Bulli
A $1,440,000 median house price sits alongside an 80.5% separate-house share in Bulli, an unusual pairing because most markets that expensive lean toward apartments. Household income reaches the 88.8th percentile nationally, and the suburb scores decile 7 across all four SEIFA indexes, a consistently advantaged tier without the extreme polish of an inner-city enclave. University qualifications run 41.7%, which is 11.6 points above the national figure, while 89.8% of residents drive to work, far higher than dense suburbs, reflecting a low density of 784.9 people per km2 across an 8.66 km2 footprint. The gentrification shift score reads 55, classified as Active, driven by 56.0% rent growth and 23.5% real income growth over the decade.
Population
6,798
Median Age
40.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,331/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
78
Median House
$1.4M
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
Buyers face a $1,440,000 median and a market built around larger family homes: 41.0% of dwellings have 4 or more bedrooms and 37.9% have three, so two-bedroom and smaller stock makes up only about 21%. Separate houses dominate at 80.5%, with apartments just 9.8%, meaning detached buying is the norm rather than the exception. Prices rose 15.6% in a single year, from $1,377,500 in 2024 to $1,592,500 in 2025, a steep move that has pushed entry costs up fast. Mortgage holders outnumber outright owners, 43.1% versus 35.4%, a sign of recent purchasing activity rather than long-settled ownership. The mortgage-to-income ratio of 25.0% stays below the 30% stress threshold despite the high median, because incomes sit in the 88.8th percentile nationally.
For Buyers
Buyers face a $1,440,000 median and a market built around larger family homes: 41.0% of dwellings have 4 or more bedrooms and 37.9% have three, so two-bedroom and smaller stock makes up only about 21%. Separate houses dominate at 80.5%, with apartments just 9.8%, meaning detached buying is the norm rather than the exception. Prices rose 15.6% in a single year, from $1,377,500 in 2024 to $1,592,500 in 2025, a steep move that has pushed entry costs up fast. Mortgage holders outnumber outright owners, 43.1% versus 35.4%, a sign of recent purchasing activity rather than long-settled ownership. The mortgage-to-income ratio of 25.0% stays below the 30% stress threshold despite the high median, because incomes sit in the 88.8th percentile nationally.
For Investors
Renters make up only 21.4% of households in Bulli, a thinner tenant pool than renter-heavy inner suburbs, and weekly rent averages $370. Against the $1,440,000 median that implies a gross yield near 1.3%, low even by Sydney standards, so the case rests on capital growth rather than income. The vacancy rate of 4.1% is moderate, leaving some softness in finding tenants compared with tight markets below 2%. Demand support is modest: net overseas migration adds 106 residents a year while internal migration removes 36, leaving overseas arrivals as the primary driver. Development is active with 73 applications lodged in 12 months, many for dual-occupancy and demolition-rebuild projects, which signals investor confidence in densifying detached blocks rather than a flood of new apartment supply.
Development Activity
Total DAs
467
Last 12 Months
78
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+8.3%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Bulli iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School
K-6 · 412 students
Waniora Public School
K-6 · 264 students
Bulli Public School
K-6 · 318 students
Bulli High School
7-12 · 979 students
Demographics
The median age of 40 matches the national figure exactly, so Bulli is neither notably young nor old, though the senior share rose 2.8 points and the working-age share fell 1.7 points over the decade, a gentle aging drift. Only 14.6% of residents were born overseas, which is 7.0 points below national, marking a more Australian-born profile than most metro suburbs. Ancestry leans Anglo-Celtic, led by English (2,790), Irish (928) and Scottish (882), with Italian (292) the largest non-British group. University qualifications reach 41.7%, running 11.6 points above national, and average household size is 2.8, which is 0.3 above national, consistent with the family-heavy housing where couples with children (2,873) outnumber couples without (1,178).
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
80.5%
Houses
9.2%
Townhouse
9.8%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure tilts toward active borrowers: 43.1% carry a mortgage, 35.4% own outright and just 21.4% rent. Mortgage holders outnumbering outright owners points to a wave of recent buyers rather than long-held, debt-free wealth. The stock is overwhelmingly detached at 80.5% separate houses, with apartments at 9.8% and semi-detached at 9.2%, and it skews large, 41.0% of homes have 4 or more bedrooms. The median house price climbed from $1,377,500 to $1,592,500 across 2024-2025, a 15.6% one-year rise. Mortgage-to-income at 25.0% and rent-to-income at 15.9% both sit below stress thresholds, a comfortable spread that reflects how household incomes in the 88.8th percentile absorb the high purchase prices better than lower-income markets could.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,525
Rent / wk
$370
HH Size
2.8
Personal Income / wk
$952
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.1%
Unoccupied
100
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
15.9%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.0%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
20.3%
Couples, no children
5,791
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce concentrates in service sectors rather than corporate finance: Healthcare leads at 19.0% (480 workers), Education follows at 16.8% (424), then Construction at 10.7%, Public Admin at 10.5% and Professional/Tech at 10.3%. By occupation, Professionals (1,036) and Managers (527) form the largest groups, which aligns with the decile 7 IEO score for education and occupation. Unemployment is low at 4.6% and the full-time employment rate is 61.8%. Participation reads 57.5%, held down by 1,704 residents not in the labour force, partly the aging drift. All four SEIFA indexes land at decile 7, a tightly clustered, broadly advantaged profile, with the economic-resources index (IER) matching at decile 7 because the ownership-heavy, low-renter base supports household wealth measures.
Unemployment
3.8%
Labour Force
11,148
Unemployed
420
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
61.8%
Part-time
33.6%
Participation
57.5%
Employed
2,911
Occupations
Top Industries
University
41.7%
Postgraduate
13.5%
Born Overseas
14.6%
Dwellings
2,351
Transport to Work
Bulli is heavily car-dependent: 89.8% drive to work, while only 2.5% take public transport and 4.1% walk or cycle, a profile driven by the low density of 784.9 residents per km2. The suburb scores decile 7 on IRSAD, a solidly advantaged tier, and decile 7 on IRSD for relative disadvantage, so few residents face deprivation, with only 4.4% (291 people) needing daily assistance. Volunteering runs at 17.9%, above what many metro suburbs record. Detailed crime statistics are not available for Bulli in this dataset. No schools are recorded inside the 8.66 km2 boundary here, so families rely on institutions nearby, a common pattern in coastal residential suburbs where rent-to-income stays low at 15.9%.
Drive
89.8%
Public Transport
2.5%
Walk / Cycle
4.1%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.58%/yr
(+121 people/yr)
EstablishedPopulation growth runs at 0.58% annually, about 121 people a year, with a stronger 11.4% rise over the past decade, placing Bulli as an established suburb still expanding modestly. Medium forecasts lift the area population from 20,974 in 2025 toward 21,869 by 2031, steady trend continuation rather than a boom. Overseas migration of 106 a year is the primary growth driver, partly offset by net internal outflow of 36. The shift score of 55 marks Active gentrification, supported by 56.0% rent growth and 23.5% real income growth over the decade, while affordability held stable, moving only from 45.0% in 2011 to 46.3% in 2021. That combination signals upgrading rather than displacement.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+106
Net Internal / yr
-36
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Bulli compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bulli a good suburb to live in?
Bulli scores decile 7 across all four SEIFA indexes, a consistently advantaged tier, with household income in the 88.8th percentile nationally. University qualifications reach 41.7%, 11.6 points above national, and 80.5% of homes are separate houses. The main trade-off is a high $1,440,000 median house price.
What is the median house price in Bulli?
The median house price is $1,440,000. Prices rose 15.6% over one year, from $1,377,500 in 2024 to $1,592,500 in 2025. Weekly rent averages $370 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $2,525, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 25.0%, below the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Bulli?
No schools are recorded inside the 8.66 km2 Bulli boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The local population is well educated, with university qualifications at 41.7%, which is 11.6 points above the national figure.
Is Bulli safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Bulli in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 7 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, an advantaged tier, and only 4.4% of its residents (291 people) need daily assistance, both consistent with a low-disadvantage area.
Is Bulli good for property investment?
Rent of $370 a week against a $1,440,000 median gives a gross yield near 1.3%, low for the price point, and only 21.4% of households rent. Net overseas migration of 106 a year supports demand, but with 0.58% annual growth, returns lean on capital growth rather than yield.
How is Bulli's population changing?
Population growth is 0.58% annually, about 121 people a year, with an 11.4% rise over 10 years. Forecasts lift the area from 20,974 in 2025 toward 21,869 by 2031. The profile is gently aging, with the senior share up 2.8 points and the working-age share down 1.7 points over the decade.
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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