Bilgola Plateau
A median house price of $2,505,000 and a household income in the 96.4th percentile nationally make Bilgola Plateau one of Sydney's most financially concentrated suburbs, yet only 3,650 people live here across 1.39 square kilometres. The residential profile is unusually uniform: 97.8% of dwellings are separate houses and 61.3% have 4 or more bedrooms, pointing to large family homes rather than the apartment mix common in comparable price brackets. The median age of 46 sits 6 years above the national figure, and 84.1% of residents did not move in the previous year, signalling a settled, long-term owner community with very little rental turnover at 10.0% renter share.
Population
3,650
Median Age
46.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,856/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
27
Median House
$2.5M
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The median house price reached $2,505,000 in 2024-2025, rising from $2,410,000 in 2024 to $2,620,000 in 2025, a one-year gain of 8.7%. The stock is almost entirely separate houses at 97.8%, with 61.3% of dwellings having 4 or more bedrooms, so buyers compete for a single dwelling type with limited variation. Monthly mortgage repayments average $3,315, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.8%, which stays below the 30% stress threshold despite prices well above $2 million. Outright owners (42.3%) slightly outpace mortgage holders (47.7%), suggesting a substantial cohort of debt-free long-term residents. That ownership structure constrains supply because settled owners rarely list.
For Buyers
The median house price reached $2,505,000 in 2024-2025, rising from $2,410,000 in 2024 to $2,620,000 in 2025, a one-year gain of 8.7%. The stock is almost entirely separate houses at 97.8%, with 61.3% of dwellings having 4 or more bedrooms, so buyers compete for a single dwelling type with limited variation. Monthly mortgage repayments average $3,315, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.8%, which stays below the 30% stress threshold despite prices well above $2 million. Outright owners (42.3%) slightly outpace mortgage holders (47.7%), suggesting a substantial cohort of debt-free long-term residents. That ownership structure constrains supply because settled owners rarely list.
For Investors
Rental demand is thin in Bilgola Plateau, with only 10.0% of residents renting, compared to the national average closer to 30%. Weekly rent of $895 against a $2,505,000 median implies a gross yield of approximately 1.9%, low even by premium Sydney standards. The vacancy rate of 3.6% is not alarming but reflects limited rental stock rather than deep demand. Development activity ran at 23 applications in the past 12 months, mostly alterations and additions to existing houses rather than new supply. With annual price growth of 8.7% from 2024 to 2025 and an 84.1% resident retention rate, the investment case rests on capital growth and scarcity of stock, not rental income.
Development Activity
Total DAs
181
Last 12 Months
27
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-18.2%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Bilgola Plateau iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Bilgola Plateau Public School
K-6 · 344 students
Demographics
The median age of 46 is 6 years above the national figure, and the household composition confirms this: couples with children (1,447 families) outnumber couples without children (886) but the overall profile is one of maturing households. University qualifications reach 47.2%, which is 17.1 percentage points above the national average, consistent with a professional and managerial workforce. Overseas-born residents account for 27.8%, which is 6.2 points above national. Ancestry is Anglo-Celtic dominated, led by English (1,823), Irish (505) and Scottish (473). Average household size of 2.9 is 0.4 above national, reflecting the prevalence of larger family homes. The volunteering rate of 18.9% points to an engaged community.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
97.8%
Houses
N/A
Townhouse
2.2%
Apartment
Tenure
The housing stock is overwhelmingly large detached homes: 97.8% separate houses and 61.3% with 4 or more bedrooms, with only 2.2% apartments. This uniformity means buyers have few entry-level options within the suburb. Prices moved from $2,410,000 in 2024 to $2,620,000 in 2025, a compound annual growth rate of 8.7%. Tenure splits to 42.3% owning outright, 47.7% under mortgage and 10.0% renting, a pattern that differs from most Sydney suburbs where renting is far higher. Mortgage-to-income at 26.8% is below the 30% stress level, while rent-to-income at 31.3% crosses the rent stress threshold, though the small 10% renter base limits how many households are affected.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$3,315
Rent / wk
$895
HH Size
2.9
Personal Income / wk
$1,062
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
3.6%
Unoccupied
46
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
31.3% stressed
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.8%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
27.1%
Couples, no children
3,268
Total families
Economy & Employment
Professional and technical services lead local employment at 16.9% of the workforce (228 workers), followed by Healthcare at 13.6% (184) and Education at 11.1% (149). Construction represents 10.2% (138 workers), which is above typical rates for a high-income suburb and may reflect the active renovation and alteration market visible in development data. By occupation, Professionals (596) and Managers (404) account for the majority of employed residents, consistent with a suburb at the 96.4th percentile for household income nationally. The unemployment rate is 3.7% and full-time employment reaches 58.0% of those working. Participation at 58.7% is moderate, partly because 967 residents are not in the labour force, reflecting the older age profile.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
58.0%
Part-time
38.3%
Participation
58.7%
Employed
1,649
Occupations
Top Industries
University
47.2%
Postgraduate
12.7%
Born Overseas
27.8%
Dwellings
1,229
Transport to Work
Car dependency is extreme: 90.4% of residents drive to work and only 1.6% use public transport, well below the national average. Walking and cycling account for 3.0%. This reflects the plateau topography and limited bus frequency connecting to Sydney's train and ferry network. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in surrounding Northern Beaches suburbs. The volunteering rate of 18.9% and a resident retention rate of 84.1% point to social cohesion in the community. With household income at the 96.4th percentile nationally and mortgage-to-income at 26.8%, financial stress is low for owners, though renters face a rent-to-income ratio of 31.3%, above the 30% stress marker.
Drive
90.4%
Public Transport
1.6%
Walk / Cycle
3.0%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Bilgola Plateau compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bilgola Plateau a good suburb to live in?
Bilgola Plateau appeals strongly to owner-occupier families seeking a low-density environment. Household income sits at the 96.4th percentile nationally, the owner occupancy rate (including outright owners) is 90%, and 84.1% of residents stayed at the same address in the year prior to the 2021 census. The main trade-offs are extreme car dependency at 90.4% and a $2,505,000 median house price.
What is the median house price in Bilgola Plateau?
The median house price was $2,505,000 in 2024-2025 (PSI derived). Prices rose from $2,410,000 in 2024 to $2,620,000 in 2025, a gain of 8.7%. Weekly rent averages $895 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $3,315, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.8%.
What schools are in Bilgola Plateau?
No schools are recorded within the Bilgola Plateau boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in surrounding Northern Beaches suburbs. Despite the lack of local schools, the suburb has university qualification rates of 47.2%, which is 17.1 percentage points above the national average.
Is Bilgola Plateau safe?
Crime statistics are not available for Bilgola Plateau in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, household income sits at the 96.4th percentile nationally and only 2.4% of residents (86 people) need daily assistance. The suburb's long-term stable population, with 84.1% remaining at the same address, is typically associated with low crime environments.
Is Bilgola Plateau good for property investment?
Capital growth is the primary case: prices rose 8.7% in one year from $2,410,000 to $2,620,000. However, gross rental yield is approximately 1.9% based on $895 weekly rent against the $2,505,000 median, and only 10.0% of residents rent, limiting the tenant pool. The vacancy rate is 3.6% and development activity is low, supporting scarcity-driven price growth rather than income return.
How is Bilgola Plateau's population changing?
The current population of 3,650 is spread across 1.39 square kilometres at a density of 2,622 per square kilometre. The suburb has a high retention rate of 84.1%, with only 15.9% turnover annually, suggesting stable or slowly aging population growth. The median age is 46, which is 6 years above the national figure, indicating a gradual aging trend.
How much development is happening in Bilgola Plateau?
There were 23 development applications lodged in the past 12 months. Most relate to alterations or additions to existing houses and complying development certificates for items such as swimming pools, rather than new dwellings. This pattern reflects an established suburb with 97.8% separate houses where homeowners invest in upgrading existing properties.
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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