Palm Beach
Palm Beach stands out for a 58-year median age, household income at the 96.1st percentile, and a 38.5% vacancy rate across 1,652 residents. Its age profile is 18 years above the national comparison, while 52.5% of residents work from home. Compared with nearby Avalon Beach and Whale Beach, the combination of 89.3% separate houses and high vacancy points to a more seasonal, low-density coastal market. The 56.4% outright ownership share reinforces long-term tenure, although the 16.9% rental share still supports a small tenant market.
Local council: Northern Beaches
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
69
Palm Beach suits buyers seeking larger detached homes who can manage substantial holding costs. The monthly mortgage figure is $4,000 and weekly rent is $895, while mortgage costs equal 32.9% of household income compared with 31.9% for rent. Housing is strongly detached, with 89.3% separate houses versus 9.5% apartments, and 52.6% of dwellings have 4 or more bedrooms compared with 32.7% with 3 bedrooms. The 56.4% outright ownership rate is higher than the 23.8% mortgage share, reflecting an established owner base. Compared with smaller, apartment-led markets, Palm Beach provides more space but less entry-level choice.
For Buyers
Palm Beach suits buyers seeking larger detached homes who can manage substantial holding costs. The monthly mortgage figure is $4,000 and weekly rent is $895, while mortgage costs equal 32.9% of household income compared with 31.9% for rent. Housing is strongly detached, with 89.3% separate houses versus 9.5% apartments, and 52.6% of dwellings have 4 or more bedrooms compared with 32.7% with 3 bedrooms. The 56.4% outright ownership rate is higher than the 23.8% mortgage share, reflecting an established owner base. Compared with smaller, apartment-led markets, Palm Beach provides more space but less entry-level choice.
For Investors
Palm Beach presents a specialised investment case because rental demand and vacancy move in opposite directions. Weekly rent is $895, yet the 38.5% vacancy rate is higher than the 16.9% share of households renting, suggesting that seasonal or non-primary occupancy affects returns. Rent growth of 48.3% supports the income story, but high vacancy makes gross yield alone an incomplete comparison. Overseas migration is the primary growth driver, while 67 development applications in 12 months indicate continuing renovation, demolition and replacement activity. Compared with a tightly occupied rental market, investors need stronger allowance for vacancy, maintenance and property presentation.
Development Activity
Total DAs
442
Last 12 Months
69
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+16.9%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
Palm Beach has an older and more highly educated profile than the national comparison. The median age is 58, or 18 years above national age levels, and 50.5% of residents have university qualifications, 20.4 percentage points above the national comparison. Overseas-born residents account for 22.5%, only 0.9 points below the national figure, while English, Irish and Scottish ancestry counts are 870, 265 and 244. Christianity accounts for 804 residents and no religion for 669. Average household size is 2.3, which is 0.2 below national levels. A 77.4% stay rate and 22.6% turnover indicate a relatively settled population compared with more mobile suburbs.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
89.3%
Houses
1.2%
Townhouse
9.5%
Apartment
Tenure
Palm Beach is dominated by established, larger homes rather than compact rental stock. Outright ownership is 56.4%, higher than the 23.8% mortgage share and 16.9% renting share, while 89.3% of dwellings are separate houses compared with 9.5% apartments and 1.2% semi-detached homes. Four or more bedrooms account for 52.6% of dwellings, compared with 32.7% for 3 bedrooms and 11.4% for 2 bedrooms. The 38.5% vacancy rate is high compared with the resident rental share, consistent with occasional-use or seasonal housing. Affordability pressure remains material, with mortgage costs at 32.9% of income versus rent at 31.9%.
Mortgage / mo
$4,000
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (April to June 2026), NSW Rental Bond Board (DCJ). Census 2021 median: $895.
$1,530
Bond data Jun 2026 · houses $1,550
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
31.4%
Couples with children
58.2%
Couples, no children
10.6%
Single parent
491
Total families
Economy & Employment
Palm Beach has a professional, managerial and high-income employment base. Professional and technology industries account for 20.5% of workers, followed by finance at 10.5%, healthcare at 10.1%, education at 9.2% and construction at 7.2%. Professionals number 249 and managers 193, compared with 80 in clerical and administrative roles and 67 in trades. Household income is $2,807 per week at the 96.1st percentile, well above the national distribution. Unemployment is 4.1% and participation is 52.6%. The combination of an IRSAD decile of 10, IRSD decile of 10, IEO decile of 9 and IER decile of 10 reflects strong socioeconomic conditions, while the 58 median age and 626 people outside the labour force help explain the moderate participation rate.
Unemployment
4.1%
Labour Force
781
Unemployed
32
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
51.1%
Part-time
38.3%
Participation
52.6%
Employed
749
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
50.5%
Postgraduate
13.4%
Born Overseas
22.5%
Dwellings
662
Transport to Work
Palm Beach offers a low-density coastal setting across 2.72 square kilometres, with density of 608.2 people per square kilometre and a 58 median age. Daily mobility is car-oriented: 42.0% drive to work compared with 2.5% who walk or cycle, while 52.5% work from home, which can reduce commuting pressure. The IRSAD and IRSD scores are both in decile 10, while IEO is in decile 9 and IER in decile 10, placing local socioeconomic conditions above most areas. Volunteering is 21.8% and need for assistance is 3.8%. Compared with more transit-oriented suburbs, Palm Beach is better suited to residents comfortable with private vehicles, remote work and a quieter residential environment.
Drive
42.0%
Public Transport
N/A
Walk / Cycle
2.5%
Work from Home
52.5%
Growth Outlook
Palm Beach has an established growth outlook of 1.4% annually, driven primarily by overseas migration. Population change across the wider area is 17.2% over 10 years, while the forecast shift is labelled Mixed. Gentrification is at the Active stage with a score of 54, supported by a separate shift score of 45 that also identifies active change. Rent growth of 48.3% is higher than real income growth of 28.1%, creating pressure despite an affordability trend labelled Improving. Affordability moved from 54.2 in 2011 versus 51.0 in 2021. Compared with a static coastal market, the combination of migration, renovation activity and active gentrification points to continued change without a uniform demographic direction.
Population trend: Northern Beaches council area
Palm Beach sits in the Northern Beaches council area. These are the council area's residents, not Palm Beach's.
Residents 2025
272,656
Growth, 5 yr average
+0.3%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+0.5%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
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 can suit residents seeking a quieter, affluent coastal setting, larger homes and a high work-from-home share of 52.5%. The suburb has a median age of 58, density of 608.2 people per square kilometre and IRSAD decile 10. Compared with denser or younger areas, it is more car-oriented and less suited to buyers seeking compact housing or a highly urban routine.
What is the median house price in Palm Beach?
A current median house price should be confirmed using recent settled sales and a date-stamped market report. Palm Beach has 89.3% separate houses, 52.6% with 4 or more bedrooms and a monthly mortgage figure of $4,000. Its 38.5% vacancy rate can also make headline market measures more sensitive to seasonal and occasional-use properties.
What schools are in Palm Beach?
Families should check current enrolment zones and nearby school options against the exact address, because catchments can cross suburb boundaries. Palm Beach has 1,652 residents, an average household size of 2.3 and 31.4% of families with children. Those figures indicate a smaller family segment than the 58.2% share of couples without children, so local demand can vary by street and year.
Is Palm Beach safe?
For a current safety assessment, check recent incident patterns by street, offence type and time rather than relying on a general suburb label. Palm Beach has 1,652 residents, a 3.8% rate of need for assistance and a 21.8% volunteering rate, which provide community context but do not replace current local crime information. Compare several recent periods before making a housing decision.
Is Palm Beach good for property investment?
Palm Beach may suit investors comfortable with a specialised coastal market. Weekly rent is $895 and rent growth is 48.3%, but vacancy is 38.5% compared with 16.9% of households renting. There were 67 development applications in 12 months, and overseas migration is the primary growth driver. Compared with a tightly occupied rental market, cash-flow modelling should allow for longer vacancies and higher upkeep.
How is Palm Beach's population changing?
Growth across the wider area is forecast at 1.4% annually, with overseas migration the primary driver. Population change over 10 years is 17.2%, while the trajectory is Mixed and gentrification is Active with a score of 54. The senior share has increased by 1.2 percentage points and the young share has fallen by 0.7 points, indicating gradual ageing alongside continuing migration and reinvestment.
What development is happening in Palm Beach?
There were 67 development applications over 12 months, with examples involving dwelling-house alterations, demolitions and new residential structures. This pattern points more toward renovation and replacement activity than a large apartment pipeline. Compared with a market focused on major new estates, Palm Beach is seeing incremental change across established housing, with project timing and final outcomes varying by application.
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 education open registers (school locations), state Crime Statistics agencies (offences), council DA portals (development applications).
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