Terrigal, NSW: suburb profile

The population of Terrigal NSW is 12,730 according to the 2021 Census. The median personal income in Terrigal is $906 per week ($47,112 per year). Median rent in Terrigal is $520 per week ($2,253 per month). Terrigal has a median age of 43 years, older than the national median of 38. Terrigal has a population density of 1,405 people per km².

The most common overseas birthplace in Terrigal is England. The most common religion is No religion (39.4% of residents). After English, the most spoken language is Mandarin. The median monthly mortgage repayment in Terrigal is $2,492.

There were 115 recorded offences in Terrigal in 2025-26, a rate of 9 offences per 1,000 people. The most common offence category was theft (30 offences).

Population
12,730
Census 2021
Median income
$906/wk
Personal, Census 2021
Median rent
$520/wk
Weekly, Census 2021
Median age
43years
Census 2021

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing 2021; offences from NSW BOCSAR (bocsar.nsw.gov.au), 2025-26.

Terrigal vs the typical NSW suburb

The median personal income in Terrigal is $906 a week, 18% above the typical NSW suburb ($765). That ranks 586th of 2,150 NSW suburbs with 200 or more residents. Median rent is $520 a week, $135 more than the typical NSW suburb. Rent takes 25.3% of the median household income here, against 22.6% in the typical NSW suburb. The median resident is 43, the same age as in the typical NSW suburb.

The typical suburb is the median across suburbs with 200 or more residents. ABS Census 2021, calculated by GDP.com.au.
MeasureTerrigalTypical NSWDifferenceTypical Australia
Personal income$906/wk$765/wk +18%$766/wk
Household income$2,056/wk$1,704/wk +21%$1,637/wk
Rent$520/wk$385/wk +35%$330/wk
Mortgage repayment$2,492/mo$1,965/mo +27%$1,733/mo
Median age4343 0 yrs42
Rent share of household income25.3%22.6% +2.7 pts20.3%
Income, rent and mortgage against the typical suburb Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS, calculated by GDP.com.au
Bar chart of median income, rent and mortgage repayment in Terrigal, the typical NSW suburb and the typical Australian suburb.

Terrigal Population

12,730 residents at the 2021 Census.

Terrigal Median Income & Rent

Median Income
$906/wk
$47,112 per year
Ranked 2,060 of 14,663
Median Rent
$520/wk
$2,253 per month
Ranked 502 of 14,663
Median Age
43years
5 years older than the national median
Mortgage
$2,492/mo
Avg household size: 2.6 · 0.8 per bedroom

Valid: Census 2021 · Source: ABS Census of Population and Housing.

Terrigal Rent Prices & Affordability

25% of median household income goes on median rent

Marks at 25% and 35%. Band: moderate.

Household income $2,056/wk
Median rent $520/wk
Rent to income 25.3%

Rent is between 25% and 35% of household income: moderate housing costs.

Median rent in Terrigal against your income

About $8,909 a month
Median rent $520/wk
Left after rent $1,536/wk
Rent share 25.3%

Terrigal Schools

7
schools nearby
4
government
1072
avg ICSEA score
3,171
total students
Our Lady Star of The Sea Catholic Primary School Catholic
Primary · K-6 · 605 students
1102
ICSEA
Erina Heights Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 254 students
1094
ICSEA
Avoca Beach Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 455 students
1081
ICSEA
Terrigal Public School Government
Primary · K-6 · 888 students
1078
ICSEA
Terrigal High School Government
Secondary · 7-12 · 847 students
1044
ICSEA
Aspect Central Coast School Independent
Combined · U · 122 students
1030
ICSEA
Aspect Central Coast School Senior College Independent
Secondary

Source: Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), 2025. ICSEA is the Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (national average 1000).

All schools near Terrigal, with a map

Terrigal Map

Terrigal, New South Wales Map data: OpenStreetMap
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People in Terrigal

Demographics

Gender Split

Male 48.9% (6,225) Female 51.1% (6,503)

Population Density

1,405
people per km²
12,730 people · 9.1 km²

Households

2.6
Avg household size
0.8
Persons per bedroom
$2,445
Family income/wk

Age Distribution

0-4
5-9
10-14
15-19
20-24
25-29
30-34
35-39
40-44
45-49
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69
70-74
75-79
80-84
85+
Male Female

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Most common overseas birthplaces

England
7.0%
New Zealand
1.9%
South Africa
1.5%
Scotland
0.8%
United States of America
0.7%
China
0.7%
Ireland
0.5%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G09 Country of Birth by SAL

Most common languages at home other than English

Mandarin
0.7%
Spanish
0.5%
Italian
0.4%
Portuguese
0.4%
Afrikaans
0.3%
French
0.3%
Cantonese
0.3%

Shares are of all residents. Source: ABS Census 2021, G13 Language Used at Home by SAL

Ancestry

English
44.4%
Australian
35.5%
Irish
13.4%
Scottish
11.4%
Italian
3.7%
German
3.4%
Australian Aboriginal
2.0%
Chinese
1.8%
Dutch
1.7%
New Zealander
1.2%
South African
1.1%

Shares are of the suburb population. People can report up to two ancestries, so shares add to more than 100%. Source: ABS Census 2021, G08 Ancestry by SAL

Religion

No religion
39.4%
Catholic
23.6%
Anglican
15.1%
Not stated
5.9%
Uniting Church
2.7%
Christian (other)
2.5%
Presbyterian and Reformed
1.9%
Othr Protestnt
1.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G14 Religion by SAL

Indigenous Population

1.9%
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander

Source: ABS Census 2021, G07 Indigenous Status by SAL

Marital Status

Married
52.2% 5,457
Separated
3.1% 328
Divorced
10.4% 1,085
Widowed
4.5% 467
Never married
29.8% 3,112

Source: ABS Census 2021, G05 Marital Status by SAL

Family Structure

Couple: children under 15
40.7%
Couple: no children
29.4%
Couple: no children under 15
17.3%
One parent: children under 15
6.7%
One parent: no children under 15
6.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G29 Family Composition by SAL

Household Size

1 person
22.3%
2 persons
35.7%
3 persons
16.3%
4 persons
16.3%
5 persons
7.0%
6+ persons
2.4%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G35 Household Size by SAL

Homes in Terrigal

Housing Tenure

Of the 4,707 occupied private dwellings in Terrigal at the 2021 Census, 24.0% were rented, 39.1% owned outright and 34.9% owned with a mortgage.

Other tenure type
0.8% 40 dwellings
Owned outright
39.1% 1,839 dwellings
Owned with mortgage
34.9% 1,643 dwellings
Rented
24.0% 1,132 dwellings
Tenure type not stated
1.2% 55 dwellings

Source: ABS Census 2021, Suburb and Locality (SAL)

Dwelling Types

Separate house
90.7%
Semi-detached (2+ storey)
7.7%
Semi-detached (1 storey)
1.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G36 Dwelling Structure by SAL

Number of Bedrooms

1 bedroom
2.4%
2 bedrooms
14.3%
3 bedrooms
36.6%
4 bedrooms
33.5%
5 bedrooms
11.2%
6+ bedrooms
1.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G41 Number of Bedrooms by SAL

Monthly Mortgage Repayments

$0-$299/mo
6.0%
$300-$449/mo
2.1%
$450-$599/mo
1.5%
$600-$799/mo
2.4%
$800-$999/mo
2.8%
$1,000-$1,399/mo
9.6%
$1,400-$1,799/mo
10.6%
$1,800-$2,399/mo
22.9%
$2,400-$2,999/mo
18.6%
$3,000-$3,999/mo
23.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G38 Mortgage Repayment by SAL

Car Ownership

0 vehicles
3.6%
1 vehicle
33.0%
2 vehicles
42.7%
3 vehicles
12.7%
4+ vehicles
8.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G34 Motor Vehicles per Dwelling by SAL

Work, income and education in Terrigal

Employment

Employed full-time
35.2% 3,252 people
Employed part-time
22.8% 2,105 people
Unemployed
2.2% 202 people
Not in labour force
39.8% 3,676 people

Source: ABS Census 2021, G46 Labour Force Status by SAL

Occupation

Professionals
36.9%
Managers
18.5%
Technicians & Trade Workers
12.5%
Clerical & Administrative
12.0%
Community & Personal Service
10.1%
Sales Workers
5.2%
Labourers
3.0%
Machinery Operators & Drivers
1.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Industry of Employment by Occupation

Weekly Household Income

Nil/Negative/wk
1.8%
$1-$149/wk
0.4%
$150-$299/wk
1.0%
$300-$399/wk
1.8%
$400-$499/wk
4.2%
$500-$649/wk
4.6%
$650-$799/wk
4.8%
$800-$999/wk
5.5%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
6.8%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
7.6%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
4.7%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
5.8%
$2,000-$2,499/wk
10.2%
$2,500-$2,999/wk
7.4%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
8.4%
$3,500-$3,999/wk
4.9%
$4,000+/wk
20.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G33 Household Income by SAL

Personal Weekly Income Distribution

$0 or less/wk
9.7%
$1-$149/wk
4.2%
$150-$299/wk
4.9%
$300-$399/wk
3.3%
$400-$499/wk
2.4%
$500-$649/wk
3.7%
$650-$799/wk
9.2%
$800-$999/wk
9.2%
$1,000-$1,249/wk
10.5%
$1,250-$1,499/wk
8.8%
$1,500-$1,749/wk
7.0%
$1,750-$1,999/wk
6.1%
$2,000-$2,999/wk
11.3%
$3,000-$3,499/wk
2.9%
$3,500+/wk
6.6%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G17 Personal Income by SAL

How People Get to Work

Car (driver)
67.8%
Did not go to work
23.5%
Car (passenger)
3.8%
Walked only
2.0%
Truck
0.9%
Other
0.7%
Bus
0.5%
Train
0.5%
Motorbike/Scooter
0.3%
Bicycle
0.2%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G62 Method of Travel to Work by SAL

Education Level

Year 12 or equivalent
65.7%
Year 10 or equivalent
24.3%
Year 11 or equivalent
6.1%
Year 9 or equivalent
3.9%

Shares are of people whose highest year of school is Year 9 to 12 only. Source: ABS Census 2021, G16 Highest Year of School by SAL

Qualifications

Bachelor Degree
34.9%
Certificate III/IV
28.0%
Advanced Diploma/Diploma
21.0%
Postgraduate Degree
10.4%
Graduate Diploma/Certificate
4.1%
Certificate I/II
1.7%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G49 Non-School Qualification by SAL

Field of Study

Management & Commerce
24.4%
Health
16.7%
Society & Culture
13.6%
Education
10.7%
Engineering
10.6%
Architecture & Building
8.4%
Creative Arts
4.9%
Food, Hospitality & Personal Services
4.4%
Natural & Physical Sciences
2.4%
Information Technology
2.3%
Agriculture & Environment
1.8%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G51 Field of Study by SAL

School & University Attendance

Primary: Government
26.5%
Secondary: Government
20.2%
Vocational Education
12.0%
Pre-school
11.3%
Secondary: Other Non-Govt
8.7%
Primary: Catholic
8.3%
Primary: Other Non-Govt
7.0%
Secondary: Catholic
6.0%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G15 Type of Educational Institution by SAL

More from the 2021 Census

Need for Assistance

Does not have need for assistance
91.3%
Has need for assistance
3.8%
Need for assistance not stated
4.9%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G18 Core Activity Need for Assistance by SAL

Long-term Health Conditions

Mental health
907
Arthritis
440
Asthma
421
Heart disease
339
Diabetes
257
Cancer
231
Lung condition
197
Stroke
127
Kidney disease
119
Dementia
46

Source: ABS Census 2021, G19 Long-term Health Conditions by SAL

Unpaid Carers

Provided unpaid assistance
12.2% 1,201
Did not provide
87.8% 8,659

Source: ABS Census 2021, G25 Unpaid Assistance by SAL

Volunteering

Volunteer
16.1% 1,588
Not a volunteer
83.9% 8,294

Source: ABS Census 2021, G23 Voluntary Work by SAL

Military Service

Current ADF: Regular
0.1% 7
Current ADF: Reserves
0.1% 7
Previously served
2.4% 237
Never served
97.5% 9,658

Source: ABS Census 2021, G22 ADF Service by SAL

Children Ever Born

No children
27.8%
1 child
11.6%
2 children
33.5%
3 children
19.9%
4 children
5.8%
5+ children
1.3%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G28 Children Ever Born by SAL

When Migrants Arrived

Before 1951
41
1951: 1960
132
1961: 1970
282
1971: 1980
308
1981: 1990
340
1991: 2000
272
2001: 2010
633
2011: 2015
296
2016
77
2017
54
2018
49
2019
100
2020
30
2021
18

Source: ABS Census 2021, G10 Year of Arrival by SAL

Population Mobility

16.8%
moved in the last year
45.7%
moved in the last 5 years
3.2%
unemployment rate (Census)
60.0%
labour force participation

Source: ABS Census 2021, G43 Summary by SAL

Where Residents Moved From

Same address
9,973
Moved from NSW
1,344
Moved: same area (SA2)
459
Moved from overseas
95
Moved from QLD
33
Moved from VIC
30
Moved from ACT
12
Moved from WA
6
Moved from TAS
4
Moved from NT
4

Source: ABS Census 2021, G44 Address 1 Year Ago by SAL

Unpaid Domestic Work

Less than 5 hours
21.6%
5: 14 hours
32.2%
15: 29 hours
15.3%
30+ hours
9.8%
Did not do domestic work
21.1%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G24 Unpaid Domestic Work by SAL

Family Blending

Intact family: no other children
87.6%
Step family: no other children
8.3%
Blended family: no other children
3.6%
Other couple: children only
0.5%

Source: ABS Census 2021, G31 Family Blending by SAL

Terrigal Crime Statistics

115 reported offences in 2025-26, by category.

Theft
30
Other Against Property
24
Assault
18
Other Against Person
16
Sexual Offences
10
Property Damage
9
Drug Offences
7
Weapons
1

Total offences by year

2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Source: NSW BOCSAR (bocsar.nsw.gov.au).

Cheaper alternatives with similar incomes

Suburbs near Terrigal

The closest suburb to Terrigal is North Avoca, 1.3 km away.

North Avoca
1.3 km away · income $1,094/wk · rent $545/wk
Avoca Beach
2.4 km away · income $927/wk · rent $530/wk
Wamberal
3.8 km away · income $944/wk · rent $500/wk
Kincumber
3.9 km away · income $686/wk · rent $400/wk
Erina
4.0 km away · income $607/wk · rent $380/wk
Green Point (Central Coast - NSW)
4.3 km away · income $698/wk · rent $425/wk

Frequently Asked Questions About Terrigal

What is the population of Terrigal NSW?

The population of Terrigal NSW is 12,730 according to the ABS Census 2021. The suburb has a population density of 1,405 people per km². Terrigal is ranked #390 out of 14,663 suburbs by population.

What is the median income in Terrigal?

The median personal income in Terrigal NSW is $906 per week, or $47,112 per year. The median household income is $2,056 per week. Family income is $2,445 per week. Terrigal is ranked #2,060 by income out of 14,663 Australian suburbs.

How much is rent in Terrigal?

Median rent in Terrigal NSW is $520 per week ($2,253 per month). Rent represents 25.3% of household income, which is considered moderate. Terrigal ranks #502 out of 14,663 suburbs by rent.

What are mortgage repayments in Terrigal?

The median monthly mortgage repayment in Terrigal NSW is $2,492. This data comes from the ABS Census 2021 and reflects mortgage repayments for owner-occupied dwellings.

What is the median age in Terrigal?

The median age in Terrigal NSW is 43 years. This is older than the national median age of 38 years.

Is Terrigal a good suburb to live in?

Terrigal is a suburb in New South Wales with a population of 12,730. The median income is $906/wk, which is above the typical NSW suburb ($765/wk). Rent affordability is rated as moderate (25.3% of household income). See the full suburb profile above for detailed statistics.

Data: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Census of Population and Housing 2021. SA2 area: 13820. All dollar figures in AUD.