Safety Bay
At 93.7% separate houses, Safety Bay has a distinctly detached profile, while its median age of 44 sits 4 years above the national figure. The suburb has 7,662 residents across 4.62 sq km, equating to 1,659.2 people per sq km. Household income is at the 43.7th percentile, below the national midpoint, while 30.5% of residents were born overseas, 8.9 percentage points above the national level. Compared with nearby Rockingham, Safety Bay leans more toward detached, larger-home living, with 51.2% of dwellings containing 4 or more bedrooms.
Population
7,662
Median Age
44.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,445/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
0
Safety Bay suits buyers seeking conventional detached housing, because 93.7% of dwellings are separate houses and 51.2% contain 4 or more bedrooms. That larger-home share is higher than the 40.8% share of 3-bedroom dwellings, while apartments account for only 6.3%. A monthly mortgage estimate of $1,679 equates to 26.8% of household income, below the 43.7th household-income percentile, and weekly rent is $310. A current median house price is not available for a sound purchase-budget calculation, so buyers should compare recent sales by bedroom count and exact street.
For Buyers
Safety Bay suits buyers seeking conventional detached housing, because 93.7% of dwellings are separate houses and 51.2% contain 4 or more bedrooms. That larger-home share is higher than the 40.8% share of 3-bedroom dwellings, while apartments account for only 6.3%. A monthly mortgage estimate of $1,679 equates to 26.8% of household income, below the 43.7th household-income percentile, and weekly rent is $310. A current median house price is not available for a sound purchase-budget calculation, so buyers should compare recent sales by bedroom count and exact street.
For Investors
The rental profile is mixed for investors. Weekly rent is $310, while 19.9% of occupied dwellings are rented, lower than the 41.5% owned outright and 38.1% mortgaged. Vacancy is 9.6%, higher than a tightly supplied rental market, which can reduce leasing urgency and weaken short-term rent competition. There were 0 development approvals or samples in the past 12 months, supporting an established rather than supply-led profile. Forecast growth of 0.83% annually is modest, so returns depend more on purchase price, property condition and tenant demand than on rapid appreciation.
Schools in Safety Bay
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
MALIBU SCHOOL
SAFETY BAY PRIMARY SCHOOL
SAFETY BAY SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Demographics
Safety Bay has an older age structure, with a median age of 44, or 4 years above the national figure. University attainment is 19.8%, 10.3 percentage points below the national level, while the overseas-born share is 30.5%, 8.9 points above it. Average household size is 2.4, slightly below the national comparison by 0.1, consistent with 44.4% of families being couples without children and 15.0% being one-parent families. English ancestry is recorded for 3,989 residents, followed by Scottish at 873 and Irish at 767. Compared with nearby Rockingham, the profile points to an established, older coastal community rather than a strongly student-led area.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
93.7%
Houses
0.0%
Townhouse
6.3%
Apartment
Tenure
Housing in Safety Bay is overwhelmingly detached, with separate houses accounting for 93.7% of dwellings compared with 6.3% apartments. The stock is also weighted toward larger homes: 51.2% have 4 or more bedrooms, higher than the 40.8% share with 3 bedrooms. Tenure is relatively settled, with 41.5% owned outright and 38.1% mortgaged, while only 19.9% are rented. Weekly rent is $310 against household income of $1,445, and mortgage costs represent 26.8% of household income. A median sale price and price-to-income ratio are not available, so comparisons with nearby Rockingham should focus on actual sales by dwelling type rather than headline estimates.
Mortgage / mo
$1,679
Rent / wkiABS Census 2021 median across all dwelling types. Current market rents are typically higher.
$310
Census 2021
HH Size
2.4
Personal Income / wk
$704
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
9.6%
Unoccupied
324
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
21.5%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
26.8%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
39.6%
Couples with children
44.4%
Couples, no children
15.0%
Single parent
2,212
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the largest industry at 17.0%, or 371 workers, followed by Education at 13.7% and 298, Construction at 11.6% and 253, Public Administration at 9.2% and 201, and Manufacturing at 8.9% and 195. Trades lead occupations with 652 workers, ahead of Professionals at 549, Community and Personal services at 474, Clerical and Administrative roles at 388, and Labourers at 326. The 6.3% unemployment rate sits alongside a 56.5% participation rate and 57.5% full-time employment rate. SEIFA IEO and IRSD are both decile 4, IRSAD is decile 4, while IER is decile 5, suggesting economic resources rank one decile higher than education and occupation indicators.
Unemployment
6.3%
Labour Force
3,566
Unemployed
224
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
57.5%
Part-time
34.7%
Participation
56.5%
Employed
3,342
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
19.8%
Postgraduate
3.4%
Born Overseas
30.5%
Dwellings
3,052
Transport to Work
Safety Bay is strongly car-oriented: 80.3% of residents travel as car drivers, compared with 4.1% using public transport and 1.6% walking or cycling. That pattern makes private vehicle access more important than in higher-transit suburbs, while 8.9% work from home. Three government schools provide local coverage across education support, primary and senior high school settings; families should check enrolment zones against the exact address. IRSAD is decile 4, below higher-ranked metropolitan locations, while IER is decile 5 and IEO is decile 4. A suburb-level crime rate is not available, so current local safety figures and street conditions should be checked before choosing a home.
Drive
80.3%
Public Transport
4.1%
Walk / Cycle
1.6%
Work from Home
8.9%
Population Forecast
+0.83%/yr
(+110 people/yr)
EstablishedSafety Bay has an established forecast profile, with annual growth of 0.83% and Balanced migration as the primary driver. Population change across the wider area is 7.1% over 10 years, pointing to gradual expansion rather than a rapid surge. The trajectory is Aging, with the senior share up 3.3 percentage points and the young share down 0.2 points, so future demand is likely to favour established homes and practical services. Gentrification remains at the Early signs stage with a score of 38. Rent growth of 11.1% is higher than real income growth of 4.3%, which may increase pressure on tenants even as affordability is marked Improving.
Historical + Forecast
Hamilton-Perry + Holt smoothing on ERP 2001-2025
Age Cohort Forecast
Primary Driver
Balanced
Net Overseas / yr
+107
Net Internal / yr
+154
Gentrification Signal
Early signs
Population +12% since 2011, Net internal migration +154/yr, Accelerating: 0% → 12%
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Safety Bay compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Safety Bay a good suburb to live in?
Safety Bay may suit households wanting detached coastal housing, because 93.7% of dwellings are separate houses and 51.2% have 4 or more bedrooms. Its median age of 44 is 4 years above the national figure, so it has a more established profile than younger growth areas. Car access is important, with 80.3% driving to work.
What is the median house price in Safety Bay?
A current median house price is not available for a reliable purchase comparison. For context, weekly rent is $310 and the monthly mortgage estimate is $1,679. Buyers should compare recent 3-bedroom and 4-bedroom sales separately, because 40.8% of homes have 3 bedrooms and 51.2% have 4 or more.
What schools are in Safety Bay?
Safety Bay has 3 local government schools covering education support, primary and senior high school settings. Families should confirm the enrolment zone for the exact address, as boundaries can differ between school types. The mix provides broader local coverage than a suburb with only 1 primary campus, but school choice should be checked directly.
Is Safety Bay safe?
Safety Bay cannot be ranked as safer or less safe than Rockingham from a suburb-level crime rate. It has 7,662 residents and 5.7% need assistance, but those figures do not measure crime. Check current local crime figures, lighting, traffic conditions and the specific street before making a decision.
Is Safety Bay good for property investment?
Safety Bay has an established investment profile, with weekly rent of $310, 19.9% renting households and 0 development samples in the past 12 months. However, vacancy is 9.6%, higher than a tightly supplied rental market, and forecast growth is 0.83% annually. A median sale price is needed before calculating yield or comparing it with Rockingham.
How is Safety Bay's population changing?
Safety Bay has 7,662 residents today. The wider-area forecast indicates annual growth of 0.83% and population change of 7.1% over 10 years, with Balanced migration. The trajectory is Aging, including a 3.3 percentage point rise in the senior share, so change is likely to be gradual and older-household oriented compared with younger growth suburbs.
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). Population forecasts use a Hamilton-Perry cohort model calibrated to ABS ERP.
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