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 estimated population, as of November 2025, is around 6,828 people. This figure reflects an increase of 498 individuals since the 2021 Census, which reported a population of 6,330 in Byron Bay. The Byron Bay statistical area (Lv2) had a resident population of 6,663 as of June 2024, with an additional 245 validated new addresses since the Census date contributing to this increase. This results in a density ratio of 356 persons per square kilometer. The Byron Bay SA2's growth rate of 7.9% since the 2021 census exceeded both the SA4 region (3.9%) and the non-metro area, indicating it as a growth leader. Overseas migration drove this population growth, contributing approximately 92.0% of overall population gains during recent periods.

AreaSearch uses ABS/Geoscience Australia projections for each SA2 area, released in 2024 with a 2022 base year, and NSW State Government's SA2-level projections for areas not covered by this data, released in 2022 with a 2021 base year. Growth rates by age group are applied to all areas from these aggregations for the years 2032 to 2041. Future population trends indicate an increase just below Australia's non-metropolitan median, with Byron Bay expected to grow by 655 persons to 2041 based on aggregated SA2-level projections, reflecting a total increase of approximately 5.0% over the 17-year period.

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

AreaSearch analysis of ABS building approval numbers, sourced from statistical area data, indicates Byron Bay averaged approximately 71 new dwelling approvals annually. Between FY-21 and FY-25, around 357 homes were approved, with a further 45 approved in FY-26 to date. Over the past five financial years, an average of about 0.9 new residents arrived per new home built.

This suggests that new construction is keeping pace with or exceeding demand, providing buyers more options and facilitating population growth potentially beyond current projections. The average expected construction cost value of new dwellings in Byron Bay is approximately $1,600,000, indicating developers' focus on the premium market with high-end developments. In FY-26 alone, commercial approvals totalled $49.4 million, reflecting significant local commercial activity. Compared to Rest of NSW, Byron Bay has 89.0% more construction activity per capita, suggesting ample choice for buyers and robust developer interest in the area. This is notably higher than the national average.

The current building activity comprises approximately 52.0% standalone homes and 48.0% medium and high-density housing, offering a mix of attached housing types catering to various price ranges. With around 83 people per approval, Byron Bay reflects an area experiencing development growth. According to AreaSearch's latest quarterly estimate, Byron Bay is projected to grow by approximately 342 residents by 2041. Given current construction levels, housing supply should meet demand adequately, creating favourable conditions for buyers while potentially enabling population growth beyond current forecasts.

Byron Bay has very high levels of nearby infrastructure activity, ranking in the top 20% nationally

Changes to local infrastructure significantly influence an area's performance. AreaSearch has identified twenty projects likely impacting the area. Notable projects include Byron Bay Drainage Upgrade, Bohemian Byron Bay, MARE Apartments, and 29 Shirley Street Apartments. 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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While Byron Bay retains a healthy unemployment rate of 3.2%, recent employment declines have impacted its national performance ranking

Byron Bay has a highly educated workforce with prominent tourism and hospitality sectors. Its unemployment rate is 3.2%, based on AreaSearch's aggregation of statistical area data.

As of September 2025, there are 3612 residents employed, with an unemployment rate of 0.6% lower than Rest of NSW's rate of 3.8%. Workforce participation in Byron Bay is fairly standard at 59.7%, compared to Rest of NSW's 56.4%. Leading employment industries among residents are accommodation & food, health care & social assistance, and professional & technical services. The area specializes particularly in accommodation & food, with an employment share 3.3 times the regional level.

However, health care & social assistance employs only 11.8% of local workers, below Rest of NSW's 16.9%. As at the Census, there is a ratio of 0.7 workers for each resident, indicating above-normal local employment opportunities. Between September 2024 and September 2025, the labour force decreased by 2.5% while employment declined by 2.2%, causing unemployment to fall by 0.3 percentage points. In contrast, Rest of NSW recorded an employment decline of 0.5%, a labour force decline of 0.1%, and a rise in unemployment of 0.4 percentage points. State-level data up to 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 national employment growth of 6.6% over five years and 13.7% over ten years. Applying these projections to Byron Bay's employment mix suggests local employment should increase by approximately 6.6% over five years and 13.5% over ten years, though this is a simple weighting extrapolation for illustrative purposes and does not account for localised population projections.

Income figures position the area below 75% of locations analysed nationally by AreaSearch

AreaSearch's latest postcode level ATO data for financial year 2023 indicates Byron Bay's median taxpayer income is $39,019 and average is $81,046. This places Byron Bay among the highest in Australia, with Rest of NSW having a median of $52,390 and average of $65,215. Based on Wage Price Index growth from financial year 2023 to September 2025 (8.86%), current estimates would be approximately $42,476 for median income and $88,227 for average income. According to the 2021 Census, Byron Bay's household, family, and personal incomes rank modestly between the 39th and 50th percentiles. The earnings profile shows that 28.1% of residents earn $1,500 - $2,999 weekly (1,918 residents), consistent with broader regional trends at 29.9%. Housing affordability pressures are severe in Byron Bay, with only 77.0% of income remaining and the area ranking at the 31st percentile for this indicator. The SEIFA income ranking places Byron Bay 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, as per the latest Census, consisted of 56.4% houses and 43.6% other dwellings (semi-detached, apartments, 'other' dwellings). This compares to Non-Metro NSW's 75.1% houses and 24.9% other dwellings. Home ownership in Byron Bay was at 36.7%, with the rest either mortgaged (21.3%) or rented (42.0%). The median monthly mortgage repayment was $2,167, higher than Non-Metro NSW's average of $1,980. Median weekly rent in Byron Bay was $600, compared to Non-Metro NSW's $450. Nationally, Byron Bay's mortgage repayments were significantly higher at $2,167 versus the Australian average of $1,863, and rents were substantially above the national figure of $375.

Byron Bay features high concentrations of group households and lone person households, with a lower-than-average median household size

Family households account for 53.3% of all households, including 17.2% that are couples with children, 27.2% that are couples without children, and 8.3% that are single parent families. Non-family households make up the remaining 46.7%, with lone person households at 33.9% and group households comprising 12.8%. The median household size is 2.3 people, which is smaller than the Rest of NSW average of 2.4 people.

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

Byron Bay has a notably high educational attainment among its residents aged 15 and above, with 39.8% holding university qualifications compared to the broader NSW average of 21.3%. This is also higher than the SA4 region's average of 24.3%, indicating a significant educational advantage for Byron Bay. The most common university qualification held by residents is bachelor degrees at 29.2%, followed by postgraduate qualifications (7.8%) and graduate diplomas (2.8%). Vocational credentials are also prevalent, with 33.0% of residents holding such qualifications – advanced diplomas at 14.0% and certificates at 19.0%.

Educational participation is high in Byron Bay, with 27.6% of residents currently enrolled in formal education. This includes 7.2% in primary education, 6.1% in secondary education, and 4.9% pursuing tertiary education.

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

Byron Bay has 73 active public transport stops offering a mix of train and bus services. These stops are served by 45 individual routes, facilitating 743 weekly passenger trips in total. The average distance from residents to the nearest transport stop is 253 meters, indicating good accessibility.

On average, there are 106 trips per day across all routes, which translates to approximately 10 weekly trips per individual 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 very low prevalence of common conditions across all ages. Private health cover is exceptionally high at approximately 59% (4023 people), compared to 51.7% in Rest of NSW.

Mental health issues and arthritis are most common, affecting 7.4 and 6.2% respectively. 74.7% report no medical ailments, higher than the 68.0% across Rest of NSW. Byron Bay has 18.0% (1229 people) aged 65 and over, lower than Rest of NSW's 23.6%. Senior health outcomes are particularly strong, outperforming general population metrics.

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, as per the census data from June 2016, exhibited higher cultural diversity compared to most local markets. Specifically, 16.3% of its residents spoke a language other than English at home, while 33.0% were born overseas. Christianity was the predominant religion in Byron Bay, with 28.5% of people identifying as such.

Notably, Judaism was overrepresented compared to the rest of NSW, comprising 1.4% of Byron Bay's population versus the regional average of 0.6%. In terms of ancestry, the top three groups were English (28.9%), Australian (19.5%), and Irish (10.9%). However, there were notable differences in the representation of certain ethnicities: Spanish was overrepresented at 1.8% compared to the regional average of 0.5%, French at 1.8% versus 0.9%, and German at 4.7% against a regional average of 3.8%.

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 25-34 age group makes up 23.0% of Byron Bay's population compared to 17.6% in the Rest of NSW and 14.5% nationally. Meanwhile, the 5-14 age group comprises 6.9%, lower than the national average of 18.4%. Post the 2021 Census, the 35-44 age group grew from 15.2% to 16.6%, and the 25-34 cohort increased from 21.7% to 23.0%. Conversely, the 55-64 age group declined from 12.8% to 10.6%. By 2041, Byron Bay's demographic profile is projected to shift significantly. The 35-44 age group is expected to grow by 21%, reaching 1,366 people from the current 1,133. Meanwhile, population declines are forecast for the 15-24 and 55-64 cohorts.