Byron Bay
Statistical Area - sa2

Byron Bay lies within the top quartile of areas nationally for population growth performance according to AreaSearch analysis of recent, and medium to long-term trends

Byron Bay's population was approximately 11,375 as of August 2025, according to AreaSearch's analysis. This figure represents a growth of 461 people, a 4.2% increase from the 2021 Census which reported a population of 10,914. The change was inferred from the estimated resident population of 11,227 in June 2024 and an additional 259 validated new addresses since the Census date. This results in a density ratio of 285 persons per square kilometer, providing significant space per person. Byron Bay's growth exceeded the SA4 region's 3.2% growth since the 2021 census, making it a growth leader in the area. Overseas migration contributed approximately 91.7% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch is using 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 the years 2032 to 2041. Based on demographic trends and latest population numbers, Byron Bay is expected to increase by 1,144 persons to 2041, recording an 8.7% gain over the 17-year period.

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

Byron Bay has recorded approximately 98 residential properties granted approval annually. Development approval data is produced by the ABS on a financial year basis, with around 490 homes approved over the past five financial years (FY-20 to FY-25), and 33 approvals so far in FY-26. On average, about 1.3 new residents arrive per new home built each year over these five financial years. This indicates a balanced supply and demand market, supporting stable property conditions.

New properties are constructed at an average expected cost of $1,600,000, suggesting developers focus on the premium market with high-end developments. In FY-26, there have been approximately $54.9 million in commercial approvals, indicating high levels of local commercial activity compared to the rest of NSW, where Byron Bay shows moderately higher development activity (14.0% above regional average per person over the five-year period). Recent construction comprises 52.0% detached dwellings and 48.0% attached dwellings, offering a mix of medium-density options across different price brackets.

The location has approximately 138 people per dwelling approval, indicating a low density market. Population forecasts suggest Byron Bay will gain around 993 residents by 2041. Based on current development patterns, new housing supply should readily meet demand, offering good conditions for buyers and potentially facilitating population growth beyond current projections.

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 identified 26 projects that may impact the area. Notable projects include the 29 Shirley Street Apartments, Byron Bay Drainage Upgrade, Bohemian Byron Bay, and Tennyson Street Upgrade. The following list details those most likely to be relevant.

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

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. Its unemployment rate is 2.5% as of June 2025.

This is 1.2% lower than the Rest of NSW's rate of 3.7%. Workforce participation in Byron Bay is 61.1%, compared to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Leading employment industries among residents include accommodation & food, health care & social assistance, and professional & technical services. Accommodation & food services have particularly notable concentration with employment levels at 2.8 times the regional average.

Public administration & safety is under-represented with only 2.3% of Byron Bay's workforce compared to Rest of NSW's 7.5%. The ratio of 0.7 workers per resident indicates a level of local employment opportunities above the norm. Over the 12 months to June 2025, labour force levels decreased by 4.8% and employment decreased by 4.5%, causing unemployment to fall by 0.3 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of NSW experienced employment decline of 0.1% and labour force growth of 0.3%, with a rise in unemployment of 0.4 percentage points. To provide broader context, state-level data to Sep-25 shows NSW employment contracted by 0.41% (losing 19,270 jobs), with the state unemployment rate at 4.3%. This compares favourably to the national unemployment rate of 4.5%, but lags behind national employment growth of 0.26%. Jobs and Skills Australia's national employment forecasts from May 2025 suggest potential future demand within Byron Bay. These projections estimate national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these industry-specific projections to Byron Bay's employment mix suggests local growth of approximately 6.7% over five years and 13.7% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localised population projections.

Income levels sit below national averages according to AreaSearch assessment

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2022 shows median income in Byron Bay at $40,571 and average income at $84,268. This contrasts with Rest of NSW's median income of $49,459 and average income of $62,998. Based on Wage Price Index growth of 10.6% since financial year 2022, estimated incomes as of March 2025 would be approximately $44,872 (median) and $93,200 (average). Census 2021 income data indicates Byron Bay's household, family, and personal incomes cluster around the 53rd percentile nationally. Income distribution shows that 30.6% of locals (3,480 people) fall within the $1,500 - 2,999 category, similar to the broader area where 29.9% occupy this range. Housing affordability pressures are severe, with only 78.6% of income remaining, ranking at the 44th percentile. 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 structure in its latest Census comprised 62.3% houses and 37.7% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). Non-Metro NSW had a composition of 75.1% houses and 24.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Byron Bay was at 36.3%, with mortgaged dwellings at 25.6% and rented ones at 38.1%. The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,340, higher than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,980. Median weekly rent in Byron Bay stood at $620, compared to $450 in Non-Metro NSW. Nationally, Byron Bay's mortgage repayments were significantly higher than the Australian average of $1,863, and 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 constitute 58.4% of all households, including 21.4% couples with children, 26.7% couples without children, and 9.5% single parent families. Non-family households account for the remaining 41.6%, with lone person households at 29.1% and group households comprising 12.5%. The median household size is 2.4 people, aligning with the Rest of NSW average.

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

Byron Bay's residents aged 15 and above have a higher university qualification rate of 40.1% compared to the broader NSW region at 21.3%, and the SA4 region at 24.3%. Bachelor degrees are most prevalent at 29.4%, followed by postgraduate qualifications at 8.1% and graduate diplomas at 2.6%. Vocational credentials, including advanced diplomas at 13.3% and certificates at 19.6%, are also prominent among Byron Bay's residents. Educational participation is notably high with 28.4% of residents currently enrolled in formal education.

This includes primary education (8.8%), secondary education (6.3%), and tertiary education (4.4%). The four schools in Byron Bay have a combined enrollment of 1,675 students, indicating above-average socio-educational conditions with an ICSEA score of 1074. Education provision is balanced with three primary schools and one secondary school serving distinct age groups.

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, operating a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 46 individual routes, offering 741 weekly passenger trips in total. The accessibility of transport 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's health outcomes show exceptional results with very low prevalence of common health conditions across all age groups. The private health cover rate is notably high at approximately 62% of the total population (7,098 people), compared to 52.3% in Rest of NSW and a national average of 55.3%. Mental health issues and arthritis are the most prevalent medical conditions, affecting 7.1 and 6.2% of residents respectively.

A significant majority, 75.6%, report being completely clear of medical ailments compared to 68.0% in Rest of NSW. The area has 17.3% of residents aged 65 and over (1,967 people), which is lower than the 23.6% in Rest of NSW. Notably, health outcomes among seniors are particularly strong, outperforming the general population in health metrics.

Byron Bay was found to be more culturally diverse than the vast majority of local markets in Australia, upon assessment of a range of language and cultural background related metrics

Byron Bay's population, as of the 2016 Census, showed higher cultural diversity than many local areas, with 15.1% speaking languages other than English at home and 30.4% born overseas. Christianity was the predominant religion in Byron Bay, accounting for 28.4%. Notably, Judaism was more prevalent here (1.1%) compared to Rest of NSW (0.6%).

Ancestry-wise, the top groups were English (29.2%), Australian (20.3%), and Irish (11.0%). Some ethnic groups had notable differences in representation: French (1.8% vs regional 0.9%), Spanish (1.6% vs 0.5%), and Russian (0.5% vs 0.3%) were more common in Byron Bay.

Byron Bay's population is slightly older than the national pattern

Byron Bay has a median age of 38, which is less than the Rest of NSW figure of 43 but equivalent to the national norm also at 38. The 25-34 age group constitutes 20.8% of Byron Bay's population, higher than Rest of NSW's percentage and significantly above the national average of 14.5%. Meanwhile, the 5-14 cohort makes up 8.7%, which is less prevalent compared to other regions. Post the 2021 Census, the 25-34 age group grew from 19.4% to 20.8%, while the 35-44 cohort increased from 15.7% to 17.0%. Conversely, the 55-64 cohort declined from 12.6% to 10.5%. By 2041, Byron Bay's age profile is projected to change significantly according to demographic modeling. The 35-44 group is expected to grow by 25%, reaching 2,417 people from the current 1,932. However, population declines are forecast for the 15-24 and 55-64 age groups.