Byron Bay
Few coastal towns carry a $1,687,500 median house price alongside a 29.9% rental vacancy rate, yet Byron Bay does both, and the two facts are linked. Hospitality employs 23.2% of the local workforce, the largest single industry, which fills homes with short-stay and seasonal use and pushes recorded long-term vacancy far above any normal market. Household income sits near the middle nationally at the 49.7th percentile, but university qualifications reach 41.6%, which is 11.5 points above the national figure, and 33.0% of residents were born overseas, 11.4 points above national. The median age of 39 runs 1.0 year below national despite an aging trajectory.
Population
6,330
Median Age
39.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,561/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
197
Median House
$1.7M
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The $1,687,500 median makes Byron Bay one of regional NSW's most expensive markets, and prices rose 3.2% from $1,650,000 in 2024 to $1,702,500 in 2025. Stock favours houses, with 56.4% separate dwellings, 25.0% semi-detached and only 12.8% apartments, so buyers chasing a freestanding home face genuine competition. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 39.0% and 4-plus bedroom homes make up 25.1%, while one and two-bedroom dwellings together account for 35.8%. The strain shows in finance: average monthly mortgage repayments of $2,167 produce a mortgage-to-income ratio of 32.1%, above the 30% stress threshold, because purchase prices have run well ahead of the 49.7th-percentile household incomes that support them.
For Buyers
The $1,687,500 median makes Byron Bay one of regional NSW's most expensive markets, and prices rose 3.2% from $1,650,000 in 2024 to $1,702,500 in 2025. Stock favours houses, with 56.4% separate dwellings, 25.0% semi-detached and only 12.8% apartments, so buyers chasing a freestanding home face genuine competition. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 39.0% and 4-plus bedroom homes make up 25.1%, while one and two-bedroom dwellings together account for 35.8%. The strain shows in finance: average monthly mortgage repayments of $2,167 produce a mortgage-to-income ratio of 32.1%, above the 30% stress threshold, because purchase prices have run well ahead of the 49.7th-percentile household incomes that support them.
For Investors
A 42.1% renter share and $600 weekly rent give landlords a large tenant base, yet the headline 29.9% vacancy rate signals that much of the housing is tied up in short-stay holiday letting rather than long-term tenancies. Against the $1,687,500 median, that rent implies a gross yield near 1.8%, low even by regional standards, so returns lean on capital growth and tourism-driven nightly rates. Demand support is real: net overseas migration adds 211 residents a year against a net internal outflow of 98, and 187 development applications were lodged in 12 months. Rent has grown 55.0% over the period, far above the 3.2% house-price move, which means the investment case rests on rental escalation and scarcity more than conventional yield.
Development Activity
Total DAs
1,010
Last 12 Months
197
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+13.2%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Byron Bay iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Cape Byron Rudolf Steiner School
K-12 · 382 students
St Finbarr's Primary School
K-6 · 325 students
Byron Community Primary School
K-6 · 95 students
Byron Bay Public School
K-6 · 461 students
Byron Bay High School
7-12 · 820 students
Demographics
The median age of 39 is 1.0 year below the national figure, but the trajectory is aging, with the senior share up 4.5 points and the working-age share down 0.5 points over the decade. Overseas-born residents reach 33.0%, which is 11.4 points above national, and university qualifications at 41.6% run 11.5 points above national. Ancestry leans Anglo-Celtic, led by English (2,432), Irish (921) and Scottish (696), while the top non-English languages are Portuguese (48), French (44) and Italian (44), an unusually international mix for a regional town and a likely reflection of its global tourism draw. Average household size is 2.3, which is 0.2 below national, consistent with the 39.5% of families that are couples with no children.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
56.4%
Houses
25.0%
Townhouse
12.8%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is renter-led: 42.1% rent, 36.8% own outright and just 21.1% carry a mortgage. The low mortgage share against high outright ownership points to established, debt-free owners and investors rather than a churn of recent buyers. The stock is 56.4% separate houses, 25.0% semi-detached and only 12.8% apartments, so detached supply stays scarce relative to demand. Three-bedroom homes lead at 39.0% with 4-plus bedroom at 25.1%. The median house price rose from $1,650,000 to $1,702,500 across 2024 and 2025, a 3.2% move. Both stress measures bite: rent-to-income sits at 38.4% and mortgage-to-income at 32.1%, both above the 30% threshold, because housing costs outpace the 49.7th-percentile incomes earned locally.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,167
Rent / wk
$600
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$805
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
29.9%
Unoccupied
1,006
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
38.4% stressed
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
32.1% stressed
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
39.5%
Couples, no children
3,304
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce is concentrated in tourism-facing sectors: Hospitality leads at 23.2% (514 workers), Healthcare follows at 14.8% (328) and Professional/Tech at 11.4% (254), with Education at 8.1% and Construction at 7.9%. By occupation, Professionals (732) and Managers (559) top the list, which aligns with the decile 8 IEO score for education and occupation. The hospitality tilt explains two anomalies: unemployment is elevated at 6.1% and the full-time rate is only 41.5% against 1,677 part-time workers, both signs of seasonal and casual work. SEIFA reads decile 7 on IRSAD and decile 6 on IRSD, comfortably advantaged, yet IER (economic resources) sits lower at decile 5 because the 42.1% renter base depresses household wealth measures.
Unemployment
2.7%
Labour Force
6,467
Unemployed
177
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
41.5%
Part-time
52.4%
Participation
54.3%
Employed
2,867
Occupations
Top Industries
University
41.6%
Postgraduate
8.8%
Born Overseas
33.0%
Dwellings
2,333
Transport to Work
Transport is car-dominated, with 72.7% driving and only 0.2% using public transport, well below national reliance on transit, while 22.6% walk or cycle, high for a regional town and a reflection of the compact town centre and beach access. The suburb earns decile 7 on IRSAD, an advantaged tier, and decile 6 on IRSD for relative disadvantage, so few residents face deprivation. Volunteering runs at 19.6% and only 4.5% (258 people) need daily assistance. No schools are recorded inside the 19.13 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring areas, a trade-off offset by a strong outdoor and walkable lifestyle.
Drive
72.7%
Public Transport
0.2%
Walk / Cycle
22.6%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+1.1%/yr
(+126 people/yr)
EstablishedByron Bay is classed as established but growing, with annual population growth of 1.1% (about 126 people a year) and a 26.1% rise over the past decade. The wider area's population climbed from 11,126 in 2023 to 11,482 in 2025 and medium forecasts project it to reach 12,168 by 2031. Net overseas migration of 211 a year is the primary driver, partly offset by a net internal outflow of 98, so growth depends on international arrivals more than locals moving in. Despite a gentrification shift score of 55 and 35.0% real income growth, the standalone gentrification stage reads not gentrifying at a score of 18, reflecting that strong inflows have not displaced the existing resident base.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+211
Net Internal / yr
-98
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Population +24% since 2011, Strong overseas inflow +211/yr
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Byron Bay compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Byron Bay a good suburb to live in?
Byron Bay scores decile 7 on IRSAD and decile 6 on IRSD, both advantaged tiers, with university qualifications at 41.6%, which is 11.5 points above national. The main trade-offs are a high $1,687,500 median house price and rent-to-income stress at 38.4%, driven by a tourism economy where Hospitality employs 23.2% of workers.
What is the median house price in Byron Bay?
The median house price is $1,687,500, among regional NSW's highest. Prices rose 3.2% from $1,650,000 in 2024 to $1,702,500 in 2025. Weekly rent averages $600 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $2,167, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 32.1%, above the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Byron Bay?
No schools are recorded inside the 19.13 km2 Byron Bay boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring areas. The local population is well educated, with university qualifications at 41.6%, which is 11.5 points above the national figure.
Is Byron Bay safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Byron Bay in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 6 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, an advantaged tier, and only 4.5% of its 6,330 residents need daily assistance, both consistent with a low-disadvantage area.
Is Byron Bay good for property investment?
Rent of $600 a week against a $1,687,500 median gives a gross yield near 1.8%, low even regionally, and the 29.9% vacancy rate reflects heavy short-stay holiday letting. Net overseas migration of 211 a year supports demand, and rent has grown 55.0%, so returns lean on capital growth and nightly rates over yield.
How is Byron Bay's population changing?
Population growth is 1.1% annually, about 126 people a year, with a 26.1% rise over 10 years. The wider area reached 11,482 in 2025 and is forecast to hit 12,168 by 2031. Growth is driven by net overseas migration of 211 a year, offset by a net internal outflow of 98, and the profile is aging.
What languages are spoken in Byron Bay?
About 33.0% of residents were born overseas, 11.4 points above the national figure. English dominates, with Portuguese (48 speakers), French (44), Italian (44) and German (38) the most common non-English languages, an internationally mixed profile that reflects the town's global tourism appeal.
How much development is happening in Byron Bay?
There were 187 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, high for a town of 6,330 residents. Most are alterations, additions and commercial works rather than large new supply, consistent with an established area growing at 1.1% a year through overseas migration.
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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