Farmborough Heights
Household income sits in the 84.6th percentile nationally, yet Farmborough Heights keeps a median house price of $950,000 and a mortgage-to-income ratio of 20.8%, well below the 30% stress threshold. The suburb is overwhelmingly owner-occupier: 95.6% of dwellings are separate houses, only 13% of residents rent, and 84.5% of households did not move in the five years to the last Census. With a population of 4,179 across 3.04 km2 and a median age of 38, two years below the national average, the suburb skews toward established families rather than transient renters.
Population
4,179
Median Age
38.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,234/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
24
Median House
$950K
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The median house price of $950,000 rose from $910,000 in 2024 to $982,500 in 2025, an 8% gain over one year. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,008, and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 20.8%, well below the 30% stress threshold even though household income ranks at the 84.6th percentile nationally. Stock is almost entirely detached houses at 95.6%, with 47% of dwellings having four or more bedrooms and 48% having three, making this a practical family suburb rather than an apartment market. Only 1.1% of dwellings are apartments, so buyers compete for a narrow supply of houses, which supports price stability. Outright owners account for 38.5% of households and mortgage holders 48.5%, indicating a healthy mix of equity-rich and active buyers.
For Buyers
The median house price of $950,000 rose from $910,000 in 2024 to $982,500 in 2025, an 8% gain over one year. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,008, and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 20.8%, well below the 30% stress threshold even though household income ranks at the 84.6th percentile nationally. Stock is almost entirely detached houses at 95.6%, with 47% of dwellings having four or more bedrooms and 48% having three, making this a practical family suburb rather than an apartment market. Only 1.1% of dwellings are apartments, so buyers compete for a narrow supply of houses, which supports price stability. Outright owners account for 38.5% of households and mortgage holders 48.5%, indicating a healthy mix of equity-rich and active buyers.
For Investors
A vacancy rate of 3.0% sits at the upper edge of the balanced range, signalling modest softness in rental demand. Weekly rent averages $450, and with a $950,000 median, gross yield sits near 2.5%, below average compared to higher-density suburbs. The renter share of 13% is low, meaning most residents own their homes and the tenant pool is thin. Development activity recorded 20 applications in the past 12 months, mostly alterations and additions to existing houses rather than new supply, consistent with an established suburb with limited infill. Price growth of 8% over the year shows capital appreciation potential, but investors should weigh the low yield against that growth, since the suburb's appeal rests more on owner-occupier demand than rental turnover.
Development Activity
Total DAs
155
Last 12 Months
24
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-11.1%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
The median age of 38 is 2 years below the national average, pointing toward a working-age, family-oriented population rather than a retiree enclave. University qualifications reach 32.7%, which is 2.6 percentage points above the national figure, a modest but positive education premium. Overseas-born residents are 18%, some 3.6 percentage points below the national rate, reflecting a predominantly locally-born community with Anglo-Celtic ancestry dominant: English (1,434), Scottish (427) and Irish (419) are the top three ancestry groups. Italian heritage (303) adds European depth. Non-English languages are spoken by small numbers, with Macedonian (38) and Italian (23) the most common, consistent with the low overseas-born share. Average household size is 2.8, above the national figure of 2.5, driven by the high share of couples with children (1,535 families).
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
95.6%
Houses
3.3%
Townhouse
1.1%
Apartment
Tenure
The housing stock is dominated by separate houses at 95.6%, with only 3.3% semi-detached and 1.1% apartments, one of the most house-heavy profiles among NSW suburbs. Bedroom size skews large: 47% of dwellings have four or more bedrooms and 48% have three, leaving fewer than 5% with two bedrooms or less. Tenure is split between outright owners (38.5%) and mortgagees (48.5%), with renters at just 13%. Prices moved from $910,000 in 2024 to $982,500 in 2025, an 8% rise, with the latest observed median around $950,000. Rent-to-income at 20.1% and mortgage-to-income at 20.8% are both below the 30% stress threshold, meaning housing costs are manageable relative to the suburb's above-average incomes. Vacancy at 3.0% is slightly elevated compared to tighter rental markets nearby.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,008
Rent / wk
$450
HH Size
2.8
Personal Income / wk
$887
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
3.0%
Unoccupied
44
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.1%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
20.8%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
25.1%
Couples, no children
3,612
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the dominant employing industry at 20.3% (302 workers), followed by Education at 14.4% (214) and Public Administration at 8.7% (130), a public-sector skew that provides stable, recession-resistant employment. Manufacturing and Construction each account for around 8.4-8.5%, adding blue-collar breadth. By occupation, Professionals lead at 523, followed by Clerical/Admin (303) and Managers (234), consistent with the above-national university rate of 32.7%. Unemployment sits at 4.2% and the full-time employment rate is 65.1%, with 1,029 residents not in the labour force, partly because the median age of 38 includes established households where one partner may work part-time. Weekly personal income averages $887 and household weekly income $2,234, placing the suburb in the 84.6th income percentile nationally.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
65.1%
Part-time
30.7%
Participation
57.4%
Employed
1,850
Occupations
Top Industries
University
32.7%
Postgraduate
8.6%
Born Overseas
18.0%
Dwellings
1,408
Transport to Work
Car dependency is high: 92.5% of residents drive to work and only 0.9% use public transport, making the suburb best suited to households with private vehicles. Walking and cycling account for just 1% of commutes. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring areas. Volunteering participation is 12.9%, a reasonable community engagement rate. Housing stress indicators are healthy: rent-to-income at 20.1% and mortgage-to-income at 20.8% are both below the 30% stress threshold, meaning residents are not financially stretched by housing costs relative to income in the 84.6th percentile nationally. Only 4.4% of residents (175 people) need daily assistance, a low rate consistent with the below-national median age of 38.
Drive
92.5%
Public Transport
0.9%
Walk / Cycle
1.0%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Farmborough Heights compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Farmborough Heights a good suburb to live in?
Farmborough Heights suits families and owner-occupiers well. Household income sits in the 84.6th percentile nationally, mortgage-to-income is 20.8% (below the 30% stress threshold), and 84.5% of households stayed put over five years, signalling strong residential satisfaction. The trade-off is high car dependency, with 92.5% of residents driving to work.
What is the median house price in Farmborough Heights?
The median house price is around $950,000, with prices rising 8% from $910,000 in 2024 to $982,500 in 2025. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,008. Weekly rent averages $450, giving a gross yield of roughly 2.5% against the median price.
What schools are in Farmborough Heights?
No schools are recorded inside the Farmborough Heights boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs within the Wollongong area (postcode 2526). Despite no local schools, university qualifications among residents reach 32.7%, which is 2.6 percentage points above the national figure.
Is Farmborough Heights safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Farmborough Heights in this dataset. As indirect indicators, housing stress is low (mortgage-to-income 20.8% and rent-to-income 20.1%, both well below 30%), and 84.5% of households have remained stable over five years, characteristics generally associated with lower-disadvantage areas.
Is Farmborough Heights good for property investment?
Capital growth is the stronger case: prices rose 8% in one year from $910,000 to $982,500. However, gross rental yield is modest near 2.5%, the renter share is only 13% (thin tenant pool), and vacancy sits at 3.0%. Investors should weigh steady appreciation in a low-turnover owner-occupier suburb against the limited rental income.
How is Farmborough Heights's population changing?
No detailed forecast data is available, but the suburb shows strong residential stability: 84.5% of households stayed in place over five years, against a turnover rate of 15.5%. The population of 4,179 has a median age of 38, two years below the national average, with couples-with-children as the dominant family type at 1,535 families.
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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