Shelly Beach
A median house price of $1,560,000 on a 1.16 square kilometre coastal strip tells the Shelly Beach story concisely: this is premium Central Coast real estate in a compact setting. With only 1,313 residents, it is one of the smaller suburbs in its postcode, yet household incomes sit in the 56.9th percentile nationally, a figure that understates wealth because 49.8% of homes are owned outright, the highest ownership tier. The median age of 47 is 7.0 years above the national figure, pointing to an established, post-child-raising cohort. At 84.3% separate houses, dwelling stock is almost exclusively detached, and the vacancy rate of 8.7% reflects a mix of permanent residents and holiday occupiers common to coastal NSW.
Population
1,313
Median Age
47.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,646/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
30
Median House
$1.6M
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The median house price of $1,560,000 places Shelly Beach well above most NSW coastal suburbs, and prices moved from $1,493,750 in 2024 to $1,600,000 in 2025, a 7.1% gain in one year. Separate houses account for 84.3% of dwellings and semi-detached homes 12.2%, so apartment buyers will find almost nothing on the market here. The bedroom profile skews large: 46.0% of homes have 4 or more bedrooms and 42.4% have 3, meaning smaller 2-bedroom stock at 8.5% is scarce. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,200, and the mortgage-to-income ratio at 30.9% sits just above the 30% stress threshold. Outright owners at 49.8% outnumber mortgage holders at 34.1%, a clear signal that most of this housing wealth is debt-free and held by long-standing residents rather than recent entrants.
For Buyers
The median house price of $1,560,000 places Shelly Beach well above most NSW coastal suburbs, and prices moved from $1,493,750 in 2024 to $1,600,000 in 2025, a 7.1% gain in one year. Separate houses account for 84.3% of dwellings and semi-detached homes 12.2%, so apartment buyers will find almost nothing on the market here. The bedroom profile skews large: 46.0% of homes have 4 or more bedrooms and 42.4% have 3, meaning smaller 2-bedroom stock at 8.5% is scarce. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,200, and the mortgage-to-income ratio at 30.9% sits just above the 30% stress threshold. Outright owners at 49.8% outnumber mortgage holders at 34.1%, a clear signal that most of this housing wealth is debt-free and held by long-standing residents rather than recent entrants.
For Investors
Rental demand is thin relative to the premium price point: only 16.1% of dwellings are rented, well below the national average, and weekly rent sits at $423. Against the $1,560,000 median, that implies a gross yield of roughly 1.4%, which is low even compared to other coastal NSW markets. The vacancy rate of 8.7% is notably elevated, suggesting a segment of dwellings used as holiday homes or investment properties sitting empty between lettings. On the positive side, 29 development applications were lodged in the past 12 months, including new dwellings and secondary dwelling approvals, indicating ongoing landowner investment. Price growth of 7.1% in the most recent year-on-year period is the main investment draw, with capital appreciation rather than yield driving returns.
Development Activity
Total DAs
112
Last 12 Months
30
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
+50.0%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Shelly Beach iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School
K-6 · 606 students
Demographics
The median age of 47 runs 7.0 years above the national figure, placing Shelly Beach firmly among older coastal communities. Overseas-born residents account for just 10.0% of the population, which is 11.6 percentage points below the national average, and ancestry is strongly Anglo-Celtic: English (546), Irish (210) and Scottish (122) lead all categories. University qualifications reach 23.0% of residents, which is 7.1 percentage points below the national rate, consistent with a trades and services workforce rather than a knowledge-economy one. Average household size of 2.5 matches the national figure. Couples with children (383 families) outnumber couples without children (341), and the volunteering rate of 14.3% indicates an engaged community despite the older age profile. Mobility is low: 81.4% of residents stayed in the same address over the prior year.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
84.3%
Houses
12.2%
Townhouse
N/A
Apartment
Tenure
Ownership concentration is the defining housing characteristic: 49.8% of dwellings are owned outright and 34.1% carry a mortgage, leaving renters at only 16.1%, far lower than the state average. This unusually high outright ownership rate reflects long-held coastal properties acquired before the current price cycle. The median house price rose from $1,493,750 in 2024 to $1,600,000 in 2025, a 7.1% gain, reaching the current cycle peak. Stock is overwhelmingly detached houses at 84.3%, with semi-detached at 12.2% rounding out supply. Four-plus bedroom homes make up 46.0% of dwellings and three-bedroom homes 42.4%, so the suburb skews toward family-sized properties. Monthly mortgage repayments of $2,200 produce a mortgage-to-income ratio of 30.9%, just above the stress threshold, even for households at the 56.9th income percentile nationally.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$2,200
Rent / wk
$423
HH Size
2.5
Personal Income / wk
$801
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
8.7%
Unoccupied
47
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.7%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
30.9% stressed
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
33.2%
Couples, no children
1,028
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the largest employment sector at 16.7% (68 workers), followed closely by Construction at 15.7% (64) and Education at 14.0% (57), with Professional and Technical services at 8.1% and Public Administration at 7.6%. By occupation, Professionals lead (123 workers), followed by Clerical and Administrative staff (84) and Managers (81), a mix that reflects the suburb's position as a residential base for Central Coast service workers. The unemployment rate of 3.6% is low and the full-time employment rate stands at 58.5%, though the participation rate of 49.3% is below national norms because 409 residents are not in the labour force, consistent with the older age profile and high share of retirees. Weekly personal income of $801 and household income in the 56.9th percentile nationally support comfortable living costs at current rent levels.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
58.5%
Part-time
37.9%
Participation
49.3%
Employed
528
Occupations
Top Industries
University
23.0%
Postgraduate
4.2%
Born Overseas
10.0%
Dwellings
492
Transport to Work
Car dependence is near-total: 91.2% of residents drive to work, which is well above the national average, and only 1.2% use public transport, reflecting the coastal location and limited Central Coast rail connections to this precinct. Walkers and cyclists account for 2.7% of commuters, a modest but non-trivial share for a beachside suburb. No schools are recorded within the Shelly Beach boundary, so families rely on institutions in adjacent suburbs such as The Entrance or Bateau Bay. Crime statistics are not available at the suburb level in this dataset, though the high outright ownership rate and low renter share at 16.1% are characteristics typically associated with stable, low-turnover residential areas. The mortgage stress rate of 30.9% is the main affordability pressure, but rent-to-income at 25.7% stays below the 30% stress threshold, leaving tenants in a more comfortable position than buyers.
Drive
91.2%
Public Transport
1.2%
Walk / Cycle
2.7%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Shelly Beach compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Shelly Beach a good suburb to live in?
Shelly Beach suits buyers who value a coastal location with predominantly detached housing. Household incomes sit in the 56.9th percentile nationally, 49.8% of homes are owned outright, and the low renter share of 16.1% means a settled, stable residential feel. The main limitation is near-total car dependence, with only 1.2% of residents using public transport.
What is the median house price in Shelly Beach?
The median house price is $1,560,000, up 7.1% from $1,493,750 in 2024 to $1,600,000 in 2025. Monthly mortgage repayments average $2,200, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 30.9%. Weekly rent averages $423.
What schools are in Shelly Beach?
No schools are recorded within the Shelly Beach suburb boundary in this dataset. The suburb is small at 1.16 square kilometres, so families access schools in neighbouring suburbs such as The Entrance or Bateau Bay. University-educated residents account for 23.0% of the population, which is 7.1 percentage points below the national average.
Is Shelly Beach safe?
Suburb-level crime statistics are not available for Shelly Beach in this dataset. As a proxy, 49.8% of dwellings are owned outright, the renter share is just 16.1% well below the state average, and 81.4% of residents stayed at the same address year-on-year, all characteristics of a low-turnover, stable residential area.
Is Shelly Beach good for property investment?
Prices rose 7.1% year-on-year to $1,560,000, which is the main investment draw. However, only 16.1% of dwellings are rented and the vacancy rate is 8.7%, pointing to thin rental demand. Weekly rent of $423 against a $1,560,000 median implies a gross yield near 1.4%, so returns depend on capital growth rather than income.
How is Shelly Beach's population changing?
The current population is 1,313 in a 1.16 square kilometre area, giving a density of 1,129.6 residents per square kilometre. Resident stability is high: 81.4% did not change address in the prior year, a turnover rate of 18.6%. The median age of 47 is 7.0 years above the national figure, reflecting an aging coastal demographic.
How much development is happening in Shelly Beach?
There were 29 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, including new dwelling houses and secondary dwelling approvals. For a suburb of only 1,313 residents and 1.16 square kilometres, this is a meaningful level of activity, pointing to infill development and renovation of existing stock rather than greenfield expansion.
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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