Moruya - Tuross Head
Statistical Area - sa2

Moruya - Tuross Head has seen population growth performance typically on par with national averages when looking at short and medium term trends

Moruya-Tuross Head's population is 8,741 as of Aug 2025. This shows an increase of 141 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 8,600. The ABS estimated resident population in Jun 2024 was 8,684, with an additional 44 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 52 persons per square kilometer. Moruya-Tuross Head's growth rate of 1.6% since the census is within 0.7 percentage points of the SA3 area's growth rate of 2.3%. Interstate migration contributed approximately 55.9% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Future population trends suggest an increase just below the median of Australia's non-metropolitan areas, with the area expected to expand by 691 persons to 2041 based on latest numbers, recording a gain of 7.2% in total over the 17 years.

AreaSearch analysis of residential development drivers sees Moruya - Tuross Head recording a relatively average level of approval activity when compared to local markets analysed countrywide

Moruya - Tuross Head has received approximately 39 residential property approvals annually. The Australian Bureau of Statistics reports that between FY21-FY25, around 196 dwellings were approved, with five already granted in FY26. On average, each dwelling adds about 1.6 new residents per year over the past five financial years. This suggests a balance between supply and demand, maintaining stable market conditions.

The average construction cost of new properties is approximately $523,000. In this financial year alone, around $4.5 million in commercial approvals have been registered. Compared to the rest of NSW, Moruya - Tuross Head experiences about three-quarters the building activity per person and ranks at the 52nd percentile nationally.

The area's new building activity comprises mostly detached dwellings (80.0%) with a smaller proportion of townhouses or apartments (20.0%), preserving its low-density character. With an estimated 357 people per dwelling approval, it maintains a quiet development environment. Future projections indicate that Moruya - Tuross Head will add around 634 residents by 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, offering favourable conditions for buyers and potentially supporting population growth beyond current projections.

Moruya - Tuross Head has moderate levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 50% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly affect an area's performance. AreaSearch identified five projects potentially impacting this region. Notable projects are South Moruya Roundabout, IRT Moruya Community-Integrated Seniors Housing, New Eurobodalla Regional Hospital, and Moruya Bypass. Details of the most relevant projects follow.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

AreaSearch assessment indicates Moruya - Tuross Head faces employment challenges relative to the majority of Australian markets

Moruya-Tuross Head has a skilled workforce with significant representation in essential services sectors. The unemployment rate was 4.7% as of June 2025.

There were 3,574 residents employed at this time, which is 1.1% higher than the Rest of NSW's unemployment rate of 3.7%. However, workforce participation lagged significantly behind the regional average, with 45.4% compared to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. The dominant employment sectors among Moruya-Tuross Head residents include health care and social assistance, construction, and retail trade. The area has a particular specialization in construction, with an employment share that is 1.3 times the regional level.

Conversely, agriculture, forestry, and fishing have limited presence, with only 2.6% of employment compared to the regional average of 5.3%. While local employment opportunities exist, many residents commute elsewhere for work based on Census data comparisons between working population and local population. Between June 2024 and June 2025, the labour force decreased by 3.5%, with a corresponding 4.7% decline in employment. This resulted in an unemployment rate increase of 1.2 percentage points. In comparison, Rest of NSW experienced an employment decline of 0.1%, labour force growth of 0.3%, and an unemployment rate rise of 0.4 percentage points. State-level data from Sep-25 shows that NSW employment contracted by 0.41% (losing 19,270 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.3%. Nationally, the unemployment rate was 4.5%, and there was a national employment growth of 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 project that national employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these industry-specific projections to Moruya-Tuross Head's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.6%% over five years and 13.6% over ten years, though this is a simplified extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not consider localized population projections.

Income metrics place the area in the bottom 10% of locations nationally according to AreaSearch analysis

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows Moruya - Tuross Head had a median taxpayer income of $40,674 and an average of $52,166. This is lower than national averages. The Rest of NSW had a median income of $49,459 and an average of $62,998 during the same period. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.6% since financial year 2022, estimated incomes for March 2025 would be approximately $44,985 (median) and $57,696 (average). Census data indicates that household, family, and personal incomes in Moruya - Tuross Head fall between the 10th and 13th percentiles nationally. Income analysis reveals that 27.9% of the population, equating to 2,438 individuals, have incomes ranging from $400 to $799. This differs from the surrounding region where the $1,500 to $2,999 income category is predominant at 29.9%. After housing costs, 86.6% of income remains, ranking at the 14th percentile nationally.

Moruya - Tuross Head is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

Dwelling structure in Moruya - Tuross Head, as evaluated at the latest Census held on 28 August 2016, comprised 91.5% houses and 8.5% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Non-Metro NSW's 84.3% houses and 15.7% other dwellings. Home ownership in Moruya - Tuross Head was 53.8%, with mortgaged dwellings at 26.7% and rented dwellings at 19.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,517, aligning with the Non-Metro NSW average, while the median weekly rent figure was $310, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $320. Nationally, Moruya - Tuross Head's median monthly mortgage repayments were significantly lower than the Australian average of $1,863, as recorded in June 2021, while rents were substantially below the national figure of $375 for the same period.

Moruya - Tuross Head features high concentrations of lone person households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households are the most prevalent, accounting for 67.0% of all households. They include couples with children (18.1%), couples without children (39.1%), and single parent families (9.0%). Non-family households constitute the remaining 33.0%, with lone person households at 30.5% and group households comprising 2.5%. The median household size is 2.2 people, which matches the average for the Rest of NSW.

Educational outcomes in Moruya - Tuross Head fall within the lower quartile nationally, indicating opportunities for improvement in qualification attainment

The area's university qualification rate is 21.4%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. This presents both challenges and opportunities for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are most common at 14.1%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (4.6%) and graduate diplomas (2.7%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 43.1% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas at 11.8% and certificates at 31.3%.

A total of 24.2% of the population is actively pursuing formal education, including 9.0% in primary, 7.2% in secondary, and 2.1% in tertiary education. Moruya-Tuross Head's three schools have a combined enrollment of 837 students. Education provision is balanced with two primary and one secondary school serving distinct age groups. School places per 100 residents (9.6) are below the regional average (12.7), indicating some students may attend schools in adjacent areas.

Transport servicing is low compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

Moruya - Tuross Head has 268 active public transport stops. These are served by a mix of buses along 32 routes, offering 335 weekly passenger trips in total. The area's transport accessibility is rated excellent, with residents on average located 178 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 47 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately one weekly trip per individual stop.

Health performance in Moruya - Tuross Head is a key challenge with a range of health conditions having marked impacts on both younger and older age cohorts

Moruya - Tuross Head faces significant health challenges with various conditions affecting both younger and older residents. Approximately 46% (~4,038 people) have private health cover, lower than the national average of 55.3%.

The most prevalent conditions are arthritis (13.8%) and mental health issues (8.7%), while 58.1% report no medical ailments, slightly below Rest of NSW's 59.6%. Residents aged 65 and over comprise 34.3% (2,995 people), higher than the Rest of NSW average of 31.7%. Health outcomes among seniors in Moruya - Tuross Head exceed general population averages.

Moruya - Tuross Head is considerably less culturally diverse than average when assessed alongside AreaSearch's national rankings for language and cultural background related metrics

Moruya-Tuross Head, as per the 2016 Census, had a cultural diversity index below average. The population was predominantly Australian-born citizens: 89.2% were citizens and 86.8% were born in Australia. English was spoken at home by 97.2%.

Christianity was the dominant religion, practiced by 51.4%, compared to the regional average of 49.0%. The top three ancestry groups were English (32.4%), Australian (30.0%), and Irish (10.1%). Notably, Hungarian ancestry was higher than regional averages at 0.4% versus 0.2%, Welsh at 0.7% versus 0.5%, and Scottish at 8.5% compared to the region's 8.6%.

Moruya - Tuross Head ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide

The median age in Moruya - Tuross Head is 56 years, notably exceeding Rest of NSW's average of 43 years and significantly higher than Australia's 38 years. The 65-74 age group shows strong representation at 20.2%, compared to Rest of NSW's figure, whereas the 5-14 cohort is less prevalent at 8.4%. This concentration in the 65-74 age group is well above the national average of 9.4%. According to the 2021 Census, the 75 to 84 age group has grown from 9.6% to 10.8% of the population. Conversely, the 55 to 64 cohort has declined from 19.3% to 16.7%. Looking ahead to 2041, demographic projections reveal significant shifts in Moruya - Tuross Head's age structure. The 75 to 84 cohort shows the strongest projected growth at 24%, adding 222 residents to reach 1,162. Demographic aging continues as residents aged 65 and older represent 51% of anticipated population growth. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 5-14 and 55-64 cohorts.