Valla Beach
With a median age of 55, Valla Beach sits 15 years above the national figure, making it one of the more distinctly age-skewed coastal communities on the NSW Mid North Coast. The suburb's 1,455 residents are spread across just 3.33 square kilometres, and 57.7% own their homes outright, well above national rates, pointing to long-settled, debt-free owner-occupiers rather than a market driven by new buyers. Household income sits in the 16.9th percentile nationally, well below average, yet the median house price reached $875,000 in 2024 to 2025, a combination explained by retiree wealth rather than earned income.
Population
1,455
Median Age
55.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,084/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
20
Median House
$875K
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The median house price of $875,000 represents a 12.9% rise from $795,000 in 2024 to $897,500 in 2025, a faster pace than many regional NSW benchmarks. The stock is overwhelmingly detached at 92.6% separate houses, with apartments at only 0.9%, so buyers are competing almost entirely in a single-dwelling market. Three-bedroom homes account for 42.2% of dwellings, and 4-plus bedroom stock makes up a notable 31.2%, reflecting the family and lifestyle-home character of the area. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,600, but the mortgage-to-income ratio of 34.1% exceeds the standard 30% stress threshold, meaning buyers relying on current local incomes will feel stretched relative to state and national norms.
For Buyers
The median house price of $875,000 represents a 12.9% rise from $795,000 in 2024 to $897,500 in 2025, a faster pace than many regional NSW benchmarks. The stock is overwhelmingly detached at 92.6% separate houses, with apartments at only 0.9%, so buyers are competing almost entirely in a single-dwelling market. Three-bedroom homes account for 42.2% of dwellings, and 4-plus bedroom stock makes up a notable 31.2%, reflecting the family and lifestyle-home character of the area. Monthly mortgage repayments average $1,600, but the mortgage-to-income ratio of 34.1% exceeds the standard 30% stress threshold, meaning buyers relying on current local incomes will feel stretched relative to state and national norms.
For Investors
Rental demand is thin in Valla Beach. Only 17.1% of dwellings are rented, compared to the national average of around 30%, and the vacancy rate sits at 9.7%, well above the typical 3% level that signals a healthy rental market. Weekly rent of $400 is modest against the $875,000 median, implying a gross yield near 2.4%. Development activity is low at 19 applications in the past 12 months, almost all single dwellings or additions, so new supply is not a near-term risk. The rent-to-income ratio of 36.9% for current tenants signals that even at $400 per week, affordability is stretched because local incomes are below average nationally.
Development Activity
Total DAs
105
Last 12 Months
20
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-16.7%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Demographics
The median age of 55 is 15 years above the national figure, and the household composition reflects this: 44.3% of families are couples without children, compared to the national average of around 38%. Average household size is 2.1, which is 0.4 below national, consistent with an empty-nester and retiree profile. The overseas-born share is 14.4%, which is 7.2 percentage points below national, and ancestry is strongly Anglo-Celtic, led by English (701 residents), Irish (233) and Scottish (186). University qualifications reach 32.0%, which is 1.9 percentage points above the national figure, a slight edge that likely reflects the professional and semi-retired backgrounds of longer-term residents.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
92.6%
Houses
5.8%
Townhouse
0.9%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure in Valla Beach is unusually ownership-dominated. Outright owners account for 57.7% of households, a rate far above the national average, while mortgage holders are just 25.2% and renters 17.1%. This pattern points to an established community where most housing has been held for decades. Separate houses dominate at 92.6% of stock, with semi-detached at 5.8% and apartments at just 0.9%. Prices moved from $795,000 in 2024 to $897,500 in 2025, a 12.9% annual gain over the measured period. The mortgage-to-income ratio of 34.1% and rent-to-income ratio of 36.9% both exceed the 30% stress threshold, signalling that housing costs are high relative to local income levels.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,600
Rent / wk
$400
HH Size
2.1
Personal Income / wk
$597
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
9.7%
Unoccupied
68
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
36.9% stressed
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
34.1% stressed
Community Profile
Ancestry
Household Composition
44.3%
Couples, no children
1,066
Total families
Economy & Employment
Healthcare is the dominant industry at 27.7% of employed residents (112 workers), nearly double the share of the next sector, Education at 17.1%. Construction contributes 10.4% and Public Administration 10.1%, with Retail at 6.4%. By occupation, Professionals lead at 144 workers, followed by Community and Personal Service at 99 and Clerical and Admin at 72. The employment participation rate is 42.5%, well below the national rate of around 62%, because 598 residents are not in the labour force, consistent with the high median age of 55. The unemployment rate is 4.1%, close to national levels, but the full-time employment rate of 51.9% is moderate, reflecting the prevalence of part-time and flexible arrangements among older workers.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
51.9%
Part-time
44.0%
Participation
42.5%
Employed
511
Occupations
Top Industries
University
32.0%
Postgraduate
6.5%
Born Overseas
14.4%
Dwellings
636
Transport to Work
Car dependency is extreme: 88.8% of residents drive to work, while only 0.8% use public transport and 2.8% walk or cycle. This reflects the suburban coastal layout and the absence of frequent transit infrastructure in the 2448 postcode area. No schools are recorded inside the Valla Beach boundary, so families access education in nearby Nambucca Heads or Macksville. Crime statistics are not available in the dataset for this suburb. Volunteering is high at 20.9%, above the national average, which aligns with the older, established community profile. About 6.4% of residents (88 people) need daily assistance, slightly above national norms, a figure that will likely grow as the median age of 55 continues to increase.
Drive
88.8%
Public Transport
0.8%
Walk / Cycle
2.8%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Valla Beach compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Valla Beach a good suburb to live in?
Valla Beach suits retirees and owner-occupiers well. With 57.7% of households owning outright, a median age of 55 (15 years above national), and a strong volunteering rate of 20.9%, it is a settled, low-turnover community. The trade-offs are limited public transport (0.8% usage), no recorded schools inside the boundary, and household income in the 16.9th percentile nationally.
What is the median house price in Valla Beach?
The median house price was $875,000 in the 2024 to 2025 period, up 12.9% from $795,000 in 2024. Weekly rent averages $400 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,600, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 34.1%, above the 30% stress threshold.
What schools are in Valla Beach?
No schools are recorded inside the Valla Beach suburb boundary in this dataset. Families typically access schools in nearby Nambucca Heads or Macksville. The suburb's university qualification rate is 32.0%, which is 1.9 points above the national figure, despite the lack of local educational infrastructure.
Is Valla Beach safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Valla Beach in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the suburb has a volunteering rate of 20.9% and only 6.4% of its 1,455 residents need daily assistance, both consistent with an older, stable, low-disadvantage community. The turnover rate is 23.8%, meaning most residents (76.2%) have lived here for at least 5 years.
Is Valla Beach good for property investment?
The investment case is cautious. A 9.7% vacancy rate is well above the 3% benchmark for healthy rental demand, the renter share of 17.1% is below the national average of around 30%, and weekly rent of $400 implies a gross yield near 2.4% against an $875,000 median. The 12.9% price gain from 2024 to 2025 is a positive signal, but it covers only one year of data.
How is Valla Beach's population changing?
Population growth data is limited for Valla Beach. The current count is 1,455 residents across 3.33 square kilometres. The median age of 55 is 15 years above national, and 44.3% of families are couples without children, suggesting the demographic profile is aging. The 23.8% residential turnover over five years indicates modest churn relative to more transient coastal areas.
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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