Tumut, NSW
By Lauren McCaleb · Reviewed by Dylan Duncan ·
Tumut sits on the Tumut River in the north-western foothills of the Snowy Mountains, in the Riverina region of New South Wales about 410 kilometres south-west of Sydney. The town lies on the traditional lands of the Wiradjuri, Wolgalu and Ngunnawal peoples, who gathered in the high country each summer to feast on bogong moths. The name possibly comes from a Wiradjuri word meaning a quiet resting place by the river, though the origin is uncertain. British pastoralists arrived in the 1830s, and in 1908 Tumut was even shortlisted as a possible site for the national capital. Today the economy leans on softwood plantation forestry and timber milling. Known for its European deciduous trees, the town holds an annual Festival of the Falling Leaf and serves as a gateway to the Snowy Mountains Scheme.
Among Australia's less advantaged suburbs
Tumut is more socio-economically advantaged than about 11% of the 14,462 Australian suburbs we score, based on the ABS SEIFA index (raw score 898, 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.
Tumut at a glance
- Population (2021)
- 6,613
- Median age
- 42
- Median weekly household income
- $1,242
- SEIFA score
- 898
- Coordinates
- -35.3224, 148.2357
Tumut demographics (2021 Census)
The figures below profile Tumut 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 24%, 32% of homes are rented, and 10% of residents were born overseas.
Age profile
| Age group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Children (0–14) | 1,285 | 19% |
| Youth (15–24) | 724 | 11% |
| Young adults (25–44) | 1,498 | 23% |
| Mid-life (45–64) | 1,620 | 24% |
| Seniors (65+) | 1,489 | 23% |
Share of the 6,616 people counted by age.
Housing and households
| Tenure | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Owned outright | 954 | 37% |
| Owned with a mortgage | 741 | 29% |
| Rented | 829 | 32% |
| Dwelling type | Dwellings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Houses | 2,214 | 85% |
| Townhouses & semis | 308 | 12% |
| Flats & apartments | 50 | 2% |
Tenure and dwelling shares are of the roughly 2,597 occupied private dwellings in Tumut.
- Median weekly rent
- $245
- Median monthly mortgage
- $1,300
- Average household size
- 2.3 people
- Median weekly family income
- $1,613
- Median weekly personal income
- $655
Community and culture
- Born overseas
- 624 (10%)
- Speaks a language other than English at home
- 356 (6%)
- Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
- 508 (8%)
Work and education
- Completed Year 12
- 1,878 (37%)
- Labour-force participation
- 56.1%
- Unemployment rate
- 5.2%
- Employed full-time
- 1,681
- Employed part-time
- 985
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.
Common questions about Tumut
Where is Tumut?
Tumut is a suburb of New South Wales, Australia.
What is the population of Tumut?
At the 2021 Census, Tumut had a population of about 6,613.
Is Tumut an advantaged area?
Tumut has an ABS SEIFA score of 898, where about 1000 is the national average — higher scores indicate greater relative socio-economic advantage. That gives it a Suburb Score of 11 out of 100 — more socio-economically advantaged than about 11% of Australian suburbs.
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