Palm Beach
At a median house price of $4,850,000 and a vacancy rate of 38.5%, Palm Beach sits at the extreme end of Sydney's luxury market. Household income ranks in the 96.1st percentile nationally, yet more than half of all dwellings stand unoccupied at census time, a pattern that reflects a second-home and holiday enclave rather than a primary residential suburb. The median age of 58 is 18 years above the national figure, and 58.1% of residents own their home outright, well above the national average, signalling established intergenerational wealth rather than leveraged buyers.
Population
1,652
Median Age
58.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,807/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
63
Median House
$4.8M
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The $4,850,000 median house price places Palm Beach among the most expensive addresses in Australia, compared to the Sydney median of roughly $1.4 million. Price data shows a move from $4,850,000 in 2024 to $4,650,000 in 2025, a 4.1% pullback from peak. Separate houses make up 89.3% of the stock and over half of all dwellings have 4 or more bedrooms (52.6%), so the market trades primarily in large detached homes with very little apartment or semi-detached alternative. Monthly mortgage repayments average $4,000, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 32.9% exceeds the 30% stress threshold even at 96th-percentile incomes, reflecting just how high acquisition costs are relative to any income base.
For Buyers
The $4,850,000 median house price places Palm Beach among the most expensive addresses in Australia, compared to the Sydney median of roughly $1.4 million. Price data shows a move from $4,850,000 in 2024 to $4,650,000 in 2025, a 4.1% pullback from peak. Separate houses make up 89.3% of the stock and over half of all dwellings have 4 or more bedrooms (52.6%), so the market trades primarily in large detached homes with very little apartment or semi-detached alternative. Monthly mortgage repayments average $4,000, and the mortgage-to-income ratio of 32.9% exceeds the 30% stress threshold even at 96th-percentile incomes, reflecting just how high acquisition costs are relative to any income base.
For Investors
With only 17.4% of residents renting and a vacancy rate of 38.5%, the Palm Beach rental pool is thin and dominated by seasonal and holiday demand rather than permanent tenants. Weekly rent averages $895, implying a gross yield well below 1% against the $4,650,000 current median. The 59 development applications over 12 months, mostly dwelling alterations and modifications, confirm limited new supply but also limited rental pipeline growth. Net overseas migration of 230 per year and internal migration of 158 per year feed the broader SA2 rather than Palm Beach's 1,652 residents directly. Investors should treat this market as a capital-preservation and lifestyle asset, not a yield-driven purchase.
Development Activity
Total DAs
421
Last 12 Months
63
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-7.4%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
The median age of 58 is 18 years above the national figure, making Palm Beach one of Sydney's oldest-skewing suburbs by resident profile. University qualifications reach 50.5%, which is 20.4 percentage points above the national average, concentrated among the professional and managerial occupations that dominate the local workforce. The overseas-born share of 22.5% sits close to the national figure. Ancestry is strongly Anglo-Celtic, led by English (870), Irish (265) and Scottish (244). Average household size of 2.3 is slightly below the national 2.5, consistent with a retired-couples profile: 44.5% of families are couples with no children, compared to a much lower national share.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
89.3%
Houses
1.2%
Townhouse
9.5%
Apartment
Tenure
Palm Beach's housing market is defined by scarcity at the top end. Separate houses account for 89.3% of dwellings and 52.6% have 4 or more bedrooms, a configuration that concentrates value into large, detached properties with little alternatives for buyers who cannot meet the $4,650,000 current median. The tenure split shows 58.1% owning outright and just 24.5% carrying a mortgage, higher than the national outright-ownership rate and a signal that most wealth here is already crystallised rather than leveraged. The 38.5% vacancy rate is extraordinarily high compared to the national average of around 2%, reflecting a substantial holiday and second-home contingent. Rent-to-income at 31.9% indicates that even the small renter cohort faces stress relative to local incomes.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$4,000
Rent / wk
$895
HH Size
2.3
Personal Income / wk
$1,295
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
38.5%
Unoccupied
415
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
31.9% stressed
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
32.9% stressed
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
44.5%
Couples, no children
1,264
Total families
Economy & Employment
Professional and Technical services lead local industry at 20.5% (111 workers), followed by Finance at 10.5% (57) and Healthcare at 10.1% (55). By occupation, Professionals (249) and Managers (193) account for the majority, which is consistent with the decile 10 IRSAD and IRSD scores, placing Palm Beach in the top tier nationally for both advantage and low disadvantage. The participation rate of 47.3% is well below the national average, because 626 residents are not in the labour force, driven by the high median age of 58. Unemployment sits at 4.6%, close to national levels, but this applies to a small active labour force. Real income growth of 28.1% over the decade is above the national average, reinforcing that residents maintained their relative affluence.
Unemployment
2.8%
Labour Force
11,012
Unemployed
311
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
57.2%
Part-time
38.2%
Participation
47.3%
Employed
670
Occupations
Top Industries
University
50.5%
Postgraduate
13.4%
Born Overseas
22.5%
Dwellings
662
Transport to Work
Car dependency is high at 88.3% of commuters using private vehicles, above the national average, because Palm Beach sits at the end of the Northern Beaches peninsula with limited public transport options. Walking and cycling account for 5.2% of commutes, meaningful given the coastal geography. The IRSAD decile score of 10 places Palm Beach in the top tier nationally for socioeconomic advantage, and the IRSD decile 10 confirms minimal relative disadvantage among residents. Only 3.8% (59 people) need daily assistance despite the older 58-year median age. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary, meaning families depend on institutions in surrounding suburbs along the Northern Beaches corridor. Volunteering reaches 21.8% of residents, above the national average.
Drive
88.3%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
5.2%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+1.4%/yr
(+262 people/yr)
EstablishedPalm Beach's own resident population of 1,652 is essentially static, but the broader SA2 shows 1.4% annual growth and a 17.2% increase over 10 years, reaching 18,678 in 2025. Medium forecasts project the SA2 growing from 18,678 to 19,547 by 2031 at roughly 262 additional residents per year. Overseas migration is the primary driver at 230 net arrivals annually, above internal migration at 158 per year. The gentrification score is 54 (Active stage), with signals including population growth of 29% since 2011 and accelerating overseas inflow. The suburb's own affordability ratio improved from 54.2% in 2011 to 51.0% in 2021, though at these price levels affordability remains a near-absolute barrier to entry.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+230
Net Internal / yr
+158
Gentrification Signal
Active
Population +29% since 2011, Net internal migration +158/yr, Strong overseas inflow +230/yr, Accelerating: 5% → 23%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Palm Beach compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Palm Beach a good suburb to live in?
Palm Beach scores decile 10 on IRSAD and IRSD, the top tier nationally for socioeconomic advantage and low disadvantage. Household income sits in the 96.1st percentile. The main considerations are the $4,650,000 current median house price and limited public transport, with 88.3% of residents driving to work.
What is the median house price in Palm Beach?
The current median house price is $4,650,000 (2025), down 4.1% from $4,850,000 in 2024. Monthly mortgage repayments average $4,000, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 32.9%. Weekly rent averages $895 for the 17.4% of residents who rent.
What schools are in Palm Beach?
No schools are recorded within the Palm Beach suburb boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in neighbouring Northern Beaches suburbs. Locally, 50.5% of residents hold university qualifications, which is 20.4 percentage points above the national figure, reflecting the high-education professional base.
Is Palm Beach safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Palm Beach in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 10 on both the IRSAD advantage index and the IRSD disadvantage index, the highest tier nationally. Only 3.8% of its 1,652 residents need daily assistance, consistent with a low-disadvantage environment.
Is Palm Beach good for property investment?
Weekly rent of $895 against a $4,650,000 median implies a gross yield below 1%, very low compared to most markets. The 38.5% vacancy rate reflects seasonal holiday demand rather than permanent rental supply. Capital growth is the primary investment thesis, though the 4.1% price pullback from 2024 to 2025 shows this market is not immune to corrections.
How is Palm Beach's population changing?
Palm Beach's resident population is 1,652 with a high vacancy rate of 38.5%, consistent with a holiday enclave. The broader SA2 grew 17.2% over 10 years and is forecast to reach 19,547 by 2031 at 1.4% per year. Overseas migration contributes 230 net residents annually, above internal migration at 158 per year.
How much development is happening in Palm Beach?
There were 59 development applications lodged in the past 12 months. Recent examples include dwelling alterations, a subdivision, and a shop-top housing modification. The low new-dwelling pipeline keeps supply constrained relative to demand, which supports prices at the top end of Sydney's residential market.
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.
Explore Palm Beach on the Map
View parcels, zoning overlays, DA applications, schools and more.
Open Interactive Map