Raby
A median age of 36 sits four years below the national figure, and that youth runs through everything else here. Detached houses make up 92.5% of dwellings while apartments are almost absent at 0.9%, so the suburb functions as a family-house market rather than a unit market. Household income reaches the 71.3rd percentile nationally, yet the four SEIFA indexes land between decile 2 and decile 5, a gap that reflects a working mortgage belt rather than an affluent one. The median house price of $940,000 pairs with a low 2.8% vacancy rate, and 47.8% of households are paying off a mortgage, well above the share that own outright at 31.8%.
Population
5,943
Median Age
36.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,907/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
34
Median House
$940K
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The $940,000 median sits in mid-tier Sydney territory, and prices moved up 7.9% over the year from $890,000 in 2024 to $960,000 in 2025. Stock strongly favours buyers who want land: 92.5% of dwellings are separate houses and just 0.9% are apartments, so a detached purchase is the norm rather than a premium. Three-bedroom homes lead at 51.8% and four-plus-bedroom homes follow at 42.3%, which suits the average household size of 3.0, half a person above national. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,000, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.2%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold because the suburb's median price stays moderate relative to its 71.3rd-percentile household income. With 47.8% of households on a mortgage, this is a market built around owner-occupier families servicing debt rather than investors.
For Buyers
The $940,000 median sits in mid-tier Sydney territory, and prices moved up 7.9% over the year from $890,000 in 2024 to $960,000 in 2025. Stock strongly favours buyers who want land: 92.5% of dwellings are separate houses and just 0.9% are apartments, so a detached purchase is the norm rather than a premium. Three-bedroom homes lead at 51.8% and four-plus-bedroom homes follow at 42.3%, which suits the average household size of 3.0, half a person above national. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,000, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.2%, comfortably below the 30% stress threshold because the suburb's median price stays moderate relative to its 71.3rd-percentile household income. With 47.8% of households on a mortgage, this is a market built around owner-occupier families servicing debt rather than investors.
For Investors
Renters make up 20.4% of households, below the share carrying a mortgage at 47.8%, so the tenant pool is shallower than in unit-heavy suburbs. Weekly rent of $410 against the $940,000 median implies a gross yield near 2.3%, modest but stronger than premium inner-city markets. The 2.8% vacancy rate signals tight demand and limited oversupply, which supports rent stability, and rent has grown 9.6% recently. Demand fundamentals lean positive: net overseas migration adds 215 residents a year, the suburb's primary growth driver, while net internal migration removes 168, leaving population on a 1.35% annual climb. Development is modest at 31 applications in 12 months, mostly secondary dwellings and alterations rather than new supply, so the investment case rests on steady family rental demand and gradual capital growth more than volume or high yield.
Development Activity
Total DAs
127
Last 12 Months
34
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+47.8%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Raby iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Robert Townson Public School
K-6 · 430 students
Robert Townson High School
7-12 · 742 students
Demographics
The median age of 36 runs 4.0 years below the national figure, and the family profile follows: couples with children number 2,169 against 1,120 couples without, while average household size of 3.0 sits 0.5 above national. Overseas-born residents reach 28.4%, which is 6.8 points above national, and the leading non-English languages are Arabic (191 speakers), Punjabi (32) and Bengali (30), pointing to a Middle Eastern and South Asian migrant presence. Ancestry is led by English (1,655), with Irish (399) and Scottish (391) following. University qualifications sit at 25.1%, which is 5.0 points below national, consistent with a workforce weighted toward clerical, trades and personal-service roles rather than professional ones. Islam (517 residents) is the second religion behind Christianity (3,322), reflecting that migrant mix.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
92.5%
Houses
6.6%
Townhouse
0.9%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure tilts heavily toward mortgaged owners: 47.8% are paying off a loan, 31.8% own outright and only 20.4% rent, the mark of a working family suburb still building equity rather than holding it debt-free. The stock is overwhelmingly detached at 92.5%, with semi-detached at 6.6% and apartments a negligible 0.9%, so house scarcity is not an issue the way it is in unit-dense markets. Three-bedroom dwellings account for 51.8% and four-plus-bedroom homes 42.3%, leaving small two-bedroom stock at 5.3%. The median house price climbed from $890,000 to $960,000 across 2024 and 2025, a 7.9% one-year gain. Both stress measures stay healthy, with mortgage-to-income at 24.2% and rent-to-income at 21.5%, each below the 30% threshold, because moderate prices align with 71.3rd-percentile household income.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,000
Rent / wk
$410
HH Size
3.0
Personal Income / wk
$812
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
2.8%
Unoccupied
57
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.5%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.2%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
21.3%
Couples, no children
5,253
Total families
Economy & Employment
The workforce concentrates in service and trade sectors rather than knowledge industries: Healthcare leads at 18.0% (298 workers), Education follows at 11.4% (188) and Construction at 10.9% (180), with Retail at 8.5% and Manufacturing at 8.1%. By occupation, Clerical and Administrative roles dominate at 469, ahead of Professionals (385) and Community and Personal Service workers (313), which explains why university attainment runs below national. Unemployment sits at 5.8% and the full-time rate is 67.5%, though participation reads a low 51.0% because 1,613 residents are not in the labour force, consistent with a large share of children in this young family suburb. The SEIFA picture shows the IER score at decile 5, higher than the IRSD measure at decile 2, because steady mortgage-paying incomes lift economic resources even where relative disadvantage scores stay low.
Unemployment
5.8%
Labour Force
11,471
Unemployed
670
Quarterly Trend
Source: SALM Dec-25
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
67.5%
Part-time
26.7%
Participation
51.0%
Employed
2,242
Occupations
Top Industries
University
25.1%
Postgraduate
5.8%
Born Overseas
28.4%
Dwellings
1,940
Transport to Work
Daily life here is built around the car: 90.9% of commuters drive, far above the national reliance, while public transport draws just 2.1% and walking or cycling 0.8%, reflecting limited transit infrastructure in this 2.66 km2 footprint. No schools are recorded inside the suburb boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring areas, a practical trade-off given the young median age of 36. The suburb scores decile 2 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage and decile 3 on IRSAD, both in the lower advantage tiers, yet housing stress stays contained with rent-to-income at 21.5% and only 5.7% of residents needing daily assistance. Volunteering runs at 7.9%, below what tighter community profiles show, consistent with a busy commuter-family suburb.
Drive
90.9%
Public Transport
2.1%
Walk / Cycle
0.8%
Work from Home
N/A
Population Forecast
+1.35%/yr
(+128 people/yr)
EstablishedRaby is on a steady expansion path: annual population growth registers 1.35%, adding about 128 residents a year, and the 10-year change is 16.0%, classifying it as an established but growing area. Medium forecasts lift the population from 9,507 in 2025 toward 10,431 by 2031, continued growth rather than a plateau. The engine is overseas migration, which adds 215 residents a year as the primary driver, partly offset by net internal outflow of 168. The gentrification stage reads not gentrifying with a score of 16, which fits a suburb whose advantage indexes sit in deciles 2 to 5 with little upward pressure on the social mix. Affordability improved from 61.9% in 2011 to 55.1% in 2021, a falling burden, though incomes stayed flat with 0.0% real growth over the decade.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Overseas Migration
Net Overseas / yr
+215
Net Internal / yr
-168
Gentrification Signal
Not gentrifying
Population +18% since 2011, Net internal outflow -168/yr, Strong overseas inflow +215/yr
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Raby compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Raby a good suburb to live in?
Raby suits family buyers: 92.5% of homes are separate houses, the median age is 36 (four years below national), and household income reaches the 71.3rd percentile. Trade-offs are SEIFA deciles of 2 to 5 and heavy car reliance, with 90.9% of commuters driving.
What is the median house price in Raby?
The median house price is $940,000, with values rising 7.9% from $890,000 in 2024 to $960,000 in 2025. Weekly rent averages $410 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $2,000, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.2%, below the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Raby?
No schools are recorded inside the Raby boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring suburbs. The area skews young, with a median age of 36 and an average household size of 3.0, which is 0.5 above the national figure.
Is Raby safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Raby in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb scores decile 2 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, and 5.7% of its residents (328 people) need daily assistance, figures typical of a working mortgage-belt area.
Is Raby good for property investment?
Rent of $410 a week against a $940,000 median gives a gross yield near 2.3%, and the low 2.8% vacancy rate signals tight demand. Net overseas migration of 215 a year drives 1.35% annual population growth, so returns lean on family rental demand and capital growth rather than high yield.
How is Raby's population changing?
Population is growing 1.35% a year, about 128 people, with a 16.0% rise over 10 years. Medium forecasts lift it from 9,507 in 2025 toward 10,431 by 2031, driven mainly by overseas migration of 215 a year against a net internal outflow of 168.
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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