Tumut

An assessment of population growth drivers in Tumut reveals an overall ranking slightly below national averages considering recent, and medium term trends

Tumut's population is approximately 6,774 as of November 2025. This represents an increase of 107 people since the 2021 Census, which recorded a population of 6,667. As of June 2024, Tumut had an estimated resident population of 6,634 with an additional 127 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 168 persons per square kilometer. Over the past decade, Tumut has exhibited steady growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 0.3%, outperforming its SA3 area. Overseas migration was the primary driver of population growth during recent periods.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area released in 2024 with a base year of 2022, and NSW State Government's SA2 level projections for areas not covered by this data, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for the years 2032 to 2041. According to demographic trends, Tumut is expected to expand by 269 persons to 2041 based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, reflecting an increase of 1.8% in total over the 17-year period.

Residential development activity is lower than average in Tumut according to AreaSearch's national comparison of local real estate markets

Tumut has seen approximately 22 new homes approved annually. Between financial years FY-21 and FY-25, a total of 111 homes were approved, with an additional 16 approved in FY-26 to date. On average, over these five years, only 0.3 people moved to the area per dwelling built.

This indicates that new supply is meeting or exceeding demand, providing ample buyer choice and capacity for population growth beyond current forecasts. The average construction cost value of new dwellings is $357,000. In FY-26, $42.3 million in commercial development approvals have been recorded, indicating high levels of local commercial activity. Comparing Tumut's development activity per person to the Rest of NSW shows comparable figures, maintaining market balance consistent with the broader area.

However, this is below average nationally, suggesting possible planning constraints. The majority of new developments consist of detached dwellings (94.0%), with a smaller proportion being attached dwellings (6.0%). This maintains Tumut's traditional low-density character and appeals to those seeking family homes with space. The estimated population per dwelling approval is 347 people, reflecting the area's quiet, low-activity development environment. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Tumut is expected to grow by 122 residents through to 2041. At current development rates, new housing supply should comfortably meet demand, providing good conditions for buyers and potentially supporting growth beyond current population projections.

Tumut has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

The performance of an area can significantly influenced by changes in local infrastructure, major projects, and planning initiatives. AreaSearch has identified three projects that are expected to impact this particular area. Among these key projects are Tumut Hospital Redevelopment, Tumut Aerodrome Infrastructure Upgrade Stage 2, Tumut River Works Program, and HumeLink. The following list provides details on those projects most likely to be relevant.

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

Denotes AI-based impression for illustrative purposes only, not to be taken as definitive under any circumstances. Please follow links and conduct other investigations from the project's source for actual imagery. Developers and project owners wishing us to use original imagery please Contact Us and we will do so.

The employment landscape in Tumut shows performance that lags behind national averages across key labour market indicators

Tumut has a balanced workforce with both white and blue collar jobs. Manufacturing and industrial sectors are prominent, unemployment is 4.0%, and there's been an estimated 3.7% employment growth in the past year.

As of September 2025, 3,014 residents are employed, with an unemployment rate of 4.1%. The dominant sectors include manufacturing, healthcare & social assistance, and retail trade. Manufacturing is particularly notable at 2.7 times the regional average. Professional & technical jobs are less common at 2.2% compared to 5.1% regionally.

Many residents commute elsewhere for work. In the past year, employment increased by 3.7%, labour force by 4.8%, and unemployment rose by 1.0 percentage points. This contrasts with Rest of NSW where employment contracted by 0.5%. State-level data from 25-Nov shows NSW employment contracted by 0.03% (losing 2,260 jobs), with an unemployment rate of 3.9%, favourable to the national rate of 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia forecasts national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Tumut's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 5.4% over five years and 12.1% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

The Tumut SA2 had a median taxpayer income of $51,849 and an average of $63,847 in the financial year 2022, according to postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. This was slightly lower than the national average, with Rest of NSW having a median income of $49,459 and an average income of $62,998 during the same period. By September 2025, estimates based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% suggest the median income would be approximately $58,387 and the average income around $71,898. The 2021 Census showed household, family, and personal incomes in Tumut falling between the 16th and 20th percentiles nationally. Income distribution data indicated that 28.5% of locals (1,930 people) had incomes ranging from $1,500 to $2,999, similar to the surrounding region where 29.9% fell into this bracket. After accounting for housing costs, 86.4% of income remained, which ranked at the 19th percentile nationally.

Tumut is characterized by a predominantly suburban housing profile, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Tumut's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, consisted of 85.7% houses and 14.2% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Non-Metro NSW's 92.0% houses and 8.0% other dwellings. Home ownership in Tumut was at 37.7%, with the rest being mortgaged (29.5%) or rented (32.8%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,300, aligning with Non-Metro NSW's average, while the median weekly rent was $245, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $230. Nationally, Tumut's mortgage repayments were lower at $1,300 against Australia's average of $1,863, and rents were substantially lower at $245 compared to the national figure of $375.

Tumut features high concentrations of lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 66.5% of all households, including 24.5% couples with children, 27.9% couples without children, and 13.1% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 33.5%, with lone person households at 31.7% and group households comprising 1.8%. The median household size is 2.3 people, which is smaller than the Rest of NSW average of 2.4.

Tumut faces educational challenges, with performance metrics placing it in the bottom quartile of areas assessed nationally

The area's university qualification rate is 14.8%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity for targeted educational initiatives. Bachelor degrees are most common at 10.9%, followed by graduate diplomas (2.0%) and postgraduate qualifications (1.9%). Vocational credentials are prominent, with 38.7% of residents aged 15+ holding them - advanced diplomas (8.0%) and certificates (30.7%).

Educational participation is high, with 28.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 10.9% in primary education, 8.0% in secondary education, and 2.0% pursuing tertiary education.

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

The Tumut public transport system operates 140 active stops, all of which are bus services. These stops are covered by 18 different routes that offer a total of 151 weekly passenger trips. The accessibility to these services is rated as excellent, with residents on average living just 142 meters away from the nearest stop.

On average, there are 21 trips per day across all routes, which works out to approximately one weekly trip per individual stop.

Health performance in Tumut is well below average with prevalence of common health conditions notable across both younger and older age cohorts

Tumut faces significant health challenges, as indicated by health data.

Both younger and older age groups have a notable prevalence of common health conditions. Private health cover is slightly lower than the average SA2 area, at approximately 51% of Tumut's total population (~3,468 people). The most prevalent medical conditions are arthritis (11.0%) and asthma (10.0%). However, 61.4% of residents report having no medical ailments, compared to 62.9% in Rest of NSW. As of 2016, Tumut has 22.2% of its population aged 65 and over (1,502 people), which is lower than the 24.8% in Rest of NSW. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges, broadly aligning with the general population's health profile.

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

Tumut's cultural diversity was found to be below average, with 89.0% of its population being citizens, 89.8% born in Australia, and 94.3% speaking English only at home. The predominant religion in Tumut is Christianity, accounting for 66.2% of the population, compared to 65.3% across Rest of NSW. The top three ancestry groups are Australian (32.9%), English (31.3%), and Irish (8.5%).

Notably, certain ethnic groups have different representations: Australian Aboriginal is higher at 5.9% in Tumut compared to the regional average of 4.8%, South African at 0.7% versus 0.5%, and Maori at 0.6% against a regional average of 0.4%.

Tumut's median age exceeds the national pattern

Tumut's median age in 2021 was 42 years, comparable to Rest of NSW's average of 43 but higher than Australia's median age of 38. The age profile showed a prominent group aged 25-34 (12.4%) and a smaller group aged 65-74 (11.1%), compared to Rest of NSW. Between 2021 and the present, the 25-34 age group increased from 11.4% to 12.4%, while the 55-64 cohort decreased from 13.1% to 11.9%. By 2041, significant demographic changes are forecast for Tumut. The 85+ age group is projected to grow by 70%, adding 132 residents to reach 321. Conversely, population declines are expected in the 75-84 and 5-14 age groups.