Barrack Heights NSW Property Investment
Wollongong · 2528 · Score: 51/100 · Hold
Barrack Heights Short-Term Rental (Airbnb) Market
Estimated revenue assumes year-round availability. Non-hosted short-stays are night-capped in some councils (e.g. 60 nights across most of Byron Shire, 180 in Ballina, Muswellbrook and parts of Greater Sydney) and levied in Victoria — the legal cap can cut achievable income well below this figure. Run STR Check for the rules on a specific address.
Barrack Heights NSW Investment Brief
## 1. Investment Verdict Hold – the 4.0 % gross rental yield is the key figure that underpins the recommendation. It offers a respectable return while price growth remains strong.
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## 2. Market Overview - Median house price: $911,250 - Median unit price: $668,750
Growth trend – price growth over the past 12 months is 9.3 % and the 5‑year CAGR is 6.4 % per annum. The 3‑year forward forecast is 13.5 % growth, indicating continued upside.
Days on market: *Data not provided.*
Signal: Strong price appreciation and a solid yield suggest sellers can command premium prices, while buyers still have scope for capital growth if they can secure a property that delivers the 4 % yield benchmark.
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## 3. Rental Market - Median weekly rent: $692 / wk - Gross rental yield: 4.0 %
Vacancy rate: *Data not provided.*
Demand rating: With a 4 % yield and rent at $692 / wk, rental demand appears stable, but the lack of vacancy data prevents a precise rating.
Implication for investors: The yield is attractive enough to support a hold strategy, provided vacancy does not rise sharply.
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## 4. Short‑Term Rental Opportunity - STR nightly rate: *Data not provided.* - STR occupancy: *Data not provided.* - Estimated annual STR revenue: *Data not provided.*
Conclusion: Without STR metrics, we cannot quantify the short‑term rental upside. The known 4 % long‑term rental yield makes LTR the safer, data‑backed choice at present.
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## 5. Infrastructure & Growth Drivers - Known projects, transport, employment base: *Data not provided.*
Current driver: The 13.5 % 3‑year growth forecast implies underlying demand, likely linked to broader regional dynamics, but specific local catalysts are not supplied.
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## 6. Bull Case If the 13.5 % 3‑year growth forecast materialises:
- Median house price after 3 years: $911,250 × 1.135 ≈ $1,034,000
- Median unit price after 3 years: $668,750 × 1.135 ≈ $758,000
A price uplift of roughly $120k–$150k would boost capital gains for current owners and improve yield‑adjusted returns for new entrants.
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## 7. Risks | Risk | Detail (with numbers) | |------|-----------------------| | Vacancy risk | Vacancy rate is unknown; a rise could erode the 4 % yield. | | Interest‑rate sensitivity | Higher rates increase borrowing costs and can pressure yields. | | Supply pipeline | No data on upcoming developments; a surge in new stock could lift vacancy and dampen price growth. | | Single‑employer dependency | No employment data supplied; reliance on a dominant employer would heighten risk if that employer contracts. |
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## 8. The Play - Entry range: Around the median house price of $911,250 or the median unit price of $668,750. - Minimum yield target: 4.0 % (the current gross yield). - Watch signals: 1. Any published vacancy statistics for the suburb. 2. Announcements of new infrastructure or large‑scale developments. 3. Movements in the Reserve Bank’s cash rate that could affect borrowing costs.
Recommended strategy: Acquire at or below the median price, lock in a property that delivers the 4 % yield, and hold while monitoring vacancy and interest‑rate trends. The hold stance aligns with the suburb’s solid yield and strong price‑growth outlook, offering upside if the 3‑year forecast holds.
Gentrification Index
Growth Forecast
low confidenceBasis: 5yr CAGR 6.4% + 10yr CAGR 7.8%
- −Population decline (-0.0%/yr) — demand headwind
- −High supply pipeline (6738 new approvals) — may cap price growth
Suburb Metric Thresholds
Macro Environment
Macro Indicators
Cash Rate
4.35%
▲ 0.25%Cash rate as at 2026-05-06 · Credit data 2026-07
Suburb Supply & Demand
Suburb Supply Pipeline — New Dwelling Approvals
1,211
2020
1,385
2021
1,228
2022
1,346
2023
1,568
2025
New dwelling approvals — higher numbers mean more future supply
Socio-Economic Profile
Source: ABS Census 2021SEIFA Index · Postcode 2528
Decile 1 of 10 — High disadvantage
Population
23,735
Education (IEO)
1/10
Econ. Resources (IER)
2/10
10-Year Investment Projection
Modelled on Barrack Heights NSW data — rent, capital growth, tax, and depreciation over 10 years.
Pre-filled: $692/wk median rent for Barrack Heights. Capital growth and rent increase are editable assumptions.
Schools
In your catchment
These are the government-school zones containing this suburb centroid. Specific addresses within the suburb may fall in different catchments — confirm with the school directly.
Nearby Suburbs
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Analyse a Property →Data sourced from ABS, state government property sales, and Airbnb market analytics. For informational purposes only — not financial advice.