NSW · Bega Valley Council

Towamba, 2550

Est. population · Jun 2025

285

Growth (1 yr)

+1.1%

Growth (5 yr)

+6.0%

Median age

53

Median income

$808/wk

Employment rate

34%

Median house price · October to December 2025

$820,000

Languages at home

Mostly English at home

2021 Census · usual residence

Desirability score

27.6/100
Below average

1915th in NSW

Verified 79% confidence

How this score is calculated
  • Excellent transport
  • Education hub
  • High desirability
What Towamba is known for: Excellent transport, Education hub, High desirability

Suburb profile

Towamba is a quieter smaller community in Bega Valley Council, where peace, space and a country-town pace still dominate. Retirees and empty-nesters are well represented here, with multiple generations sharing the same neighbourhood. Everyday life leans local, with a handful of trusted shops, a familiar main street and neighbours who know your name.

Everyday basics may be close by, but bigger shopping and services typically require a trip to a nearby centre. Local green pockets are modest, with bigger outdoor outings usually found in neighbouring areas. Strong connections via buses keep the wider area accessible.

Property sits in a premium price band and is harder to enter for many buyers. A trickle of new development is refreshing selected pockets without changing the overall feel.

Desirability sits below average overall, with community and employment, plus schools and education the main drag compared with similar regional towns. Limited access to some essential local services also trimmed the result.

At a glance

Towamba snapshot

A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk

Median house price

$820k

+17% change

Median rent

$550/wk

Houses $580 · Units $410

Population (ERP)

285

+1.1% annual growth

Dwelling vacancy

21.8%

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

#486

among Country & regional · Mature

Safety

22nd

percentile in state (higher = safer)

Pop. growth

68th

percentile in NSW

Advantage (IRSAD)

1/10

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
27.6/100 — Below average
National rank
5926th in Australia
State rank
1915th in NSW
Peer rank
#486 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
Cohort rank
#882 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
79%

Data sources & freshness

  • Suburb Guide desirability indexSuburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated

Housing

Flats / units (January to March 2026)
$410
Houses (January to March 2026)
$580
All types (January to March 2026)
$550
Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
83
Median house price (October to December 2025)
$820,000
Median price change
+17.1%

Median weekly rent from NSW DCJ rent tables. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.

Contributes to desirability score · Housing (15%) · Future Growth (7%)

Median price, rental yield and vacancy Recent price momentum

Data sources & freshness

Population

Estimated resident population

285(June 2025)

+1.1% annual · +6.0% over 5 years · 68th percentile in NSW

Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+1.1%
5-year growth
+6.0%
Change in 1 year
+3
Change in 5 years
+16
Growth rank in NSW
68th 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 (~300), extrapolated at +0.7% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.

2021 Census figures

2021 Census

Population
249
Median age
53
Median household income / week
$808
Dwelling vacancy
21.8%
Unoccupied private dwellings
26 of 119
Median monthly mortgage
$867
Employment rate
34%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
93 / 0 / 0 (+ 4 other)

Contributes to desirability score · Community (5%)

Employment, household income and age diversity (2021 Census)

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community ProfileAustralian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

  • Estimated Resident PopulationAustralian Bureau of Statistics · 2025 · Updated · SA2 ERP allocated to suburb boundaries

Community & culture

No 2021 Census cultural diversity data for this suburb yet.

Data sources & freshness

  • 2021 Census — General Community ProfileAustralian Bureau of Statistics · Updated

    The 2026 Census runs in August 2026; suburb-level updates are expected from mid-2027.

Crime & safety

Reported offences decreased compared with the previous period.

Offence counts & rates
Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
12
Against the person
3
Against property
4
Rate per 1,000 residents
42.1
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 83 residents
State safety percentile
22.1th (lower crime is better)
Decrease (daily rate)
-7.4%

Most common offence types

  • Breach Apprehended Violence Order61
  • Breach Bail Conditions45
  • Domestic Violence Related Assault54
  • Intimidation, Stalking And Harassment78
  • Malicious Damage To Property93

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)

Crime rate and year-on-year trend

Data sources & freshness

  • BOCSAR postcode crime statisticsNSW 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
958
Median ICSEA percentile
28th
School list
  • Towamba Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 958 · 28th percentile · LBOTE 9% · 23 students · Top SEA quarter 14%View on My School →

Contributes to desirability score · Education (15%)

School and preschool counts, median school ICSEA

Data sources & freshness

Public transport

22 public transport stops in this suburb

  • Pericoe Rd At Knight St
  • Pericoe Rd At Logans Rd
  • Pericoe Rd Opp Towamba St
  • Towamba Rd At The Snake Track
  • Towamba Rd Opp The Snake Track

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)

Public transport stop coverage

Data sources & freshness

  • Timetables Complete GTFS stops (© Transport for NSW, CC BY 4.0)Transport for NSW — Open Data Hub · current · Updated · Nightly GTFS feed

Amenities

No OpenStreetMap amenities mapped for this suburb yet.

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)

Food, shopping, recreation and sport (OpenStreetMap)

Data sources & freshness

  • Local amenity insightsSuburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
  • OpenStreetMap amenitiesOpenStreetMap contributors · current · Updated

Health access

Nearest hospital
Pambula District Hospital (26.1 km)
Nearest hospital type
Hospital
Nearest hospital emergency
Emergency department

Contributes to desirability score · Accessibility (15%)

Hospitals and GP clinics

Data sources & freshness

NDIS participation

NDIS participants (31 March 2026)
8
Participants per 1,000 residents
28.1

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.

Data sources & freshness

Weather

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
23° / 15°
Rainfall
209 mm · ~26 rainy days

Autumn (Mar–May)

Usual max / min
20° / 12°
Rainfall
230 mm · ~29 rainy days

Winter (Jun–Aug)

Usual max / min
16° / 7°
Rainfall
188 mm · ~24 rainy days

Spring (Sep–Nov)

Usual max / min
19° / 10°
Rainfall
227 mm · ~28 rainy days

Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (15%)

Temperature and humidity comfort

Data sources & freshness

  • Seasonal climate normalsWorldClim 2.1 · Updated

Future & Planning

Planning & development

Development applications from NSW Planning Portal (lodged 2020–2026).

10 planning-related records

2025· 3 proposals
  • July 2025

  • Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Manufactured home
    87 LOG FARM ROAD TOWAMBA 2550Determined
  • May 2025

  • Farm buildings; Shed; Erection of a new structure; Garage, carport or carparking space; Supporting Development
    2114 TOWAMBA ROAD TOWAMBA 2550Determined
  • April 2025

  • Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Carport
    2410 TOWAMBA ROAD TOWAMBA 2550Determined
2024· 2 proposals
  • October 2024

  • Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure
    748 MUSTERING GROUND ROAD TOWAMBA 2550Determined
  • August 2024

  • Dwelling house; Erection of a new structure; Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia
    11 TOWAMBA STREET TOWAMBA 2550Determined
2023· 1 proposal
  • December 2023

  • Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure
    13 TOWAMBA STREET TOWAMBA 2550Determined
2022· 3 proposals
  • June 2022

  • Dwelling
    1296 MUSTERING GROUND ROAD TOWAMBA 2550Determined
  • May 2022

  • Dwelling
    750 MUSTERING GROUND ROAD TOWAMBA 2550Determined
  • Dwelling
    748 MUSTERING GROUND ROAD TOWAMBA 2550Determined
2021· 1 proposal
  • December 2021

  • Dwelling
    1722 Snake Track Towamba 2550Determined

Contributes to desirability score · Future Growth (7%)

Development and planning activity

Data sources & freshness

Hazards

Bushfire planning zone
Overlay applies

Bushfire overlay checked at suburb centroid via NSW bush fire prone land mapping.

Contributes to desirability score · Safety (18%)

Bushfire hazard overlays

Data sources & freshness

  • Hazard planning overlaysState government hazard layers · current · Updated

Politics & representation

Federal electorate
Eden-Monaro
Member of Parliament
Kristy McBAIN (Australian Labor Party)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
121,376
Turnout (2025)
93.8%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
+1.1 pp toward Labor

Two-party preferred (2025)

Coalition 42.8%Labor 57.2%

Estimated suburb voting profile

Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 31.8 km away).

Coalition 35.4%Labor 64.6%

7.4 percentage points more Labor-leaning than the electorate

Estimated swing since 2022: +3.0 pp toward Labor

Nearest polling places

  • TowambaLabor 65.2% · Coalition 34.9% TPP (2025)2.6 km away
  • Eden CentralLabor 53.8% · Coalition 46.2% TPP (2025)19.1 km away
  • EdenLabor 50.6% · Coalition 49.4% TPP (2025)19.4 km away
  • WyndhamLabor 63.6% · Coalition 36.4% TPP (2025)20.4 km away
  • PambulaLabor 59.0% · Coalition 41.0% TPP (2025)25.5 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.

Data sources & freshness

Socio-economic

IRSAD decile (2021)
1/10
IRSD decile (2021)
1/10

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 (5%)

Socio-economic advantage (IRSAD decile)

Data sources & freshness

More in Bega Valley Council

Other suburbs in the same local government area.

Comparable suburbs

Similar population and socio-economic profile in other parts of New South Wales.