Malabar
A $3,200,000 median house price alongside a median weekly rent of just $150 makes Malabar one of the more lopsided markets on Sydney's eastern coast, and the gap reflects how few homes actually trade as rentals here. Owner-occupiers dominate, with 37.4% owning outright and another 27.1% on a mortgage, leaving 35.5% renting. The suburb scores decile 9 on the IRSAD advantage index and decile 8 on education and occupation, yet household income sits at the 63.3rd percentile nationally, lower than the property prices imply because the median age of 46 is 6.0 years above the national figure and 1,986 residents are not in the labour force. Separate houses make up 62.0% of dwellings across a low-density 3.57 km2 footprint.
Population
4,714
Median Age
46.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,790/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
45
Median House
$3.2M
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
Buyers face a $3,200,000 median, among the highest on the eastern beaches, though prices eased 1.6% from $3,200,000 in 2024 to $3,150,000 in 2025 rather than climbing. The stock favours families: 62.0% are separate houses, with apartments at 25.6% and semi-detached at 12.1%, and large homes lead the mix, with 4-plus bedroom dwellings at 41.7% and three-bedroom at 30.4%. Average household size is 2.6, above the national figure. The catch is leverage. Monthly mortgage repayments average $3,900, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 50.3%, well above the 30% stress threshold, because purchase prices have outrun the 63.3rd-percentile household incomes. That divergence is why outright owners (37.4%) outnumber mortgage holders (27.1%), with much of the housing held by long-settled, debt-free owners rather than recent entrants.
For Buyers
Buyers face a $3,200,000 median, among the highest on the eastern beaches, though prices eased 1.6% from $3,200,000 in 2024 to $3,150,000 in 2025 rather than climbing. The stock favours families: 62.0% are separate houses, with apartments at 25.6% and semi-detached at 12.1%, and large homes lead the mix, with 4-plus bedroom dwellings at 41.7% and three-bedroom at 30.4%. Average household size is 2.6, above the national figure. The catch is leverage. Monthly mortgage repayments average $3,900, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 50.3%, well above the 30% stress threshold, because purchase prices have outrun the 63.3rd-percentile household incomes. That divergence is why outright owners (37.4%) outnumber mortgage holders (27.1%), with much of the housing held by long-settled, debt-free owners rather than recent entrants.
For Investors
Renters make up 35.5% of households, a deep tenant pool, but the recorded median rent of $150 a week against a $3,200,000 median price points to a very thin pure-rental investment case on yield alone. The 7.3% vacancy rate is moderate rather than tight, so there is no acute supply shortage to push rents. Demand support comes mainly from overseas migration, which adds about 168 residents a year, while net internal migration removes roughly 38, leaving modest natural growth of 0.87% annually. Development activity is steady at 44 applications over 12 months, dominated by single-dwelling demolition and rebuild and pool works rather than new multi-unit supply, so stock barely expands. The case here rests on capital preservation in a decile 9 advantage suburb more than on rental income or volume.
Development Activity
Total DAs
263
Last 12 Months
45
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-6.2%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Malabar iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St Andrew's Catholic Primary School
K-6 · 402 students
Malabar Public School
K-6 · 244 students
Chifley Public School
K-6 · 227 students
Demographics
The median age of 46 runs 6.0 years above the national figure, and the trajectory is aging: the senior share rose 3.8 points while the working-age share fell 1.6 points over the decade. Overseas-born residents reach 27.1%, which is 5.5 points above national, yet ancestry leans Anglo-Celtic, led by English (1,162), Irish (520) and Scottish (295), with Greek (45), French (39) and Cantonese (22) the most common non-English languages. University qualifications sit at 28.0%, which is 2.1 points below national, an unusual reading for a high-priced suburb and a sign that wealth here is more property-anchored than credential-driven. Average household size is 2.6, just 0.1 above national, and couples with children (1,183 families) outnumber couples without children (610), consistent with the family-house profile.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
62.0%
Houses
12.1%
Townhouse
25.6%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure splits into thirds: 37.4% own outright, 27.1% carry a mortgage and 35.5% rent. Outright owners outnumbering mortgage holders points to long-held, debt-free wealth rather than a churn of recent buyers. The stock is 62.0% separate houses, with apartments at 25.6% and semi-detached at 12.1%, and it skews large, as 4-plus bedroom homes reach 41.7% and three-bedroom 30.4% against just 15.0% two-bedroom. The median house price slipped from $3,200,000 in 2024 to $3,150,000 in 2025, a 1.6% one-year fall. The strain shows in financing: mortgage-to-income at 50.3% sits far above the 30% stress threshold, while rent-to-income stays low at 8.4%, a divergence that reflects how steep purchase prices have become relative to 63.3rd-percentile incomes.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$3,900
Rent / wk
$150
HH Size
2.6
Personal Income / wk
$820
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
7.3%
Unoccupied
106
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
8.4%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
50.3% stressed
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
21.0%
Couples, no children
2,906
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce concentrates in service sectors: Education leads at 14.9% (171 workers), Healthcare follows at 14.3% (164) and Professional/Tech at 14.0% (161), with Construction at 9.5% and Public Administration at 6.8%. By occupation, Professionals (462) and Managers (281) form the largest groups, which aligns with the decile 8 IEO score for education and occupation. Unemployment is low at 4.1% and the full-time rate is 65.4%. Participation reads only 34.8%, well below what the property prices suggest, because the aging profile leaves 1,986 residents not in the labour force. Real incomes grew 36.4% over the decade. One anomaly stands out: the IER economic-resources score sits at decile 7 against the decile 9 IRSAD reading, because the 35.5% renter base and modest 63.3rd-percentile incomes pull aggregate wealth measures down.
Unemployment
8.1%
Labour Force
5,559
Unemployed
453
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
65.4%
Part-time
30.5%
Participation
34.8%
Employed
1,371
Occupations
Top Industries
University
28.0%
Postgraduate
9.2%
Born Overseas
27.1%
Dwellings
1,330
Transport to Work
Car dependence is heavy: 85.6% drive to work while only 4.8% use public transport and 3.6% walk or cycle, above the national reliance on cars and consistent with the low-density 3.57 km2, 1,319 residents per km2 setting away from rail. The suburb earns decile 9 on IRSAD, a top-tier advantage reading, and decile 7 on IRSD for relative disadvantage, meaning few residents face deprivation. Volunteering runs at 15.9% and 7.3% (253 people) need daily assistance, higher than younger suburbs because the median age of 46 is well above national. No schools are recorded inside the Malabar boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs, a practical trade-off for a quiet, house-dominated coastal pocket.
Drive
85.6%
Public Transport
4.8%
Walk / Cycle
3.6%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.87%/yr
(+97 people/yr)
EstablishedGrowth is slow and steady, with annual population change near 0.87% and a 10-year rise of 18.9%, classifying Malabar as an established suburb rather than a high-growth frontier. Overseas migration of about 168 residents a year is the primary driver, partly offset by net internal outflow of roughly 38, so expansion depends on inbound migrants rather than local churn. The resident base is aging, with the senior share up 3.8 points and the working-age share down 1.6 points over the decade. Affordability worsened sharply, from 27.8% of income needed in 2011 to 54.3% in 2021, a deterioration steeper than most markets, which alongside real income growth of 36.4% signals that price gains outpaced wages. The trajectory points to continued slow, migration-led expansion.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+168
Net Internal / yr
-38
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Population +17% since 2011
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Malabar compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Malabar a good suburb to live in?
Malabar scores decile 9 on the IRSAD advantage index and decile 7 on IRSD relative disadvantage, both high tiers nationally. It is a quiet, house-dominated coastal pocket where 62.0% of dwellings are separate houses. The main trade-off is cost, with a $3,200,000 median house price against household incomes at the 63.3rd percentile.
What is the median house price in Malabar?
The median house price is $3,200,000, among the highest on Sydney's eastern beaches. Prices eased 1.6% from $3,200,000 in 2024 to $3,150,000 in 2025. Monthly mortgage repayments average $3,900, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 50.3%, well above the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Malabar?
No schools are recorded inside the Malabar boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The resident profile skews older, with a median age of 46, which is 6.0 years above the national figure, and family households are common at 1,183 couples with children.
Is Malabar safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Malabar in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 7 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage and decile 9 on IRSAD, both high tiers, and only 7.3% of residents need daily assistance, readings consistent with a low-disadvantage area.
Is Malabar good for property investment?
A 35.5% renter share gives a deep tenant pool, but the recorded $150 weekly rent against a $3,200,000 median makes yield very thin. The 7.3% vacancy rate is moderate, and overseas migration of about 168 residents a year supports demand, so returns lean on capital preservation rather than rental income.
How is Malabar's population changing?
Population growth is near 0.87% annually with an 18.9% rise over 10 years, driven mainly by overseas migration of about 168 residents a year. The profile is aging, with the senior share up 3.8 points and the working-age share down 1.6 points over the decade, while net internal migration removes about 38 people a year.
How much development is happening in Malabar?
There were 44 development applications lodged in the past 12 months. Most are single-dwelling demolition and rebuild projects or pool and alteration works on existing houses rather than new multi-unit supply, consistent with an established, slow-growth suburb where 62.0% of dwellings are separate houses.
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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