Tweed Heads is a major regional centre in New South Wales, in Tweed Council, with mainly dense residential and commercial development. The Tweed River is part of the surrounding geography.
The suburb is highly walkable compared with similar places, placing it among the highest-ranked major regional centres. Local amenities are a relative strength. Health access is an exceptional strength. School access is strong, with school access 100% above the peer median. The clearer weaknesses are higher crime and higher housing costs, with median house prices 68% above the peer median.
Overall, the suburb suits people prioritising walkability and local amenities over peace and quiet.
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
The suburb is highly walkable compared with similar places
Local amenities are a relative strength
Health-facility access is stronger than in comparable places
School access is strong
Weaknesses
Reported crime in the wider postcode 2485 is elevated relative to comparable places
Housing is expensive relative to comparable places
What stands out
Tweed Heads Beach
Froggy Beach
Tweed River
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 Tweed Heads compares
A quick read of housing, growth, livability, and risk
Median house price
$1.33M
+14% change
Median rent
$733/wk
Houses $820 · Units $660
Population (ERP)
9,307
+0.8% annual growth
Dwelling vacancy
14.1%
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
#67
among Country & regional · Mature
Crime rate
93rd
percentile in state (higher = more crime)
Pop. growth
60th
percentile in NSW
Rented dwellings
36%
2021 Census tenure
Advantage (IRSAD)
4/10
national SEIFA decile
School ICSEA
31st
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
51.9/100 — Average
State standing
Top 28% of New South Wales' suburbs
National rank
1658th in Australia
State rank
581st in NSW
Peer rank
#67 among Country & regional · Mature suburbs
Cohort rank
#116 among Country & regional suburbs
Data confidence
94%
Data sources & freshness
Suburb Guide desirability index — Suburb Guide (derived) · current · Updated
Housing
Flats / units (January to March 2026)
$660
Houses (January to March 2026)
$820
All types (January to March 2026)
$733
Rental bonds lodged (January to March 2026)
134
Median house price (October to December 2025)
$1,326,000
Median price change
+14.3%
Median weekly rent from NSW DCJ rent tables. Figures can be unreliable where few bonds were lodged in the quarter.
+0.8% annual · +5.8% over 5 years · 60th percentile in NSW
Growth figures & methodology
Annual growth
+0.8%
5-year growth
+5.8%
Change in 1 year
+72
Change in 5 years
+513
Growth rank in NSW
60th 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 (~9,750), extrapolated at +0.9% average annual growth since 2011. It is illustrative only — not an official ABS forecast.
2021 Census figures
2021 Census
Population
9,176
Median age
55
Median household income / week
$1,138
Dwelling vacancy
14.1%
Unoccupied private dwellings
679 of 4,828
Median monthly mortgage
$1,733
Median weekly rent (2021 Census)
$403
Tenure (owned / mortgaged / rented)
43.1% / 21.5% / 35.5%
Employment rate
43.7%
Travel to work (WFH / public transport / car)
13.4% / 0.8% / 62.1%
Walked or cycled to work
7.9%
Dwelling mix (houses / semi / flats)
1,033 / 1,252 / 1,835 (+ 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.
18.1% of adults have a university degree, compared with 27.8% across New South Wales. 18% have a trade or vocational qualification.
University qualified18.1% · 27.8% NSW
Diploma qualified9.4% · 9.3% NSW
Trade / vocational18% · 15% NSW
Year 12 or below54.4% · 47.9% NSW
Highest qualification field
Main field of the highest non-school qualification (2021 Census).
Management and commerce20.9%
Engineering and related technologies15.2%
Health13.7%
Society and culture12.8%
Education9.6%
Architecture and building9.4%
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)
$50,662
31st percentile in NSW · -14% vs Australia
Median salary / wages (2023–24)
$55,530
25th percentile in NSW · -15% vs Australia
Residents with rental investments
13.0%
38th percentile in NSW · -6% vs Australia
Median super balance (2023–24)
$57,087
31st percentile in NSW · -10% vs Australia
Residents with business income
13.0%
78th percentile in NSW · +25% vs Australia
Australian Taxation Office Taxation Statistics 2023–24, individuals Table 25. Figures describe taxpayers who live in postcode 2485 — 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
9,082
Taxpayers reporting net rent
1,180
Median net rent
$3,762
Taxpayers reporting business income
1,148
Taxable income vs state median
-9%
Salary / wages vs state median
-11%
Rental investment vs state median
-7%
Super vs state median
-19%
Business income vs state median
+30%
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
8.7% speak a language other than English at home; 22.4% born overseas
Language at home
7,694 English only · 731 other
Non-English at home
8.7%
Born overseas
1,881 (22.4%)
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
277 (3%)
Australian citizens
7,673
Languages spoken at home (other than English)
20
Top languages other than English
Share of residents who speak a language other than English at home (2021 Census).
Portuguese116 · 40.3%
Japanese29 · 10.1%
Spanish21 · 7.3%
French15 · 5.2%
Italian13 · 4.5%
Cantonese10 · 3.5%
German10 · 3.5%
Mandarin10 · 3.5%
Religion
48.6%Most common religion · Christianity
Christianity is the most common response at 48.6%, while 37.9% reported no religion.
Measure
Suburb
State
No religion
37.9%
32.8%
Christianity
48.6%
47.6%
Other / not stated
13.5%
19.6%
Christian denominations
Denomination
Suburb
State
Catholic
22.1%
22.4%
Anglican
15.3%
11.9%
Presbyterian and Reformed
3.2%
1.9%
Uniting Church
2.5%
2.1%
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 2485, which is shared with other suburbs.
Reported offences increased compared with the previous period.
Offence counts & rates
Total offences (Jan 2025 to Dec 2025)
1,423
Against the person
194
Against property
474
Rate per 1,000 residents
152.9
Person-crime prevalence
About 1 in 47 residents
State crime-rate percentile
92.5th (higher = more crime)
Increase (daily rate)
+7.3%
Recorded road crashes (in suburb)
112
Crash rate per 1,000 residents (state rank)
12.03
Most common offence types
Breach Bail Conditions285
Malicious Damage To Property74
Non-Domestic Violence Related Assault64
Other Offences173
Steal From Retail Store137
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
4
Median school ICSEA (4 schools)
962
Median ICSEA percentile
31th
Primary catchments overlapping suburb
3
Secondary catchments overlapping suburb
1
School list
St Joseph's Primary SchoolPrimary · Catholic · ICSEA 1069 · 75th percentile · LBOTE 15% · 302 students · Top SEA quarter 26% · 1.0 km awayView on My School →
Tweed Heads Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 984 · 40th percentile · LBOTE 21% · 394 students · Top SEA quarter 7% · 1.2 km awayView on My School →
Tweed Heads South Public SchoolPrimary · Government · ICSEA 882 · 8th percentile · LBOTE 26% · 142 students · Top SEA quarter 4% · 1.9 km awayView on My School →
Tweed River High SchoolSecondary · Government · ICSEA 940 · 21th percentile · LBOTE 13% · 590 students · Top SEA quarter 4% · 2.0 km awayView on My School →
School catchments
Bilambil PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Tweed Hds PSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Tweed Hds SPSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundaryprimary_catchment
Tweed River HSGovernment school catchment overlapping this suburb boundarysecondary_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
Great for outdoor family life — 17 parks mapped in suburb, 2 playgrounds nearby
Well connected by public transport — 84 public transport stops
Good everyday shopping nearby — 7 shops and services
Strong local sport and recreation — 85 sport and outdoor facilities nearby
Walkability proxy
100/100
Cafés per 1,000 residents
0.11
Food & drink per 1,000 residents
1.74
Parks per 1,000 residents
1.85
Food & drink(16)
La De DaBakery
Unit 10 99 Kennedy Drive, Tweed Heads
The Cheesecake ShopBakery
More Coffee PleaseCafe
Get HookedFast food
Parmy’s PizzeriaFast food
Red RoosterFast food
105-109 Wharf Street
SubwayFast food
Food court
Ivory WatersidePub
156 Wharf Street
Pub
Be ThaiRestaurant
Real Thai RestaurantRestaurant
Unit 16 101 Kennedy Drive, Tweed Heads
Restaurant
Selfish Fish N ChipsRestaurant
4 Wharf Street
Supranee’s Pork CracklingRestaurant
Thai Tanee CuisineRestaurant
Shopping(12)
LiquorlandBottle shop
BP ConnectConvenience store
Convenience store
Reddy ExpressConvenience store
TargetDepartment store
Tweed MallShopping centre
AldiSupermarket
ColesSupermarket
16-32 Wharf Street
IGASupermarket
Unit 7 99 Kennedy Drive, Tweed Heads
WoolworthsSupermarket
Everyday services(7)
ATM
Tesla SuperchargerEV charging
Tweed Heads LaundromatLaundry
AstronPetrol station
61-63 Wharf Street
BPPetrol station
ShellPetrol station
34 Wharf Street
Australia PostPost office
Community(4)
Community centre
Tweed Heads Public LibraryLibrary
St Joseph's Primary SchoolSchool
Tweed Heads Public SchoolSchool
Tweed Heads
Health & services(6)
Tweed SurgeryClinic
36 Wharf Street
Tweed Day SurgeryHospital
38-44 Boyd Street
Tweed HospitalHospital
Powell Street, Tweed Heads
Gold Coast & Tweed Eye DoctorsMedical clinic
ChemproPharmacy
Priceline PharmacyPharmacy
Sport & outdoors(166)
BBQ (3)
Beach (11)
Coolangatta BeachBeach
Duranbah BeachBeach
Froggy BeachBeach
Greenmount BeachBeach
Rainbow Bay BeachBeach
Snapper Rocks BeachBeach
Boat ramp
Kennedy Drive Boat RampBoat ramp
Gold Coast OceanwayCycling route
Drinking water
Fitness station
Ivory Waterside MarinaMarina
Nature reserve (41)
Bridge Club ParkPark
Jack Chard ParkPark
John Follent ParkPark
Keith Curran ParkPark
Park (7)
Ray Pascoe ParkPark
Picnic area
Playground (2)
Public toilets
Sports centre
Sports centre
Florence Street, Tweed Heads
Sports field
Tweed Heads Croquet ClubSports field
Swimming pool (79)
Camping & holiday parks(1)
Kirra Beach Tourist ParkCaravan park
Places to stay(7)
Dolphins Harbourside HotelHotel
17-21 Wharf Street
Bayswater TweedMotel
129 Wharf Street
Blue Pelican MotelMotel
115 Wharf Street
Cook's Endeavour Motor InnMotel
26-28 Frances Street
Las Vegas MotelMotel
123 Wharf Street
Tweed Central MotelMotel
91-93 Wharf Street
Tweed Harbour Motor InnMotel
135 Wharf Street
Entertainment(6)
Razorback HillViewpoint
Tom Beatson LookoutViewpoint
Viewpoint (4)
Transport(31)
31 bus stops
Other(48)
Bench (35)
Coast CycleryBicycle
Bicycle Parking (4)
Car
Pickering Used Car Clearance CentreCar
139 Wharf Street
Sharp Kia TweedCar
153 Wharf Street
Tweed Coast NissanCar
Bargain Car RentalsCar Rental
Unit 2 57 Ourimbah Road
Crazy Clark's Car RentalCar Rental
169-171 Wharf Street
HertzCar Rental
111 Wharf Street
Kirra DiveDive Centre
XForce Driver TrainingDriving School
98-102 Keith Compton Drive
AncoraEvents Venue
Flowers, Tea & GiftsFlorist
Garden (2)
Halo Hair & Beauty SalonHairdresser
Rachael's Hair StudioHairdresser
The Boys Club BarbersHairdresser
Toma AudioHifi
Information (3)
Razorback - JoongurrabahInformation
Shorebirds in Tweed ShireInformation
Tweed Heads Visitor Information CentreInformation
Hawaii Remedial MassageMassage
Balance MobilityMedical Supply
EYE Optical StudioOptometrist
Kennedy Drive Boat RampParking
Parking (45)
Parking Entrance (7)
Parking Space (4)
Strong + CourageousPhysiotherapist
Picnic Table (18)
Anglican ChurchPlace of worship
Place of worship
NSW Police ForcePolice
Tweed Heads Police StationPolice
Tweed Heads Police StationPolice
83 Wharf Street
Return and EarnRecycling
65 Wharf Street
Mantra Twin Towns CoolangattaResort
Shelter (11)
L.A HeelsShoes
Shower (2)
Healthy North CoastSocial Facility
Manhattan ClubStripclub
NuBare Laser Tattoo RemovalTattoo Removal
Taxi
TelstraTelephone
Waste Basket (8)
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
Named sporting clubs from OpenStreetMap, assigned to this suburb's boundary. Sporting facilities such as ovals, courts and recreation centres are listed under Amenities.
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
Places of worship
2 places of worship within ~1.5 km
Anglican Church
Place of worship
From OpenStreetMap within ~1.5 km of the suburb centre.
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
29° / 20°
Rainfall
628 mm · ~78 rainy days
Autumn (Mar–May)
Usual max / min
26° / 17°
Rainfall
552 mm · ~69 rainy days
Winter (Jun–Aug)
Usual max / min
21° / 10°
Rainfall
240 mm · ~30 rainy days
Spring (Sep–Nov)
Usual max / min
25° / 15°
Rainfall
282 mm · ~35 rainy days
Contributes to desirability score · Lifestyle (12%)
Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Minor building alterations (internal); Minor building alterations (external)
44 CHARLES STREET TWEED HEADS 2485Under Assessment
Dwelling house; Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure; Carport; Residential Accommodation; Supporting Development
9 CHARLES STREET TWEED HEADS 2485Under Assessment
Signage; Advertising and signage; Advertising structure; Supporting Development
114 WHARF STREET TWEED HEADS 2485Under Assessment
August 2026
Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah
Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Erection of a new structure; Minor building alterations (internal); Minor building alterations (external); Swimming pool
Signage; Advertising and signage; Business identification sign; Retail Premise
16-32 WHARF STREET TWEED HEADS 2485Determined
Erection of a new structure; Jetty
27 SHEARWATER PARADE TWEED HEADS 2485Determined
Erection of a new structure; Minor building alterations (external)
2 IVORY CRESCENT TWEED HEADS 2485Under Assessment
Change of use of land or a building or the classification of a building under the Building Code of Australia; Retail Premise; Specialised Retail Premises; Food and drink premise
30 BAY STREET TWEED HEADS 2485Under Assessment
Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Minor building alterations (internal); Minor building alterations (external)
23 FLORENCE STREET TWEED HEADS 2485Determined
Demolition; Erection of a new structure; Cabanas, cubby houses, ferneries, garden sheds, gazebos and greenhouses
25 STANLEY STREET TWEED HEADS 2485Under Assessment
Erection of a new structure; Swimming pool
112 CALOOLA DRIVE TWEED HEADS 2485Determined
Subdivision; Erection of a new structure; Dual occupancy (detached); Earthworks, retaining walls and structural support; Swimming pool
Alterations or additions to an existing building or structure; Balcony, deck, patio, terrace or verandah; Minor building alterations (internal); Minor building alterations (external)
Road incidents & closures — State road authority open-data feeds · current · Updated
Hazards
Bushfire planning zone
No overlay at centroid
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
Richmond
Member of Parliament
Justine ELLIOT (Australian Labor Party)
Results from
2025 federal election
Electorate enrolment (2025)
126,814
Turnout (2025)
89.5%
Swing since 2022 (2025)
+1.8 pp toward Labor
Two-party preferred (2025)
Coalition 40.0%Labor 60.0%
Estimated suburb voting profile
Estimated from 8 nearby ordinary polling places (up to 5.1 km away).
Coalition 40.2%Labor 59.8%
0.2 percentage points more Coalition-leaning than the electorate
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%)