Suburb / Locality · Area profile
Tweed Heads
4 km²
A significant shift in population movement has occurred in Tweed Heads, where 44.7% of residents moved in during the last five years. This is a very old community, with a typical resident aged 55 and over a third of the population aged 65 or more. This older demographic helps explain the high number of people living alone and the fact that few children under 15 live here. It is a highly walkable area with a high proportion of apartments and retirees.
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Seniors make up 36.0% of the population, which is far above the national figure of 17.2%. In contrast, children under 15 make up only 11.0%, a figure well below the state average.
English and Australian ancestries are the most common, and 20.5% of the community was born overseas, which is much higher than in most similar areas.
English is the main language for 83.8% of residents. While 8.0% use another language at home, this is far below the New South Wales average of 26.6%.
Nearly half of the community is Christian, while 38.6% of people report having no religion, which is well above the state figure.
About 18.1% of adults hold a bachelor degree or higher, though this is well below the national average. Many residents have completed a Certificate III or IV, the highest qualification for 28.9% of people.
Typical weekly household income is $1,138, which is much lower than most similar areas and well below the national figure of $1,746.
Health challenges are common here, with 34.0% of people reporting a long-term health condition and 8.5% needing help with daily activities, both of which are much higher than in most areas.
Unpaid care for children is much lower than most areas at 17.4%, which is consistent with the small number of children in the community. However, 4.2% of people have served in the Defence Force, a rate higher than most areas.
There are 277 First Nations people in the area. Their typical age is 32, which is far older than the national figure of 24 years.
Living alone is very common, with 38.3% of people in single-person homes. This is far above the national average and helps explain why the typical home contains only 2.0 people.
Apartments and townhouses dominate the landscape, as only 24.9% of homes are separate houses. Renting is common at 33.9%, and typical weekly rent is $403.
The area is well-served by public transport with 31 stops and 16 routes. This is reflected in the fact that 11.0% of homes have no motor vehicle, a rate well above the national figure.
Tweed Heads is a highly mobile community, with 44.7% of people moving here in the last five years. Recent overseas arrivals also make up a much higher proportion of the population than in most similar areas.
Fewer people are working or looking for work here compared to most areas, at 46.3%. Those who are employed often work in health care and social assistance, which employs 18.7% of the workforce.
The area is very walkable, with 87.2% of homes within a 15-minute walk of a '15-minute-city' walkshed. Most residents can easily reach parks, groceries, and health services on foot.