Barrack Heights NSW Property Investment

Wollongong · 2528 · Score: 51/100 · Hold

Median House Price
$911K
Rental Yield
4.0%
Vacancy Rate
2.5%
Median Weekly Rent
$692/wk
Median Unit Price
$669K
Population
6,003
Days on Market
42 days
Annual Growth
9.3%

Barrack Heights Short-Term Rental (Airbnb) Market

Avg Nightly Rate
$457/night
Occupancy Rate
40%
Est. Annual Revenue
$67K

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.

AI Investment Analysis

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

Early gentrification signals4.5/10
▲Low socioeconomic base — classic gentrification precondition
—Moderate capital growth (6.4% CAGR)
▲Active development pipeline (6738 approvals) — supply attracting new residents
▲Strong public transport infrastructure — supports walkable gentrification

Growth Forecast

low confidence
1yr Forecast
5.5%
p.a.
2yr Forecast
5.0%
p.a.
5yr Forecast
4.4%
p.a.

Basis: 5yr CAGR 6.4% + 10yr CAGR 7.8%

Headwinds
  • −Population decline (-0.0%/yr) — demand headwind
  • −High supply pipeline (6738 new approvals) — may cap price growth

Suburb Metric Thresholds

3 green5 yellow8 red
Rental Vacancy Rate
2.5 high impact
Days on Market
42 high impact
Weekly Rent (house)
692 medium impact
5yr Price CAGR
6.42 high impact
10yr Price CAGR
7.75 high impact
1yr Price Growth
9.3 medium impact
Population Growth
-0.03 high impact
Median Household Income
1166 medium impact
Unemployment Rate
6.2 medium impact
Public Transport Score
6.5 medium impact
School Zone Quality
4.6 medium impact
Distance to CBD
83.92 medium impact
SEIFA Advantage/Disadvantage
1 medium impact
Owner Occupier Rate
62.8 medium impact
Gross Rental Yield (%)
3.95 high impact
Net Rental Yield (%)
2.45 high impact

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 2021

SEIFA Index · Postcode 2528

Most disadvantagedLeast disadvantaged

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

Warilla PS
PrimaryGovernment
4.5/10
Warilla HS
SecondaryGovernment
5.4/10

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.

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Data sourced from ABS, state government property sales, and Airbnb market analytics. For informational purposes only — not financial advice.