Old Bar
A median age of 50, a full 10 years above the national figure, sits oddly next to a population that grew 30.6% over the decade, and both facts define Old Bar. Growth here is driven almost entirely by internal migration, around 254 people a year against just 25 from overseas, because retirees and sea-changers are moving in faster than the resident base is renewing. The housing stock is 82.1% separate houses on a low-density 24.27 km2 footprint at 211 residents per km2, and household income lands in the 23.2nd percentile nationally, well below average. The result is an affordable coastal market where a $687,500 house median pairs with mortgage and rent stress on modest incomes.
Population
5,126
Median Age
50.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,170/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
101
Median House
$688K
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
At a $687,500 median, Old Bar costs a fraction of metropolitan Sydney, and the stock suits families: 82.1% are separate houses, with three-bedroom homes at 45.6% and four-plus-bedroom dwellings at 34.3%, leaving apartments at just 3.1%. Prices rose 4.4% over the year, from $671,500 in 2024 to $701,000 in 2025, a steady rather than explosive climb. The catch is income. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,690, but against a household income in the 23.2nd percentile the mortgage-to-income ratio reaches 33.4%, above the 30% stress threshold. Buyers are stretching on relatively low pay rather than facing high prices, so the affordability pressure comes from the income side. Outright owners make up 46.9% of households, far higher than the 25.8% still paying a mortgage.
For Buyers
At a $687,500 median, Old Bar costs a fraction of metropolitan Sydney, and the stock suits families: 82.1% are separate houses, with three-bedroom homes at 45.6% and four-plus-bedroom dwellings at 34.3%, leaving apartments at just 3.1%. Prices rose 4.4% over the year, from $671,500 in 2024 to $701,000 in 2025, a steady rather than explosive climb. The catch is income. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,690, but against a household income in the 23.2nd percentile the mortgage-to-income ratio reaches 33.4%, above the 30% stress threshold. Buyers are stretching on relatively low pay rather than facing high prices, so the affordability pressure comes from the income side. Outright owners make up 46.9% of households, far higher than the 25.8% still paying a mortgage.
For Investors
Renters make up 27.3% of households and weekly rent averages $358, which against the $687,500 median implies a gross yield near 2.7%, stronger than premium metro suburbs but modest in absolute terms. The 8.6% vacancy rate is elevated and points to softer tenant demand than the headline growth suggests. The investment case leans on momentum: rent grew 44.0% over the period and net internal migration adds about 254 residents a year, the primary growth driver versus only 25 from overseas. Development activity is moderate at 99 applications in 12 months, including new dwellings and dual occupancies that will add competing supply. Rent-to-income for tenants already sits at 30.6%, in stress territory, so further rent escalation may be capped by what local incomes in the 23.2nd percentile can absorb.
Development Activity
Total DAs
583
Last 12 Months
101
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+14.8%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Old Bar iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Old Bar Public School
K-6 · 480 students
Demographics
The median age of 50 runs 10.0 years above the national figure, the single most defining trait, and the trajectory is aging further: the senior share rose 9.7 points over the decade while the working-age share fell 5.1 points and the young share slipped 2.7. Only 10.4% of residents were born overseas, 11.2 points below national, and ancestry is strongly Anglo-Celtic, led by English (2,189), Irish (616) and Scottish (557). University qualifications reach 21.3%, which is 8.8 points below the national rate, consistent with a coastal retirement and trades profile rather than a professional hub. Average household size is 2.3, slightly below national, and couples without children (36.5%) nearly match couples with children, reflecting both young families and emptying nests.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
82.1%
Houses
14.4%
Townhouse
3.1%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is owner-dominated: 46.9% own outright and 25.8% carry a mortgage, so two-thirds of households own, while 27.3% rent. Outright owners outnumbering mortgage holders signals an older, debt-light resident base rather than a churn of new buyers. The stock is overwhelmingly detached at 82.1% separate houses, with semi-detached at 14.4% and apartments at only 3.1%, and three-bedroom homes (45.6%) plus four-plus-bedroom homes (34.3%) dominate. The median house price rose from $671,500 in 2024 to $701,000 in 2025, a 4.4% gain. Despite the sub-$700,000 price, both stress flags trip: mortgage-to-income at 33.4% and rent-to-income at 30.6% both exceed the 30% threshold, because household income in the 23.2nd percentile is the binding constraint, not the price level.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,690
Rent / wk
$358
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$613
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
8.6%
Unoccupied
198
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
30.6% stressed
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
33.4% stressed
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
36.5%
Couples, no children
3,839
Total families
Economy & Employment
Employment is concentrated in service sectors that fit an aging coastal population: Healthcare leads at 28.8% (379 workers), Education follows at 16.9% (223) and Construction at 10.8% (142), with Public Admin at 7.4% and Retail at 6.1%. By occupation, Professionals (445) and Community/Personal service workers (316) top the list. The labour market is soft: unemployment runs at 6.3%, above typical metro rates, the full-time rate is 58.7%, and participation is just 43.9% because 1,939 residents sit outside the labour force, a direct consequence of the median age of 50. SEIFA places the suburb mid-pack: decile 5 on IRSD and IEO, decile 6 on IER, but decile 4 on IRSAD, the lower advantage tier, reflecting the modest 23.2nd-percentile incomes despite high home-ownership.
Unemployment
2.8%
Labour Force
5,892
Unemployed
163
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
58.7%
Part-time
35.0%
Participation
43.9%
Employed
1,733
Occupations
Top Industries
University
21.3%
Postgraduate
4.2%
Born Overseas
10.4%
Dwellings
2,112
Transport to Work
Old Bar is built for cars: 90.8% of commuters drive, only 0.2% use public transport and 4.3% walk or cycle, well below metro norms, a function of the low 211 residents per km2 density across its 24.27 km2. The suburb sits mid-range on disadvantage, decile 5 on IRSD, meaning fewer residents face deprivation than the IRSAD decile 4 advantage score alone would suggest. Volunteering runs at 17.7% and 9.7% of residents (467 people) need daily assistance, higher than younger suburbs because of the median age of 50. No schools are recorded inside the boundary in this dataset, so families travel to neighbouring Taree and surrounds, a common trade-off for a low-density coastal community where 82.1% of homes are detached houses.
Drive
90.8%
Public Transport
0.2%
Walk / Cycle
4.3%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+1.89%/yr
(+254 people/yr)
EstablishedOld Bar is an established suburb on a clear upward trend, with annual population growth of 1.89%, well above the national average, and a 30.6% rise over the past decade. Internal migration is the engine, adding roughly 254 residents a year versus just 25 from overseas, as buyers priced out of larger markets relocate to the coast. Medium forecasts project the population climbing toward 14,908 by 2031. The gentrification score reads 52, an Active stage, with signals including population up 36% since 2011. Affordability has worsened, slipping from 54.7% in 2011 to 56.8% in 2021, even as real incomes grew 12.8%, because housing costs outpaced local pay.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Internal Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+25
Net Internal / yr
+254
Gentrification Signal
Active
Population +36% since 2011, Net internal migration +254/yr, Accelerating: 8% → 26%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Old Bar compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Old Bar a good suburb to live in?
Old Bar suits buyers wanting an affordable coastal lifestyle, with a $687,500 house median and 82.1% detached homes. It scores decile 5 on IRSD for relative disadvantage, mid-range nationally. The main caution is income: household earnings sit in the 23.2nd percentile, pushing the mortgage-to-income ratio to 33.4%.
What is the median house price in Old Bar?
The median house price is $687,500, well below metropolitan Sydney. Prices rose 4.4% over the year, from $671,500 in 2024 to $701,000 in 2025. Weekly rent averages $358 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,690, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 33.4%.
What schools are in Old Bar?
No schools are recorded inside the Old Bar boundary in this dataset, so families travel to nearby Taree and surrounding suburbs. The resident profile skews older, with a median age of 50 and university qualifications at 21.3%, which is 8.8 points below the national figure.
Is Old Bar safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Old Bar in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 5 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, a mid-range tier, and 9.7% of residents need daily assistance, broadly consistent with an older, settled coastal community.
Is Old Bar good for property investment?
Rent of $358 a week against a $687,500 median gives a gross yield near 2.7%, higher than premium metro suburbs. Net internal migration of 254 residents a year supports demand, but the 8.6% vacancy rate is elevated and tenant rent-to-income already sits at 30.6%, capping further rent growth.
How is Old Bar's population changing?
The population is growing about 1.89% a year, roughly 254 people, and rose 30.6% over the past decade. Growth is driven by internal migration, adding 254 residents annually versus just 25 from overseas. The profile is aging, with the senior share up 9.7 points and the working-age share down 5.1 points.
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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