Barden Ridge
At a 97.9th-percentile household income and a median house price of $1,650,000, Barden Ridge sits firmly among Sydney's premium southern suburbs, yet it does so with only 4,129 residents across 5.6 square kilometres. The defining feature is its housing stock: 92.2% separate houses and 80.9% with four or more bedrooms, a combination that skews heavily toward established family living. Ownership is unusually strong, with 43.6% holding their home outright and just 6.2% renting, well below the national average. The suburb draws professionals who commute by car, with 91.7% relying on driving because public transport use sits at just 1.5%.
Population
4,129
Median Age
41.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$3,134/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
28
Median House
$1.6M
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The median house price reached $1,650,000 in 2025, up from $1,605,000 in 2024, a 3.4% annual gain. For a suburb where 80.9% of homes have four or more bedrooms and 92.2% are detached houses, that price reflects the depth of family-scale stock rather than apartment scarcity. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,641, and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 19.5%, well below the 30% stress threshold, because household incomes rank in the 97.9th percentile nationally. Buyers will find competition is real but manageable: the vacancy rate is 2.0% and only 50.2% of households carry a mortgage, meaning many sellers are equity-rich long-term owners rather than distressed vendors.
For Buyers
The median house price reached $1,650,000 in 2025, up from $1,605,000 in 2024, a 3.4% annual gain. For a suburb where 80.9% of homes have four or more bedrooms and 92.2% are detached houses, that price reflects the depth of family-scale stock rather than apartment scarcity. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,641, and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 19.5%, well below the 30% stress threshold, because household incomes rank in the 97.9th percentile nationally. Buyers will find competition is real but manageable: the vacancy rate is 2.0% and only 50.2% of households carry a mortgage, meaning many sellers are equity-rich long-term owners rather than distressed vendors.
For Investors
With a renter share of just 6.2%, Barden Ridge is not a yield-driven market. Weekly rent averages $685, but against the $1,650,000 median this implies a gross yield below 2.2%, low even compared to most Sydney outer-ring suburbs. The 2.0% vacancy rate is not alarming in isolation, yet the thin tenant base means void periods carry more risk than in higher-renter neighbourhoods. On the demand side, 25 development applications were lodged in the past 12 months, largely improvement works on existing homes rather than new supply, which keeps the total stock stable. The investment case rests on capital growth: the 3.4% price gain over 2024-2025 is modest but positive, and the 97.9th-percentile income profile of residents provides a resilient demand floor.
Development Activity
Total DAs
249
Last 12 Months
28
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+47.4%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Barden Ridge iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Shire Christian School
K-12 · 926 students
Lucas Heights Community School
K-12 · 796 students
Demographics
The median age of 41 is one year above the national figure, consistent with a well-established family suburb rather than a transient or student area. University qualifications reach 35.5%, which is 5.4 points higher than the national average, and professionals and managers together account for the two largest occupation groups at 538 and 395 workers respectively. Average household size is 3.3, which is 0.8 above the national figure, reinforcing the large-family orientation visible in the bedroom data. Overseas-born residents make up 15.7% of the population, which is 5.9 points below the national proportion, and ancestry is predominantly Anglo-Celtic, led by English (1,576), Irish (493) and Scottish (412). Residential stability is high: 86.4% of residents lived at the same address the previous year.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
92.2%
Houses
7.8%
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
Barden Ridge has one of the most detached-house-dominant profiles in greater Sydney, with 92.2% separate houses and only 7.8% semi-detached, and no material apartment stock. Four-plus bedroom dwellings account for 80.9% of all homes, three-bedroom for 17.8%, leaving just 1.3% in smaller configurations. This stock profile means virtually every transaction involves a large family home. Tenure splits lean heavily toward ownership: 43.6% own outright and 50.2% carry a mortgage, while only 6.2% rent. That low renter share, compared to the national average of around 30%, signals a suburb where long-term, equity-rich owner-occupiers dominate. The median price rose from $1,605,000 in 2024 to $1,660,000 in 2025, and mortgage-to-income at 19.5% shows buyers are not overextended relative to their incomes.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,641
Rent / wk
$685
HH Size
3.3
Personal Income / wk
$1,033
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
2.0%
Unoccupied
25
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.9%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
19.5%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
19.6%
Couples, no children
3,823
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare and Education jointly lead local employment at 14.1% and 14.0% of the workforce respectively, followed by Construction at 12.1% and Professional/Technical services at 10.6%. Public Administration rounds out the top five at 7.6%. The full-time employment rate is 65.0% and unemployment sits at 3.0%, below the national rate. Participation is 63.0%, partly constrained by 941 residents not in the labour force, a figure consistent with the older-skewing household profile and the large share of outright owners who may no longer need full-time income. Weekly personal income averages $1,033 and family weekly income averages $3,145, both well above national medians, placing household income at the 97.9th percentile nationally.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
65.0%
Part-time
32.0%
Participation
63.0%
Employed
2,069
Occupations
Top Industries
University
35.5%
Postgraduate
8.0%
Born Overseas
15.7%
Dwellings
1,219
Transport to Work
Car dependence is the defining transport fact: 91.7% of residents drive to work, compared to an average that is significantly higher than inner-city norms, and only 1.5% use public transport, the same share that walks or cycles. This reflects the suburb's southern Sydney location outside dense bus and rail networks. No schools are recorded within the 2234 postcode boundary in this dataset, so families rely on surrounding suburbs for schooling. Crime data is not available for Barden Ridge, but as an indirect indicator the rent-to-income ratio of 21.9% keeps tenants comfortable and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 19.5% sits well below stress levels, both consistent with a financially stable, low-disadvantage area. Volunteering participation stands at 13.1% and 4.9% of residents require assistance with daily activities.
Drive
91.7%
Public Transport
1.5%
Walk / Cycle
1.5%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Barden Ridge compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Barden Ridge a good suburb to live in?
Barden Ridge appeals strongly to families who prioritise space and ownership. Household income sits at the 97.9th percentile nationally, mortgage stress is low at 19.5% of income, and 43.6% of residents own their home outright. The trade-offs are high entry prices at $1,650,000 median and near-total car dependence, with only 1.5% of residents using public transport.
What is the median house price in Barden Ridge?
The median house price is $1,650,000 as at 2025, up from $1,605,000 in 2024, a 3.4% annual gain. Weekly rent averages $685 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $2,641. The mortgage-to-income ratio of 19.5% indicates buyers are not financially stretched relative to the suburb's incomes.
What schools are in Barden Ridge?
No schools are recorded inside the Barden Ridge postcode 2234 boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The local population is well educated, with 35.5% holding university qualifications, which is 5.4 percentage points above the national average.
Is Barden Ridge safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Barden Ridge in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb has a mortgage-to-income ratio of 19.5% and a rent-to-income ratio of 21.9%, both well below financial stress thresholds, and only 4.9% of its 4,129 residents need daily assistance, consistent with a low-disadvantage area.
Is Barden Ridge good for property investment?
Barden Ridge suits investors focused on capital growth rather than yield. Rent of $685 per week against a $1,650,000 median implies a gross yield below 2.2%, and only 6.2% of households rent, limiting the tenant pool. Prices rose 3.4% from 2024 to 2025, and the 97.9th-percentile income base provides stable long-term demand for high-value family homes.
How is Barden Ridge's population changing?
Barden Ridge has a population of 4,129 with strong residential stability: 86.4% of residents remained at the same address year-on-year, giving a turnover rate of just 13.6%. The 25 development applications lodged in the past 12 months are mostly improvements to existing homes, suggesting incremental rather than transformative change in the suburb's character.
How much development is happening in Barden Ridge?
There were 25 development applications lodged in the past 12 months. Recent examples include swimming pool additions, shed and earthworks approvals, and deck or balcony works, consistent with owner-occupiers investing in existing large-block homes rather than new multi-dwelling developments. This pattern suits the 92.2% separate-house character of the suburb.
How to read these comparisons
Phrases like "above the national average" reference the unweighted median across Australian suburbs with more than 1,000 residents, not population-weighted national figures. Suburb-level medians are more useful for ranking suburbs against each other; ABS census headlines are population-weighted (so dominated by Sydney and Melbourne) and can read very differently.
Current baseline (refreshed 2026-05-10): median age 40, university-educated 30.1%, born overseas 21.6%, average household size 2.5 people.
Data sources: ABS 2021 Census (demographics, income, tenure), state Valuer-General (house prices), Department of Jobs SALM (unemployment), ACARA (school ICSEA), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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