Bridport
Bridport's standout trait is how much housing sits empty or seasonally used: vacancy is 37.7% in a town of 1,742 people. The median age is 51, 11.0 years above the national benchmark, and 94.6% of dwellings are separate houses, so the place reads as a low-density coastal settlement rather than a compact commuter suburb. Compared with inland Scottsdale, Bridport is more shaped by retirement, visitor homes and car-based living than by a larger service-town role.
Local council: Dorset
Population
1,742
Median Age
51.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,242/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Homebuyers are looking at a detached-house market first: 94.6% of dwellings are separate houses, while apartments are only 3.3% and semi-detached homes 1.4%. Family-sized stock dominates, with 49.9% having 3 bedrooms and 28.3% having 4 or more. The $1,300 median monthly mortgage absorbs 24.2% of household income, and mortgaged households at 31.7% sit below outright owners at 44.7%, because the older resident base has had longer to pay down debt.
For Buyers
Homebuyers are looking at a detached-house market first: 94.6% of dwellings are separate houses, while apartments are only 3.3% and semi-detached homes 1.4%. Family-sized stock dominates, with 49.9% having 3 bedrooms and 28.3% having 4 or more. The $1,300 median monthly mortgage absorbs 24.2% of household income, and mortgaged households at 31.7% sit below outright owners at 44.7%, because the older resident base has had longer to pay down debt.
For Investors
Investors need to separate holiday vacancy from long-term rental demand. Renting accounts for 20.9% of tenure and median rent is $270 a week, but the 37.7% vacancy rate is far higher than the occupied-rental share, pointing to seasonal homes and thin permanent supply. No new local development approvals were recorded over 12 months, while the growth trend is -0.04% a year. The 46.7% rent-growth shift is useful, but liquidity risk is the main trade-off.
Demographics
Bridport skews older and locally rooted. The median age is 51, which is 11.0 years above the national benchmark, while average household size is 2.1, 0.4 below national. Only 8.2% of residents were born overseas, 13.4 percentage points below national, and university attainment is 22.2%, 7.9 points lower. English ancestry is the largest listed group at 798 people, followed by Scottish 182 and Irish 148, reinforcing an Anglo-leaning profile.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
94.6%
Houses
1.4%
Townhouse
3.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing is dominated by ownership rather than turnover. Outright owners make up 44.7% of tenure, higher than mortgage holders at 31.7% and renters at 20.9%, which fits the 51 median age and retirement influence. The built form is also highly one-directional: 94.6% separate houses compared with 3.3% apartments. Rent-to-income is 21.7% and mortgage-to-income is 24.2%, so stress flags are not triggered, but the very high 37.7% vacancy rate can make active listings feel uneven.
Mortgage / mo
$1,300
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$270
Census 2021
HH Size
2.1
Personal Income / wk
$723
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
37.7%
Unoccupied
424
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.7%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.2%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
31.6%
Couples with children
56.0%
Couples, no children
11.5%
Single parent
443
Total families
Economy & Employment
Bridport's economy is practical and local-serving. Agriculture leads at 14.1% of workers, ahead of Education at 13.3%, Construction at 11.8%, Healthcare at 11.2% and Manufacturing at 10.1%. Trades workers number 150, higher than Managers at 136 and Labourers at 108. Unemployment is 2.4%, but participation is lower at 54.2% because 529 residents are not in the labour force. SEIFA is mixed: IEO decile 1, IER 3, IRSD 2 and IRSAD 2 point to below average advantage despite job stability.
Unemployment
2.4%
Labour Force
788
Unemployed
19
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
58.0%
Part-time
34.1%
Participation
54.2%
Employed
769
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
22.2%
Postgraduate
3.5%
Born Overseas
8.2%
Dwellings
702
Transport to Work
Daily life is car-oriented. Driving accounts for 81.2% of commutes, far higher than walking or cycling at 3.9%, because the suburb covers 320.7 sq km at just 5.4 people per sq km. Working from home is 8.6%, which helps offset distance for some households. Social capacity is a plus, with 22.8% volunteering, but access needs matter: 6.7% need assistance and IRSAD sits in decile 2, below higher-advantage suburbs. Convenience depends on being comfortable with low-density coastal living.
Drive
81.2%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
3.9%
Work from Home
8.6%
Growth Outlook
Growth is essentially flat. The trend runs at -0.04% a year, below zero, and the 10-year population-change signal is only 0.1%. Migration is labelled Balanced rather than dominated by one inflow, while the shift trajectory is Aging: senior share is up 6.5 points and young share is down 3.3 points. The gentrification reading is 0, stage Not gentrifying, so the 46.7% rent-growth shift looks more like scarcity and tenure mix than broad redevelopment.
Population trend: Dorset council area
Bridport sits in the Dorset council area. These are the council area's residents, not Bridport's.
Residents 2025
7,059
Growth, 5 yr average
+0.6%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+0.8%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Bridport compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bridport a good suburb to live in?
Yes for buyers who value space, coastal pace and detached housing: 94.6% of homes are separate houses and the median age is 51. It is less suited to people needing dense services, with 81.2% driving to work and only 3.9% walking or cycling.
What is the median house price in Bridport?
A reliable median house price is not available for Bridport, so avoid treating any single sale as the suburb number. The local cost context is a $1,300 median monthly mortgage, $270 median weekly rent and mortgage-to-income at 24.2%.
What schools are in Bridport?
Bridport has 0 schools within the suburb boundary, so families should plan for travel or out-of-suburb enrolment. That fits the car-based pattern: 81.2% of commuters drive, while only 3.9% walk or cycle.
Is Bridport safe?
A crime rate per 1,000 is not available for Bridport, so safety should be checked against current local reports. Stability indicators are stronger: 81.2% of residents stayed at the same address and only 18.8% turned over.
Is Bridport good for property investment?
Bridport can suit investors who understand seasonal and thin-market risk. Rent is $270 a week and rents have shifted up 46.7%, but vacancy is 37.7% and only 20.9% of homes are rented, so income may be less predictable than in larger rental markets.
How is Bridport's population changing?
Population momentum is flat rather than expansionary. The trend runs at -0.04% a year and the 10-year change signal is 0.1%, while the trajectory is Aging, with senior share up 6.5 points and young share down 3.3 points.
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).
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