Yamba
A median age of 57 sets the tone here, fully 17 years above the national figure and the single most defining trait of this coastal town. The retiree skew flows into everything else: participation in the labour force sits at just 38.6% because 2,872 residents are outside it, and couples without children make up 46.9% of the 4,592 families. Housing is overwhelmingly detached at 75.5%, with apartments only 5.8%, yet the recorded vacancy rate runs high at 23.6%, consistent with a market of holiday homes and seasonal lets rather than permanent rentals. The median house price of $820,000 sits well above what the 17.8th-percentile household income would normally support, a gap that explains why both rent and mortgage stress flags are triggered.
Population
6,405
Median Age
57.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$1,106/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
125
Median House
$820K
2024-2025 (PSI derived)
The $820,000 median rose 3.6% over the year from $801,494 in 2024 to $830,000 in 2025, modest growth that keeps entry costs steep relative to local pay. Buyers face a detached-house market: 75.5% of dwellings are separate houses and just 5.8% are apartments, so options for a smaller footprint are scarce. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 49.7%, with two-bedroom and four-plus each at 23.8%. The strain shows in the numbers: monthly mortgage repayments average $1,630, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 34.0%, above the 30% stress threshold, because household income sits in only the 17.8th percentile nationally. The upside for owner-occupiers is stability, since 53.1% of residents own outright, well above the share carrying a mortgage at 18.7%.
For Buyers
The $820,000 median rose 3.6% over the year from $801,494 in 2024 to $830,000 in 2025, modest growth that keeps entry costs steep relative to local pay. Buyers face a detached-house market: 75.5% of dwellings are separate houses and just 5.8% are apartments, so options for a smaller footprint are scarce. Three-bedroom homes dominate at 49.7%, with two-bedroom and four-plus each at 23.8%. The strain shows in the numbers: monthly mortgage repayments average $1,630, producing a mortgage-to-income ratio of 34.0%, above the 30% stress threshold, because household income sits in only the 17.8th percentile nationally. The upside for owner-occupiers is stability, since 53.1% of residents own outright, well above the share carrying a mortgage at 18.7%.
For Investors
Renters make up 28.2% of households and weekly rent averages $400, but the investment case is unusual. Against the $820,000 median, that rent implies a gross yield near 2.5%, low and squeezed further by a 23.6% vacancy rate that signals a market dominated by holiday homes rather than year-round tenants. Rent-to-income at 36.2% already trips the stress threshold, capping how far rents can climb against a 17.8th-percentile income base. Development is active at 115 applications in 12 months, including dual occupancy and new dwellings, which adds future supply. With apartments at only 5.8% of stock, the typical buy is a detached house, so investors are exposed to a thin, seasonal rental pool more than the steady yield a lower-vacancy market would offer.
Development Activity
Total DAs
753
Last 12 Months
125
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
Schools in Yamba iICSEA: school advantage index. 1000 = national avg, higher = more advantaged
St James' Primary School
K-6 · 182 students
Yamba Public School
K-6 · 295 students
Demographics
The median age of 57 runs 17.0 years above national, the clearest marker of a retirement-weighted population, and average household size of 2.1 sits 0.4 below the national figure, consistent with older couples and singles. University qualifications reach 24.3%, which is 5.8 points below national, reflecting a workforce built on trades and services rather than knowledge sectors. The town is markedly Anglo: only 13.2% were born overseas, 8.4 points below national, and ancestry is led by English (2,896), Irish (878) and Scottish (843), with German the largest non-English language at just 14 speakers. Couples without children account for 46.9% of families, well above couples with children, and 8.7% of residents (523 people) need daily assistance, a rate that tracks the older age profile.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
75.5%
Houses
17.1%
Townhouse
5.8%
Apartment
Tenure
Tenure is owner-heavy: 53.1% own outright, 18.7% carry a mortgage and 28.2% rent. Outright owners outnumbering mortgage holders nearly three to one points to a settled, retirement-stage population rather than a churn of recent buyers. The stock is 75.5% separate houses with apartments at only 5.8% and semi-detached at 17.1%, so density is low at 379.3 residents per km2 across the 16.89 km2 footprint. Three-bedroom homes lead at 49.7%. The median rose from $801,494 to $830,000 across 2024-2025, a 3.6% one-year move. Both stress flags fire: mortgage-to-income at 34.0% and rent-to-income at 36.2% both exceed the 30% threshold, because prices and rents are pitched well above the 17.8th-percentile household income that locals actually earn.
Median House Price Trend
Source: State Valuer-General
Mortgage / mo
$1,630
Rent / wk
$400
HH Size
2.1
Personal Income / wk
$602
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
23.6%
Unoccupied
860
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
36.2% stressed
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
34.0% stressed
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
46.9%
Couples, no children
4,592
Total families
Economy & Employment
Employment leans on Healthcare at 18.9% (280 workers), Education at 12.1% (180) and Hospitality at 11.5% (171), with Construction at 9.5% and Public Admin at 9.2%, a service-and-care mix typical of a coastal town with an older resident base. By occupation, Professionals lead at 437, followed by Community and Personal service workers at 322 and Managers at 295. Unemployment is low at 4.0%, yet participation reads just 38.6%, far below the national norm, because 2,872 residents are retired and out of the labour force. SEIFA places the town in the lower-middle tiers: decile 3 on IRSAD, IRSD and IEO, with IER slightly higher at decile 4. The IER edge above the other indexes reflects the 53.1% outright-ownership rate, which lifts measured economic resources even where incomes are modest.
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
53.9%
Part-time
42.1%
Participation
38.6%
Employed
2,067
Occupations
Top Industries
University
24.3%
Postgraduate
4.7%
Born Overseas
13.2%
Dwellings
2,770
Transport to Work
Daily life is car-shaped: 82.3% drive to work and public transport carries only 0.4%, well below city levels, though 11.4% walk or cycle in the compact coastal centre. No schools are recorded inside the 16.89 km2 boundary in this dataset, so families rely on institutions in neighbouring towns, a common trade-off for a small coastal community. SEIFA reads decile 3 on IRSAD and IRSD, the lower-middle band nationally, which reflects modest incomes more than hardship given the 53.1% outright-ownership rate. Volunteering runs at 18.8%, a healthy civic signal, while 8.7% of residents (523 people) need daily assistance, a figure that sits above what a younger town would show and matches the median age of 57.
Drive
82.3%
Public Transport
0.4%
Walk / Cycle
11.4%
Work from Home
N/A
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Yamba compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Yamba a good suburb to live in?
Yamba suits older and lifestyle buyers: the median age is 57, which is 17 years above national, and 53.1% of residents own their homes outright. SEIFA reads decile 3 on IRSAD, the lower-middle band, reflecting modest incomes rather than hardship. The trade-offs are a $820,000 median price and heavy reliance on cars, with 82.3% driving to work.
What is the median house price in Yamba?
The median house price is $820,000, up 3.6% over the year from $801,494 in 2024 to $830,000 in 2025. Weekly rent averages $400 and monthly mortgage repayments run about $1,630, giving a mortgage-to-income ratio of 34.0%, above the 30% stress threshold for the area's modest incomes.
What schools are in Yamba?
No schools are recorded inside the 16.89 km2 Yamba boundary in this dataset, so families rely on schools in neighbouring towns. The resident base skews older, with a median age of 57, 17 years above national, and couples without children make up 46.9% of the 4,592 local families.
Is Yamba safe?
Detailed crime statistics are not available for Yamba in this dataset. As an indirect indicator, the town scores decile 3 on the IRSD index of relative disadvantage, the lower-middle tier, while 18.8% of residents volunteer, a civic-engagement signal that typically tracks with stable, settled communities.
Is Yamba good for property investment?
Rent of $400 a week against a $820,000 median gives a gross yield near 2.5%, low, and the 23.6% vacancy rate signals a holiday-home market rather than steady tenants. Rent-to-income at 36.2% already exceeds the stress threshold, so returns lean on capital growth more than yield in a thin, seasonal rental pool.
How is Yamba's population changing?
The population is 6,405 with a median age of 57, fully 17 years above the national figure, pointing to a retirement-weighted town. Labour-force participation sits at just 38.6% because 2,872 residents are outside it, and couples without children make up 46.9% of families, both consistent with an aging resident base.
How much development is happening in Yamba?
There were 115 development applications lodged in the past 12 months, a steady level for a town of 6,405. Most are single dwellings, dual occupancies and pools rather than large projects, consistent with incremental infill in a detached-dominant market where 75.5% of dwellings are separate houses.
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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