Bega Valley

New South Wales · Capital Region · 35,709 people · 87 suburbs · 10 postcodes

Bega Valley at a glance

35,709

Population

#58 of 130 in NSW

6,176

km² area

6/km² density

51.5

Median age

+11.8 vs NSW

948

SEIFA IRSAD

#78 of 130 in NSW

Schools

19 gov, 2 Cath, 5 indep

12.2%

Born overseas

21.5%

Renting

Map shows the Bega Valley LGA boundary in blue with a marker per suburb. Hover for suburb name, click for details.

Marker colour reflects SEIFA IRSAD decile: ● 1-2 (most disadvantaged), ● 3-4, ● 5-6, ● 7-8, ● 9-10 (most advantaged).

Boundary source: ABS ASGS 2021. Map tiles: OpenStreetMap contributors.

Federal electorate boundaries can be toggled on the map. Boundary source: ABS ASGS 2021 CED boundaries.

Bega Valley is a Local Government Area in New South Wales, in the Sydney region. It covers 87 suburbs across 10 postcodes and an area of 6,176 km². Bega Valley has a population of 35,709 , ranking #58 most populous in NSW. The most populous suburb is Bega (5,013 residents).About 12.2% of residents were born overseas and 3.3% speak a language other than English at home.

Who lives here

Age structure

15.1%

8.3%

17.8%

29.6%

29.1%

0–14 (15.1%) 15–24 (8.3%) 25–44 (17.8%) 45–64 (29.6%) 65+ (29.1%)

Show counts

0–14 years	5,377 (15.1%)
15–24 years	2,970 (8.3%)
25–44 years	6,348 (17.8%)
45–64 years	10,562 (29.6%)
65+ years	10,369 (29.1%)

12.2%

Born overseas

3.3%

Speak a language other than English at home

3.7%

First Nations

2.3

Avg household size

How they live

Housing tenure

51.0%

27.5%

21.5%

Owned outright (51.0%) Mortgaged (27.5%) Renting (21.5%)

Dwelling type mix

90.3%

Separate house (90.3%) Semi/townhouse (6.2%) Flat/apartment (3.4%)

$311

Median weekly rent

$1,492

Median monthly mortgage

40.8%

Households with 0-1 cars

59.2%

Households with 2+ cars

Work and learning

3.6%

Unemployment rate

7,557

In full-time work

6,209

In part-time work

Schools in Bega Valley

26 schools across Bega Valley: 73.1% Government, 7.7% Catholic, 19.2% Independent. The NSW average is 69.6% / 16.9% / 13.5%. Schools here have a median ICSEA of 977 (range 888 to 1085). NSW median is 1005; national mean is 1000.

Sector mix

73.1%

19.2%

NSW average for comparison

69.6%

16.9%

13.5%

Government Catholic Independent

Type breakdown

69.2%

11.5%

15.4%

Primary (69.2%) Secondary (11.5%) Combined (15.4%) Special (3.8%)

ICSEA range

700 National mean 1000 1300

LGA median 977 NSW median 1005LGA range 888 to 1085

ICSEA (Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage) summarises the socio-economic background of each school's families. Higher values indicate more advantage. Source: ACARA 2025.

All 26 schools in Bega Valley, sorted by enrolment:

School	Sector	Type	Suburb	Students	ICSEA
Bega High School	Government	Secondary	Bega	706	973
Lumen Christi Catholic College	Catholic	Combined	Pambula Beach	692	1040
Eden Marine High School	Government	Secondary	Eden	536	956
Sapphire Coast Anglican College	Independent	Combined	Bega	454	1057
Merimbula Public School	Government	Primary	Merimbula	428	1001
Monaro High School	Government	Secondary	Cooma North	372	977
Bega Valley Public School	Government	Primary	Bega	291	917
Pambula Public School	Government	Primary	Pambula	257	994
Eden Public School	Government	Primary	Eden	256	906
Cooma North Public School	Government	Primary	Cooma North	227	955
Mumbulla School for Rudolf Steiner Education	Independent	Primary	Bega	176	1056
St Patrick's Primary School	Catholic	Primary	Bega	175	977
Tathra Public School	Government	Primary	Tathra	171	1048
Bermagui Public School	Government	Primary	Bermagui	165	944
Wolumla Public School	Government	Primary	Wolumla	109	931
Candelo Public School	Government	Primary	Candelo	84	982
Cobargo Public School	Government	Primary	Cobargo	77	941
Quaama Public School	Government	Primary	Quaama	53	987
Pambula Beach Flexible School	Independent	Special	Pambula	52	888
Snowy Mountains Christian School	Independent	Combined	Cooma North	50	1005
Bemboka Public School	Government	Primary	Bemboka	29	927
Wyndham Public School	Government	Primary	Wyndham	27	935
Thomas More Christian Montessori School	Independent	Primary	Bega	26	1033
Towamba Public School	Government	Primary	Towamba	23	958
Tanja Public School	Government	Primary	Tanja	6	1085
Bournda Environmental Education Centre	Government	Combined	Kalaru

Source: ACARA School Profiles 2025. ICSEA shown where reported; some schools (notably small primaries) do not publish ICSEA.

SEIFA socio-economic indexes

SEIFA 2021 ranks Australian areas across four dimensions. Scores are population-weighted averages of suburb-level SEIFA scores within Bega Valley. Higher scores indicate more advantage; the national mean is 1000.

IRSAD

Relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage

948

Ranked #78 of 130 NSW LGAs

IRSD

Relative disadvantage only (lower = more disadvantaged)

986

IER

Economic resources: income, wealth, housing

986

IEO

Education and occupation: qualifications, skill levels

946

Suburbs in Bega Valley

Bega Valley contains 87 suburbs and 10 postcodes. Sorted by population.

Suburb	Postcode	Population	Median income	Median age
Bega	2550	5,013	$1,196/wk	43
Merimbula	2548	3,821	$1,146/wk	54
Tura Beach	2548	3,405	$1,280/wk	58
Eden	2551	3,350	$1,025/wk	53
Bermagui	2546	1,865	$1,022/wk	58
Tathra	2550	1,527	$1,221/wk	56
Pambula	2549	1,002	$1,117/wk	54
Kalaru	2550	820	$1,458/wk	44
Candelo	2550	780	$1,256/wk	46
Wolumla	2550	767	$1,396/wk	45
Cobargo	2550	766	$967/wk	56
Pambula Beach	2549	667	$1,414/wk	54
Wallagoot	2550	597	$1,583/wk	48
Bemboka	2550	589	$1,015/wk	50
Wallaga Lake	2546	587	$915/wk	62
Brogo	2550	581	$1,214/wk	54
Millingandi	2549	519	$859/wk	62
Mirador	2548	519	$1,662/wk	52
South Pambula	2549	493	$1,608/wk	42
Berrambool	2548	486	$1,136/wk	46
Wyndham	2550	418	$941/wk	55
Lochiel	2549	411	$1,586/wk	44
Tarraganda	2550	346	$1,612/wk	50
Nethercote	2549	332	$1,375/wk	51
Buckajo	2550	322	$1,462/wk	49
Bald Hills	2549	321	$1,487/wk	44
Coolagolite	2550	309	$1,187/wk	51
Quaama	2550	291	$1,058/wk	53
Verona	2550	286	$1,156/wk	53
Towamba	2550	249	$808/wk	53
Black Range	2550	230	$1,625/wk	42
Toothdale	2550	210	$1,978/wk	48
Greigs Flat	2549	206	$1,458/wk	47
Kameruka	2550	192	$1,768/wk	37
South Wolumla	2550	180	$1,471/wk	48
Tanja	2550	174	$1,042/wk	58
Coopers Gully	2550	172	$1,625/wk	49
Angledale	2550	167	$1,474/wk	50
Tantawangalo	2550	162	$1,333/wk	52
Stony Creek	2545	151	$1,542/wk	48
Kanoona	2550	147	$1,937/wk	42
Wandella	2550	141	$1,104/wk	59
Wonboyn	2551	130	$1,027/wk	57
Numbugga	2550	129	$1,166/wk	52
Bournda	2548	127	$1,437/wk	45
Yowrie	2550	125	$900/wk	53
Frogs Hollow	2550	117	$1,292/wk	40
Kiah	2551	101	$1,041/wk	53
Mogilla	2550	100	$1,174/wk	59
Reedy Swamp	2550	97	$1,416/wk	46
Burragate	2550	96	$1,020/wk	57
Wapengo	2550	93	$1,406/wk	60
Barragga Bay	2546	91	$1,187/wk	63
Jellat Jellat	2550	85	$1,875/wk	47
Dignams Creek	2546	82	$1,104/wk	55
Murrah	2546	82	$1,542/wk	60
Boydtown	2551	75	$739/wk	58
Myrtle Mountain	2550	75	$1,625/wk	53
Mogareeka	2550	67	$1,274/wk	61
Doctor George Mountain	2550	65	$1,187/wk	55
Yellow Pinch	2548	64	$1,416/wk	43
Cuttagee	2546	61	$949/wk	64
Morans Crossing	2550	55	$1,274/wk	44
Rocky Hall	2550	53	$1,125/wk	59
New Buildings	2550	31	$687/wk	65
Mount Darragh	2632	25	$474/wk	65
Chinnock	2550	22	$1,375/wk	52
Narrabarba	2551	22	$725/wk	47
Pericoe	2550	22	$262/wk	40
Nullica	2551	17	$1,312/wk	50
Timbillica	2551	12	$900/wk	50
Devils Hole	2550	10	$1,416/wk	63
Nungatta	2551	4	$1,375/wk	27
Green Cape	2551	3		49
Bocci	2631
Coolangubra	2550
Cooma North	2630
Coonerang	2630
Edrom	2551
Jimcumbilly	2631
Mumbulla Mountain	2550			63
Nadgee	2551
Nungatta South	2551
Wadbilliga	2546
Wonboyn North	2551
Yambulla	2550
Yankees Creek	2550

Postcodes covered

2545, 2546, 2548, 2549, 2550, 2551, 2630, 2631, 2632, 2850

Compare Bega Valley with neighbouring LGAs

Side-by-side demographic and socio-economic snapshot of Bega Valley and its closest neighbouring LGAs.

LGA	Population	Median age	SEIFA IRSAD	% renting	% overseas-born
Bega Valley (NSW)	35,709	51.5	948	21.5%	12.2%
Snowy Monaro Regional	21,431	43.1	990	25.1%	13.7%
Eurobodalla	39,836	54.0	945	23.5%	13.7%
The Hills Shire	203,118	39.2	1134	21.8%	40.6%
Liverpool	230,992	34.6	966	36.6%	43.3%
Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional	62,327	38.4	1062	27.1%	18.4%

Services and amenities

NDIS Providers NDIS provider directory for Bega Valley Climate & weather Climate data for Bega

Frequently asked questions about Bega Valley

What is the population of Bega Valley?

The 2021 Census recorded 35,709 people living in Bega Valley, across 87 suburbs.

What suburbs are in Bega Valley?

Bega Valley contains 87 suburbs. The most populous are Bega, Merimbula, Tura Beach, Eden, Bermagui.See the full list in the Suburbs section above.

What postcodes are in Bega Valley?

Bega Valley covers 10 postcodes: 2545, 2546, 2548, 2549, 2550, 2551, 2630, 2631, 2632, 2850.

How many schools are in Bega Valley?

Bega Valley has 26 schools, including 19 government, 2 Catholic, and 5 independent schools (ACARA 2025).

What is the SEIFA score for Bega Valley?

Bega Valley has a population-weighted SEIFA IRSAD score of 948, where the national average is 1000. Higher scores indicate more relative advantage.

Page last reviewed June 2026. Data sources: Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census (CC BY 4.0), SEIFA 2021 (IRSD, IRSAD, IER, IEO), ACARA School Profiles 2025, ABS ASGS 2021 LGA boundaries. How this data is sourced.