Lilli Pilli
A median age of 59 puts Lilli Pilli 19 years above the national figure, making it one of the most age-skewed coastal communities on the NSW South Coast. The suburb holds just 647 residents across 2.84 square kilometres, yet its median house price reached $2,080,000, placing it well above typical regional NSW values. A vacancy rate of 33.7% is the defining structural signal: more than one in three dwellings sits unoccupied at census time, reflecting holiday and sea-change ownership patterns rather than a conventional resident community. Anglo-Celtic ancestry dominates, with overseas-born residents at 15.1%, which is 6.5 percentage points below the national average.
Population
1,405
Median Age
44.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$3,625/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
31
Median House
$1.9M
12m to Jun 2026 (PSI)
The median house price of $2,080,000 reflects a premium coastal market where 98.8% of dwellings are separate houses and 52.1% have four or more bedrooms. Prices climbed from $1,670,000 in 2024 to $2,315,000 in 2025, a 38.6% one-year rise well above state average growth. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,566, and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 26.7%, below the 30% stress threshold, because the resident base holds significant existing equity. Outright ownership at 58.4% far exceeds the national average and more than doubles the 30.2% carrying mortgages, signalling a community of established, debt-free owners rather than first-home or early-career buyers.
For Buyers
The median house price of $2,080,000 reflects a premium coastal market where 98.8% of dwellings are separate houses and 52.1% have four or more bedrooms. Prices climbed from $1,670,000 in 2024 to $2,315,000 in 2025, a 38.6% one-year rise well above state average growth. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,566, and the mortgage-to-income ratio sits at 26.7%, below the 30% stress threshold, because the resident base holds significant existing equity. Outright ownership at 58.4% far exceeds the national average and more than doubles the 30.2% carrying mortgages, signalling a community of established, debt-free owners rather than first-home or early-career buyers.
For Investors
The rental market is thin by national standards. Only 11.4% of dwellings are rented, compared to a national renter share closer to 30%, and weekly rent sits at $390. Against the $2,080,000 median, that implies a gross yield below 1%, making yield-driven investment difficult to justify. The 33.7% vacancy rate reflects holiday-home ownership more than rental demand, so landlords face seasonal rather than continuous occupancy. Development activity reached 27 applications in 12 months, including secondary dwellings and alterations, indicating existing owners are expanding rather than a new-supply pipeline forming. Capital growth of 38.6% from 2024 to 2025 was strong, though with only 647 residents and a small sales pool, individual transactions can materially distort the median.
Development Activity
Total DAs
129
Last 12 Months
31
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+47.6%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Lilli Pilli iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Lilli Pilli Public School
K-6 · 323 students
Demographics
The median age of 59 runs 19 years above the national figure, driven by retirees and lifestyle migrants rather than family formation. Couples without children represent 48.6% of all families, well above the national share, and one-parent families register zero. Overseas-born residents account for 15.1%, which is 6.5 percentage points below the national rate, and ancestry is strongly Anglo-Celtic: English (280 residents), Scottish (101) and Irish (85) are the top three backgrounds. Average household size of 2.3 sits marginally below the national 2.5. The volunteering rate of 26.1% is notably high compared to the national baseline near 18%, because the older post-career population has greater capacity for community engagement.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
94.8%
Houses
5.2%
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is dominated by outright ownership at 58.4%, more than double the 30.2% carrying mortgages and far above the 11.4% renting, a split typical of retirement and sea-change destinations rather than growth corridors. Stock is 98.8% separate houses with virtually no apartments, and bedroom counts skew large: 52.1% have four or more bedrooms and 43.6% have three, meaning most homes are sized beyond the needs of the 2.3-person average household. The median price rose from $1,670,000 in 2024 to $2,315,000 in 2025, a 38.6% move. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,566 and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.7% sits below the 30% stress threshold, a reflection of the low-debt ownership base.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General (12m to Jun 2026 (PSI))
Mortgage / mo
$4,000
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (January to March 2026), NSW Rental Bond Board (DCJ). Census 2021 median: $900.
$850
Bond data Mar 2026 · houses $1,150 · units $678
HH Size
3.2
Personal Income / wk
$1,186
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
2.7%
Unoccupied
12
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.8%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.5%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
22.4%
Couples, no children
1,317
Total families
Economy & Employment
Education and Healthcare each employ 17.9% of the local workforce, the two leading sectors by equal margin, followed by Public Administration at 13.4% and Construction at 12.3%. Professionals (61 workers) and Managers (42) lead by occupation, consistent with university qualifications at 33.6%, which is 3.5 percentage points above national. Full-time employment covers 54.9% of employed residents, close to the national average, but the participation rate is just 44.4% because 264 residents are not in the labour force, reflecting the retired cohort. Household income sits at the 35th percentile nationally, below average, because many higher earners here draw superannuation or investment income rather than wages, compressing the measured household income figure relative to working-age suburbs.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
57.2%
Part-time
40.8%
Participation
60.5%
Employed
676
Occupations
Top Industries
University
47.6%
Postgraduate
13.3%
Born Overseas
12.0%
Dwellings
439
Transport to Work
Car dependency is extreme at 94.3% for commuting, above the national car-commuting rate of around 68%, because the rural coastal location makes alternatives impractical. No public transport data is recorded for this suburb. Crime statistics are not available in this dataset. The volunteering rate of 26.1% is well above national norms near 18%, pointing to a community where older residents remain active in local organisations. Only 30 residents (4.9%) need daily assistance, modest for a population where the median age of 59 is 19 years above the national benchmark.
Drive
92.5%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
1.2%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Lilli Pilli compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lilli Pilli a good suburb to live in?
Lilli Pilli suits retirees and sea-change buyers well. The median age is 59, which is 19 years above national, 58.4% of homes are owned outright, and the volunteering rate of 26.1% exceeds the national average near 18%.
What is the median house price in Lilli Pilli?
The median house price is $2,080,000. Prices rose from $1,670,000 in 2024 to $2,315,000 in 2025, a 38.6% increase well above state average growth. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,566 and the mortgage-to-income ratio is 26.7%, below the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Lilli Pilli?
Families depend on schools in neighbouring areas including Batemans Bay. The local university qualification rate of 33.6% is 3.5 percentage points above the national figure, reflecting a well-educated resident base.
Is Lilli Pilli safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Lilli Pilli in this dataset. As indirect indicators, unemployment is low at 4.4% and volunteering runs at 26.1%, both above national norms, associated with community stability. Only 30 residents (4.9%) need daily assistance despite a median age of 59.
Is Lilli Pilli good for property investment?
Yield-focused investment is challenging: only 11.4% of dwellings are rented and weekly rent of $390 against a $2,080,000 median implies a gross yield below 1%, lower than national averages. The 33.7% vacancy rate reflects holiday-home ownership rather than consistent rental demand. Capital growth of 38.6% from 2024 to 2025 was strong, though the small market of 647 residents limits transaction volume.
How is Lilli Pilli's population changing?
The suburb holds 647 residents and has very low turnover, with 84.6% staying at the same address over the reference period, above national mobility norms near 65-70%. The 33.7% vacancy rate reflects a large second-home stock. A median age of 59, which is 19 years above national, suggests the resident base is aging in place rather than being replaced by younger households.
How much development is happening in Lilli Pilli?
There were 27 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, including secondary dwellings, new dwelling houses and alterations. This is moderate activity for a suburb of 647 residents, focused on renovation and secondary dwelling construction rather than large-scale new supply, consistent with an established low-density area near full build-out across 2.84 square kilometres.
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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