Sapphire Beach
With a median house price of $1,120,000, 91.1% of residents commuting by car, and 45.4% owning their home outright, Sapphire Beach reads as a settled coastal enclave rather than a transient rental market. The median age of 46 is 6 years above the national figure, and 58.6% of dwellings have four or more bedrooms, well above typical coastal averages. Household income sits at the 77.1st percentile nationally despite the strong owner-occupier base, pointing to a community that has accumulated wealth over time rather than through high current earnings. Only 17.7% of dwellings are rented, lower than most NSW coastal suburbs.
Population
2,660
Median Age
46.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,056/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
28
Median House
$1.1M
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The median house price of $1,120,000 reflects a market where 84.7% of dwellings are separate houses and 58.6% have four or more bedrooms, leaving relatively little choice for buyers seeking smaller or attached stock. Prices rose from $1,107,500 in 2024 to $1,125,000 in 2025, a 1.6% annual gain. Mortgage-to-income sits at 24.4%, below the 30% stress threshold, meaning buyers who enter the market at current prices carry a manageable debt load compared to many higher-cost NSW markets. Monthly repayments average $2,174. Outright owners at 45.4% outnumber mortgage holders at 36.9%, suggesting much of the stock is held long-term by debt-free residents rather than recent leveraged buyers competing with first-home purchasers.
For Buyers
The median house price of $1,120,000 reflects a market where 84.7% of dwellings are separate houses and 58.6% have four or more bedrooms, leaving relatively little choice for buyers seeking smaller or attached stock. Prices rose from $1,107,500 in 2024 to $1,125,000 in 2025, a 1.6% annual gain. Mortgage-to-income sits at 24.4%, below the 30% stress threshold, meaning buyers who enter the market at current prices carry a manageable debt load compared to many higher-cost NSW markets. Monthly repayments average $2,174. Outright owners at 45.4% outnumber mortgage holders at 36.9%, suggesting much of the stock is held long-term by debt-free residents rather than recent leveraged buyers competing with first-home purchasers.
For Investors
The investor case at Sapphire Beach is restrained. Weekly rent of $475 against a $1,120,000 median implies a gross yield near 2.2%, low by regional NSW standards. The vacancy rate of 10.3% is high, signalling meaningful oversupply in the rental pool for a suburb with only 17.7% renters. That vacancy is partly structural: a suburb dominated by large detached homes (84.7% separate houses) with 58.6% having four or more bedrooms does not attract a wide rental demographic. Development activity of 28 applications in the past 12 months is concentrated on alterations and additions rather than new dwelling supply. Demand is supported by low turnover at 26.4%, meaning most owners are long-term holders rather than sellers, which keeps available stock scarce.
Development Activity
Total DAs
222
Last 12 Months
28
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-26.3%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
The median age of 46 sits 6 years above the national figure, one of the clearer signals that Sapphire Beach skews toward established families and retirees. University qualifications reach 39.1%, which is 9 percentage points above the national rate, higher than many mid-coast NSW suburbs. Overseas-born residents at 18.2% are 3.4 points below the national average, and ancestry leans heavily Anglo-Celtic: English (1,187), Irish (407) and Scottish (330) are the three largest groups. Household size averages 2.6, marginally above the national figure. Couples with children (983 families) outnumber couples without children (789), though the older median age suggests many of those children are grown. The volunteering rate of 18.1% is notable for a small community of 2,660.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
84.7%
Houses
6.6%
Townhouse
7.4%
Apartment
Tenure
Separate houses account for 84.7% of all dwellings, apartments 7.4% and semi-detached 6.6%, making this one of the more detached-dominant markets on the NSW mid-coast. Four-or-more bedroom homes are 58.6% of stock, with three-bedroom at 30.3%, leaving very little for buyers or renters seeking compact options. The price-to-annual-income ratio based on $1,120,000 median and $2,056 weekly household income works out to roughly 10.5 times annual household income, consistent with a coastal premium market. Ownership splits: 45.4% own outright, 36.9% carry a mortgage, and 17.7% rent. The high outright ownership rate compared to the national median signals a long-established resident base, while the 10.3% vacancy rate suggests seasonal or lifestyle use for some properties.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,174
Rent / wk
$475
HH Size
2.6
Personal Income / wk
$955
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
10.3%
Unoccupied
112
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
23.1%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
24.4%
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
36.2%
Couples, no children
2,178
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare dominates employment at 26% of the local workforce (248 workers), a rate well above the national industry share, followed by Education at 12.7% (121) and Construction at 10.6% (101). Public Admin and Professional/Tech round out the top five at 8.2% and 7.8% respectively. By occupation, Professionals (362) and Managers (233) are the largest groups, consistent with the university qualification rate of 39.1% that is 9 points above national. The unemployment rate is 3.4% and the participation rate is 58.4%, the latter below average because 753 residents are not in the labour force, reflecting the older age profile. Full-time workers account for 60.3% of employed residents, above the NSW average.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
60.3%
Part-time
36.3%
Participation
58.4%
Employed
1,210
Occupations
Top Industries
University
39.1%
Postgraduate
9.0%
Born Overseas
18.2%
Dwellings
971
Transport to Work
Car dependence is extreme at 91.1% of residents commuting by car, with only 0.9% using public transport and 1.6% walking or cycling, lower than almost any comparable coastal NSW suburb. This reflects the infrastructure reality of a suburb of 2,660 people spread across 7.83 km2 at a density of 339.6 per km2. No schools are recorded within the suburb boundary, so families rely on Coffs Harbour institutions nearby. The rent-to-income ratio of 23.1% and mortgage-to-income of 24.4% are both comfortably below stress thresholds, meaning housing costs are manageable for current residents at the 77.1st income percentile nationally. Only 3.8% of residents (96 people) need daily assistance, low for a suburb with a median age of 46.
Drive
91.1%
Public Transport
0.9%
Walk / Cycle
1.6%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Sapphire Beach compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sapphire Beach a good suburb to live in?
Sapphire Beach suits buyers seeking a quiet coastal setting with large homes: 84.7% of dwellings are separate houses and 58.6% have four or more bedrooms. Household income sits at the 77.1st percentile nationally and mortgage-to-income is a manageable 24.4%. The main trade-offs are extreme car dependence (91.1% commute by car) and no schools recorded within the suburb boundary.
What is the median house price in Sapphire Beach?
The median house price is $1,120,000, up 1.6% from $1,107,500 in 2024 to $1,125,000 in 2025. Weekly rent averages $475 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $2,174, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 24.4%, below the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Sapphire Beach?
No schools are recorded inside the Sapphire Beach boundary in this dataset. Families rely on schools in nearby Coffs Harbour. Locally, 39.1% of residents hold university qualifications, which is 9 percentage points above the national average, reflecting an educated resident base despite the absence of local schools.
Is Sapphire Beach safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Sapphire Beach in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, housing stress is low: rent-to-income sits at 23.1% and mortgage-to-income at 24.4%, both below stress thresholds. Only 3.8% of residents (96 people) need daily assistance, suggesting a generally stable and low-disadvantage community for its population of 2,660.
Is Sapphire Beach good for property investment?
The investment case is cautious. Weekly rent of $475 against a $1,120,000 median implies a gross yield near 2.2%, low by regional NSW standards. The 10.3% vacancy rate is high for a suburb with only 17.7% renters. Price growth was 1.6% over the past year. Long-term holders (73.6% stayed) keep stock scarce, which may underpin prices more than it drives growth.
How is Sapphire Beach's population changing?
The current population is 2,660 across 7.83 km2. The suburb's identity signals point to an aging resident base, with a median age of 46 that is 6 years above the national figure. Turnover is low at 26.4%, with 73.6% of residents remaining in place, consistent with a settled community rather than one experiencing rapid demographic change.
How much development is happening in Sapphire Beach?
There were 28 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, mostly alterations and additions to existing dwellings rather than new supply. Recent samples include dwelling house alterations (April 2026), structural additions (April 2026) and fence or retaining wall works. This pace is modest for a suburb of 2,660 people and reflects a stable, established residential area.
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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