIRLMERE 2572Determined
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
42 MORRIS CRESCENT THIRLMERE 2572Determined
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
25 MORRIS CRESCENT THIRLMERE 2572Determined
Shed; Erection of a new structure
187 THIRLMERE WAY THIRLMERE 2572Determined
Shed; Erection of a new structure
4 CHARLOTTE PLACE THIRLMERE 2572Determined
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
36 MORRIS CRESCENT THIRLMERE 2572Determined
Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
267 THIRLMERE WAY THIRLMERE 2572Determined
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
16 GREENE PLACE THIRLMERE 2572Determined
Shed; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Driveways and hard stand spaces
19 MORRIS CRESCENT THIRLMERE 2572Determined
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
25 NORTH STREET THIRLMERE 2572Determined
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation
187 THIRLMERE WAY THIRLMERE 2572Determined
July 2026
Multi-dwelling housing; Subdivision; Medium Density Housing; Erection of a new structure
54 CARLTON ROAD THIRLMERE 2572Rejected
Secondary dwelling; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
51 MORRIS CRESCENT THIRLMERE 2572Determined
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
335A BRIDGE STREET THIRLMERE 2572Additional Information Requested
Secondary dwelling; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support
36 CHALKER STREET THIRLMERE 2572Determined
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
34 MORRIS CRESCENT THIRLMERE 2572Determined
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
49 MORRIS CRESCENT THIRLMERE 2572Determined
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
40 MORRIS CRESCENT THIRLMERE 2572Determined
Shed; Erection of a new structure
39 MARION STREET THIRLMERE 2572Determined
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation
43 MORRIS CRESCENT THIRLMERE 2572Determined
Shed; Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
48 MORRIS CRESCENT THIRLMERE 2572Determined
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure
38 CHALKER STREET THIRLMERE 2572Determined
Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Residential Accommodation
Rail Paybus FP1NSW Rail Transport Museum Barbour Road ThirlmereSHR
Contributes to desirability score · Environment (12%)
Heritage listings as established streetscape
Data sources & freshness
State heritage register — State heritage authority · current · Updated
Hazards
Bushfire planning zone
Overlay applies
Flood / inundation overlay
No mapped inundation on suburb boundary
Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via NSW bush fire prone land mapping. Flood cover uses NSW flood planning polygons against the suburb boundary.
Contributes to desirability score · Safety (22%)
Bushfire and flood hazard overlays
Data sources & freshness
Bushfire and flood planning overlays — State government hazard layers · current · Updated
Politics & representation
Federal electorate
Hume
Member of Parliament
Angus TAYLOR (Liberal)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
117,449
Turnout (2025)
93.0%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
-1.2 pp toward Coalition
Two-party preferred (2025)
Coalition 58.1%Labor 41.9%
Estimated suburb voting profile
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 11.9 km away).
Coalition 54.1%Labor 45.9%
4.0 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate
Estimated swing since 2022: +1.6 pp toward Labor
Nearest polling places
ThirlmereLabor 46.4% · Coalition 53.6% TPP (2025)1.0 km away
TahmoorLabor 43.1% · Coalition 56.9% TPP (2025)3.6 km away
Tahmoor NorthLabor 45.1% · Coalition 54.9% TPP (2025)3.6 km away
BuxtonLabor 45.4% · Coalition 54.6% TPP (2025)4.6 km away
PictonLabor 46.5% · Coalition 53.5% TPP (2025)5.7 km away
Federal electorate from AEC federal division boundaries (2025 redistribution). Division-level results are official AEC figures from the latest general election, with by-election updates where applicable. The estimated suburb profile blends up to eight nearest ordinary polling booths in the same electorate using inverse-distance weighting from the suburb centroid — an approximation, not official AEC data. Nearest polling places are shown for reference.
ABS Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), 2021 release — the latest available, derived from the 2021 Census. Deciles rank suburbs nationally from 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest).
What do IRSAD and IRSD measure?
IRSAD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Advantage and Disadvantage. Combines indicators of advantage (e.g. high income, skilled occupations) and disadvantage. Higher decile = more advantaged relative to other Australian areas.
IRSD — Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage. Focuses on disadvantage only (e.g. low income, unemployment, limited education). Higher decile = less disadvantage nationally.
A new SEIFA edition typically follows each census; the ABS has not announced a release date beyond 2021.
Contributes to desirability score · Community (12%)