Bonville
At 42.7 residents per square kilometre, Bonville is one of the most sparsely settled areas in the Coffs Harbour region, and that low density shapes nearly every other number in the profile. The median age of 44 sits 4 years above the national figure, and 45.8% of dwellings are owned outright, pointing to a settled, longer-tenure population rather than a churn of new buyers. The $950,000 median house price sits in the upper tier for regional NSW, supported by a market that is 93% separate houses. Healthcare employs 23.8% of the workforce, well above most regional towns, which anchors the local economy to stable, non-cyclical demand.
Population
2,939
Median Age
44.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,829/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
59
Median House
$950K
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The median house price of $950,000 places Bonville above many comparable Coffs Coast suburbs. Prices peaked at $990,000 in 2024 before settling to $942,500 in 2025, a 4.8% correction. The stock is 93% separate houses with virtually no apartments (0.3%), so buyers compete for a single dominant dwelling type. Larger homes are the norm: 59.7% have 4 or more bedrooms. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,000, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 25.3%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold.
For Buyers
The median house price of $950,000 places Bonville above many comparable Coffs Coast suburbs. Prices peaked at $990,000 in 2024 before settling to $942,500 in 2025, a 4.8% correction. The stock is 93% separate houses with virtually no apartments (0.3%), so buyers compete for a single dominant dwelling type. Larger homes are the norm: 59.7% have 4 or more bedrooms. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,000, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 25.3%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold.
For Investors
The rental market is thin: only 14.6% of dwellings are rented, compared with 30% or more in most capital city suburbs, limiting the tenant pool. Weekly rent averages $465, and the vacancy rate of 4.0% is above the 3% equilibrium level. The 59 development applications in 12 months include subdivision activity, pointing to gradual land fragmentation. Gross yield against the $950,000 median is approximately 2.5% annualised, below the national average for detached houses, so returns depend on capital growth rather than income.
Development Activity
Total DAs
369
Last 12 Months
59
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+1.7%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Bonville iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Coffs Harbour Christian Community School
K-12 · 1008 students
Bonville Public School
K-6 · 121 students
Demographics
The median age of 44 is 4.0 years above the national average, placing Bonville in the older-settled category. The overseas-born share of 12.5% is 9.1 percentage points below the national figure, reflecting a predominantly locally-born population. Ancestry is strongly Anglo-Celtic: English (1,282), Irish (366) and Scottish (340) are the three largest groups. University qualifications at 26.7% are 3.4 points below the national rate. Average household size of 2.8 is 0.3 above the national figure, consistent with 4-plus bedroom dominance and couples-with-children (1,019 families) outnumbering couples without (773). Volunteering at 17.6% is above average for regional NSW.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
93.0%
Houses
0.6%
Townhouse
0.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Outright owners (45.8%) substantially outnumber mortgage holders (39.6%), pointing to long-term residents rather than a recently-arrived, debt-heavy cohort. Renters at 14.6% are well below state and national averages. The stock is dominated by 4-plus bedroom homes (59.7%), consistent with rural-residential lots, and 3-bedroom homes add 29.5%. Price history shows a 4.8% decline from the $990,000 peak in 2024 to $942,500 in 2025. Rent-to-income at 25.4% keeps the suburb below the 30% stress threshold, offering tenants affordability better than many coastal NSW lifestyle areas.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,000
Rent / wk
$465
HH Size
2.8
Personal Income / wk
$733
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.0%
Unoccupied
42
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.4%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.3%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
30.7%
Couples, no children
2,516
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare employs 23.8% of workers (228 people), well above typical suburban profiles, likely reflecting the ageing resident base and proximity to Coffs Harbour health services. Education (12.7%, 121 workers) and Construction (11.7%, 112 workers) are the next largest sectors. Professionals (267) and Managers (234) are the top two occupational groups. Unemployment at 3.7% is low, and household income sits at the 66th percentile nationally, above the median. The full-time employment rate of 57.6% suggests many residents work part-time or are self-employed, a common pattern in regional lifestyle areas.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
57.6%
Part-time
38.7%
Participation
58.7%
Employed
1,343
Occupations
Top Industries
University
26.7%
Postgraduate
5.0%
Born Overseas
12.5%
Dwellings
989
Transport to Work
Car dependency is the defining characteristic: 90.4% of residents drive to work, higher than 60-70% in most metropolitan areas. Walking and cycling accounts for 3.3% of commuters. No schools are recorded within the Bonville boundary, so families depend on facilities in Sawtell and Coffs Harbour. The need-for-assistance rate of 6.0% (171 residents) is modest relative to the older median age of 44. Housing stress is low on both measures: rent-to-income at 25.4% and mortgage-to-income at 25.3% are both below the 30% national stress threshold.
Drive
90.4%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
3.3%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Bonville compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bonville a good suburb to live in?
Bonville suits residents who value space and a rural-residential setting. With 93% separate houses, a median age of 44, and 45.8% of homes owned outright, it attracts established owner-occupiers rather than transient renters. Car dependency is high at 90.4%, so access to a vehicle is essential. Housing stress is low, with mortgage-to-income at 25.3%.
What is the median house price in Bonville?
The median house price is $950,000. Prices peaked at $990,000 in 2024 and eased to $942,500 in 2025, a 4.8% decline. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,000, and weekly rent averages $465, giving a gross rental yield of approximately 2.5% annualised.
What schools are in Bonville?
No schools are recorded within the Bonville suburb boundary in this dataset. Families typically travel to Sawtell or Coffs Harbour for primary and secondary schooling. The local university qualification rate is 26.7%, which is 3.4 percentage points below the national average.
Is Bonville safe?
Crime statistics specific to Bonville are not available in this dataset. As a proxy, the suburb has a low unemployment rate of 3.7%, household income at the 66th percentile nationally, and housing stress measures below 26%, factors that are broadly associated with lower socioeconomic pressure and crime risk in regional NSW comparisons.
Is Bonville good for property investment?
The investment case is primarily capital growth rather than yield. Weekly rent of $465 against a $950,000 median implies a gross yield near 2.5%, below the national detached house average. The 4.0% vacancy rate is above the 3% equilibrium level. The 59 development applications in 12 months and active subdivision activity suggest ongoing land supply, which can moderate capital growth over the medium term.
How is Bonville's population changing?
The current population is 2,939 spread across 68.89 square kilometres, giving a low density of 42.7 residents per km2. The residential turnover rate is 17%, meaning 83% of households did not move in the reference year. Development activity of 59 applications in the past 12 months, including subdivision modifications, points to gradual growth rather than rapid expansion.
How much development is happening in Bonville?
There were 59 development applications lodged in Bonville in the past 12 months, including subdivision, shop-top housing modifications and structural alterations. This level of activity indicates ongoing residential fragmentation of larger rural lots, which is the dominant growth pattern for low-density peri-urban areas at 42.7 residents per square kilometre.
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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