Picnic Point
Detached houses make up 75.5% of dwellings here and apartments just 0.3%, an unusually pure house market for a Sydney suburb only 3.86 km2 in size. Household income sits in the 91.8th percentile nationally, yet the area scores decile 7 to 8 across the four SEIFA indexes rather than the top tier, because affluence rests on family earnings rather than concentrated wealth. The $1,615,500 median house price pairs with an older-skewing family profile: average household size is 3.0, which is 0.5 above national, and 56.0% of homes have four or more bedrooms. University qualifications reach 39.9%, 9.8 points above the national figure.
Population
6,413
Median Age
39.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,459/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
68
Median House
$1.6M
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The $1,615,500 median sits well below inner-Sydney premium markets, and prices rose 6.3% from $1,557,500 in 2024 to $1,655,500 in 2025. This is a house buyer's suburb: 75.5% of stock is separate houses and only 0.3% apartments, so families looking for land face little competition from investors chasing units. The bedroom mix is large, with 56.0% of homes carrying four or more bedrooms and 39.5% three bedrooms, reflecting demand from couples with children, who form 2,706 of the area's families. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,817, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.5%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold despite the seven-figure median, because household incomes sit in the 91.8th percentile nationally.
For Buyers
The $1,615,500 median sits well below inner-Sydney premium markets, and prices rose 6.3% from $1,557,500 in 2024 to $1,655,500 in 2025. This is a house buyer's suburb: 75.5% of stock is separate houses and only 0.3% apartments, so families looking for land face little competition from investors chasing units. The bedroom mix is large, with 56.0% of homes carrying four or more bedrooms and 39.5% three bedrooms, reflecting demand from couples with children, who form 2,706 of the area's families. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,817, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.5%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold despite the seven-figure median, because household incomes sit in the 91.8th percentile nationally.
For Investors
Only 14.9% of residents rent here, well below the national share, so the tenant pool is shallow and the suburb leans owner-occupier. Weekly rent of $580 against the $1,615,500 median implies a gross yield near 1.9%, low even by Sydney standards, which pushes the investment case toward capital growth over income. The 4.6% vacancy rate is moderate and rent grew 45.5% over the measurement period, a stronger signal than yield alone suggests. Development activity is modest at 66 applications in 12 months, dominated by dual occupancy and complying development on existing lots rather than apartment supply. With overseas migration adding about 122 residents a year as the primary growth driver and internal migration removing 70, demand support is real but gradual rather than rapid.
Development Activity
Total DAs
386
Last 12 Months
68
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-2.9%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Picnic Point iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Picnic Point Public School
K-6 · 360 students
Picnic Point High School
7-12 · 865 students
Demographics
The median age of 39 is 1.0 year below national, and the trajectory leans slightly older, with the senior share up 1.2 points and the young share down 0.5 points over the decade. Overseas-born residents reach 23.1%, just 1.5 points above national, an Anglo-leaning mix led by English (1,717), Irish (620) and Greek (461) ancestry. The top non-English languages are Arabic (183), Greek (127) and Mandarin (92), pointing to long-established migrant communities rather than recent arrivals. University qualifications at 39.9% run 9.8 points above the national figure. Average household size is 3.0, which is 0.5 above national, consistent with a family-dominated profile where couples with children (2,706) far outnumber couples without (1,123).
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
75.5%
Houses
24.0%
Townhouse
0.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure tilts toward ownership: 44.1% carry a mortgage, 40.9% own outright and only 14.9% rent. The high mortgage share reflects a market of working families still paying down recent purchases rather than retirees sitting on debt-free homes. The stock is 75.5% separate houses and 24.0% semi-detached, with apartments at a negligible 0.3%, so the suburb supplies almost no high-density alternative. Four-plus bedroom homes dominate at 56.0% and three-bedroom at 39.5%, a large-format profile. The median house price rose from $1,557,500 to $1,655,500 across 2024-2025, a 6.3% one-year move. Mortgage-to-income at 26.5% and rent-to-income at 23.6% both sit below stress thresholds, a healthier balance than premium suburbs where incomes lag prices.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,817
Rent / wk
$580
HH Size
3.0
Personal Income / wk
$963
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
4.6%
Unoccupied
101
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.6%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.5%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
19.5%
Couples, no children
5,773
Total families
Economy & Employment
The resident workforce concentrates in public-facing and trade sectors rather than finance: Education leads at 15.8% (351 workers), Healthcare follows at 14.6% (324) and Construction at 11.3% (251), with Professional/Tech at 9.8% and Public Admin at 7.5%. By occupation, Professionals (805), Clerical/Admin (571) and Managers (553) form the bulk, a balanced white-collar and administrative base. Unemployment is low at 4.0% and the full-time employment rate is 67.1%. Participation reads 52.9%, held down because 1,737 residents are not in the labour force, consistent with the family profile of single-income households and school-age children. SEIFA scores of decile 7 (IEO, IRSD) and decile 8 (IER, IRSAD) place the area in the upper-middle advantage band, above average but short of the top tier, because earnings come from broad employment rather than concentrated capital.
Unemployment
3.0%
Labour Force
9,946
Unemployed
301
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
67.1%
Part-time
28.9%
Participation
52.9%
Employed
2,570
Occupations
Top Industries
University
39.9%
Postgraduate
10.7%
Born Overseas
23.1%
Dwellings
2,100
Transport to Work
This is a car-dependent suburb: 89.4% of residents drive to work, well above the national reliance, while only 3.6% use public transport and 1.2% walk or cycle, a function of the peninsula geography and limited rail access. The area scores decile 7 on IRSD for relative disadvantage and decile 8 on IRSAD, both above the median, so few residents face deprivation: only 4.2% (264 people) need daily assistance. Volunteering runs at 12.5%. No schools are recorded inside the 3.86 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring suburbs, a practical trade-off given the large four-plus bedroom family homes that make up 56.0% of stock. Rent-to-income at 23.6% keeps the small renter cohort comfortable.
Drive
89.4%
Public Transport
3.6%
Walk / Cycle
1.2%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+0.75%/yr
(+124 people/yr)
EstablishedPicnic Point is a steady established market: population grew 13.2% over 10 years and annual growth runs about 0.75%, adding roughly 124 people a year. Overseas migration is the primary driver at about 122 net arrivals annually, offset by net internal outflow of 70, so growth is migration-fed rather than churn-fed. The gentrification stage reads early signs with a score of 42, supported by 45.5% rent growth and 13.9% real income growth over the period, though affordability worsened from 53.1% in 2011 to 55.2% in 2021. The trajectory is classified as mixed: a low young-share decline of 0.5 points and a senior-share rise of 1.2 points point to gradual aging rather than rapid demographic turnover, fitting a suburb that grows by attracting settled families.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+122
Net Internal / yr
-70
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Population +13% since 2011
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Picnic Point compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Picnic Point a good suburb to live in?
Picnic Point scores decile 7 to 8 across the four SEIFA indexes, above the national median, with household income in the 91.8th percentile. It suits families: 75.5% of dwellings are separate houses and 56.0% have four or more bedrooms. The main trade-off is car dependence, with 89.4% of residents driving to work.
What is the median house price in Picnic Point?
The median house price is $1,615,500, below inner-Sydney premium markets. Prices rose 6.3% from $1,557,500 in 2024 to $1,655,500 in 2025. Weekly rent averages $580 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $2,817, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 26.5%, below the stress threshold.
What schools are in Picnic Point?
No schools are recorded inside the 3.86 km2 Picnic Point boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The resident base is well educated, with university qualifications at 39.9%, which is 9.8 points above the national figure.
Is Picnic Point safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Picnic Point in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 7 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, above the median, and only 4.2% of its residents need daily assistance, both consistent with a low-disadvantage area.
Is Picnic Point good for property investment?
Rent of $580 a week against the $1,615,500 median gives a gross yield near 1.9%, low by national standards, and only 14.9% of residents rent. Rent grew 45.5% over the period and overseas migration adds about 122 residents a year, so returns lean on capital growth rather than yield.
How is Picnic Point's population changing?
Population grew 13.2% over 10 years and rises about 0.75% annually, roughly 124 people a year. Growth is driven by overseas migration of about 122 net arrivals a year, offset by net internal outflow of 70. The profile is aging gradually, with the senior share up 1.2 points over the decade.
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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