Little Bay
Despite sitting on Sydney's coastal eastern edge, Little Bay is 55.4% apartments and only 29.0% separate houses, a density-led profile that explains its $1,785,000 median house price and 41.7% renter share. Household income reaches the 89.6th percentile nationally, and 47.5% of residents hold university qualifications, 17.4 points above the national figure. The population of 4,817 is older than typical, with a median age of 42 that runs 2.0 years above national, and 39.4% were born overseas, 17.8 points above the national rate. Across 4 bedroom-size bands the split is unusually even, none more than 25.6%, a sign of a mixed apartment-and-house stock packed into 2.46 km2.
Population
4,817
Median Age
42.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,364/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
42
Median House
$1.8M
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The $1,785,000 median sits well above most Sydney suburbs, and prices have moved fast: the PSI-derived series rose 11.6% in a single year, from $1,687,500 in 2024 to $1,882,500 in 2025. Buyers face a stock that is 55.4% apartments and only 29.0% separate houses, so a detached purchase competes for scarce supply, which keeps house prices elevated. Bedroom mix is spread evenly, with 4-plus-bedroom homes at 25.6%, three-bedroom at 25.4% and smaller dwellings filling the rest, meaning family-sized houses are a minority of listings. Monthly mortgage repayments average $3,000, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 29.3%, just below the 30% stress threshold despite incomes in the 89.6th percentile. That sub-stress reading exists only because local household income is high, not because the suburb is cheap.
For Buyers
The $1,785,000 median sits well above most Sydney suburbs, and prices have moved fast: the PSI-derived series rose 11.6% in a single year, from $1,687,500 in 2024 to $1,882,500 in 2025. Buyers face a stock that is 55.4% apartments and only 29.0% separate houses, so a detached purchase competes for scarce supply, which keeps house prices elevated. Bedroom mix is spread evenly, with 4-plus-bedroom homes at 25.6%, three-bedroom at 25.4% and smaller dwellings filling the rest, meaning family-sized houses are a minority of listings. Monthly mortgage repayments average $3,000, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 29.3%, just below the 30% stress threshold despite incomes in the 89.6th percentile. That sub-stress reading exists only because local household income is high, not because the suburb is cheap.
For Investors
A 41.7% renter share and weekly rent of $590 give landlords a deep tenant pool, but yields are thin. Against the $1,785,000 median, that rent implies a gross yield near 1.7%, low even by inner-Sydney standards, because prices have outrun rents. The 9.1% vacancy rate is elevated and reflects the apartment-heavy stock, 55.4% of dwellings, where turnover is easier than in scarce houses. Development is modest at 38 applications over 12 months, weighted toward dwelling alterations and dual-occupancy works rather than large new supply, so the investment case rests on capital growth more than yield. Rent-to-income for tenants sits at 25.0%, comfortably below the stress line, which signals room for rent escalation as the 11.6% annual price growth feeds through.
Development Activity
Total DAs
209
Last 12 Months
42
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-8.7%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
The median age of 42 is 2.0 years above the national figure, pointing to an established rather than family-forming population. Overseas-born residents reach 39.4%, which is 17.8 points above national, and university qualifications at 47.5% run 17.4 points higher than national, an educated migrant-influenced profile. Ancestry leans Anglo-Celtic, led by English (1,353) and Irish (708), with Chinese (448) the largest non-European group, and the top non-English languages are Mandarin (79), French (59) and Greek (53). Average household size is 2.4, which is 0.1 below national, consistent with the older couple-led profile: couples without children make up 31.5% of the 3,705 families while couples with children number 1,641. Christianity (2,490 residents) dominates, with Judaism (117) a small second presence.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
29.0%
Houses
15.6%
Townhouse
55.4%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure splits three ways: 29.0% own outright, 29.2% carry a mortgage and 41.7% rent, a renter-heavy mix that tracks the apartment-dominant stock. Apartments are 55.4% of dwellings and separate houses just 29.0%, with semi-detached at 15.6%, so detached-house scarcity props up prices. The bedroom spread is unusually flat, with 0-1, 2, 3 and 4-plus bands all between 24.5% and 25.6%, reflecting a stock that mixes compact apartments with larger houses. The median house price climbed from $1,687,500 to $1,882,500 across 2024 to 2025, an 11.6% one-year move. Mortgage-to-income at 29.3% and rent-to-income at 25.0% both stay below stress thresholds, a divergence that holds only because household income reaches the 89.6th percentile nationally rather than because housing is affordable.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$3,000
Rent / wk
$590
HH Size
2.4
Personal Income / wk
$1,141
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
9.1%
Unoccupied
185
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.0%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
29.3%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
31.5%
Couples, no children
3,705
Total families
Economy & Employment
The local workforce concentrates in services: Healthcare leads at 13.8% (249 workers), Professional/Tech follows at 12.7% (228), then Education at 11.2% (202), Construction at 11.0% (198) and Public Admin at 8.8% (159). By occupation, Professionals (745) and Managers (492) form the bulk of jobs, which aligns with the 47.5% university qualification rate, 17.4 points above national. Unemployment is low at 3.1% and the full-time employment rate is 67.5%. Participation reads 54.3%, held down because the older median age of 42 leaves 1,316 residents not in the labour force. Personal income averages $1,141 a week and household income $2,364, placing the suburb in the 89.6th percentile nationally, a high-earning base concentrated in knowledge and care sectors rather than goods production.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
67.5%
Part-time
29.4%
Participation
54.3%
Employed
2,100
Occupations
Top Industries
University
47.5%
Postgraduate
15.6%
Born Overseas
39.4%
Dwellings
1,850
Transport to Work
Little Bay is car-dependent for a coastal Sydney suburb: 86.1% drive to work while only 5.0% take public transport and 4.3% walk or cycle, well below the inner-city norm, a reflection of its peninsula position away from rail. Density runs at 1,960.5 residents per km2 across 2.46 km2, moderate for an apartment-heavy area. Volunteering sits at 14.2% and only 4.6% (204 people) need daily assistance despite the older median age of 42, both signs of an active, healthy population. No schools are recorded inside the suburb boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring areas, a practical trade-off offset by the 47.5% university qualification rate that runs 17.4 points above national.
Drive
86.1%
Public Transport
5.0%
Walk / Cycle
4.3%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Little Bay compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Little Bay a good suburb to live in?
Little Bay pairs household income in the 89.6th percentile nationally with a 47.5% university qualification rate, 17.4 points above national. It is a high-earning, educated coastal pocket. The main trade-offs are a high $1,785,000 median house price and heavy car dependence, with 86.1% driving to work.
What is the median house price in Little Bay?
The median house price is $1,785,000, well above most Sydney suburbs. The PSI-derived series rose 11.6% in a year, from $1,687,500 in 2024 to $1,882,500 in 2025. Weekly rent averages $590 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $3,000, a mortgage-to-income ratio of 29.3%.
What schools are in Little Bay?
No schools are recorded inside the Little Bay boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The resident base is highly educated, with university qualifications at 47.5%, which is 17.4 points above the national figure.
Is Little Bay safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Little Bay in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, only 4.6% of the 4,817 residents need daily assistance and volunteering runs at 14.2%, both consistent with a settled, active community profile.
Is Little Bay good for property investment?
Rent of $590 a week against a $1,785,000 median gives a gross yield near 1.7%, low for inner Sydney, and the 9.1% vacancy rate is elevated. With 41.7% of residents renting and 11.6% annual price growth, returns lean on capital growth rather than yield.
How is Little Bay's population changing?
The population is 4,817 with a median age of 42, which is 2.0 years above national, pointing to an established rather than family-forming profile. Resident turnover is 23.6%, so 76.4% stayed put, and growth depends more on infill than expansion across the 2.46 km2 area.
What languages are spoken in Little Bay?
About 39.4% of residents were born overseas, 17.8 points above national. English dominates, with Mandarin (79 speakers), French (59), Greek (53) and Cantonese (43) the most common non-English languages, reflecting an internationally mixed resident base.
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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