Tumut

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

Based on analysis of ABS population updates for the broader area, as of November 2025, Tumut's estimated population is around 6,719. This reflects an increase of 106 people since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 6,613. The change is inferred from AreaSearch's estimate of the resident population at 6,570 following examination of the latest ERP data release by the ABS in June 2024 and an additional 127 validated new addresses since the Census date. This level of population equates to a density ratio of 227 persons per square kilometer. Over the past decade, Tumut has demonstrated resilient growth patterns with a compound annual growth rate of 0.3%, outpacing the SA3 area. Population growth was primarily driven by overseas migration during recent periods.

AreaSearch is adopting ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with 2022 as the base year. For areas not covered by this data, AreaSearch utilises NSW State Government's SA2 level projections, released in 2022 with 2021 as the base year. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. Future population trends anticipate lower quartile growth for locations outside capital cities, with Tumut expected to grow by 267 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a gain of 1.8% in total over the 17 years.

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

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers indicates Tumut recorded approximately 21 residential properties granted approval annually over the past five financial years. This totals an estimated 109 homes. In FY-26, 17 approvals have been recorded to date. Over these five years (FY-21 to FY-25), there has been an average of 0.3 new residents per year per dwelling constructed.

New construction is matching or outpacing demand, offering buyers more options and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current expectations. The average value of new properties constructed is $446,000, indicating a focus on the premium market with high-end developments. In FY-26, Tumut has recorded $39.1 million in commercial development approvals, demonstrating strong commercial development momentum. Compared to Rest of NSW, Tumut shows comparable new home approvals per person, maintaining market balance consistent with the broader area.

This level is below the national average, suggesting the area's established nature and potential planning limitations. Recent construction in Tumut comprises 95.0% detached houses and 5.0% townhouses or apartments, maintaining the area's traditional low density character focused on family homes appealing to those seeking space. The location has approximately 299 people per dwelling approval, indicating a low density market. Looking ahead, Tumut is expected to grow by 121 residents through to 2041 based on AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate. Given current development patterns, new housing supply should readily meet demand, offering good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

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

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified three projects likely to impact the area. Key projects are Tumut Hospital Redevelopment, Tumut Aerodrome Infrastructure Upgrade Stage 2, Tumut River Works Program, and HumeLink. The following details those most 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.

AreaSearch analysis reveals Tumut recording weaker employment conditions than most comparable areas nationwide

Tumut's workforce comprises both white and blue-collar jobs, with manufacturing and industrial sectors prominent. The unemployment rate was 4.0% in the past year, showing a 3.7% employment growth.

As of September 2025, 2,980 residents were employed, with an unemployment rate of 4.2%, slightly above Rest of NSW's 3.8%. Key industries include manufacturing, healthcare & social assistance, and retail trade. Manufacturing is particularly specialized, with a share of employment 2.7 times the regional level. Professional & technical jobs are less prevalent, at 2.2% compared to the regional 5.1%.

Employment opportunities locally appear limited, as indicated by Census data. In the past year, employment increased by 3.7%, while labour force grew by 4.8%, raising unemployment by 1.0 percentage points. This contrasts with Rest of NSW, where employment fell by 0.5% and unemployment rose by 0.4 percentage points. State-level data to 25-Nov shows NSW employment contracted by 0.03%, with an unemployment rate of 3.9%. National forecasts suggest employment will expand by 6.6% over five years and 12.1% over ten years in Tumut, though growth rates vary between industries.

Income figures position the area below 75% of locations analysed nationally by AreaSearch

The suburb of Tumut's income level is lower than average on a national basis according to the latest ATO data aggregated by AreaSearch for financial year 2023. The median income among taxpayers in Tumut is $51,769 and the average income stands at $63,749. In comparison, Rest of NSW's median income is $52,390 and average income is $65,215. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 8.86% since financial year 2023, current estimates for Tumut would be approximately $56,356 (median) and $69,397 (average) as of September 2025. According to Census 2021 income data, household, family and personal incomes in Tumut all fall between the 16th and 20th percentiles nationally. Income analysis reveals that 28.8% of Tumut's population (1,935 individuals) have incomes within the $1,500 - 2,999 range, similar to metropolitan regions where 29.9% fall into this bracket. After housing costs, 86.4% of income remains in Tumut, ranking 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

The latest Census evaluated Tumut's dwelling structures as 85.6% houses and 14.3% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), compared to Non-Metro NSW's 92.0% houses and 8.0% other dwellings. Home ownership in Tumut was at 37.6%, with mortgaged dwellings at 29.5% and rented ones at 32.8%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $1,300, similar to 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 versus Australia's $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 66.4% of all households, including 24.4% couples with children, 28.1% couples without children, and 13.0% single parent families. Non-family households constitute the remaining 33.6%, with lone person households at 31.8% and group households comprising 1.8% of the total. 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 14.9%, significantly lower than the NSW average of 32.2%. Bachelor degrees are most common at 11.0%, followed by graduate diplomas (2.0%) and postgraduate qualifications (1.9%). Vocational credentials are held by 38.5% of residents aged 15+, with advanced diplomas at 7.9% and certificates at 30.6%. Educational participation is high, with 28.1% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes primary education (10.9%), secondary education (8.1%), and tertiary education (1.9%).

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

Tumut has 141 active public transport stops, all of which are bus stops. These stops are served by 18 different routes that together offer 151 weekly passenger trips. The average distance from a resident's home to the nearest transport stop is 142 meters.

On average, there are 21 trips per day across all routes, which equates to approximately one trip per week for each individual stop.

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

Health data shows significant health issues in Tumut affecting both younger and older age groups. Private health cover stands at approximately 52% (~3,504 people), higher than the average SA2 area but lower than Rest of NSW's 49.8%.

Common medical conditions include arthritis (11.0%) and asthma (10.1%). Around 61.4% report no medical ailments, compared to 62.9% in Rest of NSW. Tumut has 22.3% residents aged 65 and over (1,498 people), lower than Rest of NSW's 24.8%. Senior health outcomes face challenges similar to the general population.

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

Tumut had a cultural diversity level below average, with 88.9 percent citizens, 89.8 percent born in Australia, and 94.2 percent speaking English only at home. Christianity was the predominant religion in Tumut, comprising 66.1 percent of its population, slightly higher than the Rest of NSW's 65.3 percent. The top three ancestry groups were Australian (32.8%), English (31.3%), and Irish (8.6%).

Notably, Australian Aboriginal was overrepresented at 5.9 percent compared to the regional average of 4.8 percent, South African at 0.7 percent versus 0.5 percent regionally, and Maori at 0.6 percent against a regional average of 0.4 percent.

Tumut's median age exceeds the national pattern

Tumut's median age in 2021 was 42 years, similar to the Rest of NSW average of 43 but older than Australia's median age of 38 years. The age profile showed that those aged 25-34 were prominently represented at 12.5%, while the 65-74 group was relatively smaller at 11.1% compared to the Rest of NSW average. Between 2021 and present, the proportion of Tumut's population aged 25-34 has increased from 11.4% to 12.5%. Conversely, the proportion of those aged 55-64 has decreased from 13.1% to 11.9%. Population forecasts for 2041 indicate significant demographic shifts in Tumut. The 85+ cohort is projected to grow by 70%, adding 131 residents to reach a total of 320. Conversely, population declines are projected for the 75-84 and 5-14 age cohorts.