NSW 2177 Census 2021 + Live DA Data

Bonnyrigg Heights

With 54.4% born overseas (32.8pp above the national average), Bonnyrigg Heights is one of western Sydney's most migration-shaped suburbs, where Vietnamese (1,269), Chinese (945), and Serbian (485) ancestries outnumber English. House prices rose 8.5% from $1,200,000 to $1,302,500 in the past year, yet personal incomes average just $568/week, roughly half the national median. The IRSD decile of 1 (most disadvantaged nationally) sits alongside 95.9% detached housing and 65.2% of homes with 4+ bedrooms, a profile where family wealth concentrates in property rather than income streams.

Bonnyrigg Heights urban fabric map

Population

7,369

Median Age

38.0

Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)

$1,930/wk

DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year

39

Median House

$1.3M

2024-2025 (PSI derived)

2.15 km²· 3,421.6 people/km²· Family income $1,849/wk

The median house price of $1,267,500 grew 8.5% from $1,200,000 in 2024 to $1,302,500 in 2025. Monthly mortgage repayments of $2,038 consume 24.4% of household income, below the stress threshold. Stock is overwhelmingly detached (95.9%) and large (65.2% have 4+ bedrooms). The 2.2% vacancy rate, among the lowest in this analysis, indicates tight supply. With 40.8% outright owners and 38.5% on mortgages, the suburb has strong owner-occupier anchoring. Buyers should note the IRSD decile of 1, the lowest socioeconomic ranking possible.

For Buyers

The median house price of $1,267,500 grew 8.5% from $1,200,000 in 2024 to $1,302,500 in 2025. Monthly mortgage repayments of $2,038 consume 24.4% of household income, below the stress threshold. Stock is overwhelmingly detached (95.9%) and large (65.2% have 4+ bedrooms). The 2.2% vacancy rate, among the lowest in this analysis, indicates tight supply. With 40.8% outright owners and 38.5% on mortgages, the suburb has strong owner-occupier anchoring. Buyers should note the IRSD decile of 1, the lowest socioeconomic ranking possible.

For Investors

Only 20.7% of stock is rented, but the 2.2% vacancy rate signals very tight rental supply. Weekly rent of $450 on a $1,267,500 median implies a gross yield of just 1.8%, among the weakest in western Sydney. However, 8.5% capital growth over the past year provides a strong equity return. 36 DAs in 12 months include new dwelling construction, suggesting active rebuilding. Net internal migration of -180/year means the suburb slowly loses residents, which could constrain future rental demand despite the current tight vacancy.

Development Activity

Total DAs

147

Last 12 Months

39

YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements

+34.5%

Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year

N/A

Monthly DA Lodgements

DA Categories

Granny Flat / Secondary Dwelling
32
Renovation / Extension
8
Demolition
8
Swimming Pool / Spa
6
Commercial / Industrial
5
New Dwelling
3
Multi-Dwelling / Townhouse
1
Hospitality / Food Premises
1

Schools in Bonnyrigg Heights iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged

John the Baptist Catholic Primary School

ICSEA 1059 Primary Catholic

K-6 · 843 students

Freeman Catholic College

ICSEA 1038 Secondary Catholic

7-12 · 1411 students

Bonnyrigg Heights Public School

ICSEA 989 Primary Government

K-6 · 769 students

Demographics

Vietnamese ancestry (1,269) is the largest identified group, followed by Chinese (945), Italian (540), and Serbian (485). Arabic is the most spoken non-English language (251 speakers), followed by Serbian (216), Khmer (138), Italian (83), and Cantonese (80). Average household size of 3.6 exceeds the national average by 1.1, the largest gap in this analysis. Participation rate at just 39.8% is extremely low, partly reflecting cultural patterns where one partner manages the household. The 87.2% residential stability is the highest in this batch, indicating deep community roots.

Age Distribution

0-14
17.4%
15-24
15.0%
25-44
24.6%
45-64
27.5%
65+
15.5%

Bedrooms

Studio/1br
0.9%
2 bed
3.7%
3 bed
30.2%
4+ bed
65.2%

Dwelling Structure

95.9%

Houses

3.3%

Townhouse

0.8%

Apartment

Tenure

Own 40.8% Mortgage 38.5% Rent 20.7%

Detached houses at 95.9% with apartments at 0.8% and semi-detached at 3.3% make Bonnyrigg Heights one of Sydney's most homogeneous housing markets. Bedrooms skew very large: 65.2% have 4+ and 30.2% have 3, leaving under 5% in smaller formats. Outright owners (40.8%) and mortgage holders (38.5%) together account for nearly 80% of tenure. Prices rose 8.5% from $1,200,000 to $1,302,500. The IRSD decile of 1 (most disadvantaged) alongside million-dollar-plus house prices reveals a community where wealth is locked in housing assets, not liquid income.

Median House Price Trend

Source: State Valuer-General

Mortgage / mo

$2,038

Rent / wk

$450

HH Size

3.6

Personal Income / wk

$568

Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)

2.2%

Unoccupied

45

Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress

23.3%

Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress

24.4%

Community Profile

Languages Spoken at Home

Arabic
251
Serbian
216
Khmer
138
Italian
83
Canton
80
Mandarin
76

Ancestry

Other
2,695
Vietnamese
1,269
Chinese
945
Italian
540
Serbian
485
English
435

Household Composition

14.9%

Couples, no children

6,730

Total families

Economy & Employment

Healthcare leads at 15.9% (236 workers), followed by Education (10.5%, 156), Construction (10.2%, 152), Retail (8.4%, 125), and Manufacturing (8.3%, 124). The manufacturing share is notably higher than Sydney averages, reflecting western Sydney's industrial base. Professionals lead occupations (502), but Machinery/Drivers (369) and Labourers (332) hold larger shares than in comparable suburbs. Unemployment at 9.0% is roughly double the national average. The SEIFA IEO decile of 3 and IRSAD decile of 2 confirm limited educational and socioeconomic advantage.

Unemployment

5.6%

Labour Force

8,281

Unemployed

463

Quarterly Trend

Mar-24 Dec-25

Source: SALM Dec-25

Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)

Overall advantage
2
Disadvantage
1
Economic resources
4
Education & occupation
3

Full-time

67.4%

Part-time

23.6%

Participation

39.8%

Employed

2,206

Occupations

Professionals 502
Clerical/Admin 394
Machinery/Drivers 369
Labourers 332
Managers 279
Sales 245
Community/Personal 230

Top Industries

Healthcare 15.9%
Education 10.5%
Construction 10.2%
Retail 8.4%
Manufacturing 8.3%

University

34.5%

Postgraduate

4.7%

Born Overseas

54.4%

Dwellings

1,982

Transport to Work

Three schools serve the suburb: John the Baptist Catholic Primary (ICSEA 1,059, 843 students), Freeman Catholic College (Secondary, ICSEA 1,038, 1,411 students), and Bonnyrigg Heights Public School (Government, ICSEA 989, 769 students). Two of 3 exceed the national ICSEA benchmark. Public transport at 2.6% is low, with 88.3% driving. The 8.5% needing-assistance rate (598 people) is notably above average. Volunteering at 5.4% is among the lowest nationally, less than half the national average of about 15%.

Drive

88.3%

Public Transport

2.6%

Walk / Cycle

1.6%

Work from Home

N/A

Population Forecast

+0.46%/yr

(+79 people/yr)

Established

Population is forecast to grow modestly from 17,332 (2025) to 17,906 by 2031, at 0.46% annually (79 persons/year). Net internal migration of -180/year means the suburb loses residents domestically, offset by overseas migration of +154/year. The aging trajectory is notable: senior share grew 6.7pp and working-age share fell 2.2pp over the decade. A gentrification score of 53 (active) in the historical data has not translated into current gentrification, as the score is now 0, suggesting demographic change stalled. This growth rate ranks below the national average and well below comparable western Sydney suburbs.

Historical + Forecast

Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025

Age Cohort Forecast

Primary Driver

Overseas Migration

Net Overseas / yr

+154

Net Internal / yr

-180

0

Gentrification Signal

Not gentrifying

Net internal outflow -180/yr

National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs

How Bonnyrigg Heights compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs

Population
Top 7%
Household Income
Top 28%
Rent Level
Top 10%
Apartments
Bottom 17%
Renters
Top 49%
Uni Educated
Top 26%
Public Transport
Bottom 42%
Born Overseas
Top 2%
Density
Top 2%

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Bonnyrigg Heights a good suburb to live in?

Bonnyrigg Heights offers strong community stability (87.2% stay rate, highest in this analysis) and 95.9% detached housing at $1,267,500 median. Trade-offs include IRSD decile 1 (most disadvantaged nationally), 9.0% unemployment (double the national average), and only 5.4% volunteering, well below the 15% national norm.

What is the median house price in Bonnyrigg Heights?

The median house price is $1,267,500 (PSI derived), rising 8.5% from $1,200,000 in 2024 to $1,302,500 in 2025. Monthly mortgage repayments of $2,038 consume 24.4% of household income. Despite million-dollar-plus prices, the IRSD decile of 1 indicates this is a community with property wealth but limited incomes.

What schools are in Bonnyrigg Heights?

Bonnyrigg Heights has 3 schools: John the Baptist Catholic Primary (ICSEA 1,059, 843 students), Freeman Catholic College secondary (ICSEA 1,038, 1,411 students), and Bonnyrigg Heights Public School (ICSEA 989, 769 students). Two of 3 score above the national ICSEA benchmark of 1,000.

Is Bonnyrigg Heights safe?

Suburb-level crime data is not available. The IRSD decile of 1 (most disadvantaged nationally) and 9.0% unemployment correlate with above-average crime rates in comparable western Sydney suburbs. However, the 87.2% residential stability and 79.3% owner-occupier share suggest strong informal community oversight.

Is Bonnyrigg Heights good for property investment?

Capital growth of 8.5% in 2024-2025 is strong, but gross yield of 1.8% ($450/week on $1,267,500) is very weak. The 2.2% vacancy rate is tight, indicating undersupply for renters. Net internal outflow of 180/year and 36 DAs adding supply may gradually ease this tightness. Best for equity growth, not rental income.

How is Bonnyrigg Heights's population changing?

Population is forecast to grow at just 0.46% annually (79 persons/year) to 17,906 by 2031. The suburb loses 180 residents per year to internal migration while gaining 154 from overseas. The median age of 38 is 2 years below the national figure, but the senior share grew 6.7pp over the decade, indicating gradual aging.

What languages are spoken in Bonnyrigg Heights?

With 54.4% born overseas (32.8pp above national average), Bonnyrigg Heights is among Sydney's most diverse suburbs. Arabic (251 speakers), Serbian (216), Khmer (138), Italian (83), and Cantonese (80) are the main non-English languages. Vietnamese ancestry (1,269 residents) is the largest identified group.

How much development is happening in Bonnyrigg Heights?

36 development applications were lodged in the past 12 months, primarily new dwelling construction, demolition/rebuild projects, and swimming pool additions. For a suburb of 7,369 census population, this represents moderate activity concentrated in knock-down-rebuild cycles on existing lots.

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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