Tweed Heads South

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

Tweed Heads South's population was 8,423 people as of the 2021 Census. By Nov 2025, it is around 8,578, reflecting an increase of 155 people (1.8%) since the Census date. This growth is inferred from ABS data showing an estimated resident population of 8,574 as of June 2024 and an additional 143 validated new addresses since the Census. The population density ratio is 1,013 persons per square kilometer, comparable to averages across locations assessed by AreaSearch. Tweed Heads South's growth rate of 1.8% positions it within 2.1 percentage points of the SA4 region's growth rate of 3.9%. Overseas migration contributed approximately 54.5% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch adopts 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 uses NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Based on the latest annual ERP population numbers, Tweed Heads South is expected to increase by 562 persons to 2041, reflecting a gain of 6.5% in total over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch assessment of residential development drivers sees a low level of activity in Tweed Heads South, placing the area among the bottom 25% of areas assessed nationally

Tweed Heads South granted around 33 residential property approvals annually. Between financial years FY21 and FY25, it approved a total of 165 homes, with another 7 approved so far in FY26. Over the past five financial years, an average of 1.2 new residents arrived per new home. However, this figure has accelerated to 13.2 people per dwelling over the past two financial years, indicating increasing demand and tightening supply.

The average construction value for new homes is $199,000, which is below regional levels. In FY26, commercial development approvals reached $50.4 million, suggesting robust local business investment. Compared to the rest of NSW, Tweed Heads South has slightly more development activity, with 27.0% above the regional average per person over the past five years.

Recent construction comprises 81.0% detached dwellings and 19.0% attached dwellings, sustaining the area's suburban identity. The location has approximately 1564 people per dwelling approval, demonstrating an established market. Future projections estimate Tweed Heads South to add 558 residents by 2041. Based on current development patterns, new housing supply should readily meet demand, offering good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

Tweed Heads South has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly impact an area's performance. AreaSearch identified 17 projects likely influencing the region. Notable ones include Enid Street Residential Towers (13-19), Rivendell Drive Warehouse and Light Industry Development, Tweed Heads South Supported Accommodation, and Terranora Creek Foreshore Rehabilitation. The following list details those most relevant.

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

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The labour market performance in Tweed Heads South lags significantly behind most other regions nationally

Tweed Heads South has a balanced workforce with both white and blue collar jobs. Essential services sectors are well represented, and the unemployment rate is 4.7%. As of September 2025, there are 3129 residents employed, with an unemployment rate of 4.7%, which is 0.8% higher than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.8%.

Workforce participation in Tweed Heads South is lower at 44.7%, compared to Rest of NSW's 61.5%. According to Census responses, only 10.6% of residents work from home. The key industries for employment among residents are health care & social assistance, accommodation & food, and retail trade. Tweed Heads South has a particularly strong specialization in accommodation & food, with an employment share that is 1.8 times the regional level.

Conversely, agriculture, forestry & fishing is under-represented, with only 0.9% of Tweed Heads South's workforce compared to 5.3% in Rest of NSW. The ratio of workers to residents indicates a level of local employment opportunities above the norm at 0.8 workers per resident. Between September 2024 and September 2025, labour force decreased by 2.4%, while employment decreased by 1.5%, resulting in a fall in unemployment rate by 0.9 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of NSW experienced an employment decline of 0.5% and labour force decline of 0.1%, with a rise in unemployment rate by 0.4 percentage points. National employment forecasts from Jobs and Skills Australia suggest that national employment is expected to expand by 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Tweed Heads South's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by 6.6% over five years and 13.8% over ten years, based on a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes.

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

The Tweed Heads South SA2 had a median taxpayer income of $44,110 and an average income of $54,607 in the financial year 2023, according to postcode level ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch. This was below the national average of $52,390 (median) and $65,215 (average) for Rest of NSW. By September 2025, based on an 8.86% Wage Price Index growth since financial year 2023, estimated incomes would be approximately $48,018 (median) and $59,445 (average). The 2021 Census showed that household, family, and personal incomes in Tweed Heads South fell between the 2nd and 6th percentiles nationally. Income analysis revealed that 33.0% of residents (2,830 people) were in the $400 - $799 weekly income bracket, contrasting with regional levels where the $1,500 - $2,999 bracket led at 29.9%. The concentration of 42.3% in sub-$800 weekly brackets indicated significant economic challenges faced by a substantial portion of the community. Housing affordability pressures were severe, with only 78.3% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 3rd percentile nationally.

Tweed Heads South displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with above-average rates of outright home ownership

In Tweed Heads South, as per the latest Census evaluation, 50.7% of dwellings were houses, with the remaining 49.3% being semi-detached, apartments, or other types. This differs from Non-Metro NSW where 82.6% of dwellings are houses and 17.4% are other types. Home ownership in Tweed Heads South stood at 47.5%, with mortgaged dwellings at 21.9% and rented ones at 30.5%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,733, aligning with Non-Metro NSW's average. However, the median weekly rent in Tweed Heads South was $390, higher than Non-Metro NSW's $330. Nationally, mortgage repayments were lower at $1,863 and rents higher at $375 compared to Tweed Heads South figures.

Tweed Heads South features high concentrations of lone person households and group households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 57.6% of all households, including 15.4% that are couples with children, 28.0% that are couples without children, and 12.9% that are single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 42.4%, with lone person households at 37.9% and group households comprising 4.5%. The median household size is 2.1 people, which is smaller than the Rest of NSW average of 2.4.

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

The area's university qualification rate is 13.6%, 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 9.8%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (2.3%) and graduate diplomas (1.5%). Trade and technical skills are prominent, with 39.5% of residents aged 15+ holding vocational credentials - advanced diplomas (10.3%) and certificates (29.2%).

A substantial 23.0% of the population is actively pursuing formal education, including 7.7% in primary education, 6.5% in secondary education, and 3.0% in tertiary education.

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

Tweed Heads South has 75 active public transport stops, all serving buses. These stops are covered by 58 different routes, offering a total of 1,451 weekly passenger trips. Residents enjoy excellent transport accessibility, with an average distance of 182 meters to the nearest stop. Most residents commute outwards daily. Cars remain the primary mode of transport, used by 91% of residents. On average, there are 0.9 vehicles per dwelling, lower than the regional average.

Only 10.6% of residents work from home, according to the 2021 Census, which may reflect COVID-19 conditions. Bus services run an average of 207 trips per day across all routes, translating to about 19 weekly trips per stop.

Health performance in Tweed Heads South is lower than average with common health conditions somewhat prevalent across the board, though to a considerably higher degree among older age cohorts

Tweed Heads South faces significant health challenges based on AreaSearch's assessment of mortality rates and chronic condition prevalence. Common health conditions are somewhat prevalent across all age groups but more so among older cohorts. The rate of private health cover is very low at approximately 47% of the total population, which consists of around 4,014 people.

This compares to 51.9% in the rest of NSW and a national average of 55.7%. The most common medical conditions are arthritis and mental health issues, affecting 13.6% and 9.5% of residents respectively. Meanwhile, 54.0% of residents claim to be completely clear of medical ailments compared to 63.3% in the rest of NSW. Working-age population faces notable health challenges with elevated chronic condition rates. The area has 33.5% of residents aged 65 and over, totaling around 2,874 people, which is higher than the 23.0% in the rest of NSW. Health outcomes among seniors present some challenges but rank lower nationally compared to the broader population.

Tweed Heads South ranks below the Australian average when compared to other local markets across a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Tweed Heads South, assessed in 2016, showed lower cultural diversity with 87.1% citizens, 78.9% born in Australia, and 92.4% speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion, at 57.8%, compared to 55.9% regionally. Top ancestry groups were English (32.4%), Australian (26.6%), and Irish (8.7%).

Notably, Australian Aboriginal (4.7%) and New Zealand (0.9%) and Maori (0.7%) were overrepresented compared to regional averages of 4.6%, 0.4%, and 0.3% respectively.

Tweed Heads South ranks among the oldest 10% of areas nationwide

Tweed Heads South has a median age of 53, which is considerably higher than the Rest of NSW figure of 43 and substantially exceeds the national norm of 38. Relative to Rest of NSW, Tweed Heads South has a higher concentration of 75-84 residents at 12.7%, but fewer 5-14 year-olds at 9.1%. This 75-84 concentration is well above the national figure of 6.0%. Between the 2021 Census and the present day, the median age has decreased by 1.0 years from 54 to 53, indicating a shift towards a younger demographic. During this period, the 35-44 age group grew from 9.2% to 10.9%, while the 0-4 cohort increased from 4.0% to 5.3%. Conversely, the 65-74 cohort declined from 15.6% to 14.0%, and the 75-84 group dropped from 14.0% to 12.7%. By 2041, demographic modeling suggests Tweed Heads South's age profile will evolve significantly. The 25-34 age cohort is projected to grow steadily, expanding by 184 people (21%) from 861 to 1,046. Meanwhile, both the 65-74 and 55-64 age groups are expected to see reduced numbers.