Tumut (NSW 2720) in Focus 2026: Is It a Good Investment? R-Score 90/100, 5.1% Yield & Best Streets

Market Classification: High-Yield & Momentum Sweet Spot · R-Score: 90/100 (National Rank #1,635 of 15,286) · Street Average: 33/100 across 114 streets.

In a 6%+ interest rate environment, most Australian suburbs force investors to choose between capital growth momentum and holding cashflow. Tumut is one of the rare markets in NSW currently delivering both: a 90/100 R-Score paired with a 5.1% gross rental yield at a $510,000 median price. That yield profile preserves bank borrowing serviceability so investors can sequence their next acquisition without a punishing cashflow deficit.

“I would not treat the 5.1% gross yield as the whole story. With 60 of 94 streets scoring below 50, the spread in street quality matters, and the 152-day selling time suggests buyers need patience. I’d start with the better-scoring streets, then test the cashflow conservatively.”

Looking for the live, monthly-updated numbers? The Tumut (NSW) suburb profile tracks the current median house price, rent, vacancy and R-Score, and the Tumut street-by-street scores rank every street. This article is our investment analysis of what those numbers mean.

Below is our full October 2026 quantitative and street-level breakdown for Tumut (NSW 2720), combining 36 months of settled price and rental history from our Aurora research warehouse, council-level supply and employment data for Snowy Valleys (NSW), and block-by-block ABS 2021 Census SA1 tenure and yield rankings across 4,339 residential addresses.

1. Tumut (NSW) 3-Year Market Trajectory & 27-Indicator R-Score (October 2026)

Over the past 12 months, Tumut’s median house price moved +0% (from $510,000 to $510,000), bringing its 3-year cumulative price movement to +3.2% (from $494,000 three years ago). On the rental side, median weekly asking rents moved +4.2% over the past year to $500/wk (+33.8% over 36 months), equating to a 5.1% gross rental yield. Compared with 12 months ago—when Tumut carried an R-Score of 89/100—its current composite R-Score of 90/100 represents a +1-point shift in underlying market pressure.

Indicator / R-Score Pillar	Tumut (NSW) Current	12-Month / 36-Month Context
Composite Suburb R-Score	90 / 100	Ranked #1,635 of 15,286 suburbs (was 89/100 12m ago)
Median House Price	$510,000	12m change: +0% · 36m change: +3.2%
Median Weekly Rent & Gross Yield	$500/wk (5.1%)	12m rent change: +4.2% · 36m rent change: +33.8%
Rental Vacancy & Days on Market	0.3% vacancy	Median selling time: 152 days on market (1.5% vacancy is the tight-market line)
Pillar 1: Buyer Demand	37 / 100	Measures days-on-market compression, vendor discounting & sales velocity
Pillar 2: Supply & Ownership	34 / 100	Measures stock on market, building approvals vs stock & owner-occupier share
Pillar 3: Price Momentum	70 / 100	Measures short/medium-term price velocity vs Snowy Valleys & NSW
Pillar 4: Yield Pressure	70 / 100	Measures gross rental yield, rent trajectory & vacancy compression

2. The “Two-Speed Suburb” Test: Best & Worst Streets in Tumut (NSW)

Why do two 4-bedroom houses in Tumut achieve completely different bank valuations and tenant quality? Because suburb medians blend every pocket together. When we map all 4,339 addresses across 114 streets in Tumut through G-NAF to their ABS 2021 Census SA1 blocks, the suburb splits into three distinct tiers:

• Strong Street Profile (Score 75–100): 4 streets (4% of scored streets) pass both ABS Census tenure tests (owner-occupiers >65% and public housing ≤5%) plus at least one—or both—of the Tumut rent and yield benchmarks.
• Mid / Mixed Street Profile (Score 50–74): 30 streets pass the core owner-occupier and public-housing thresholds but sit below the suburb median on weekly rent or yield.
• Weaker / Caution Street Profile (Score 0–25): 60 streets fail one or both census tenure thresholds—meaning either owner-occupation sits at or below 65% or state/community public housing exceeds 5% on those specific SA1 blocks.

Top 5 Highest-Scoring Streets in Tumut (NSW)

These streets sit in SA1 census blocks with high homeowner pride of ownership, minimal social housing concentration, and strong block-level rents (inspect all 114 streets in Tumut):

Top Street in Tumut	Street Score	Addresses	Owner-Occupiers	Public Housing	SA1 Rent & Yield
#1 Booral Avenue	75/100	36	78%	0%	$455/wk (5.8%)
#2 Eberlin Place	75/100	18	78%	0%	$455/wk (5.8%)
#3 Highland Avenue	75/100	17	78%	0%	$455/wk (5.8%)
#4 Jillabenan Close	75/100	14	78%	0%	$455/wk (5.8%)
#5 Fairway Drive	59/100	29	73%	0.4%	$438/wk (5.3%)

Streets Where Block-Level Tenure Trails the Tumut Average

By contrast, the streets below run through SA1 census blocks that fail one or more of our tenure or rental tests. A lower Street Score is not a judgement of any individual house, but it highlights where higher renter turnover or public housing concentration exists within Tumut:

Caution Street Sample	Street Score	Addresses	Owner-Occupiers	Public Housing	SA1 Median Rent
Banksia Crescent	0/100	37	43%	34.8%	$420/wk
Gadara Place	0/100	26	43%	34.8%	$420/wk
Wilga Street	0/100	19	43%	34.8%	$420/wk

3. Economic & Supply Drivers in Snowy Valleys Council (New South Wales)

Tumut sits within the Snowy Valleys Local Government Area, which has a residential population of approximately 15,058 (+0.5% population movement over the past 3 years) and 6,969 total dwellings. Three council-level fundamentals shape Tumut’s medium-term outlook:

• Local Employment Diversity (ABS Census): The largest employment sectors across Snowy Valleys are Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing (17%), Manufacturing (15%), Health Care and Social Assistance (9%), Retail Trade (9%). Multi-sector employment reduces reliance on any single employer or commodity cycle.
• New Building Approvals vs. Existing Stock: Over the latest 12-month financial year, Snowy Valleys approved 0.6% new dwelling stock (~39.03 dwellings). Because annual additions sit under 1.8% of stock, incoming supply is constrained relative to tenant and buyer demand.
• Tracked Infrastructure Pipeline: Snowy Valleys currently has $2.1 billion in tracked major infrastructure projects (placing it in the 57th percentile of Australian councils).

4. Worked Cashflow, Deposit & 80% LVR Stress-Test for Tumut (October 2026)

What does it actually cost to acquire and hold a typical house in Tumut at today’s median price of $510,000 and median rent of $500/wk? Below is the baseline 80% Loan-to-Value Ratio (LVR) model we use to stress-test serviceability before shortlisting a property:

Cashflow & Capital Item	Tumut Worked Figure	Assumptions & Notes
Purchase Price (Suburb Median)	$510,000	Settled house median as of October 2026
20% Deposit + Est. Stamp Duty & Costs	$126,480	$102,000 deposit (80% LVR) + ~$24,480 stamp duty, legal & inspection allowance (can be funded via usable home equity)
80% LVR Loan Amount	$408,000	Standard no-LMI investor loan threshold
Gross Annual Rental Income	$26,000/yr ($500/wk)	5.1% gross rental yield before vacancies and expenses
Est. Annual Interest + Operating Costs	$31,110/yr	Assumes 6.25% interest-only ($25,500/yr) + ~1.1% for council rates, insurance & property management ($5,610/yr)
Pre-Tax Weekly Cashflow Position	-$98/wk top-up	Before tax deductions / depreciation (confirm post-tax position with your accountant)

5. Who Should Buy in Tumut—And 3 Rules Before You Make an Offer

Rare Convergence of 5%+ Gross Rental Yield and Top-Quartile Demand. Based on our October 2026 data, Tumut is best suited to first-time property investors, homeowners unlocking $150k–$250k in equity, and second/third property buyers who need strong rental yield (5.1%) to preserve bank borrowing capacity while capturing capital growth.

1. Never Buy Blind on the Suburb Median: In Tumut, 60 streets score below 50/100 on our census tenure and yield tests. Always run the exact street through the Tumut Street Score Hub and target the 4 streets scoring 75–100/100.
2. Check Lot-Level Overlays (Flood, Bushfire, Slope & Easements): Even on a 100/100 streetlike Booral Avenue, individual lots can carry overland flow paths, steep gradients, or sewer easements that restrict granny-flat additions or spike insurance premiums.
3. Price Against Street-Matched Settled Comparables: Do not let a selling agent justify an asking price on a 25/100 street using comparable sales from a 100/100 street. Compare settled sales within the same SA1 Street Score band.