Bateau Bay
One of Bateau Bay's clearest signals is stability: 80.4% of residents stayed at the same address over the reference period, while the 19.6% turnover rate is modest. The suburb has 12,516 residents, a median age of 42, and an age profile 2 years above the national figure. Its 79.5% separate-house share and 40.9% four-plus-bedroom share support a settled, family-sized housing market. Compared with nearby Long Jetty, Bateau Bay reads as more detached-house oriented and less apartment-led, with a slower-growth profile rather than a rapid redevelopment story.
Population
12,516
Median Age
42.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,475/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
108
Homebuyers are choosing a suburb where detached stock dominates: 79.5% of dwellings are separate houses, and 40.9% have 4 or more bedrooms, compared with 9.3% apartments. That mix suits households needing space, especially where 41.5% of families are couples with children and average household size is 2.5. The affordability test is important: the monthly mortgage figure is $2,058, and mortgage costs equal 32.2% of household income, higher than the 27.1% rent-to-income ratio. Buyers should compare established homes with renovation needs, because 106 development applications in 12 months point to ongoing property upgrades.
For Buyers
Homebuyers are choosing a suburb where detached stock dominates: 79.5% of dwellings are separate houses, and 40.9% have 4 or more bedrooms, compared with 9.3% apartments. That mix suits households needing space, especially where 41.5% of families are couples with children and average household size is 2.5. The affordability test is important: the monthly mortgage figure is $2,058, and mortgage costs equal 32.2% of household income, higher than the 27.1% rent-to-income ratio. Buyers should compare established homes with renovation needs, because 106 development applications in 12 months point to ongoing property upgrades.
For Investors
Rental investors get a sizeable tenant base, with 24.1% of occupied dwellings rented and weekly rent at $400. However, the 6.5% vacancy rate is higher than a tightly supplied market would usually suggest, so leasing speed and property presentation deserve attention. The suburb's 0.32% annual growth trend is slower than a high-growth corridor, while overseas migration is the primary forecast driver. A 12-month development count of 106 raises the need to check competing stock, although the detached-house share of 79.5% can support demand from families. Compared with a speculative growth play, Bateau Bay looks more like an established, income-and-renovation market where returns depend on purchase discipline.
Development Activity
Total DAs
622
Last 12 Months
108
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+11.3%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Bateau Bay
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Demographics
Bateau Bay has an older profile than Australia overall: median age is 42, or 2 years above the national figure, while university attainment is 25.3%, 4.8 percentage points below national and overseas-born residents are 12.4%, 9.2 points below national. English, Irish and Scottish are the leading ancestries, with counts of 5,366, 1,686 and 1,307; Christianity records 6,600 people and no religion 4,756. Families are prominent, with couples with children at 41.5% and one-parent families at 19.3%. Compared with nearby Long Jetty and The Entrance, the 80.4% stay rate supports a more settled residential feel, because fewer moving households can reinforce local continuity.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
79.5%
Houses
11.0%
Townhouse
9.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Detached housing defines Bateau Bay more strongly than attached formats: 79.5% of dwellings are separate houses, versus 11.0% semi-detached and 9.3% apartments. Tenure is split between 36.1% owned outright, 35.6% with a mortgage and 24.1% rented, so owner-occupiers still outnumber renters. Larger homes are common, with 40.9% having 4 or more bedrooms and 40.0% having 3 bedrooms. The $2,058 monthly mortgage figure and 32.2% mortgage-to-income ratio show a tighter position than the 27.1% rent-to-income ratio. Compared with nearby Long Jetty, this is a more conventional detached-house market, which helps explain its settled household pattern.
Mortgage / mo
$2,058
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (April to June 2026), NSW Rental Bond Board (DCJ). Census 2021 median: $400.
$650
Bond data Jun 2026 · houses $680 · units $525
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$719
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
6.5%
Unoccupied
325
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
27.1%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
32.2% stressed
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
41.5%
Couples with children
38.2%
Couples, no children
19.3%
Single parent
3,397
Total families
Economy & Employment
Employment is anchored by essential services and practical trades. Healthcare accounts for 20.3% of industry employment, ahead of Education at 14.8%, Construction at 14.3%, Public Administration at 7.7% and Retail at 6.3%. The occupational mix reinforces that spread: Professionals number 1,051, Trades 850, Community/Personal 716, Clerical/Admin 688 and Managers 591. Unemployment is 4.2% with a 54.1% participation rate, while full-time employment is 50.9%. Socioeconomic results are mixed: IRSAD and IRSD both sit at decile 4, below IER at decile 6, while IEO is also decile 4. That gap may reflect reasonable income resources alongside lower education and occupation scores than higher-ranked areas.
Unemployment
4.2%
Labour Force
5,472
Unemployed
232
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
50.9%
Part-time
36.8%
Participation
54.1%
Employed
5,240
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
25.3%
Postgraduate
4.4%
Born Overseas
12.4%
Dwellings
4,669
Transport to Work
Daily life is car-oriented: 64.3% of residents drive to work, compared with 0.9% using public transport and 1.2% walking or cycling. Work-from-home participation is 29.6%, which can reduce commuting pressure for some households but does not remove the need for a car for many trips. Bateau Bay Public School provides 1 local government primary-school option; families should check enrolment zones against the exact address, since school access cuts across suburb boundaries. The IRSAD decile is 4, below IER decile 6, pointing to a more constrained area-level advantage than the income-resources ranking. A street-level safety check and current NSW Police incident search are sensible before renting or buying, as a single suburb-wide impression can be less useful than a precise location.
Drive
64.3%
Public Transport
0.9%
Walk / Cycle
1.2%
Work from Home
29.6%
Population Forecast
+0.32%/yr
(+74 people/yr)
EstablishedBateau Bay is tracking as an established, slow-growth suburb rather than a rapid expansion area. The forecast annual trend is 0.32%, with Overseas migration identified as the primary driver, and population change across the wider area is 6.8% over 10 years. The shift trajectory is Mixed, alongside 48.1% rent growth and a 1.5% increase in senior share, so housing pressure can rise even when resident growth is restrained. Gentrification signals are inconsistent: the shift measure records a score of 45 and stage Active, while the dedicated gentrification measure records score 0 and stage Not gentrifying. That combination supports incremental change rather than a clear reinvention cycle.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+81
Net Internal / yr
+6
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Bateau Bay compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bateau Bay a good suburb to live in?
Bateau Bay suits buyers and renters seeking a settled, detached-house suburb, particularly families. Separate houses make up 79.5% of dwellings, median age is 42, and 80.4% of residents stayed at the same address. The trade-off is car dependence, with 64.3% driving to work and only 0.9% using public transport. Check the exact street, school zone and commute before deciding.
What is the median house price in Bateau Bay?
A current median house price should be checked against recent settled sales and active listings rather than inferred from rent. The local housing profile is 79.5% separate houses, weekly rent is $400, and the monthly mortgage figure is $2,058. Mortgage costs reach 32.2% of household income, so borrowing capacity and renovation costs matter as much as the headline sale price.
What schools are in Bateau Bay?
Bateau Bay Public School is the local government primary school listed for the suburb. Families should confirm the enrolment zone for the exact address and ask about before- and after-school care, transport and year-level capacity. With 40.9% of dwellings containing 4 or more bedrooms and 41.5% of families being couples with children, school access can be a practical part of the buying decision.
Is Bateau Bay safe?
A precise safety decision should use current NSW Police incident maps and a visit at different times of day, because conditions can vary by street. Bateau Bay has 12,516 residents and 8.1% of residents need assistance, but that assistance figure is not a crime measure. Check lighting, pedestrian routes, parking areas and nearby activity before signing a lease or contract.
Is Bateau Bay good for property investment?
Bateau Bay can suit a long-term investor seeking established housing and a broad tenant base, but it is not a simple high-growth case. Rent is $400 per week, 24.1% of dwellings are rented and vacancy is 6.5%, while the annual growth trend is 0.32%. The 106 development count over 12 months makes it important to check competing supply, renovation quality and insurance before relying on rental income.
How is Bateau Bay's population changing?
Bateau Bay's current population is 12,516. The forecast annual trend is 0.32%, with Overseas migration named as the primary driver, while population change across the wider area is 6.8% over 10 years. The shift trajectory is Mixed, with the senior share up 1.5 percentage points and the young share up 1.0 point. That suggests gradual change rather than a sharply younger or rapidly expanding suburb.
What development is happening in Bateau Bay?
Development activity is active at 106 applications over 12 months. Recent examples include a swimming pool, alterations or additions and a dwelling-house modification, pointing more to ongoing upgrades than a single large estate release. Owners should check approvals, construction timing and nearby applications before renovating or buying, because competing improvements can affect amenity and future rental presentation.
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 education open registers (school locations), 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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