Ettalong Beach
A median age of 54, fully 14.0 years above the national figure, sets the tone for everything else here. The $1,100,000 median house price coexists with household income in just the 16.5th percentile nationally, a gap that holds because much of the housing is owned outright by long-settled retirees rather than financed by current earners. Separate houses make up 52.1% of dwellings across a compact 1.78 km2 footprint at 2,904 residents per km2. The vacancy rate of 13.6% sits well above typical coastal markets, and university qualifications at 24.2% run 5.9 points below national, consistent with a population of 5,161 weighted toward older, established owners.
Population
5,161
Median Age
54.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,077/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
85
Median House
$1.1M
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The $1,100,000 median climbed 12.3% in a single year, from $1,032,500 in 2024 to $1,160,000 in 2025, a fast move for a market this small. Buyers compete mainly for houses, since separate dwellings are 52.1% of stock and semi-detached homes another 35.7%, leaving apartments at only 7.8%. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 47.8% with two-bedroom at 34.1%, so the supply suits downsizers and small families more than larger households. The catch is affordability: monthly mortgage repayments average $1,950, yet against local incomes the mortgage-to-income ratio reaches 41.8%, well above the 30% stress threshold. That stress level, far higher than incomes in the 16.5th percentile would comfortably support, points to buyers drawing on outside wealth or equity rather than local wages.
For Buyers
The $1,100,000 median climbed 12.3% in a single year, from $1,032,500 in 2024 to $1,160,000 in 2025, a fast move for a market this small. Buyers compete mainly for houses, since separate dwellings are 52.1% of stock and semi-detached homes another 35.7%, leaving apartments at only 7.8%. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 47.8% with two-bedroom at 34.1%, so the supply suits downsizers and small families more than larger households. The catch is affordability: monthly mortgage repayments average $1,950, yet against local incomes the mortgage-to-income ratio reaches 41.8%, well above the 30% stress threshold. That stress level, far higher than incomes in the 16.5th percentile would comfortably support, points to buyers drawing on outside wealth or equity rather than local wages.
For Investors
A renter share of 38.7% and weekly rent of $390 give landlords a usable tenant base, but the numbers urge caution. Against the $1,100,000 median, that rent implies a gross yield near 1.8%, low even for a coastal market. The vacancy rate of 13.6% is the bigger warning, sitting well above the levels that signal balanced demand and suggesting holiday-let or seasonal stock that empties between tenants. Development is steady rather than booming at 79 applications over 12 months, with recent lodgements skewing to single dwellings, secondary dwellings and dual occupancy rather than larger projects. Rent-to-income already runs at 36.2%, above the stress line, which caps how far rents can rise. The investment case rests on the 12.3% annual price growth and coastal scarcity more than on yield, since income returns stay thin.
Development Activity
Total DAs
406
Last 12 Months
85
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+37.1%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Ettalong Beach iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Ettalong Public School
K-6 · 490 students
Demographics
The median age of 54 is 14.0 years above the national figure, the defining demographic fact and a clear aging-resident signal. Average household size is 1.9, which is 0.6 below national, matching a profile where 40.5% of the 3,485 families are couples with no children and only 964 are couples with children. The base is anglo-leaning: English ancestry leads at 2,128, then Irish at 654 and Scottish at 567. Overseas-born residents reach 20.4%, which is 1.2 points below national, and the largest non-English language groups are small, led by Greek and Italian at 14 speakers each. University qualifications at 24.2% run 5.9 points under national, lower than the high house price might imply, because the wealth here is held in property by older owners rather than reflected in current education or earnings.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
52.1%
Houses
35.7%
Townhouse
7.8%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure tilts heavily toward outright ownership: 44.7% own with no mortgage, 16.7% carry a mortgage and 38.7% rent. Outright owners outnumbering mortgage holders nearly three to one confirms long-held, debt-free property rather than a churn of recent buyers, which is why the $1,100,000 median can sit so far above local incomes. The stock is 52.1% separate houses and 35.7% semi-detached, leaving apartments at just 7.8%. Three-bedroom homes make up 47.8% and two-bedroom 34.1%, with 4-plus bedroom houses only 12.4%. Prices rose from $1,032,500 to $1,160,000 across 2024 and 2025, a 12.3% one-year gain. Both stress measures are elevated, with mortgage-to-income at 41.8% and rent-to-income at 36.2%, each above the 30% threshold, a divergence driven by purchase costs that outpace household income in the 16.5th percentile.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,950
Rent / wk
$390
HH Size
1.9
Personal Income / wk
$636
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
13.6%
Unoccupied
395
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
36.2% stressed
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
41.8% stressed
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
40.5%
Couples, no children
3,485
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce leans on Healthcare, which leads at 21.2% (259 workers), followed by Education at 11.0% (134), Construction at 10.8% (132), Professional/Tech at 9.6% (117) and Finance at 5.8% (71). By occupation, Professionals are largest at 373, ahead of Clerical/Admin at 259 and Community/Personal at 236, a mix tilted toward services that support an older population. The headline anomaly is participation: only 39.3% are in the labour force and 2,203 residents are not, because the median age of 54 places much of the population in retirement. Unemployment among those active is 7.2%, above typical metro rates, while the full-time rate sits at 59.5%. Personal income of $636 a week keeps the household figure in the 16.5th percentile, a reminder that the local economy runs on care work and retirees, not high-wage industry.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
59.5%
Part-time
33.3%
Participation
39.3%
Employed
1,638
Occupations
Top Industries
University
24.2%
Postgraduate
4.9%
Born Overseas
20.4%
Dwellings
2,480
Transport to Work
Daily life leans heavily on the car: 84.2% drive to work, while only 4.6% use public transport and 3.7% walk or cycle, a far higher car reliance than national patterns and a function of the peninsula setting. No schools are recorded inside the 1.78 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs, a practical trade-off in a market where 40.5% of families are couples without children. The community skews older and settled, with 74.2% of residents having stayed put and 7.9% (382 people) needing daily assistance, above what a younger suburb would show, consistent with the median age of 54. Volunteering runs at 11.7%, and the compact density of 2,904 per km2 keeps the beachfront and shops within easy reach for a population of 5,161.
Drive
84.2%
Public Transport
4.6%
Walk / Cycle
3.7%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Ettalong Beach compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ettalong Beach a good suburb to live in?
It suits older, settled residents best, with a median age of 54, fully 14.0 years above national, and 74.2% of people staying put rather than moving. Houses make up 52.1% of stock and the coastal setting is a draw, though household income sits in just the 16.5th percentile nationally.
What is the median house price in Ettalong Beach?
The median house price is $1,100,000, having risen 12.3% in a year from $1,032,500 in 2024 to $1,160,000 in 2025. Weekly rent averages $390 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,950, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 41.8%, above the stress threshold.
What schools are in Ettalong Beach?
No schools are recorded inside the 1.78 km2 Ettalong Beach boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The profile is older, with 40.5% of the 3,485 families being couples with no children, which limits local school-age demand.
Is Ettalong Beach safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Ettalong Beach in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, 74.2% of residents have stayed put rather than moved, and 7.9% (382 people) need daily assistance, both consistent with a settled, older community of 5,161 people.
Is Ettalong Beach good for property investment?
Rent of $390 a week against a $1,100,000 median gives a gross yield near 1.8%, low for a coastal market, and the 13.6% vacancy rate signals seasonal or oversupplied stock. The case rests on 12.3% annual price growth more than on yield, with rent-to-income already at 36.2%.
How is Ettalong Beach's population changing?
The population of 5,161 is aging fast, with a median age of 54 that runs 14.0 years above national and 2,203 residents already out of the labour force. Turnover is low at 25.8%, so growth comes from inbound buyers pushing prices up 12.3% rather than from natural increase.
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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