Yowie Bay
Households in Yowie Bay sit at the 97th percentile for household income, a striking signal in a compact 1.2 sq km suburb of 3,053 people. The median age is 46, six years above the national figure, and 86.2% of dwellings are separate houses. Ownership is strong, with 48.4% owned outright and 40.1% under mortgage, supporting a settled, established-wealth profile. Compared with denser Miranda, Yowie Bay is more detached and residential, while its 44.9% work-from-home share helps explain why local travel is less transit-led. The mix suits households seeking larger homes and stability more than apartment-oriented downsizers.
Local council: Sutherland
Population
3,053
Median Age
46.0
Household IncomeiMedian weekly household income (ABS Census)
$2,959/wk
DAs (12 months)iDevelopment Applications lodged in the past year
38
Yowie Bay is geared towards buyers seeking family-scale housing, but the detached format can narrow affordability options. Mortgage repayments are $3,200 a month, representing 25.0% of household income, while the weekly rent is $750. Separate houses account for 86.2% of dwellings, with 59.6% containing 4 or more bedrooms and 31.2% containing 3 bedrooms. Only 7.5% are apartments and 6.3% are semi-detached homes. Compared with apartment-led suburbs, this layout provides more space but fewer lower-cost entry points. The 48.4% outright ownership share also indicates substantial long-term holding, while 40.1% mortgage ownership points to continuing owner demand. Check recent settled sales and exact site constraints before committing to a purchase.
For Buyers
Yowie Bay is geared towards buyers seeking family-scale housing, but the detached format can narrow affordability options. Mortgage repayments are $3,200 a month, representing 25.0% of household income, while the weekly rent is $750. Separate houses account for 86.2% of dwellings, with 59.6% containing 4 or more bedrooms and 31.2% containing 3 bedrooms. Only 7.5% are apartments and 6.3% are semi-detached homes. Compared with apartment-led suburbs, this layout provides more space but fewer lower-cost entry points. The 48.4% outright ownership share also indicates substantial long-term holding, while 40.1% mortgage ownership points to continuing owner demand. Check recent settled sales and exact site constraints before committing to a purchase.
For Investors
Yowie Bay presents as a lower-rental-share market with limited vacancy, so investors are likely competing for a smaller pool of available properties. Only 7.7% of households rent, the vacancy rate is 3.2%, and weekly rent is $750. Compared with higher-rental-share suburbs, the owner-occupier base may support steadier presentation and tenant demand, although it can also reduce the depth of the rental market. Rent growth of 28.9% indicates strong recent pricing momentum, while annual growth is forecast at 1.32% with Balanced migration. Forty-two development applications were recorded over 12 months, including a dual occupancy proposal for 2 dwellings and a new jetty. Investors should allow for detached-house maintenance and assess whether the yield compensates for the higher acquisition cost typical of family housing.
Development Activity
Total DAs
241
Last 12 Months
38
YoY ChangeiYear-over-year change in DA lodgements
-32.1%
Avg DA CostiAverage estimated cost per DA in the past year
N/A
Monthly DA Lodgements
DA Categories
Schools in Yowie Bay
Open-register school locations for education access. This is not a school-quality ranking.
Demographics
Yowie Bay has an older and more settled population profile than the national average. The median age is 46, six years above the national figure, while 41.2% of residents have university qualifications, 11.1 percentage points above the national level. Overseas-born residents account for 15.0%, 6.6 points below the national share, and average household size is 2.9, or 0.4 above the national figure. Couples with children represent 55.2% of families, compared with 35.3% for couples without children and 9.5% for one-parent families. English, Irish and Scottish ancestries are prominent, with counts of 1,216, 418 and 364. Christianity has 1,949 adherents and no religion 957. With 86.7% of residents staying at the same address, turnover is lower than in more mobile suburbs.
Age Distribution
Bedrooms
Dwelling Structure
86.2%
Houses
6.3%
Townhouse
7.5%
Apartment
Tenure
Yowie Bay is dominated by established detached housing rather than compact apartment stock. Separate houses make up 86.2% of dwellings, compared with 7.5% apartments and 6.3% semi-detached homes. The bedroom profile is similarly family-oriented: 59.6% have 4 or more bedrooms, 31.2% have 3, and 7.7% have 2. Tenure is weighted towards owners, with 48.4% owned outright and 40.1% mortgaged, while only 7.7% are rented and 3.8% fall into other tenure categories. Compared with apartment-heavy areas, this creates a more spacious but less flexible housing market. Rent-to-income is 25.3% and mortgage-to-income is 25.0%, with neither stress flag triggered. A 3.2% vacancy rate reinforces the suburb's tightly held character.
Mortgage / mo
$3,200
Rent / wkiMedian weekly rent for new bonds (April to June 2026), NSW Rental Bond Board (DCJ). Census 2021 median: $750.
$780
Bond data Jun 2026 · houses $915 · units $720
HH Size
2.9
Personal Income / wk
$1,085
Vacancy Ratei% of dwellings unoccupied on Census night (ABS 2021)
3.2%
Unoccupied
35
Rent / IncomeiMedian rent as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.3%
Mortgage / IncomeiMedian mortgage as % of household income. Over 30% = housing stress
25.0%
Community Profile
Languages Spoken at Home
Ancestry
Household Composition
55.2%
Couples with children
35.3%
Couples, no children
9.5%
Single parent
893
Total families
Economy & Employment
Yowie Bay combines high household earnings with a professional and service-based employment base. Household income is $2,959 a week at the 97th percentile, while the leading industries are healthcare at 13.8%, construction at 12.7%, education at 12.6%, professional and technical services at 11.3%, and transport at 6.6%. Professionals number 429 and managers 323, followed by clerical and administrative workers at 232. Unemployment is 3.0%, participation is 62.9%, and 53.2% of workers are employed full time. Compared with the national middle, the suburb's income position is notably higher, although SEIFA education and occupation, economic resources, and disadvantage scores all sit at decile 7. IRSAD reaches decile 8, a one-decile lift that fits the suburb's strong household income and owner-occupied housing base.
Unemployment
3.0%
Labour Force
1,590
Unemployed
48
Source: ABS Census 2021
Socio-Economic Indexes (SEIFA)iABS index ranking suburbs from 1 (most disadvantaged) to 10 (most advantaged)
Full-time
53.2%
Part-time
33.5%
Participation
62.9%
Employed
1,542
Full-time and part-time are shares of the employed. Source: ABS Census 2021
Occupations
Top Industries
University
41.2%
Postgraduate
8.2%
Born Overseas
15.0%
Dwellings
1,043
Transport to Work
Yowie Bay offers a compact, low-transit lifestyle with one local government primary school, Yowie Bay Public School. Families should check enrolment zones against the exact address and compare secondary-school access across nearby suburbs. Travel patterns are strongly car oriented: 49.1% drive to work, compared with 1.0% using public transport and 1.2% walking or cycling, while 44.9% work from home. That mix can suit households with flexible work arrangements but makes daily car access more important than in better-connected locations. The suburb covers 1.2 sq km at a density of 2,534.7 people per sq km. IRSAD is in decile 8, above the national midpoint, while IEO, IER and IRSD are each decile 7. Those results indicate generally favourable conditions, but exact street-level safety and amenity should still be checked before buying.
Drive
49.1%
Public Transport
1.0%
Walk / Cycle
1.2%
Work from Home
44.9%
Growth Outlook
Yowie Bay's growth profile is established but not static. The annual trend is 1.32%, with Balanced migration rather than a single dominant source of new demand. Population change across the wider area is 17.6% over 10 years. The shift trajectory is Mixed: rents have grown 28.9%, the senior share has increased 1.5 percentage points, the young share has fallen 0.6 points, and real incomes have grown 18.2%. The gentrification score is 58 and the stage is Active, suggesting that renovation, replacement housing and rising household capacity may continue to reshape parts of the suburb. Compared with a flat market, 1.32% annual growth provides a positive base, but the ageing trajectory means future demand is likely to remain centred on established households and adaptable family homes.
Population trend: Sutherland council area
Yowie Bay sits in the Sutherland council area. These are the council area's residents, not Yowie Bay's.
Residents 2025
241,327
Growth, 5 yr average
+0.9%/yr
2020 to 2025
Growth, last year
+1.1%
2024 to 2025
ABS Estimated Resident Population by LGA, 30 June each year; council area, not this suburb
National Ranking iPercentile rank among ~15,000 AU suburbs. 90% = higher than 90% of suburbs
How Yowie Bay compares to ~15,000 Australian suburbs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Yowie Bay a good suburb to live in?
Yowie Bay can suit households wanting detached homes, established neighbours and high incomes. The median age is 46, 86.2% of dwellings are separate houses, and 44.9% of residents work from home. Compared with more transit-oriented suburbs, daily life is more car dependent, with 49.1% driving and only 1.0% using public transport.
What is the median house price in Yowie Bay?
Use recent settled sales for the current median rather than infer one from the housing mix. Yowie Bay has 86.2% separate houses and 59.6% with 4 or more bedrooms, so the result can differ from smaller-home suburbs. As affordability checks, weekly rent is $750 and mortgage repayments are $3,200 a month, equal to 25.0% of household income.
What schools are in Yowie Bay?
Yowie Bay Public School is the named local government primary school. Families should compare enrolment zones, year-level coverage and travel times with nearby schools because one local primary school does not cover every education stage. The suburb's 44.9% work-from-home rate may help some households manage school travel, while 49.1% car use supports access beyond the immediate area.
Is Yowie Bay safe?
A safety decision should rely on recent incidents and the exact street rather than demographic indicators alone. Yowie Bay has a median age of 46 and a density of 2,534.7 people per sq km, but those figures do not prove safety. Compare current local information with nearby streets, especially when assessing evening access, waterfront areas and routes used by children.
Is Yowie Bay good for property investment?
Yowie Bay may suit investors targeting established detached housing, but the rental pool is smaller than in high-rental-share suburbs. Only 7.7% of households rent, vacancy is 3.2%, and weekly rent is $750. Annual growth is forecast at 1.32%, rent growth is 28.9%, and 42 development applications were recorded over 12 months, so returns should be tested against purchase cost and maintenance.
How is Yowie Bay's population changing?
Growth is positive but mixed rather than strongly youth-led. The annual trend is 1.32%, migration is Balanced, and population change across the wider area is 17.6% over 10 years. The senior share has risen 1.5 percentage points while the young share has fallen 0.6 points. Compared with faster-changing areas, demand is more likely to favour established households and adaptable family housing.
What development is occurring in Yowie Bay?
There were 42 development applications over the past 12 months, indicating more activity than a completely static suburb. Examples include a dual occupancy proposal for 2 dwellings, a new jetty and alterations to an existing dwelling. Compared with a large apartment redevelopment market, the visible activity is more focused on individual homes, additions and small-scale intensification.
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).
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