Terrigal, NSW
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Terrigal is a coastal town on the Central Coast of New South Wales, about twelve kilometres east of Gosford on the Pacific Ocean and part of the Central Coast Council area. European settlement dates to 1826, when John Gray took up land here and called his property 'Tarrygal' after the Aboriginal name, said to signify 'place of little birds'. Its long, sheltered beach is a magnet for holidaymakers, watched over by The Skillion — a steep sedimentary headland, formed in the Triassic, that gives a sweeping view back across the town. Nearby, the grassy reserve known as The Haven holds a sporting oval and a boat ramp, while Terrigal Lagoon draws kayakers and paddleboarders. Once a scatter of orchards served by a single market, the town has grown steadily more urban since the 1970s.
Among Australia's more advantaged suburbs
Terrigal is more socio-economically advantaged than about 92% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 1080, where about 1000 is the national average).
A socio-economic measure from ABS Census data — not a measure of how good a suburb is to live in or visit. How we calculate this.
Terrigal at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 12,730
- Median age
- 43
- Median weekly household income
- $2,056
- SEIFA score
- 1080
- Coordinates
- -33.4458, 151.4281
Terrigal demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Terrigal using the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census; every percentage is a share of a clearly stated Census count, so each one traces back to the source. At a glance, the largest age group is mid-life (45–64) at 27%, 24% of homes are rented, and 22% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 2,279 | 18% |
| Youth (15–24) | 1,455 | 11% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 2,817 | 22% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 3,430 | 27% |
| Seniors (65+) | 2,752 | 22% |
Share of the 12,733 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 1,839 | 39% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 1,643 | 35% |
| Rented | 1,132 | 24% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 3,341 | 71% |
| Townhouses & semis | 344 | 7% |
| Flats & apartments | 1,012 | 22% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 4,705 occupied private dwellings in Terrigal.
- Median weekly rent
- $520
- Median monthly mortgage
- $2,492
- Average household size
- 2.6 people
- Median weekly family income
- $2,445
- Median weekly personal income
- $906
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 2,696 (22%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 981 (8%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 247 (2%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 6,043 (61%)
- Labour-force participation
- 60%
- Unemployment rate
- 3.2%
- Employed full-time
- 3,251
- Employed part-time
- 2,103
Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing, 2021 (General Community Profile, by Suburb and Locality). © Australian Bureau of Statistics, released under CC BY 4.0. How we group bands and derive each share is set out on our methodology page.
Weather and climate in Terrigal
Based on 2014–2023 records, the warmest month in Terrigal is January (average daytime high around 26.2°C) and the coolest is July (around 17.1°C). The area receives roughly 1010 mm of rain across the year.
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26.2°C | 20.2°C | 107 mm |
| Feb | 25.5°C | 20°C | 105 mm |
| Mar | 24.5°C | 19.1°C | 161 mm |
| Apr | 22.4°C | 16.1°C | 93 mm |
| May | 19.7°C | 13°C | 44 mm |
| Jun | 17.1°C | 10.9°C | 66 mm |
| Jul | 17.1°C | 9.9°C | 64 mm |
| Aug | 17.9°C | 10.3°C | 60 mm |
| Sep | 20.2°C | 12.3°C | 59 mm |
| Oct | 22.2°C | 14.8°C | 88 mm |
| Nov | 23.3°C | 16.5°C | 75 mm |
| Dec | 25.1°C | 18.4°C | 88 mm |
Climate normals, 2014–2023 (Open-Meteo, ERA5 reanalysis).
Common questions about Terrigal
Where is Terrigal?
Terrigal is a suburb of New South Wales, Australia.
What is the population of Terrigal?
At the 2021 Census, Terrigal had a population of about 12,730.
Is Terrigal an advantaged area?
Terrigal has an ABS SEIFA score of 1080, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 92 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 92% of Australian suburbs.
What is the weather like in Terrigal?
Terrigal has average daytime highs of about 21.8°C and overnight lows of about 15.1°C, with roughly 1,010 mm of rain across the year (based on 2014–2023 climate normals).
Nearby suburbs in New South Wales
More suburb guides in New South Wales
Other hand-written, cited guides — browse all guides.