Byron Bay

Population growth drivers in Byron Bay are strong compared to national averages based on AreaSearch's ranking of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Byron Bay's population, as of November 2025, is approximately 11,379. This figure reflects an increase since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 10,914 people. The estimated resident population in June 2024 was 11,228, with an additional 260 validated new addresses recorded since the Census date. This results in a population density ratio of 286 persons per square kilometer. Byron Bay's growth rate of 4.3% since the 2021 census exceeded that of its SA4 region at 3.3%. Overseas migration contributed approximately 91.7% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a base year of 2022. For areas not covered by this data, NSW State Government's SA2 level projections are used, released in 2022 with a base year of 2021. Growth rates by age group from these aggregations are applied to all areas for years 2032 to 2041. According to demographic trends, Byron Bay is expected to increase its population by approximately 1,144 persons by the year 2041, reflecting an overall gain of about 8.7% over the 17-year period.

AreaSearch assessment of residential approval activity sees Byron Bay among the top 30% of areas assessed nationwide

Byron Bay granted around 75 residential properties approval annually. Over the past five financial years, from FY21 to FY25375 homes were approved, with a further 41 approved in FY26 so far. On average, 1.3 new residents arrived per new home each year over these five years, indicating balance between supply and demand.

The average construction value of new properties was $850,000, suggesting focus on premium developments. This financial year saw $54.9 million in commercial development approvals, reflecting strong local business investment. Compared to the rest of NSW, Byron Bay had 15.0% more development per person over this period, providing varied buyer options while maintaining demand.

Recent construction comprised 52.0% detached dwellings and 48.0% attached dwellings, offering a mix of medium-density housing options across price brackets. The location has approximately 138 people per dwelling approval, indicating low density market conditions. By 2041, Byron Bay is projected to add 989 residents (AreaSearch Q2 estimate), with current construction levels likely meeting demand and creating favourable buying conditions.

Byron Bay has strong levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 30% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified a total of 26 projects likely to impact the area. Notable projects include Byron Bay Drainage Upgrade, Bohemian Byron Bay, MARE Apartments, and 9-15 Clifford Street Development. The following list details those most relevant.

Professional plan users can use the search below to filter and access additional projects.

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AreaSearch assessment positions Byron Bay ahead of most Australian regions for employment performance

Byron Bay has a highly educated workforce with prominent tourism and hospitality sectors. As of September 2025, its unemployment rate is 2.7%.

The local unemployment rate is 1.2% below the Rest of NSW's rate of 3.8%, while workforce participation stands at 61.1%, slightly higher than the regional average of 56.4%. Key employment industries include accommodation & food, health care & social assistance, and professional & technical services. Notably, accommodation & food services have an employment level 2.8 times the regional average, but public administration & safety is under-represented at 2.3% compared to Rest of NSW's 7.5%. The worker-to-resident ratio as of the Census indicates a higher than normal level of local employment opportunities.

Between September 2024 and September 2025, labour force levels decreased by 2.4%, with employment decreasing by 2.0%, causing unemployment to fall by 0.3 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of NSW saw an employment decline of 0.5% and a labour force decline of 0.1%, with unemployment rising by 0.4 percentage points. State-level data from 25-Nov-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.03% (losing 2,260 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 3.9%. Nationally, the unemployment rate is 4.3%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May-25 project overall employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, but growth rates vary significantly by industry sector. Applying these projections to Byron Bay's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by approximately 6.7% over five years and 13.7% over ten years.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows that Byron Bay SA2 has extremely high incomes nationally. The median assessed income is $40,571 and the average income stands at $84,268. This contrasts with Rest of NSW's figures of a median income of $49,459 and an average income of $62,998. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 12.61% since financial year 2022, current estimates would be approximately $45,687 (median) and $94,894 (average) as of September 2025. Census 2021 income data shows that household, family and personal incomes in Byron Bay cluster around the 53rd percentile nationally. Looking at income distribution, the predominant cohort spans 30.6% of locals (3,481 people) with incomes between $1,500 - 2,999, reflecting patterns seen in the broader area where 29.9% similarly occupy this range. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 78.6% of income remaining after housing costs, ranking at the 44th percentile nationally. The area's SEIFA income ranking places it in the 7th decile.

Byron Bay displays a diverse mix of dwelling types, with a higher proportion of rental properties than the broader region

Byron Bay's dwelling structures, as per the latest Census, were 62.3% houses and 37.7% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings), contrasting with Non-Metro NSW's 75.1% houses and 24.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Byron Bay stood at 36.3%, with mortgaged dwellings at 25.6% and rented ones at 38.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,340, exceeding Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,980. Median weekly rent in Byron Bay was $620, higher than Non-Metro NSW's $450. Nationally, Byron Bay's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $2,340 compared to the Australian average of $1,863, while rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Byron Bay features high concentrations of group households, with a fairly typical median household size

Family households account for 58.4 percent of all households, including 21.4 percent couples with children, 26.7 percent couples without children, and 9.5 percent single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 41.6 percent, with lone person households at 29.1 percent and group households comprising 12.5 percent of the total. The median household size is 2.4 people, which matches the average for the Rest of NSW.

Byron Bay shows strong educational performance, ranking in the upper quartile nationally when assessed across multiple qualification and achievement indicators

Byron Bay has a higher level of educational attainment than broader benchmarks. Specifically, 40.1% of residents aged 15 and above have university qualifications, compared to 21.3% in the rest of NSW and 24.3% in the SA4 region. The area's high proportion of residents with bachelor degrees (29.4%), postgraduate qualifications (8.1%), and graduate diplomas (2.6%) contributes to this advantage. Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 32.9% of residents aged 15 and above holding such qualifications, including advanced diplomas (13.3%) and certificates (19.6%).

Educational participation is notably high in Byron Bay, with 28.4% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 8.8% in primary education, 6.3% in secondary education, and 4.4% pursuing tertiary education.

Transport servicing is low compared to other areas nationally based on assessment of service frequency, route connectivity and accessibility

Byron Bay has 85 active public transport stops, offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 46 individual routes, collectively providing 741 weekly passenger trips. Transport accessibility is rated as good, with residents located an average of 234 meters from the nearest stop.

Service frequency averages 105 trips per day across all routes, equating to approximately 8 weekly trips per stop.

Byron Bay's residents boast exceedingly positive health performance metrics with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups

Byron Bay shows excellent health outcomes with low prevalence of common conditions across all ages. The private health cover rate stands at about 62%, covering 7,100 people, compared to 52.3% in Rest of NSW and a national average of 55.3%. Mental health issues affect 7.1% and arthritis impacts 6.2% of residents.

About 75.6% report no medical ailments, higher than the 68.0% in Rest of NSW. The area has 17.3% seniors (1,968 people), lower than the 23.6% in Rest of NSW. Seniors' health outcomes are particularly strong, outperforming the general population.

The level of cultural diversity witnessed in Byron Bay was found to be above average when compared nationally for a number of language and cultural background related metrics

Byron Bay, surveyed in the year 2016, had a higher level of cultural diversity than most local markets, with 15.1% of its residents speaking a language other than English at home and 30.4% born overseas. Christianity was the predominant religion in Byron Bay as of 2016, comprising 28.4% of the population. Notably, Judaism was overrepresented compared to the rest of NSW, making up 1.1% of Byron Bay's population versus 0.6%.

In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were English at 29.2%, Australian at 20.3%, and Irish at 11.0%. Some ethnic groups showed notable differences: French was overrepresented at 1.8% compared to the regional average of 0.9%, Spanish at 1.6% versus 0.5%, and Russian at 0.5% compared to 0.3%.

Byron Bay's population aligns closely with national norms in age terms

Byron Bay has a median age of 38, which is lower than the Rest of NSW figure of 43 but equivalent to the national norm of 38. The age group of 25-34 shows strong representation at 20.8% in Byron Bay compared to Rest of NSW, while the 5-14 cohort is less prevalent at 8.7%. This 25-34 concentration is well above the national figure of 14.5%. According to the 2021 Census, the 25 to 34 age group has grown from 19.4% to 20.8%, and the 35 to 44 cohort increased from 15.7% to 17.0%. Conversely, the 55 to 64 cohort has declined from 12.6% to 10.5%. Demographic modeling suggests that Byron Bay's age profile will evolve significantly by 2041. The 35 to 44 group is projected to grow by 25%, reaching 2,417 people from 1,933. Meanwhile, population declines are projected for the 15 to 24 and 55 to 64 cohorts.